Vesak Day Teaching
浴佛法會開示

Kyabje Gosok Rinpoche

Vesak Day Teaching

Rare and Auspicious Occasion of Celebrating Buddha’s Birthday

Today, on this auspicious and virtuous day, we have gathered together to celebrate the birth of the great teacher, Shakyamuni Buddha. Such a favorable condition is truly rare and precious!

Great Deeds of the Buddha

The supremely compassionate teacher, Shakyamuni Buddha, for the benefit of countless sentient beings, generated bodhicitta and practiced the bodhisattva path countless eons ago. After traversing three incalculable eons, he accumulated the perfect merit of wisdom and compassion, attained the complete enlightenment of Buddhahood, and manifested as a Buddha in this degenerate age. Furthermore, to benefit sentient beings, he turned the Wheel of Dharma three times.

Follow the Buddha’s Compassionate Vows

The Buddha, with the motivation to benefit sentient beings, generated bodhicitta and practiced the bodhisattva path. All his thoughts and actions were for the benefit of other sentient beings, yet what he ultimately achieved was the perfect Buddhahood that benefits both himself and others. Such a bodhisattva practice, which seeks no personal happiness but only the liberation of others, is profoundly great and worthy of respect. As followers aspiring to walk in the Buddha’s footsteps, we should strive to emulate his noble vow: « For the sake of sentient beings’ liberation, not for my own happiness. »

Eons of Light and Darkness

Among the countless eons, those in which a Buddha appears are called « eons of light, » while those without a Buddha are called « eons of darkness. » Eons of darkness are far longer than eons of light.

The great eon we are currently in is called the « Fortunate Aeon » (Bhadra Kalpa). According to Mahayana teachings, one thousand Buddhas will appear in this Fortunate Aeon. A great eon is divided into four intermediate eons: formation, abiding, destruction, and emptiness. Among these, only the « abiding eon » sees the appearance of Buddhas. An intermediate eon is further divided into twenty minor eons. In each minor eon, human lifespan either increases from ten years to 84,000 years (a « progressive eon ») or decreases from 84,000 years back to ten years (a « regressive eon »). Only during regressive eons, when human lifespan is decreasing, do Buddhas appear.

In our current minor eon, when human lifespan decreased to 40,000 years, the first Buddha of the Fortunate Aeon, Krakucchanda Buddha, appeared. When lifespan decreased to 30,000 years, the second Buddha, Kanakamuni Buddha, appeared. When it decreased to 20,000 years, the third Buddha, Kashyapa Buddha, appeared. Finally, when human lifespan reached 100 years, the fourth Buddha, Shakyamuni Buddha, appeared. The Buddha’s teaching and guidance of sentient beings require appropriate conditions and timing. During periods of decreasing lifespan, it is easier for the Buddha to guide beings. Therefore, the teacher Shakyamuni Buddha chose to manifest enlightenment in this world when human lifespan was 100 years.

We are extremely fortunate to enter the Dharma and study the Buddha’s teachings while they still remain in this world. Especially today, participating in the bathing of the Buddha ceremony is an extraordinarily rare and precious opportunity. This is all due to the merit accumulated in past lives. Without such merit, we would not have encountered the Buddha’s teachings or been able to participate in this ceremony.

Birth of Shakyamuni Buddha

Shakyamuni Buddha was born over 2,500 years ago in India as the son of King Shuddhodana. His name at birth, « Siddhartha, » means « one who has accomplished all purposes. » According to the Hinayana view, the Buddha attained complete enlightenment in a single lifetime. According to the Mahayana view, the Buddha had already attained Buddhahood countless eons ago. However, for the benefit of sentient beings, he generated bodhicitta once again, practiced the bodhisattva path for three incalculable eons, accumulated the perfect merit of wisdom and compassion, and manifested enlightenment in this world.

Before descending into the world, Shakyamuni Buddha resided in the Tushita Heaven, where he taught the Dharma under the name « White Banner Deva ». Later, all the Buddhas, with celestial music and various adornments, earnestly urged him: « As foretold by Dipankara Buddha in the past, the time has come for you, the fourth Buddha of the thousand Buddhas in the Fortunate Aeon, to be born into the world, teach the Dharma, and manifest enlightenment. Please fulfill the vow you made before Dipankara Buddha, and after teaching the Dharma in the Tushita Heaven for twelve years, descend into the world to turn the great Dharma wheel and benefit countless sentient beings. » In response to the heartfelt urging of the Buddhas, Shakyamuni Buddha resolved firmly to be born into the world and teach the Dharma.

Maitreya Bodhisattva

The gods of the Tushita Heaven, upon hearing that White Banner Deva (the previous life of Shakyamuni Buddha) would descend into the world, were filled with sorrow and wept, fearing they would no longer hear his teachings. Knowing their thoughts, White Banner Deva reassured them:

« Although I have decided to be born into the world, I will pass on the position of the next Buddha-to-be to Maitreya Bodhisattva, symbolized by this jeweled crown. Maitreya will continue to teach the Dharma in the Tushita Heaven. »

This event is supremely auspicious and unparalleled, which is why Maitreya is also known as ‘Invincible.' »

Buddha’s Birth

After observing five signs—clan, lineage, time, place, and mother—White Banner Deva decided to be born into the royal family of King Shuddhodana in central India and entered the womb of Queen Maya. One night, Queen Maya dreamed of a six-tusked white elephant entering her womb, and she became pregnant. After ten months, she wished to visit a peaceful and serene place. Accompanied by many attendants, she set out on a journey. When she reached Lumbini Garden, she saw lush green forests, blooming flowers, and everything around her was pure, auspicious, and beautiful. As Queen Maya held onto the branch of a sala tree, the Buddha was born from her right side without any pain.

Origin of the Buddha Bathing Ceremony

At the time of the Buddha’s birth, Indra and Brahma manifested in various forms to protect the surroundings. Celestial maidens scattered flowers, and heavenly beings played divine music while anointing the Buddha’s body with sacred nectar. This event is reflected in the verse we recite during the bathing ceremony:

« When the Tathagata was born, all the gods offered a bath. Now with pure celestial water, I too perform this ablution. »

The act of the gods bathing the Buddha’s body with sacred nectar became the origin of the later Bathing the Buddha ceremony.

Auspicious Signs at the Buddha’s Birth

Immediately after his birth, the Buddha took seven steps in each of the four directions—east, south, west, and north. Lotus flowers sprang up from the ground to support his feet. As he walked, he spoke a verse in each direction, one of which was: « In the heavens above and the earth below, I alone am supremely honored. » This marked the beginning of his manifestation of Buddhahood in the world.

At the time of the Buddha’s birth, many wondrous signs and auspicious omens appeared. The earth experienced six kinds of gentle quakes, and a radiant light illuminated the land. Even elder practitioners who had been meditating in dark caves, hidden from sunlight, witnessed this rare and extraordinary light. Among them was an ascetic named Mahakala, who understood that this brilliant light signified the birth of a child destined to attain Buddhahood in the world.

The sage understood that the newborn Buddha was being protected by the gods, so he did not immediately go to see him. After the Buddha returned to the palace, the sage came to pay respects. When he carefully examined the newborn prince’s auspicious features, he told King Shuddhodana: « If the prince remains in the household life, he will become a universal monarch ruling over the four continents. If he renounces the household life, he will attain perfect enlightenment. » At this moment, the sage shed tears of sadness. King Shuddhodana, surprised, asked, « Why are you crying? » The sage replied: « In the future, when the prince attains Buddhahood and turns the great Dharma wheel, benefiting countless sentient beings, I will no longer be in this world. I will miss the opportunity to receive the blessings of the Dharma, and that is why I cry. »

Another sage, known as the « Undoubting Sage, » told his nephew, the « Fire Offering Sage, » making this prophecy: « In the future, this child will surely manifest the supreme attainment of Buddhahood. You should go to him, take ordination, and practice the Dharma. By doing so, you will undoubtedly achieve great accomplishments and merit. »

Following the Buddha’s Teachings

Thus, we are extremely fortunate to have encountered the teachings of Shakyamuni Buddha while they still remain in this world. By taking refuge in the Dharma and becoming part of the Buddha’s retinue and followers, we possess excellent conditions and merit. If we practice the Buddha’s teachings with sincere devotion, this merit will allow us to form a profound Dharma connection with Maitreya Buddha, the fifth Buddha of the Fortunate Aeon, when he appears in the world.

Throughout his life, although the Buddha enjoyed wealth and royal consorts in the palace, he developed a deep sense of renunciation toward the fleeting pleasures of samsara. He left the household life, practiced asceticism, and ultimately manifested enlightenment. The Buddha’s life of attaining Buddhahood serves as a continuous teaching for sentient beings. If we can understand the true nature of suffering in samsara, generate the aspiration for liberation, and practice the Dharma accordingly, we will surely attain perfect enlightenment.

Having taken refuge in the Dharma and become Mahayana Buddhists and followers of the Buddha, we should always keep the profound meaning of the Buddha’s teachings in mind. Our words and actions should align with the Buddha’s instructions and guidance. We should constantly aspire for our thoughts to be motivated by bodhicitta—the altruistic mind—and for our actions to embody the six perfections (paramitas) of a bodhisattva. Even if we cannot fully achieve this at present, we should at least pray that our bodhicitta and bodhisattva practices will gradually increase and grow stronger, so that we may eventually reach this goal.

To emulate and practice the spirit of the Buddha is the foremost duty of Mahayana Buddhists. Let us all encourage one another in this noble endeavor.

The above is a translation from our Chinese webpage, based on original Tibetan teachings.