Vesak has always captured our attention as a religious and cultural celebration. The festival, which celebrates the birth, enlightenment and death of the Buddha, has been marked with displays of color and ceremony. Many people across the globe celebrate by engaging in religious rituals, giving to charity and creating several different kinds of decor such as Vesak lanterns.
“Vesak has always impressed me with how it brings out our creativity,” Amaya De Silva,27, said. “I love going around and seeing the colorful Vesak lanterns and decorations.”
The celebration has often attracted many local and foreign visitors for its color and artistic significance, while also providing an opportunity for people around the world to learn and reflect on Buddhism through a spiritual, philosophical or historical perspective.
The spiritual significance
Many Buddhists around the world regard Vesak as a deeply spiritual day where they can reflect on their faith and engage in spiritual activities.
“Vesak, in my opinion, is the most sacred day in our calendar because it celebrates the life and teachings of the Lord Buddha,” Vinura Abeysekara, 30, said. “The Lord Buddha showed us what it is like to take the correct path, so I believe that Vesak is of great national importance.”
Abeysekara also said that Vesak makes him feel more connected to spirituality. “I have made changes in my daily life to be spiritual by meditating, reading on Buddhist philosophy and not drinking alcohol,” Abeysekara said. “However, I make sure to go vegetarian on Vesak Poya day and visit the temple and engage in sil in order to be meritorious.”
Meanwhile, other readers said that Vesak was a reminder of how everyday spirituality is celebrated. “To me Vesak is an important part of life because it reminds me of the spiritual choices we make,” Buddhini Weerasekara,60, said. “ While I am not perfect and often make mistakes, I try to do good deeds like giving to charity once a month and avoiding eating meat, so Vesak really is a reminder of the Buddha’s message of loving kindness.”
Kindness in real life
Weerasekara said that kindness and generosity is a key part of Vesak celebrations.
“Something I love about Vesak is the free food stalls,” she said. “In this economy, a lot of people struggle with getting food so having these is not only a good deed but a way of bringing both the rich and poor together as one.”
Weerasekara said that she is happy to see so many people who engage in charity for Vesak.
“I believe that charity should be done all year round and not just for a specific season, however I am happy to see that so many vulnerable communities such as underprivileged children receive the help they need,” she said.
She also highlighted the importance of the core message of Vesak should be remembered. “The lord Buddha was respected for his kindness and wisdom,” she said. “He taught people the importance of moderation and of having empathy for all living things.”
She said that this season should remind people of compassion and empathy for others, even if they may seem different.
Artistic appreciation
While many devotees appreciate Vesak for its spiritual importance, people of all backgrounds and religions find the beauty of Vesak undeniable.
“I’m an atheist but I have to admit Vesak is so beautiful because it truly brings out the creativity of so many people,” De Silva said. “The different types of lanterns and decor really shows our creativity and love for color, even when times get dark.”
Many others also said that Vesak is a beautiful reminder of their culture and creativity. “As a Sri Lankan living abroad, I do not often see the Vesak lanterns in Colombo and I genuinely miss it because it was such a big part of my childhood,” Ashini Perera, 28, said. “However, the Buddhist community comes together to celebrate Vesak with different types of decor reflecting different cultures across the world.”
Perera said that Vesak is a reminder that religion and religious celebrations do not need a location or nationality to be celebrated. Instead she said that Vesak is universal with messages of tolerance and respect for one another.
“By interacting with people who celebrate from different cultures and nationalities, I get to open up my mind and learn about how good principles and philosophy are global,” she said.
The future of Vesak
While Vesak has been celebrated for a long time, many often see new trends in celebrations.
“Social media has had a huge impact on Vesak,” Perera said. “I am now able to have access to religious programmes across the world on social media platforms like YouTube, Instagram and TikTok.”
Many readers said that this shift would help adapt religious education and culture to a modern day audience. The celebration of Vesak may mean different things to different people, yet the ideas of religious devotion combined with charity and art have continued to unite people in Sri Lanka and abroad.