Vesak Day 2010 – The Day of Enlightenment

The Samadhi Meditation Center celebrated the holiest day of the Buddhist Calendar, Vesak Day on May 22nd. Vesak is the most important spiritual holiday for many Buddhists around the world. On this special day we remember the Birth, Enlightenment and passing away of Gotama the Buddha.

This year, 2010 was the 2599th birthday of the Buddha. Most of the guests wore white, as it is traditional to wear white clothing on Vesak to express the purity of the day, filled with love, kindness and generosity. During our candle ceremony we lit about 1000 candles and Vesak lanterns. We had 100 people at Samadhi to celebrate this joyous day. The program included many activities, such as:

8-9am: Silent sitting.

9-9.30am: Guided meditation on nine virtues of the Buddha (Buddhanussathi meditation).

9.45-10.30am: Introduction to meditation and guided meditation.

10.30- 10. 45: Walking meditation.

11-11.30: Dharma talk and discussion, topic: five precepts and daily life.

11.30: Buddha puja (offering to the Buddha).

11.45: Lunch for monks.

12: Lunch for the guests.

1pm: Peace walk.

1.30 -2pm: Meditation.

2pm to 3pm: Dhamma talk and discussion, Topic. Karma and how the teaching can be applied to our daily life.

3. 3-30pm: Tea.

3.30 -4pm: Dhamma talk, Significance of Vesak.

4.30 5.30pm: Buddha Puja and blessing ceremony.

6.30-7.30pm: Classical Indian music. By musician Jiri Dohnal.

8-9.30pm: Candle light ceremony.