The holy day of Waisak must be founded upon the glory of the here and now. The three sanctified events in the life of Siddharta Gautama reflect this glory.
The three sanctified events occurred on the day of the grand full moon, namely Siddharta Gautama’s birth in 623 BC, his enlightenment in 588 BC and his death in 543 BC. The three sanctified events reflect the glory life of the Buddha. This glory was not merely a hope for the future but was realized when Buddha carried out his holy mission.
Under the Bodhi tree, Siddharta Gautama reached the level awareness known as the teaching of maitri karuna (thinking of and helping others achieve happiness). This means that we feel happiness not because of our wealth, expansive power or physical beauty.
Happiness is felt when we are actively engaged in realizing other people’s happiness. In other words, our life becomes glorious when our behavior spreads joy for ourselves and other people. Under such teachings, we are encouraged to bring colors into a world full of anger, pursuits of wealth and ambition for power.
We hope that these colors will emerge in the celebration of Waisak, which this year takes place as the nation awaits the final vote count of the 2019 election, which has been marred with a sharp division among supporters.
The glory of the Buddha, a champion for peace and antiviolence, is highly relevant to our current situation. According to Buddha, being exemplary is the foundation of glory. If a leader wishes for the people he or she leads to develop certain skills and qualities, he or she must plan adequate exemplary behaviors. Such exemplary behaviors are lacking in our leadership figures, which is why chaos persists and leads to more worries post-election.
Amid the chaotic scenes of the 2019 election’s vote recapitulation, it is as if God is giving us an opportunity to contemplate on Waisak. Will we celebrate the day as an empty commemoration, or can we learn lessons from Buddha’s journey toward perfection?
As a nation, we hope that all this chaos will end soon without leading to unwanted consequences. We can learn from Buddha’s glory and willingness to sacrifice for the interests and happiness of others. Only through such a willingness to sacrifice can we, as a nation, traverse through the various challenges of life, no matter how big they are.
Waisak can be an opportunity for the entire nation to move forward in peace. Buddha’s glory will guide us all to bring prosperity to our nation-state. Happy Waisak 2019/2563.