Devotees of Gautam Buddha celebrate Wesak worldwide to commemorate his birthday. Also known as Vesak, Buddha Purnima, Buddha Day and Buddha Jayanti, the date of Wesak Day changes year after year depending on which calendar is followed. It is believed that Buddha was born in Lumbini, Nepal, in 567 BC. After his birth, an astrologer predicted that he would grow up to denounce all his wealth and luxuries to become a holy man. At the age of 29, he denounced his royal life and decided to follow the path of spirituality.
In Malaysia, hundreds of devotees gather on Vesak Day (though not this year) at the temples of Ipoh, to seek Buddha's blessings. They practise the ritual of "Sunning Buddha" and gather at Ipoh's Enlightened Heart Tibetan Buddhist temple where monks place a sacred Tibetan Buddhist painting called a "Thangka" in the sun to absorb its powers. It is believed that the energy promotes peace, health, and harmony for the rest of the year. Lighting oil lamps on Wesak Day is an important ritual. Last year, Jonas Wong Wai Leong, 30, came with his new bride to pray for a baby and for wealth. As an offering, he carried a Buddha statue and placed it on the altar of Ipoh's "Enlightened Tibetan Buddhist" temple. Like many other devotees, he also lit candles as a sign of respect. "I am so happy today. The temple gave us rice and sugar. I am going to consume them for strength and good health," he added. In Malaysia, Buddhism is the religion with the second most adherents after Islam. Out of a population of 30 million, approximately 5.4 million Malaysians are Buddhists, most of whom are ethnic Chinese.
(TRT World)
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