This entry was posted on 5/20/2007 8:03 PM and is filed under Australia.
We began to notice flags filling the city for Buddha's
Day - a two day celebration of the birth of the Buddha to be held at
the heart of town, Federation Square...
Buddha's Day celebrates the birthday of Prince Siddhartha Gautama, who
was to become Sakyamuni Buddha, the founder of Buddhism. Prince
Siddhartha was born on the day of the full moon in May around 549 BC in
Lumbini, Kapilavatsu, which in in Northern India near the present
border of Nepal. His family name was Gautama and he was the crown
prince of a small feudal kingdom of the Sakya Clan. After the
birth of Prince Siddhartha, nine heavenly dragons appeared and emitted
two streams, one cool and one warm, of the purest fragrant rain from
their mouths that gently cascaded to bathe the newly born prince.
The baby prince then took 7 steps and 7 lotus flowers sprang from
beneath his feet. Flowers drifted down from the heavens.
Purified by the rain, the young prince pointed one hand towards the
heavens and one hand towards the earth and said, "On heaven and earth,
I am the Honored One." The Honored One refers to the Buddha
nature that exists in all humans and other sentient beings.
When the big weekend came, the square was indeed full and
festive. When we arrived, the main stage had Chinese Dragon
dances going on - like these...
