BUDDHA’S BIRTHDAY                          NYCHINATOWNcom

2001: April 30
2002: May 20

   The Buddha's Birthday falls on the eighth day of the fourth lunar month. On this day, Buddhists pay respect to the Buddha at temples, recite sutras (Buddhist scriptures) and perform a special ablution ceremony on the Buddha's image. The bathing ceremony is a reflection of the legend that says when the Buddha was born, he was washed by fragrant rain that sprang forth from the mouth of a dragon. This is the reason why his birthday is also known as the Buddha's Ablution Festival (Yufo Jie).

Buddhism in China

    The Buddha was born Sakyamuni, the crown prince of the Sakya tribe in northern India in 566 BC By the time he was 29, he had left his life of luxury and went in search for the true meaning of life. After six years of contemplation and experiments, he gained enlightenment and from then on was known as the Buddha, or the "Enlightened One." He died in 486 BC.

   Although Buddhism was not an indigenous Chinese religion, there are records of the Chinese celebrating Buddha's Birthday dating back to the Three Kingdoms period (220-280 AD). In the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD), the Buddha's Birthday was already being celebrated all over China.

The Buddha's Ablution Ceremony

     The water used for performing the bathing ceremony is scented with perfume and is called Fragrant Water. The ceremony is usually performed within a temple or on hallowed ground in the open. The abbot of the temple makes the first incense offering and chants a sutra. Then the rest of the monks offer their incense and sing the Ablution Hymn.

   The monks then pour small ladleful of Fragrant Water on the Buddha's image. Afterward, the Buddha's image is rinsed with clean water. The whole process is accompanied by the singing of the Ablution Hymn. At the end of the ceremony, participants and devotees will use some of the water that has been used to bathe the Buddha's image to sprinkle on their own heads.

   The ceremony is performed to commemorate the Buddha's birthday, show him respect, and to pray for a good life.