[About life in South Korea] Buddha's birthday
May 22, 2018 by the lunar calendar is the birthday of the Buddha (석가 탄신일). In Korea, today is a regular holiday.
On this holiday the country starts to prepare first - at least a month. Across the city, colored lanterns hang out, which light up at night. And from 11 to 23 May there is a streetlight festival. Although the parade ended and the concert also, the lights still stood at the Buddhist temples in Seoul, as well as in the Chongcheon small river. So, anyone can go and see the work of talented writers. I told you about the festival here.
Earlier today it was called "Buddha's Birthday" (석가 탄신일), but this year the holiday is slightly renamed and now is "Buddha Day" (부처님 오신 날).
In South Korea, today became an official holiday in 1975.
Let us make a short aberration into the history and foundations of Buddhism.
Buddhism originated in ancient India in 600 BC. The founder of this religious and philosophical teaching is the Buddha Gautama. By the way, these teachings were originally called Dharma, but "Buddhism" began to be called only in the nineteenth century thanks to Europe.
Religion is one of the philosophical tendencies - people are arguing up to now in the harbor. Someone calls Buddhism the "science of consciousness." As a religion, Buddhism penetrates many countries, including South Korea. Here it appears around the 5th century, when the Korean peninsula is vulnerable to the powerful influence of its Chinese neighbors. At that time, the Korean peninsula was divided into 3 states: Koguryo, Baekje and Silla. And historically, Goguryeo was the first country to introduce Buddhism. At one of the royal receptions came the Chinese ambassador, and with him was a monk who brought with him lectors about Buddhism, as well as his own image of Buddha.
Korea introduced the trend of Mahayanis Buddhism. This development comes from India. Mahayana means "big train". This direction is based on two main traditions: intuitive wisdom and compassion. Mahayanis chose a man, called the Bodhisattva. He decided to become a Buddha to help all beings. It is believed that a Bodhisattva is one who chooses to remain and help sentient beings, rather than going to nirvana.
There is a legend - a story of how Gautama became a Buddha. Father Gautama takes great care of his son from all evil. Then the boy got married, his son was born. Once upon a time the young man met an elderly man who was old, and after that he saw a leper, and as a result he also witnessed the funeral procession. These 3 events personified old age, sickness and death and made young men think about life. But the fourth decisive meeting was a meeting with a quiet beggar who wanted nothing from his life. Gautama began to reflect on people and their fate. He decided secretly from everyone to leave the palace and go look for the meaning of life. At the age of 35 he became enlightened, he became a Buddha.
The Buddha has many teachings, but the main one is the teachings of the Four Noble Truths:
Dukkha or suffering (anxiety, fear, dissatisfaction, etc.) is present in our world.
There is a reason for the existence of Dukkha. This desire, thirst. The desire to live or change, self-will.
Man is able to free himself from Dukkha.
The eightfold path will help to come to Nirvana and break free from Dukkha.
The coming day of the Buddha is an important praznik in South Korea, because there are many Buddhists there. On holiday occasions, despite the rainy weather, in the capital - in the Buddhist temple of Chogesa there is a solemn ceremony attended by members of parliament. At the ceremony, more than 20 thousand people gathered.