Visitors may observe life-styles of six Naga ethnics such as Tangkhul, Makury, Para, Koka, Laungphury and Khiamniungan residing in Leshi Township and will have the opportunities to interview those people of Naga ethnics directly.

“The traditional houses of Naga ethnics were built with the aim of enabling the people to know their life-styles. After showing them as showrooms at the festival, the houses will be maintained by local tribes” said U Aung Htut.

Naga ethnic people will live at the traditional houses after the festival as part of maintenance. The local and foreign guests to Leshi Township ma stay at these traditional houses together with Naga ethnics.

Source: Yadanabon Newspaper

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As one of the least visited countries in Southeast Asia, any trip to Myanmar is sure to sure to feel a bit off-the-beaten track. You’ll find ancient temples and monasteries, beautiful handicrafts to take home as souvenirs, and in many ways, a culture and way of life that’s remains relatively unchained for centuries. But in addition to these iconic religious and cultural sites, there are tons of unique things to do in Myanmar to ensure that you have an authentic, intimate, and culturally-rich adventure.

For first time visits, most travelers will make their way through Myanmar’s most popular tourist destinations: Yangon, Mandalay, Bagan, and Inle Lake. Thankfully, none of these cities and towns have yet been overtaken by the tourism industry, so you’ll be sure to have authentic cultural experiences alongside locals anywhere you go. However, if you’re looking for things to do in each destination that are a bit unexpected, consider adding these activities to your Myanmar itinerary.

For my complete Myanmar Guide, download my latest e-book!

 

Yangon: Ride The Circular Train

A far cry from a luxurious mode of tourist transit, the Circular Train (or Circular Railway) is as gritty as it gets, and was one of the most off-the-beaten-track cultural activities I did in Myanmar. The railway is a commuter route that services the small villages in the outskirts of Yangon, and a ticket will set you back a mere 200 Kyats (about 10-20 cents). Along the way, you’ll find yourself in the thick of local life, with all its chaos and color and excitement.

Except to see locals bathing or slaughtering chickens or hanging wet clothes to dry along the train tracks; vibrant markets plopped on the dirt train platforms with eager food vendors that often make their way inside the train cars themselves to sell to commuters; locals making their morning commutes carrying bamboo baskets filled with tobacco or rice or chickens, with their entire families in tow.

 

Consider grabbing a tea or snack from a vendor (fried tofu with chili is a popular option, and I suggest staying away from meat), chatting up the locals, and soaking in as much as you can both within the train and outside its windows.

The entire loop to and from Yangon Central Railway Station takes about three hours and perpetually runs about 30 minutes late. However, I suggest hopping off the train whenever you come across a market or town that seems interesting. Go explore for a while, and then hop back on the next train that passes through (the Circular Train runs about every hour) or get a taxi or Grab back to Yangon.

To find the train schedule, I suggest asking your hotel for help. There does not appear to be an updated schedule posted online, and a visit to the station is possible but may leave you even more confused (don’t expect to find any English speakers working there). Also, note that the Circular Train is notorious for having a rather “elastic” schedule that is more akin to a rough estimate of arrival times.

Mandalay: Take A Day Trip To The Ancient Island City Of Ava

Although once the imperial capital of Burma during the 14th and 19th centuries, a series of massive earthquakes left the little island of Ava, otherwise known as Inwa, in ruins, which is much of what you’ll find there today. It’s a bit of a hidden gem, as even most locals didn’t know Ava existed until quite recently. However, you’ll still find a large handful of people that still inhabit the island, as well as a treasure trove of ancient ruins just waiting for you to explore.

Some of my favorite spots were the teakwood Bagaya Monastery, surrounded by fragrant evergreen trees; the Me Nu Ok Monastery, famous for being made of brick rather than the traditional wood; and the Yadana Hsemee Pagodas, a series of small ruined pagodas from the 1400s. Also be sure to drive past the Nanmyin Watch Tower which was damaged in the 1838 earthquake, giving it the nickname “The Leaning Tower of Ava.”

You’ll find some beautiful and unique souvenirs in Ava, such as antique stone pipes and wood carvings that. It’s a good idea to bargain here, but you’re still likely to get great prices as compared with the bigger, more touristed cities.

To get to Ava, take the public ferry from Mandalay to the Ava Jetty, which runs pretty regularly. The ferry costs about 1,300 Kyats roundtrip, and once you arrive, you’ll need to hire a horse buggy (starting at 10,000 Kyats) or rent a bicycle to get around the island.

 

Bagan: Learn To Cook Traditional Burmese Cuisine

Bagan is most famous for its thousands of ancient pagodas that offer visitors spectacular sunrise and sunset views. However, in between your morning and evening spent temple hopping, you’ll need to find some way to fill your time. Rather than hiding inside your hotel room all afternoon, consider taking a cooking class with Pennywort Cooking Class.

If food or local culture interests you in the slightest, you’ll love this experience. You’ll start the morning by visiting the local New Bagan market — it’s a smaller, more local market than the popular Nyaung-U Market, so there’s a good chance you’ll be the only foreigner there. May, who will be your instructor, will guide you through the market explaining the produce, preparation of dishes, and cultural significance of it all, as she selects items here and there for your cooking class.

I even had the opportunity to walk around the market on my own, picking out strange items that I wanted to try (May can make a meal out of anything, so she really did encourage me to pick out whatever I wanted).

After the shopping is finished, you’ll head over to a nearby tea shop for a break. Sip sweet black tea with condensed milk, accompanied by Chinese-influenced donuts and Indian-influenced chickpeas. May will explain to you about the interesting tea shop culture, where locals come to meet with friends, find work, or hire handymen for the day.

Finally, head back to May’s backyard kitchen to cook up a feast of traditional Burmese salads, tempura, curries and stews, and sweet treats. Except one of the best meals you’ll have while in Myanmar, made with fresh ingredients, loving hands, and great company. The best part? Proceeds from May’s cooking classes help sustain the eight free public libraries that May and her family run around Bagan.

If you’re a vegetarian or have other dietary restrictions, May can make arrangements to accommodate you. She also offers afternoon classes with a prepared dinner, but I suggest the morning class because it allows you to visit the market with her.

Inle Lake: Take A Multi-Day Trek

Although technically this 2-day/1-night or 3-day/2-night trek isn’t solely in Inle Lake, it’s definitely the best way to make your way to Inle Lake from Kalaw. Along the way, accompanied by an informative guide, you’ll walk past some of the most breathtaking scenery, including rolling grassy hills, vibrant green rice paddies, corn or pepper or pumpkin farmlands stretching for miles, and quaint little villages with no running water or electricity.

This trek will offer you some really beautiful and unique insights into village life and culture, as you’ll pass through tribes of Burmese people that only live in these hills. I walked through funerals, harvests, gambling gatherings, watering holes, and even “rush hour traffic” as all the farmers returned home with dozens of buffalo. And as an added bonus, I think I only saw two other pairs of trekkers the entire time.

One of the highlights of my trek (and possibly of my entire time in Myanmar) was being able to spend the night in a monastery. It was far from luxurious, but it was a seriously beautiful display of hospitality. The monks at the local monastery set up a sleeping mat, blankets, and a pillow, made private by a curtain attached to the interior pillars. They slept on the opposite side of the monastery, and we all woke up early in the morning to the clanging of pots and dishes as locals came to deliver food. Completely surreal. If you’re worried about comfort, my guess is you’ll be too exhausted from the day(s) of trekking that you’ll actually have one of the best nights of sleep on your trip.

In additional to the beautiful scenery and unique experiences, this will also be one of the few times you have easy access to and the undivided attention of a local who (hopefully) speaks excellent English. I had the most interesting conversations, gained the most nuanced insight into local culture, and was able to comfortably ask some of the more difficult questions I had (for example, about Myanmar’s ethnic conflict, while my guide was able to ask me about gun violence in America) while on my trek. The conversations were as interesting, challenging, and rewarding as the physical trek itself.

I can’t recommend my guide enough, who not only hosts travelers for insightful, educational, and beautiful walking treks, but also for cycling tours. You can book my guide, Mr. Qual of Kalaw Trekking & Biking Tour, by sending him an email at jskhual@gmail.com.

Let’s Go.

If you’re planning a trip to Myanmar, my guess is that you have some of the most iconic pagodas, monasteries, and sunrise adventures on your bucket list. But as you head to each of Myanmar’s most popular tourist destinations, don’t miss some of these unique things to do in each city. Although perhaps a bit off the beaten track and unexpected, each of these activities were highlights of my time in Myanmar and offered some of the most authentic, rich cultural experiences of my trip.

For a FULL GUIDE featuring more unique experiences like these, as well as safety, cultural etiquette, logistical, and other useful information, download my latest e-book: The Wayfaress’s Guide To Myanmar.

Hotel Recommendations:

The following are hotels I can personally recommend to you, because I stayed there and had great experiences. All include breakfast. Prices vary depending on the room selection and season during which you’ll be traveling (rainy season is generally cheaper).

Budget: USD $0-50

Mid-Range: USD $50-100

Luxury: USD $100+

Yangon

Mid-Range: Esperado Lake View Hotel (beautiful rooftop views, large breakfast buffet with tons of variety, and clean and modern rooms)

Budget: Casa Yangon Hotel (basic but clean and modern accommodations, centrally located in downtown Yangon)

Mandalay

Mid-Range/Luxury: Hotel by the Red Canal (beautiful boutique rooms and garden-filled property, pool, gym, business center with computers, affordable hotel restaurant offering the best Indian food in Mandalay, a cozy underground spa, delicious breakfast, and the friendliest staff — highly recommended!)

Bagan

Mid-Range: Areindmar Hotel (feels much more luxurious than the 3-star nightly rates would suggest, with spacious and well-decorated rooms, tasty breakfast, and conveniently located in New Bagan)

Inle Lake/Nyaung Shwe

Mid-Range: Royal Nadi Resort (located on its own private lake with lovely lake-view suites, but a bit far from Nyaungshwe)

Mid-Range/Luxury: ViewPoint Ecolodge (beautiful eco-friendly stilted suites situated on the water, conveniently located in central Nyaungshwe)

Have you tried any of these activities while in Myanmar? Have any others to add to the list? Let me know by leaving a comment below!

PIN FOR LATER

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The term Zartar is derived from the pali word Zati which means birth. It is a method of recording the salient facts about a person at the time of their birth. Included in the calculations are the date and time of delivery, the astrological features at that time, such as the location of the stars, sun and moon. Both of the parents names are recorded on the leaf, as is the name given to that person by an astrologer. Once the inscriptions have been added onto the palm leaf, it is rubbed lightly with oil, which acts to provide protection from hungry insects and imbues it with a lovely golden colour. Zartar can also be made using other materials such as ivory, marble, or bamboo depending on individual choice and budget. A particularly fine example is on show at the National Museum in Yangon- and was made for King Thibaw.

Many people still put a lot of faith in Zartar and they continue to play an important role in the society becuase people believe that the timing, day, date and astrological signs associated with a person at birth have great influence on the life of that person. The choice of a person’s name is tremendously important to parents as well. The name may represent the virtues of longevity, wealth, health, great love, dedication and/or many other things. It is also widely believed that a person’s name-and their date and time of birth-can affect their behaviour. For example, each day of the week is designated a symbolic animal, and a person born on that particular day is believed to possess certain characheristics: Those born on Sundays are considered to be vain, Monday-born are short tempered.

Finally, seven birth signs included in the Zartar depending on the day and year of birth, which are believed to have influence on one’s fate. They are Adphipadhi, sign of fame; Ahtun, brilliance; Thike, wealth; Raza, glory; Marana, weakness; Bingha, unrest; and Puti, failure.I was born on Thursday and my father went to a monk right away to choose a name for me. After that, he went to astrologer and asked him to make a Zatar and inscribed my name. I’ll keep that small piece of “Palm Leaf” for my whole life.

Palm leaves were used as writing materials in South Asia and in Southeast Asia dating back to the 5th century, and possibly much earlier. Their use began in South Asia, and spread elsewhere, as texts on dried and smoke treated palm leaves of Borassus species (Palmyra palm) or the Ola leaf (leaf of Corypha umbraculifera or the talipot palm).

One of the oldest surviving palm leaf manuscript is a Sanskrit Shaivism text from the 9th-century, discovered in Nepal, now preserved at the Cambridge University Library. The individual sheets of palm leaves were called Patra or Parna in Sanskrit (Pali/Prakrit: Panna), and the medium when ready to write was called Tada-patra (or Tala-patra, Tali, Tadi). The famous 5th-century Indian manuscript called the Bower Manuscript discovered in Chinese Turkestan, was written on birch-bark sheets shaped in the form of treated palm leaves. Palm leaf manuscripts were written in ink on rectangular cut and cured palm leaf sheet.

Each sheet typically had a hole through which a string could pass through, and with these the sheets were tied together with a string to bind like a book. A palm leaf text thus created would typically last between a few decades and about 600 years before it decayed due to dampness, insect activity, mold and fragility. Thus the document had to be copied onto new sets of dried palm leaves. Hindu temples often served as centers where ancient manuscripts were routinely used for learning and where the texts were copied when they wore out.

In South India, temples and associated mutts served custodial functions, and a large number of manuscripts on Hindu philosophy, poetry, grammar and other subjects were written, multiplied and preserved inside the temples. Palm leaf manuscripts were also preserved inside Jain temples and in Buddhist monasteries. With the spread of Indian culture to Southeast Asian countries like as Indonesia, Cambodia, Thailand, and the Philippines, these nations also became home to large collections. Palm-leaf manuscripts called Lontar in dedicated stone libraries have been discovered by archaeologists at Hindu temples in Bali Indonesia and in 10th century Cambodian temples such as Angkor Wat and Banteay Srei.

One of the oldest surviving Sanskrit manuscripts on palm leaves is of the Parameshvaratantra, a Shaiva Siddhanta text of Hinduism. It is from the 9th-century, and dated to about 828 CE. The rounded or diagonal shapes of the letters of many of the scripts of South India and Southeast Asia, such as Devanagari, Nandinagari, Telugu script, Lontara, the Javanese script, the Balinese alphabet, the Odia alphabet, the Burmese alphabet, the Tamil script and others may have developed as an adaptation to writing on palm leaves, as angular letters tend to split the leaf.

Even though people in Myanmar are developing rapidly, their belief in Zartar has not changed, although the calculations are now printed on a sheet of paper or CD.

Thank you for Reading!

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Mandalay has a tropical wet and dry climate. The Mandalay streets are laid out in a grid system, and are numbered east to west (up to 49th) and North to South (over 50th).Among the various types of traditional food on offer in Mandalay, are the famous Mont T, Htoe Mote and La Phat. Highlights of the city, it’s seven structures include Mya Nan San Kyaw Shwe Nan Daw (Golden Palace), Moat, Pitakas Taik, Thu Damar Congregation Hall, Atu Mashi Monastery, Ku Tho Taw Pagoda and Thein Taw Gyi.

Mya Nan San Kyaw Shwe Nan Daw (Golden Palace)

It is one of the seven royal buildings in Mandalay which was built by King Mindon. It was the first palace where King Mindon lived when he transferred from Amarapura Nay Pyi Taw to Mandalay Yadanabon Nay Pyi Taw. It was bombed during World War II and was rebuilt.

Moat

During the time of the ancient kings, a moat was built outside of the city walls to prevent the enemies from entering the city. There are three types of moat; moat with water, mud and plain ground (in which iron sticks and piles of wooden pieces are embedded). At the city walls, there is an entrance which was guarded by soldiers. The Mandalay moat is 225 feet wide and 11 feet deep. The water in the moat comes from Yay Ni Myaung @ Yadana Nadi Creek.

Pitakas Taik

(Repository of the Buddhist scriptures)
It was located at the foot of Mandalay Hill. It was a library which stored all the sermons of Buddha. But during World War II it was bombed and everything was destroyed.

Thu Damar Congregation Halls

They are located near the foot of Mandalay Hill. King Mindon donated these halls on May 22 in 1859. The halls are gilded and have many Pabu arts. In Yadanarpon era, monks’ examinations were held in these rest houses. There were 33 Thu Damar congregation halls, but there are only 18 left.

Atu Mashi Monastery

At this monastery there are many examples of the Pantaut arts (the art of making floral designs out of stucco). There are 146 pillars in the monastery. Yaw Ahtwin Wun U Pho Hlaing supervised the construction of the monastery. In 1890, it sadly burnt down, but was rebuilt between 1995 and 1997. Tampawaddy U Win Maung supervised the reconstruction.

Ku Tho Taw Pagoda

The pagoda is located at the South East of Mandalay Hill and was built in 1862 through donations from King Mindon. It contains the world’s largest book. In the grounds are 729 kyauksagu or stone inscription caves each containing a marble slab inscribed with a page of text from the Tipitaka, the entire Pali Canon of Therevada Buddhism.

Thein Taw Gyi

(Buddhist Ordination Hall)
The hall was situated at the foot of Mandalay Hill, near the entrance of Kyauk Taw Gyi. It was a wooden building and decorated with Pantaut arts. It was destroyed in World War II.

Thank you for reading!

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Vesākha (Pali; Sanskrit: Vaiśākha), also known as Buddha Purnima and Buddha Day, is a holiday observed traditionally by Buddhists on different days in India, Sri Lanka, China, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Nepal, Tibet, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Indonesia, Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia and Myanmar and in other places all over the world. Sometimes informally called “Buddha’s Birthday”, it commemorates the birth, enlightenment (Buddhahood), and death (Parinirvāna) of Gautama Buddha in the Theravada or southern tradition.

The decision to agree to celebrate Vesākha as the Buddha’s birthday was formalized at the first conference of the World Fellowship of Buddhists held in Sri Lanka in 1950, although festivals at this time in the Buddhist world are a centuries-old tradition. The resolution that was adopted at the World Conference reads as follows:
That this Conference of the World Fellowship of Buddhists, while recording its appreciation of the gracious act of His Majesty, the Maharaja of Nepal in making the full-moon day of Vesak a Public Holiday in Nepal, earnestly requests the Heads of Governments of all countries in which large or small number of Buddhists are to be found, to take steps to make the full-moon day in the month of May a Public Holiday in honour of the Buddha, who is universally acclaimed as one of the greatest benefactors of Humanity.

On Vesākha Day, Buddhists all over the world commemorate events of significance to Buddhists of all traditions: The birth, enlightenment and the passing away of Gautama Buddha. As Buddhism spread from India it was assimilated into many foreign cultures, and consequently Vesākha is celebrated in many different ways all over the world. In India, Vaishakh Purnima day is also known as Buddha Jayanti day and has been traditionally accepted as Buddha’s birth day.
In 1999, the United Nations resolved to internationally observe the day of Vesak at its headquarters and offices.
The name of the observance is derived from the Pali term vesākha or Sanskrit vaiśākha, which is the name of the lunar month in the Hindu calendar falling in April–May (see Vaisakha).In Mahayana Buddhist traditions, the holiday is known by its Sanskrit name (Vaiśākha) and derived variants of it. Local renditions of the name vary by language, including:

• Assamese: বুদ্ধ পূর্ণিমা Buddho Purnima
• Bengali: বুদ্ধ পূর্ণিমা Buddho Purnima, বুদ্ধ জয়ন্তী Buddho Joyonti, ভেসাক Bhesak
• Dzongkha: སྟོན་པའི་དུས་ཆེན་༥ འཛོམས་ Dhüchen Nga Zom
• Burmese: ကဆုန်လပြည့် ဗုဒ္ဓနေ့ “Full Moon Day”
• Chinese: 佛陀誕辰紀念日; pinyin: Fótuó dànchén jìniàn rì, 佛誕 (Fódàn, Birthday of the Buddha), 浴佛節 (Yùfójié, Occasion of Bathing the Buddha), 衛塞節 (Wèisāi jié)
• Hindi: बुद्ध पूर्णिमा Buddha Pūrṇimā, बुद्ध जयन्ती Buddha Jayantī, वैशाख पूर्णिमा Vaisākh Pūrṇimā
• Indonesian: Hari Raya Waisak
• Japanese: 花祭 Hanamatsuri (Day of Flowers)
• Khmer: វិសាខបូជា Visak Bochea
• Kannada: ಬುದ್ಧ ಪೌರ್ಣಮಿ Buddha Pournami
• Hangul: 석가 탄신일; Hanja: 釋迦誕辰日; RR: Seokka Tanshin-il (Birthday of the Shakyamuni Buddha)
• Lao: ວິສາຂະບູຊາ Vixakha Bouxa
• Malay: Hari Wesak (هاري ويسق)
• Mongolian: Бурхан Багшийн Их Дүйцэн Өдөр (Lord Buddha’s Great Festival Day)
• Newar: स्वांया पुन्हि Swānyā Punhi
• Nepali: बुद्ध पुर्णिमा Buddha Purnima, बुद्ध जयन्ति Buddha Jayanti
• Sinhalese: වෙසක් Vesak
• Tamil: விசாக தினம் Vicāka Tiṉam
• Telugu: బుద్ధ పౌర్ణమి Buddha Pournami or alternatively Telugu: వైశాఖ పౌర్ణమి Vaisakha Pournami
• Thai: วิสาขบูชา Wisakha Bucha
• Tibetan: ས་ག་ཟླ་བ།, THL: Sa Ga Dawa
• Vietnamese: Phật Đản (Birthday of the Buddha)

On Vesākha, devout Buddhists and followers alike assemble in their various temples before dawn for the ceremonial and honorable hoisting of the Buddhist flag and the singing of hymns in praise of the holy triple gem: The Buddha, The Dharma (his teachings), and The Sangha (his disciples). Devotees may bring simple offerings of flowers, candles and joss-sticks to lay at the feet of their teacher. These symbolic offerings are to remind followers that just as the beautiful flowers would wither away after a short while and the candles and joss-sticks would soon burn out, so too is life subject to decay and destruction. Devotees are enjoined to make a special effort to refrain from killing of any kind. They are encouraged to partake of vegetarian food for the day. In some countries, notably Sri Lanka, two days are set aside for the celebration of Vesākha and all liquor shops and slaughter houses are closed by government decree during the two days.
Also birds, insects and animals are released by the thousands in what is known as a ‘symbolic act of liberation’ of giving freedom to those who are in captivity, imprisoned, or tortured against their will. (The practice, however, is banned in some countries such as Singapore, as it is believed that the released animals are unable to survive long-term and may adversely impact the local ecosystem if they do.)

Some devout Buddhists will wear a simple white dress and spend the whole day in temples with renewed determination to observe the eight Precepts.
Devout Buddhists undertake to lead a noble life according to the teaching by making daily affirmations to observe the Five Precepts. However, on special days, notably new moon and full moon days, they observe the eight Precepts to train themselves to practice morality, simplicity, and humility.

Some temples also display a small statue of the Buddha in front of the altar in a small basin filled with water and decorated with flowers, allowing devotees to pour water over the statue; it is symbolic of the cleansing of a practitioner’s bad karma, and to reenact the events following the Buddha’s birth, when devas and spirits made heavenly offerings to him.
Devotees are expected to listen to talks given by monks. On this day, monks will recite verses uttered by the Buddha twenty-five centuries ago to invoke peace and happiness for the government and the people. Buddhists are reminded to live in harmony with people of other faiths and to respect the beliefs of other people as the Buddha taught.

Celebrating Vesākha also means making special efforts to bring happiness to the unfortunate like the aged, the handicapped and the sick. To this day, Buddhists will distribute gifts in cash and kind to various charitable homes throughout the country. Vesākha is also a time for great joy and happiness, expressed not by pandering to one’s appetites but by concentrating on useful activities such as decorating and illuminating temples, painting and creating exquisite scenes from the life of the Buddha for public dissemination. Devout Buddhists also vie with one another to provide refreshments and vegetarian food to followers who visit the temple to pay homage to the Enlightened One.

Tradition ascribes to the Buddha himself instruction on how to pay him homage. Just before he died, he saw his faithful attendant Ananda, weeping. The Buddha advised him not to weep, but to understand the universal law that all compounded things (including even his own body) must disintegrate. He advised everyone not to cry over the disintegration of the physical body but to regard his teachings (The Dhamma) as their teacher from then on, because only the Dhamma truth is eternal and not subject to the law of change. He also stressed that the way to pay homage to him was not merely by offering flowers, incense, and lights, but by truly and sincerely striving to follow his teachings. This is how Buddhists are expected to celebrate Vesak: to use the opportunity to reiterate their determination to lead noble lives, to develop their minds, to practise loving-kindness and to bring peace and harmony to humanity.

The exact date of Vesak is based on the Asian lunisolar calendars and is primarily celebrated in Vaisakha month of the Buddhist calendar and the Hindu calendar, and hence the name Vesak. In Nepal, which is considered the birth-country of Buddha, it is celebrated on the full moon day of the Vaisakha month of the Hindu calendar, and is traditionally called Buddha Purnima, Purnima meaning the full moon day in Sanskrit. In Theravada countries following the Buddhist calendar, it falls on a full moon Uposatha day, typically in the 5th or 6th lunar month. Nowadays, in Sri Lanka, Nepal, India, Vesak/Buddha Purnima is celebrated on the day of the full moon in May in the Gregorian calendar. In Thailand, Laos, Indonesia, Vesak is celebrated on the fourteenth or fifteenth day of the fourth month in the Chinese lunar calendar. In China, and Korea, Vietnam, Buddha’s Birthday is celebrated on the eighth day of the fourth month in the Chinese lunar calendar, in Japan the same day but in the Gregorian calendar. The date varies from year to year in the Western Gregorian calendar, but usually falls in April or May. In leap years it may be celebrated in June.

The heart of the Teachings of the Buddha is contained in the teachings of the Four Noble Truths, namely,
The Noble Truth of Dukkha or suffering
The Origin or Cause of suffering
The End or Cessation of suffering
the Path which leads to the cessation of all sufferings

The First Noble Truth is the Truth of Dukkha which has been generally translated as ‘suffering’. But the term Dukkha, which represents the Buddha’s view of life and the world, has a deeper philosophical meaning. Birth, old age, sickness and death are universal. All beings are subject to this unsatisfactoriness. Separation from beloved ones and pleasant conditions, association with unpleasant persons and conditions, and not getting what one desires – these are also sources of suffering and unsatisfactoriness. The Buddha summarises Dukkha in what is known as the Five Grasping Aggregates.

Herein, lies the deeper philosophical meaning of Dukkha for it encompasses the whole state of being or existence.
Our life or the whole process of living is seen as a flux of energy comprising of the Five aggregates, namely the Aggregate of Form or the Physical process, Feeling, Perception, Mental Formation, and Consciousness. These are usually classified as mental and physical processes, which are constantly in a state of flux or change.
When we train our minds to observe the functioning of mental and physical processes we will realise the true nature of our lives. We will see how it is subject to change and unsatisfactoriness. And as such, there is no real substance or entity or Self which we can cling to as ‘I’, ‘my’ or ‘mine’.

When we become aware of the unsatisfactory nature of life, we would naturally want to get out from such a state. It is at this point that we begin to seriously question ourselves about the meaning and purpose of life. This will lead us to seek the Truth with regards to the true nature of existence and the knowledge to overcome unsatisfactoriness.
From the Buddhist point of view, therefore, the purpose of life is to put an end to suffering and all other forms of unsatisfactoriness – to realise peace and real happiness. Such is the significance of the understanding and the realisation of the First Noble Truth.

The Second Noble Truth explains the Origin or Cause of suffering. Tanha or craving is the universal cause of suffering. It includes not only desire for sensual pleasures, wealth and power, but also attachment to ideas’, views, opinions, concepts, and beliefs. It is the lust for flesh, the lust for continued existence (or eternalism) in the sensual realms of existence, as well as the realms of form and the formless realms. And there is also the lust and craving for non-existence (or nihilism). These are all different Forms of selfishness, desiring things for oneself, even at the expense of others.
Not realizing the true nature of one’s Self, one clings to things which are impermanent, changeable and perishable. The failure to satisfy one’s desires through these things; causes disappointment and suffering.
Craving is a powerful mental force present in all of us. It is the root cause of our sufferings. It is this craving which binds us in Samsara – the repeated cycle of birth and` death.

The Third Noble Truth points to the cessation of suffering. Where there is no craving, there is no becoming, no rebirth. Where there is no rebirth, there is no decay. no, old age, no death, hence no suffering. That is how suffering is ended, once and for all.
The Fourth Noble Truth explains the Path or the Way which leads to the cessation of suffering. It is called the Noble Eightfold Path.
The Noble Eightfold path avoids the extremes of self-indulgence on one hand and self-torture on the other. It consists of Right Understanding, Right Thought, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness and Right Concentration.
These path factors may be summarised into 3 stages of training, involving morality, mental culture and wisdom.
Morality or good conduct is the avoidance of evil or unwholesome actions — actions which are tainted by greed, hatred and delusion; and the performance of the good or wholesome actions, – actions which are free from greed, hatred and delusion, but motivated by liberality, loving-kindness and wisdom.
The function of good conduct or moral restraint is to free one’s mind from remorse (or guilty conscience). The mind that is free from remorse (or guilt) is naturally calm and tranquil, and ready for concentration with awareness.
The concentrated and cultured mind is a contemplative and analytical mind. It is capable of seeing cause and effect, and the true nature of existence, thus paving the way for wisdom and insight.
Wisdom in the Buddhist context, is the realisation of the fundamental truths of life, basically the Four Noble Truths. The understanding of the Four Noble Truths provide us with a proper sense of purpose and direction in life. They form the basis of problem-solving.
The message of the Buddha stands today as unaffected by time and the expansion of knowledge as when they were first enunciated.
No matter to what lengths increased scientific knowledge can extend man’s mental horizon, there is room for the acceptance and assimilation for further discovery within -the framework of the teachings of the Buddha.
The teaching of the Buddha is open to all to see and judge for themselves. The universality of the teachings of the Buddha has led one of the world’s greatest scientists, Albert Einstein to declare that ‘if there is any religion that could cope with modern scientific needs, it would be Buddhism’
The teaching of the Buddha became a great civilising force wherever it went. It appeals to reason and freedom of thought, recognising the dignity and potentiality of the human mind. It calls for equality, fraternity and understanding, exhorting its followers to avoid evil, to do good and to purify their minds.
Realising the transient nature of life and all worldly phenomena, the Buddha has advised us to work out our deliverance with heedfulness, as ‘heedfulness is the path to the deathless’.
His clear and profound teachings on the cultivation of heedfulness otherwise known as Satipatthana or the Four Foundations of Mindfulness, is the path for the purification of beings – for the overcoming of sorrows and lamentation, for the destruction of all mental and physical sufferings, for the attainment of insight and knowledge and for the realisation of Nibbana. This has been verified by his disciples. It is therefore a path, a technique which may be verified by all irrespective of caste, colour or creed.

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