How Is the Holiday Bodhi Day Celebrated and What Do They Do?
Buddhists around the world celebrate Bodhi Day, or Rohatsu in Japanese. This religious holiday is celebrated on Dec. 8 to remember the achievements of Siddhartha Gautama through his meditations. Traditional Bodhi Day customs are observed but can be integrated to fit the customs of any culture.
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History
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According to legend, thousands of years ago, a prince in Northern India named Siddhartha Guatauma sat under a fig tree and meditated to search for the meaning of life. Siddhartha's contemplations brought him to a state of calm awareness, which led him to perfectly reflect on the true nature of life, or dharma. When Siddhartha's fully understood the meaning of life by defying temptations and distractions while he meditated, he attained supreme and perfect enlightenment and became the Supreme Buddha, or the enlightened one.
Significance
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Bodhi Day is a holiday that commemorates Buddha's awakening, the day that Siddhartha Guatauma experienced enlightenment, or "Bodhi." In his "awakening" he discovered that he himself had created his own destiny -- that all beings were connected to one another and that ignorance led to suffering, which could be ended through a life based on truth. Therefore, Bodhi Day is celebrated to remember Siddhartha and to reflect on his efforts, defiance and determination, his generosity and compassion and his gift of finding the true nature of life.
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Customs
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It is common for Buddhists all over the world to meditate or stay in prayer during the night on Bodhi Day, following Siddhartha's example. Homes are usually decorated with colorful images, which signify that enlightenment is attainable in many ways, of the Buddha under a fig tree to commemorate the day of his awakening. Candles and lights are lit every night starting on Dec. 8 for 30 days to symbolize enlightenment. A small fiscus tree, or ficus religiousa, is decorated with a string of colored lights and beads to symbolize that all things are connected. The Buddha ate a meal of rice and milk after his awakening; therefore, it is a tradition to eat this as one meal on Bodhi Day.
Variations
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Buddhism adapts to cultures; therefore, you can integrate customs observed during Bodhi Day with your own customs. If you don't have a fiscus tree, you can string colored lights around your home. Likewise, if you can't find a potted ficus religiousa, buy a potted ficus benjamina instead and decorate it with colored lights and beads. Another way to integrate customs during Bodhi Day is to make tree-shaped or leaf-shaped cookies using a cookie cutter to represent the ficus tree.
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References
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