Vesak 2020 in response to a request by ÖBR
(Austrian Buddhist Union)
Wise and out of compassion, you were born into the clan of Sakyas
Invincible by others you tamed the hordes of Maras.
To you whose body radiates as a mountain of gold,
At your feet, prince of Shakyas, I prostrate!
At Vesak we Buddhists commemorate Lord Buddha’s birth, enlightenment and Parinirvana. We recite special prayers containing Lord Buddha’s biography inspiring us to follow him and to comprehend his teachings not as mere philosophical theory but practical living experience. Never have Buddha’s basic teachings in this worldwide crisis we humans find ourselves united inspite of all paradigms of human achievements, race, standing or belief been more practical reality, more so pragmatic help: everything is interdependent and all compounded is irrevocably impermanent. Knowing and practicing both interdependence and impermanence, we find solace and security, through renunciation of all unnecessary in favor of capacity for essentials gives increasingly more people joy and a sense of life with common welfare above all personal interest. After nearly 2600 years, Lord Buddha’s teachings are practical and relevant as never before in our lives.
Lord Buddha’s blessing is ever-present. May our hearts be open, our mind clear and wisdom wallow from the depths of our existence, transcending all phenomena and we finally become one with Buddha!
