Saga Dawa or the Vesak day festival

Afterbirth, the Buddha began walk on the 7 lotus steps

He stopped with his noble voice shouted:

" I am the chief of the world,

  Eldest am I in the world,

  Foremost am I in the world,

 This is the last birth,

 There is now no more coming to be."

The Saga Dawa Festival honors the life of Buddha. According to the tradition, when Buddha was dying, he instructed one of his followers not to honor him merely with flowers, incense and lights after he died but by striving to follow his teachings about living a noble life and being kind and compassionate. 

The Buddha he urged people not to weep about his death but to remember that all compound objects like the human body must eventually disintegrate. In various Buddhist countries, people celebrate the holiday in different ways and on different days.

Enthusiastically, the Tibetan people celebrated on the full moon day of the fourth Tibetan Lunar month, Saga Dawa is the most important religious festival of Tibet. During the festival the main actitivies involve going to temples raising a tall prayer pole , called the "Tarboche" prayer flagpole and lighting many butter lamps for the occasion. 

The entire Tibet is deeply immersed in the festive and spiritual atmosphere. Almost every Tibetan Buddhist is seen reciting the mantra prayers with the mala beads. According to the Buddhist literary sources, Saga Dawa festival is celebrated to highlight the day when Sakyamuni (Buddha) attained the enlightenment.The Saga Dawa Festival is an ancient festival that is celebrated by people in different countries in differing ways. Tibetan Buddhists try to do what the Buddha said and give alms and pray. 

It is thought that praying and alms giving and doing acts of benevolence during Saga Dawa and in the holy month after this multiplies the merited return to the giver far more than on regular days. During the month, many Tibetans also refrain from killing animals. 

Tibetans think of it as Buddha’s birthday, but they also celebrate his achieving of enlightenment and his death on the day. Many Buddhists around the world call the day Vesakha or Vesak from the Sanskrit name Vaisakha. Though the holiday is still celebrated on different days around the world, it is considered by many to be the most important Buddhist festival day.

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For those in whom the precious Bodhichitta has not arisen

May it arise and not decrease

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