Buddha Birthday

[ . BACK to WORLDKIGO TOP . ]

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Buddha's Birthday Celebrations
(Busshoo-e)

***** Location: Japan. Buddhist communities
***** Season: Late spring
***** Category: Observation

*****************************
Explanation

Busshoo-e 仏生会
Celebrated on April 8 in Japan
Kanbutsu-e 潅仏会 （かんぶつえ）、: Buddha's Birthday

There are many kigo related to this most important event for the Buddhist.
It is equivalent to the Christmas celebrations.


Prince Siddhartha, Buddham Sharanam Gachhami, Gauthama, the Buddha. There are many names for him.

Siddhārtha Gautama, in Sanskrit, or Siddhattha Gotama, in Pali, was a spiritual teacher from ancient India and the founder of Buddhism.
He is generally recognized by Buddhists as the Supreme Buddha (Sammāsambuddha) of our age. The precise nature of such a supreme Buddha - whether "merely" human or a transcendental, immortal, god-transcending being - is differently construed in Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism.
©　More in the WIKIPEDIA !


Buddha, Shakyamuni, Shaka and Haiku 　
INDIA SAIJIKI　

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

basin to bath the buddha, yokubutsubann
浴仏盆（よくぶつぼん）


honorable birthday celebration, gootan-e
降誕会（ごうたんえ）
celebration to bath the Buddha, yokubutsu-e
浴仏会（よくぶつえ）
"dragon flower celebration" 竜華会（りゅうげえ）
"birthday Buddha", tanjoo butsu 誕生仏（たんじょうぶつ）


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

"high flowers", takabana 高花（たかばな）
"sky high flowers", tendoo bana 天道花（てんとうばな）
"flowers of the eighth day", yooka bana 八日花
pole with azaleas, sao tsutsuji 竿躑躅（さおつつじ）
"beginning of breaking flowers" hana ori hajime
花折始め（はなおりはじめ）

In many parts of Japan, especially in Shikoku and Western Japan, people break the first brances of azaleas and wisteria from the mountain forests and bind them on a large pole, to be set up in the temple or in their own garden.



:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


Flower Festival, Hana matsuri 花祭 (はなまつり)
"flower hall", hana midoo 花御堂 (はなみどう)
"flower tower" hana no too 花の塔（はなのとう）
"flower house", katei 花亭（かてい）




:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


hydrangea tea, "sweet tea", amacha 甘茶 (あまちゃ)
"water with five scents", gokoosui 五香水（ごこうすい）
"water of five colors, goshiki no mizu
五色の水（ごしきのみず）
"birth bath water of Buddha" hotoke no ubuyu
仏の産湯（ほとけのうぶゆ）
Buddha and sweet tea, amacha butsu
甘茶仏（あまちゃぶつ）
temple who celebrates with sweet tea
amacha dera 甘茶寺（あまちゃでら）



"amacha" is the name for a wild mountain hydrangea.
In this ceremony, amacha represents the sweet rain that fell upon the earth when Buddha was born.
The sacred five colors of Buddhism are green, yellow, red, white and black.






©　Photo Gabi Greve, 2008
More about this statue of Shakyamuni


*****************************
Worldwide use




In many Buddhist countries of Asia, this ceremony is celebrated according to the lunar calendar, thus varying in date. Mostly it brings the beginning of the summer, so it can be seen as a kigo for summer.

Saga Dawa / Vesak / Buddha Purnima


*****************************
Things found on the way


. goshiki 五色　 "Five Colors" of Buddhism .


"Birthday Temple"
Temple Tanjo-Ji and Honen Shonin 法然上人


*****************************
HAIKU


wounded monk —
Buddham Sharanam Gachhami
his last prayer

Kumarendra Mallick, Hyderabad, India,


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


*****************************
Related words

***** Azalea (Japan) Tsutsuji, Satsuki, Rhododendron

***** Hydrangea (ajisai) Hortensia.


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::　

. Gokuraku　極楽　- The Buddhist Paradise .


[ . BACK to DARUMA　MUSEUM　TOP . ]
[ . BACK to WORLDKIGO . TOP . ]
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::