An Indian prince by the name of Siddhartha Gautama left his home and family and all his possessions behind at the age of 29 and went on a journey to discover the meaning of life, and particularly its hardships.
He travelled around and studied hard under different spiritual teachers for six years, but still hadn't
In India, where Buddhism began, there is a three-month-long rainy season.
According to the Vinaya (Mahavagga, Fourth Khandhaka, section I), in the time of the Buddha, once during this
The day is also known as Dhamma Day.
Asalha Puja means paying homage to the Buddha on the full moon day of the 8th lunar month.
The day commemorates the
On this day the Buddha was born, 35 years later experienced self-awakening, and another 45 years later passed away.
Each of these events took place on the full-moon day in May. On this day every year, Buddhists pay
This day, sometimes called Sangha Day, commemorates the spontaneous assembly of 1,250 arahants (those who attained enlightenment after the Fully Enlightened One did) in the Buddha's presence.
One thousand of the gathered monks had previously
Nirvana Day, also known as Parinirvana, is an annual Buddhist festival, sometimes celebrated on the 15th of February.
This is the celebration of Buddha's death when he
On the first three days after the full moon in April, the Theravada Buddhists of Thailand, Burma, Sri Lanka, Cambodia and Lao, celebrate the New Year.
This is a time to reflect on one's karma, focus on cleansing, and offer good wishes to others.
The Tibetan New Year is also celebrated in Bhutan and Nepal.
It is celebrated in January or February, depending on the lunar calendar.
Legend has it that the Chinese New Year originated with the fight against a mythical beast called the Nian or "Year" in Chinese.
On the first day of the New Year, Nian would come to devour livestock, crops, and even villagers, especially children. Villagers would put food in front of their doors at the beginning of every year to protect themselves. They believed that