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Belief in brief: Buddhism

By GRACE ASSOUAD

February 18, 2007 | 12:00 a.m. CST

History

While resting under a pair of Sala trees and surrounded by his followers, a man named Siddhartha Gautama died. About 2,500 years later, the death of Gautama, now more commonly known as Buddha, has become an annual celebration called Parinirvana Day .

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Buddhists believe that upon his death at age 80, Buddha, meaning “awakened one,” attained parinirvana, the state beyond nirvana. Nirvana is a release from the cycle of reincarnation and a life of suffering and impermanence.

According to the Paranibbana Sutta, an account of Buddha’s last days that is often read on Parinirvana Day, Buddha spent the last part of his life teaching his followers how they could achieve nirvana. When he reached parinirvana, literally translated from Sanskrit as “enlightenment” or “final release,” Buddha left behind his physical body and entered into a permanent deathless state.

Parinirvana Day serves as a reminder to Buddhists that death is something that should be accepted and not feared. The impermanence of all things, including human life, is a central theme in Buddhism. Buddha’s last words before he died are believed to have been, “Impermanent are all created things; strive on with awareness.”

Practice

The marking of Buddha’s attainment of total nirvana has become a worldwide celebration. Parinirvana Day, also known as Nirvana Day, is celebrated all over the world, but it is particularly important to Mahayana Buddhists in Japan, China, and Korea because they view Buddha more as a spiritual being than a man. It is traditionally observed on the day of the full moon in February, but in many places it is celebrated on Feb. 15 to give it the same annual date.

Parinirvana Day is celebrated in a variety of ways. Some Buddhists spend the day in meditation contemplating life and death and the path to enlightenment, while others concentrate on loved ones who have died in the last year.

Going to Buddhist temples or monasteries to read Buddhist texts or meditate is another way to mark the day. An exchange of gifts such as money or clothes is common as well.

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