Met Saka Dawa vieren we de geboorte, de verlichting en het overlijden (ook bekend als ‘paranirvana’) van de Boeddha. Deze dag wordt door de Tibetaans boeddhisten gevierd als ‘Saka Dawa’ en door andere boeddhistische tradities als ‘Vesak’. Beide gebruiken de maankalender om de datum van deze herdenking vast te stellen. Vaak vallen ze op verschillende dagen, maar in 2024 vallen ze allebei op 23 mei. Alles wat we vandaag doen wordt, karmisch gezien, maar liefst 100 miljoen keer vermenigvuldigd. Een geweldige kans dus om positieve verdiensten te verzamelen!
Tijdens de 21 Tara’s-retraite bij Jewel Heart Nijmegen in mei 2006 begon Gelek Rimpoche deze dag als volgt.
Gelek Rimpoche:
Good morning, everybody. Today is Vesak Day. There are two types, two different kinds of Vesak Day we celebrate in the world. Two different groups. Vesak Day is the day of commemorating Buddha Shakyamuni, the fifteenth of the fourth month of the lunar calendar. That means a lot of Mahayana people celebrate it today. The other one is Theravadins celebrate today, the other day. Whether this one or that one doesn’t matter, it is commemorating Buddha. Without the Buddha, we were nowhere. We all know that. Absolutely clear. We all are at least being able to be here, try to be something in the spiritual path, something to help ourself and to help others. It’s all because of the Buddha. Otherwise, you all know, no matter, whoever says what, we’re nowhere. And that’s absolutely true.
Our most important guru is Buddha. There is nobody more important than Buddha, at all, anywhere. From our point of view. (laughing) Sorry for my funny statement. From the Buddhist point of view there is nothing more important than Buddha.
"Our most important guru is Buddha."
Because of Buddha, because of Buddha’s experience, of dealing with life, he has been able to share [with] us the four noble truths. The truth of two negative truths, which is: how did we somehow enter in samsara? Not enter, how did it become existing? Cause and result. How do we get out of samsara? Two positive noble truths. Cause and result. The essence of the Buddha’s teaching are just these four noble truths. And that’s something fantastic. I mean, you can never find such a thing anywhere. It’s fantastic.
"The essence of the Buddha’s teaching are just these four noble truths. And that’s something fantastic."
We have to commemorate. You know, [in] a lot of different systems and cultures they do. For example, in Asian culture we build great Buddha images and stupas and monasteries. All of those are actually meant, supposed to be, commemorating Buddha. In Asia you did have so much the gold Buddha, emerald Buddha, jade Buddha. All of those are built to commemorate Buddha, and we should rejoice.
Out of this we should also rejoice a tiny little bit of contribution [that] we as Jewel Heart have been able to put. I think we both have contributed today, the other side of the ocean and this side of the ocean, right? We have been able to build an image of Buddha in the new Loseling chapel in Mundgod.
We have collected all the money. We gave it to the monastery. Whenever they finish, whenever they put up, is up to them. So we should have... a tiny little contribution. Maybe a little dust in the fields of enlightened beings and commemoration of Buddha’s kindness and all this. A tiny little dust we have been able to put over there. So we should rejoice that together. And it is really helpful, because not only [we] rejoice others’ activities, our own deeds are rejoiced. Builds a tremendous amount of merit.
"Following the teachings of the Buddha is the best way to commemorate Buddha and remember the Buddha’s kindness."
Then the most important commemoration is... Let’s put it this way: we give what the Buddha wants. And what Buddha wants is not a temple, not an image, not a dress, you know, not those. Buddha wants liberation for all living beings. We are living beings. So we would like to help ourselves to liberate. Following the teachings of the Buddha is the best way to commemorate Buddha and remember the Buddha’s kindness. And that’s what we’re doing. Every day we are trying to do in our life. This is the best to commemorate Buddha, every day. Although it’s a special day, every day is the most important. And that’s what we have been doing.
"The most important thing is: whatever is helpful. Helpful to the people, helpful to the Buddhadharma and helpful to continue the practice, the teaching."
So this is just to mention, commemorating Buddha. Always remember the kindness of the Buddha. That’s why we make offerings to our food, drink. Before we drink, before we eat, we make offerings to the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. Not only to build our merit, also commemorate.
Building images, building monasteries, building is not that important, in my opinion. We’ve got to do sometimes some sort of little thing, our contribution. But the most important thing is: whatever is helpful. Helpful to the people, helpful to the Buddhadharma and helpful to continue the practice, the teaching.