On the 8th day of the last month in the lunar calendar, we celebrate “Dharma Day.” This is the day when Gautama Buddha attained Buddhahood while meditating under the Bodhi tree. This year's Dharma Day fell on the 15th of January.
During the six-year period wherein Gautama Siddhartha was searching for the answers and solutions to the many problems and sufferings of human beings, he tried many methods to gain wisdom. One of the methods was “takas”, the practice of self-mortification to gain wisdom, wherein he lived on a grain of rice a day. However, this practice caused him to lose his health and become very weak.
One day, he realized that holiness can never be attained through fasting only or the pursuit of materialistic satisfactions. The most appropriate was to take the “middle path,” the practice of moderation in any undertaking. At this moment, Gautama Siddhartha stood up and went to a clear stream to take a bath. Due to his failing health, he was too weak and could hardly reach the shore. He eventually fainted at the riverbank.
He was discovered by the shepherd girl Sujata, who offered him milk-rice which nourished him back to health. With his strength back, Siddhartha walked to the place called Gaya and meditated under the Bodhi tree. Meditating in perfect happiness and peace of mind for 49 days, he observed the great bright night star and the transformation of the sky that took place. Thus, he finally realized the truth in the existence of everything in the universe – Dependent Origination. The 49th day happened to be the 8th day of the 12th month of the lunar calendar, the day Siddhartha attained Buddhahood and became the Buddha. For Buddhists all over the world, this is referred to as “Dharma Day.”
Though porridge might be considered a simple food, Buddhists regard serving it as embodying hope to serve food for both the physical body and spiritual mind. A quote from the sutra stated, “Having received the Dharma, contentment is fulfilled.”
Through this celebration of Dharma Day, when porridge is being served, we pray and hope that more people will come to partake of this palatable food and at the same time receive and learn the noble teaching of the Buddha’s Dharma.
Link:
Dharma Day Celebration
佛光緣美術館總部執行長及世界佛教美術圖說大辭典主編、現任大仁科技大學講師如常法師，應菲律賓佛光山暨國際佛光會菲律賓協會之邀，特別撥空於1月16日蒞臨菲律賓，立即馬不停蹄地巡迴於描戈律、怡朗、宿務及馬尼拉各島作四場的佛學講座，講述《圖說釋迦傳的故事》，所到之處皆受到當地信眾熱烈的歡迎並深獲好評。
如常法師以其深厚的佛學造詣及對宗教藝術的博學多聞，透過電腦新科技PowerPoint的輔助，將她從世界各國博物館收集而來的珍藏圖片一一作詳細的解說。從「佛陀腳底的千輻輪、扁平足等瑞相說起；如何辨識佛像；如何辨識佛陀的結手印-施無畏印、允願印、禪定印、降魔印、說法印；佛傳故事從何部經典而來；到佛傳故事之八相成道-降兜率相、托胎相、降生相、出家相、降魔相、成道相、說法相、涅槃相…等等」，透過圖片將釋迦牟尼佛一生輝煌的故事講述得淋漓盡致，字字珠璣，讓大眾聽得津津有味，對佛教教主有更深入的認識，人人皆感法喜充滿、受益良多。
