The Buddha's moon

The Buddha's moon 01-05-2020

May's full moon on next Thursday 7th is called the Buddha's moon because it is the day of the Wesak festival that celebrates the key days in the life of Gautam Buddha: his birth, his enlightenment and the moment when he left his physical body. Today's post is about the concept of bodhi so you can take advantage of the spiritual impulse generated in such a special night as this one.

Bodhi is a Sanskrit word that means "perfected wisdom and knowledge", which allow anyone to become a buddha, an awakened being. Its meaning is refined because on one hand we have the idea of "perfected", making reference to the fact that it is something that has been experienced and tested. It is not knowledge that comes just like that, it is a state that we achieve thanks to the devotion to our spiritual practice and to the refinement of the body-mind-heart. For seven weeks straight, Gautam sat under a tree until he awoke fully, but before that he had spent many years fully dedicated to his sadhana.

On the other hand, we have the idea of "buddha" pointing to the concept that we all are awakened beings, potentially, and the yogin's main intention is to reach this state of full realization that, once achieved, allows us to be in the world from the most authentic perspective: the super Self.

One of the most beautiful stories about the Buddha tells what happened during his enlightenment. Buddha had been meditating for a long time already under the bodhi tree and right at the moment when his being lit up the entire surroundings lit up as well. The birds started to chirp, the animals played around joyfully, the water in the streams created singing swirls, the wind blew softly between the branches making the leaves sing their most beautiful melodies. All the flowers nearby bloomed and the trees rained blossoms over the ground. the enlightenment of one person became a soul party for the entire Natural world.

On the night of Wesak, meditate, connect with your family and alike beings, share moments of silence in which you feel the greatness of your Self, remembering that as you do, the entire cosmos celebrates.