On Sat., Dec. 8, many Buddhists around the world will celebrate Bodhi Day. This holy day marks the occasion on which Siddhartha Gautama attained enlightenment while sitting under a bodhi tree in Bodh Gaya, India. From then on he was called the “Buddha” or the “Awakened One.” This was the culmination of his long search for a solution to human suffering and dissatisfaction. The “enlightenment” the Buddha experienced, according to Buddhism, was a true and clear understanding of things as they are and the way to permanent peace and a compassionate relationship with all living beings.
For Buddhists, the Buddha is not a god, but simply an exemplary human being. Buddhists honor on Bodhi Day the Buddha’s example and his teaching. The ways in which people honor the Buddha on this day varies - - meditation, fasting, the study of Buddhist texts, doing acts of service & charity, public celebrations, and special meals at home or in communities.
In the picture above, the Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama helps a monk at a Bodhi tree sapling plantation ceremony to mark the 2600th year of Sambodhiprapti (The Enlightenment of the Buddha) in New Delhi on November 30,2011. This picture is from the Huffington Post.



