Source: PIB
Context:
The President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind addressed the Dhammacakka Day 2022 celebrations at Sarnath, Uttar Pradesh.
About:
Dhammacakka Day 2022, Ashadha Purnima is the second most important sacred day of observance for Buddhists after Vaishakha Buddha Purnima.
It commemorates Buddha's First Sermon or the First Turning of the Wheel of Dhamma, when he taught the Dhammacakka-pavattana Sutta (Pali) or Dharmacakra pravartana S?tra (Sanskrit).
Seven weeks after his Enlightenment, he gave this discourse to pañcavargiya - the first five ascetic disciples- at the ‘Deer Park', Rsipatana Mrigadaya in the current day Sarnath, which is in Varanasi.
It is here that the Buddha taught the Four Noble Truths, the Eightfold Paths and the Middle Path: avoiding the two extremes, i.e., life of extreme indulgence and the life of extreme penance.
The International Buddhist Confederation, New Delhi has organised Dhammacakka Day 2022 (The Turning of the Wheel of Dharma), Ashaaha Purnima on 13 July 2022 in Sarnath, U.P. (India).
International Buddhist Confederation:
It was formed in 2013 as an international Buddhist umbrella body to serve as a common platform for Buddhists worldwide.
Headquarters: New Delhi.
IBC represents the rich diversity of Buddhism and provides a platform for the global Buddhist community to share its wisdom and meaningfully participate in the on-going global social and political discourse, while at the same time preserving and promoting its shared heritage.
Guru Purnima:
- According to the Hindu calendar, Guru Purnima generally falls on a full-moon day in the Hindu month of Ashadh.
- It is dedicated to Maharshi Veda Vyasa, the sage who is believed to have edited the sacred Hindu text, the Vedas and created the 18 Puranas, Mahabharata and the Srimad Bhagavatam.
- For Buddhists, the festival marks the first sermon of Lord Buddha, which is said to have been delivered at Sarnath, Uttar Pradesh, on this very day.
- It is also believed to mark the onset of monsoons.
