Buddhists to celebrate Ashari Purnima today

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BSS, Chittagong :
Buddhists in the city and district here will celebrate one of the major religious festivals Ashari Purnima with solemn devotion and traditional enthusiasm today ( Tuesday) .
Ashari Purnima is celebrated by the members of the Buddhist community across the country to commemorate three significant incidences of Buddha’s life which took place on this single day.
On this day, restless and dissatisfied with his opulent prince Siddhartha, renounced his kingdom, even his wife and son when he was just 29 years old in quest of eternal truth.
The festival is mostly important that Siddharta Goutom after attaining supreme enlightenment in six year rigorous meditation as Buddha preached his first sermon among his five disciples at Banaras of India.
The purnima is thirdly important as monks will go for three months long seclusion inside their monasteries for atonement of their defilement from the following day if any till another festival Prabarana Purnima.
In commemorating those events, the Buddhists all over the world have been observing the rites and rituals on the same day for ages.
The festivals on the occasion of full moon are universally observed by the Buddhists. These performances delight and purify the minds, encouraging doing well deeds that eventually, bring peace and happiness in the lives, and progress in the society and the state as well. The festival will be celebrated in all monasteries through a daylong programmes.
The day’s programme will be heralding with hoisting of the national and religious flags atop all monasteries and chanting of the sacred verses from the Tripitaka.
Breaking of fasting of the monks, discussion meetings, recitation of the religious discourses from the Holy Scriptures by the devotees, blood donation and meditation are other highlights of the festival.
In the city, the main congregations will be held at Nandankan Buddhist temple, Katalganj Nabapandit Vihar, Purnachar International Buddhist Monastery, Mughaltoli Shakkymuni Mohasasan complex and Momin road Sarbajonin Bouddha Vihar.
In Nandankanon Buddhist temple, Venerable Dr Gnyansree Mohathero also its high priest will conduct the mass prayer while Venerable Tilokabangsha Thero Director of the Mughaltoli Shakkymuni Mohasasan complex will lead the prayer cum meditation course.
Special prayers seeking peace and progress of the nation as well as global mankind will also be offered in all monasteries.
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