Join us for Wesak

The West Wight Sangha invite all island Buddhists, their families and friends to join us at Yew Tree Cottage, Weston Road, Totland Bay from mid-day onwards this Saturday, the 9th, to celebrate the Buddha's birth, enlightenment and parinibbana...... Wesak!

Please bring vegetarian food to share and maybe your seat or cushion for a group meditation.

Sometimes informally called "Buddha's birthday", Vesak Day is regarded by all Buddhist traditions as the anniversary of the birth of the Buddha with others also regarding it as a time to commemorate the enlightenment and passing of the Buddha.

The exact date each year varies according to the lunar calendars used in different traditions, we're using the United Nations Wesak holiday of the first full moon of May.

Buddhists observe the occasion in a range of ways - meditation and prayer, observing precepts (no killing, no stealing, no lying, no sexual misconduct, no intoxicants, etc.), fasting, partaking of vegetarian food, giving to charity, and "bathing" of the baby Buddha ceremonies.

Celebrating Vesak also means making special efforts to bring happiness to the unfortunate like the aged, the handicapped and the sick.