The eighth day of the fourth month is an unusual day, there has always been an old saying, the Buddha was born on the eighth day of April, so which Buddha is it? He is Shakyamuni. That is, what we often call the Buddha. Therefore, this day is also called Buddha's Birthday, Buddha's Birthday, Buddha Bathing Festival, Vesak Day, etc.
For the Buddha, in Journey to the West, everyone has also seen that he is high and worshipped. Regarding his birth, it is rumored that he was in North India, and people began to worship him in the Eastern Han Dynasty, but at that time it was only in the temple, and later in the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, the way of sacrifice was transmitted to the people. Generally, early in the morning, men, women and children bathe and change clothes, and then go to the Buddhist temple to worship the Buddha.
This traditional festival, in the Tang and Song dynasties, due to the prevalence of Buddhism, also made this day quite lively, the Buddha's light shines all over Chang'an, eat fasting and chant scriptures to build a temple. lay men and women are more generous; For the sake of good karma in the next life. A very important thing mentioned here is to drink fragrant soup and eat beans.
As recorded in "Tokyo Menghualu": "On April 8, the Buddha's birthday, the ten major Zen temples each have a bathing Buddha fasting meeting, decoction of fragrant medicine and sugar water, called bathing Buddha water." And in "The Old News Examination under the Sun": "Those who recite the Buddha's name by the monks of Beijing Shi often remember the number with beans." On April 8, the birthday of the Buddha, boiled beans are sprinkled with salt, and people are invited to eat on the road, thinking that they are married. Today it is still along with its old also'.
On the eighth day of the fourth month of April, Shakyamuni's birthday, do not do 3 things, peace and blessings, which 3 things do you refer to?
1. Clothing
The annual bathing Buddha Festival, men, women and children bathe and change clothes, go to the Buddha temple to worship the Buddha, the bathing and changing clothes mentioned here is actually to warn everyone, we must clean up ourselves, so as to express a respect for the Buddha, if the clothes are sloppy, it will make people feel that the heart is not pious enough, which also means that their own bad luck is difficult to remove.
2. Polluting Buddha water
April 8 bathing Buddha, the way is relatively simple, in front of the temple a small bath pavilion, the pavilion for the small statue of Shakya, next to the storage bathing Buddha water, Buddha water is boiled and refined by medicinal herbs, there are licorice, herbs, etc., believers pour Buddha every even water, that is, drink it. In other words, this Buddha water is for drinking, and we can't pollute it, otherwise it will bring trouble or even bad luck.
3. The crime of homicide
Every year on the eighth day of the fourth lunar month, in Kangding, Sichuan, people gather at the foot of Mashan Mountain, on the bank of the Zheduo River, hold a Buddha worship festival, pray to the gods and Buddhas to bless people with a bumper harvest of grains, and also hold Buddhism in Guangdong, bathe the Buddha in the morning, visit the temple in the afternoon, and release life. May this merit spread to all people, so that we and all sentient beings can attain the Buddhahood together.
Through the release of life, people hope to bless their families with good health, family safety, financial prosperity, and everything goes well. There are also places that will ask for children on this day.
On the eighth day of the fourth month of April, Sakyamuni's birthday, on this special day, the people pay attention to a lot, among which there are not to do three things, namely sloppy clothing, polluting Buddha water, and killing crimes, people think that this will violate the taboo of Buddhism, so it is difficult to remove the bad luck and pollution.