Buddha Purnima or Buddha Jayanti is the date when Prince Siddharta Gautama was born. He eventually became the Buddha and created Buddhism. According to Buddhist and Hindu lunar calendars, Buddha Purnima takes place on a full moon day in the month of Vaisakhi. Purnima is a Sanskrit word meaning ‘full moon’ and Jayanti means ‘birthday’.
Buddha Purnima is a Buddhist celebration that is also called Buddha Jayanti or Vesak. Buddhist communities from all across the world, in India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Malaysia, and other countries, celebrate this occasion. The festival is widely observed and holds unique significance in Buddhism.
Buddha Purnima: History
Gautam Buddha, who was born in Lumbini, Nepal. He attained Nirvana when he was 35 years old. Although historians disagree on the precise dates of Buddha’s birth and death, they generally consider that he lived between 563 and 483 BC.
Buddha Purnima is a time to reflect on the three core principles of Buddhism: peace, compassion, and enlightenment. In many parts of South and Southeast Asia, the event takes place on Vesak, a holiday honoring the Buddha’s enlightenment and journey into Nirvana.
Buddha Purnima presents an opportunity to promote harmony and peace. The full moon fell on three key dates in Gautam Buddha’s life; it had enormous religious significance. First, Prince Siddhartha was born in Lumbini on the May full moon. Second, Prince Siddhartha Gautam became Gautama Buddha at BodhGaya after six years of enlightenment and suffering under the shadow of the Bodhi tree. Third, after 45 years of preaching the truth, he passed away in Kusinara at the age of 80 in order to achieve Nibbana (Nirvana), or freedom from the cycle of reincarnation.
Buddha Purnima: significance
Buddha Purnima or Gautama Buddha’s birth date falls during the month of Vaishakha. His teachings served as the foundation for Buddhism. That is the reason his birth date bears a significance in Buddhism.
The birth and death dates of Gautama Buddha are uncertain. He lived between 563 and 483 B.C. Most people think that Lumbini, Nepal, is where Buddha was born. At the age of 80, Buddha died in Kushinagar, Uttar Pradesh.
The most important Buddhist pilgrimage site connected to Gautama Buddha’s life is Bodh Gaya. The other three main pilgrimage sites are Sarnath, Lumbini, and Kushinagar. Gautama Buddha is said to have proclaimed the Dharma for the first time at Sarnath before becoming enlightened in Bodh Gaya.
Buddha Purnima 2025: Date and Time
Buddha Purnima is commonly celebrated on the day of the full moon in Vesakh. Though the date changes every year according to the Gregorian calendar. The celebrations usually happen in the month of April or May. This happens because Asian lunisolar calendars decide the exact date. And in the case of leap year, it falls in June.
This year in 2025, Buddha Purnima is on Monday, May 12. It is the 2587th birth anniversary of Gautam Buddha.
- Purnima Tithi Begins – 08:01 PM on May 11, 2025
- Purnima Tithi Ends – 10:25 PM on May 12, 2025
How Buddha Purnima is celebrated
Buddha Purnima is celebrated with great enthu and zeal all over the world, especially by the Buddhists. On the day of the occasion, prayer meetings are organized and Buddha idols are worshiped. Devotees engage in group meditations and religious discourse. They visit Buddhist temples and recite Buddhist texts.
Buddhists also offer special prayers at the Bodhi tree, the location of Gautama Buddha’s enlightenment. The Mahabodhi temple in Bodhgaya is adorned with colorful decorations in honor of the day.
Happy Buddha Purnima wishes
- May your soul dance to the tunes of mindfulness, and your spirit sing the songs of enlightenment on this auspicious day. Happy Buddha Purnima!
- Hatred does not cease by hatred, but only by love; this is the eternal rule.
- Let go of the burdens of yesterday. Embrace the present, for in it lies the wisdom Siddhartha discovered.
- On this day of Buddha Purnima, may you be blessed with the gifts of mental peace, spiritual growth and enlightenment.
- Just as a candle cannot burn without fire, men cannot live without a spiritual life.
- Like a lotus emerging from the mud, may you rise above the challenges and discover the beauty of enlightenment. Happy Buddha Purnima!
- The Buddha’s teachings are a map, not the destination. Use Buddha Purnima to chart your own course towards self-discovery and enlightenment.
- May the teachings of Gautama Buddha inspire you to live a life of compassion, kindness, and mindfulness. Happy Buddha Purnima!
- Let us rise up and be thankful, for if we didn’t learn a lot today, at least we learned a little…
- May the blessings of Buddha Purnima illuminate your path and guide you towards inner peace and enlightenment.
- Wishing you a day filled with reflection, meditation, and spiritual growth on this sacred occasion of Buddha Purnima.
- Let’s pledge to have strength and courage in our hearts like Lord Buddha this year to face all kinds of challenges in life.
- Like a calligrapher’s brush gracefully writing the words of wisdom, may you imbibe the teachings of Buddha and create a masterpiece of enlightenment. Happy Buddha Purnima!
- May your thoughts be like the strokes of a painter’s brush, creating a masterpiece of wisdom and compassion on the canvas of your life. Happy Buddha Purnima!
- Still waters reflect the clearest image. Find calmness within Buddha Purnima, and discover the depths of your own wisdom. Happy Buddha Purnima
- May Lord Buddha bless you with enlightenment on the path of love, peace and truth. Happy Buddha Purnima 2025!
- Wishing you a day filled with peace, joy, and mindfulness on this auspicious occasion of Buddha Purnima.
- May your heart be a canvas of serenity, where the brushstrokes of wisdom create a masterpiece of mindfulness. Happy Buddha Purnima!
- Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.
- May the symphony of silence guide you towards the serenity of enlightenment, where every note resonates with the essence of Buddha’s teachings. Happy Buddha Purnima!
- May the year be full of love, light, peace, and harmony! Happy Buddha Purnima!
- If you truly admired yourself, you could never hurt the feelings of another. May Lord Buddha bless us all with good health!
- May you find solace in the teachings of Buddha and experience true enlightenment. Wishing you a joyous Buddha Purnima!
- Let us remember Lord Buddha’s teachings and always be on the path of knowledge. Happy Buddha Purnima 2025
- Like a sculptor carving out a masterpiece from a block of stone, may you chisel away the ignorance and reveal the enlightened being within. Happy Buddha Purnima!
- On Buddha Purnima, here’s wishing you peace, happiness, good health and prosperity.
- Inner light illuminates the path. On Buddha Purnima, ignite your own flame of curiosity to discover the truths within. Happy Buddha Purnima
- Wishing you a day of creative expressions, innovative ideas, and artistic interpretations of Buddha’s profound teachings on this special occasion of Buddha Purnima.
- May the petals of mindfulness bloom in your heart, and the fragrance of compassion spread in your soul. Happy Buddha Purnima!
- On this blessed day, may you be showered with blessings of inner peace, wisdom, and spiritual enlightenment. Happy Buddha Purnima!
Buddha Purnima quotation
- “Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.”
— Gautama Buddha - “Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared.”
— Gautama Buddha - “The mind is everything. What you think you become.”
— Gautama Buddha - “Hatred does not cease by hatred, but only by love; this is the eternal rule.”
— Gautama Buddha - “Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without.”
— Gautama Buddha - “Health is the greatest gift, contentment the greatest wealth, faithfulness the best relationship.”
— Gautama Buddha - “You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.”
— Gautama Buddha - “Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth.”
— Gautama Buddha - “If your compassion does not include yourself, it is incomplete.”
— Jack Kornfield (Buddhist teacher) - “In the end, only three things matter: how much you loved, how gently you lived, and how gracefully you let go of things not meant for you.”
— Jack Kornfield (often misattributed to Buddha) - “However many holy words you read, however many you speak, what good will they do you if you do not act on upon them?”
— Gautama Buddha - “Let us rise up and be thankful, for if we didn’t learn a lot today, at least we learned a little…”
— Gautama Buddha - “It is better to conquer yourself than to win a thousand battles.”
— Gautama Buddha - “The way is not in the sky. The way is in the heart.”
— Gautama Buddha - “True love is born from understanding.”
— Thich Nhat Hanh (Vietnamese Zen master) - “Every morning we are born again. What we do today is what matters most.”
— Gautama Buddha - “Work out your own salvation. Do not depend on others.”
— Gautama Buddha - “Better than a thousand hollow words, is one word that brings peace.”
— Gautama Buddha - “If we could see the miracle of a single flower clearly, our whole life would change.”
— Gautama Buddha - “When you realize how perfect everything is, you will tilt your head back and laugh at the sky.”
— Gautama Buddha
