Laba Festival — Buddha's Enlightenment Day Dharma Assembly

Laba Festival: Buddha's Enlightenment Day

In Chinese Buddhism, the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, Laba Day, is regarded as the Buddha’s Enlightenment Day. On this day, Dharma service and rituals are held and the sangha also cooks Laba porridge as one of the offerings for the Buddha.

How does Laba Day relate to Bodhi Day?

It is said that at the age of twenty-nine, Siddhārtha Gautama, the historical Buddha, left his worldly life behind as a wandering yogi to engage himself in the ascetic path under the guidance of two ascetic teachers. However, after six years of practice, when Siddhārtha realized that he was not reaching his ultimate goal, the complete liberation, through the ascetic way of life, he left the ascetic community and began to seek enlightenment on his own through meditation. At this point, his physical body has become thin as a stick. When Siddhārtha traveled…