Role of Vesak charity

Sajendra Kumara

The Vesak is the most revered religious festival on the Buddhist calendar. Both the young and the old alike wait eagerly for the Vesak. Though the preparations are for the celebration of three noble events in life of the Buddha: the birth, the enlightenment and the passing away, it has long been a part of the Sri Lankan culture.

Traditional drummers with the dagoba in background. Picture by Saman Sri Wedage

This has brought the Vesak festival closer to hearts and minds of every Sri Lankan.

Had the Vesak festival been purely religious it would have lost the glamour and colour which is embedded in it today. One has to accept the fact that culture and religion are like the tree and the bark; they are interdependent. Culture or the way of life of a particular community receives its peculiar unique identity through religion. Religion runs like an undercurrent in every culture.

Background preparations

The preparations for the Vesak festival should be viewed in this background. The preparations could vary from an individual to different social organizations such as clubs and societies. The Buddhist temple does not play a key role here. Everything takes place quite independently. The temple has its own agenda for the festival.

The Vesak festival has all the features that bring out unity in the society. It is a strong thread binding the whole society together. Most Vesak decorations and other meritorious activities such as danselas, blood donation and shramadana campaigns, the Buddhists engage in, irrespective of caste, class or status. Even those of other religions could be seen lending a helping hand.

Out of all these events, the dansela is a place where food and drinks are given free. It is the best example which brings out unity in our society and it transcends even beyond the form of inculcating good qualities such as sharing, caring, altruism, selflessness and instant generosity. The dansala is also an occasion where one forgets one's arrogance and pride.

Mingling of the common

One could even see the richest getting off their posh limousines and joining the long queues mingling with the common hoi-polloi to taste a plate of rice with a karawala hodda (dry fish gravy), amba embula (mango curry) and pol sambola (coconut sambol). Nobody seems to be concerned of the hygiene. Strangely everyone seems to be oblivious of such health issues. I would like to leave it to the reader to decide whether it is due to one's greed for food or due to some other reason.

Most of the danselas are organized by the ordinary. It could be witnessed by a short visit outside during the period of Vesak.