Guru Purnima will be celebrated on Saturday, July 24 this year. The festival is marked by Buddhists, Hindus and Jains every year on the full moon day in the Hindu month of Ashadha of the Hindu calendar or the Ashadha Purnima Tithi. On this day, disciples worship or pay respect to their Gurus or spiritual guide and thank them for enlightening them with knowledge. The Guru Purnima Tithi this year begins at 10:43 am on July 23 and ends at 08:06 am on July 24, 2021.
The festival holds a deeper meaning and fascinating history. Gautam Buddha, the founder of the Buddhist faith, is believed to have given his first sermon on this day. After five weeks of achieving enlightenment under the Bodhi tree, Buddha went from Bodhgaya to Sarnath, Uttar Pradesh. There he gave a sermon on the full moon day. This is why Gautam Buddha's followers celebrate this day as Guru Purnima to worship him and the Ashadha Purnima Tithi is significant for Buddhists.
Guru Purnima is also the day that marks the birth anniversary of Maharishi Ved Vyasa, the author of the great Indian epic, Mahabharata. This day is also known as Vyasa Purnima.
The term 'Gu' in Guru stands for darkness, and 'Ru' means removal of darkness. Thus, a guru is someone who removes all darkness from our lives. People in the country celebrate this festival by paying their respect to their spiritual leaders. Whereas, in Nepal, the festival is observed as Teacher's Day.
{{/usCountry}}The term 'Gu' in Guru stands for darkness, and 'Ru' means removal of darkness. Thus, a guru is someone who removes all darkness from our lives. People in the country celebrate this festival by paying their respect to their spiritual leaders. Whereas, in Nepal, the festival is observed as Teacher's Day.
{{/usCountry}}Ahead of Guru Purnima, here are a few quotes by Gautam Buddha that provide great lessons for life and will enlighten your soul.
"Every morning, we are born again. What we do today is what matters most."
"You will not be punished for your anger; you will be punished by your anger."
"Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth."
"The mind is everything. What you think you become."
"You only lose what you cling to."
"Your work is to discover your world and then with all your heart give yourself to it."
"Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without."
"Health is the greatest gift, contentment the greatest wealth, faithfulness the best relationship."
"No one saves us but ourselves. No one can and no one may. We ourselves must walk the path."
"We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts, we make the world."
"The root of suffering is attachment."
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