Vesak (Araw ni Buddha) 2014

This coming Tuesday South Korea will celebrate the Buddha's birthday or Seokka Tanshin-il (석가 탄신일, 釋迦誕身日).

It celebrated on different dates and is also called by many names but the term Buddha's birthday seem to persist harder.

Here in the Philippines it's celebrated on the full of May which is May 15th but I wonder how and when will the Chinese community celebrate it.

Here is the text of the chant:

The Maha Prajna Paramita Hrdaya Sutra 

Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva 

when practicing deeply the Prajna Paramita 

perceives that all five skandhas are empty 

and is saved from all suffering and distress. 

Shariputra, 

form does not differ from emptiness, 

emptiness does not differ from form. 

That which is form is emptiness, 

that which is emptiness form. 

The same is true of feelings, 

perceptions, impulses, consciousness. 

Shariputra, 

all dharmas are marked with emptiness; 

they do not appear or disappear, 

are not tainted or pure, 

do not increase or decrease. 

Therefore, in emptiness no form, no feelings, 

perceptions, impulses, consciousness. 

No eyes, no ears, no nose, no tongue, no body, no mind; 

no color, no sound, no smell, no taste, no touch, 

no object of mind; 

no realm of eyes 

and so forth until no realm of mind consciousness. 

No ignorance and also no extinction of it, 

and so forth until no old age and death 

and also no extinction of them. 

No suffering, no origination, 

no stopping, no path, no cognition, 

also no attainment with nothing to attain. 

The Bodhisattva depends on Prajna Paramita 

and the mind is no hindrance; 

without any hindrance no fears exist. 

Far apart from every perverted view one dwells in Nirvana. 

In the three worlds 

all Buddhas depend on Prajna Paramita 

and attain Anuttara Samyak Sambodhi. 

Therefore know that Prajna Paramita 

is the great transcendent mantra, 

is the great bright mantra, 

is the utmost mantra, 

is the supreme mantra 

which is able to relieve all suffering 

and is true, not false. 

So proclaim the Prajna Paramita mantra, 

proclaim the mantra which says: 

gate gate paragate parasamgate bodhi svaha 

gate gate paragate parasamgate bodhi svaha 

gate gate paragate parasamgate bodhi svaha.