The 18th United Nations Worldwide Vesak Day.

Vesak is the traditional Southern Buddhist festival commemorating the birth and attainment of nirvana of Shakyamuni Buddha, the founder of Buddhism. Buddhists in Southeast and South Asian countries such as Sri Lanka, Thailand, Myanmar, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Nepal celebrate this important annual festival with great festivities.

The word Vesak is a Sinhala word from Sri Lanka derived from the Pali word Visakha. In India, Bangladesh and Nepal, the festival is known as „Visakah Puja“ or „Buddha Purnima.“ In Thailand it is called „Visakha Bucha“, in Indonesia „Waisak“ and in Sri Lanka and Malaysia „Vesak“ or „Wesak“. The date of Vesak is set every year according to the lunar calendar and falls on the 1st full moon in May.

The festival has been officially recognized by the United Nations and has been officially designated internationally as the „United Nations Vesak Festival Day“. For this reason, the World Buddhist Confederation has declared the full moon day in the fifth month of the lunar calendar as Buddha Day, which is celebrated every year in various Southeast Asian Buddhist countries. National heads of state, kings, prime ministers (deputy prime ministers) and many others are invited to this event.

Representing the International Vesak Day Council at the United Nations, Vice President of the World Fellowship of Buddhists and UNESCO Representative for Buddhist Affairs, the President of the Frankfurt Buddhist Academy, Ven. Dhammaratana Tampalawela will lead the (life-long) members of the Frankfurt Buddhist Academy to Bangkok, Thailand for this first worldwide Vesak Day after three years of Covid-19 epidemic. Vesak Day is the Christmas celebration of Siddhartha. The Thai Royal Family will send a signed and personal invitation to each participant of the 2023 Vesak celebration!

You are cordially invited to register as a life-long member of the Frankfurt Buddhist Academy and travel to Thailand for the global Vesak Festival Buddhism and join us in the extraordinary commemoration of the birth of Sakyamuni Buddha!

Following the conference, participants in the Frankfurt Buddhist Academy’s Thai Vesak Day Celebration, led by President Ven. Dhammaratana Tampalawela will visit several famous monasteries in Thailand. For details about the itinerary and arrangements, please contact us at info@frankfurt-buddhist-academy.org or call +49 160 96828123.

Kind regards,

Frankfurt Buddhist Academy