CELEBRATE VESAK WITH NO ENVIRONMENT POLLUTION

Currently we are experiencing a hazardous time regardless nationalities and ethnicities. If we look back and try to figure out what is the reasons behind the prevailing situation, it would be clear that the unbearable affects which were done on environment by people is prominent among all. It all happened for the drastic changes done by us human beings, on nature. In Sri Lanka, we couldn’t celebrate our cultural and religious festival in ways we used to celebrate them before the pandemic. But with these lately occurred circumstances, we have got to think what nature tries to point out. This should be a advisory from mother nature to clarify the importance of preserving her for the wellbeing of the human race. With the lessons we have been learning since last year we have to pay our attention to do our regular things more eco friendly, and healthier ways for environment than finding comfortable and easy ways.

On the Vesak full moon day (which falls on May 26th this year), the Buddhist reminisce Lord Buddha’s birth, enlightment and passing away in various ways. But all of them can be considered under two main categories as per Buddhism, Aamis puja and Prathipaththi puja are those two Buddhist teachings. In Amisa puja, people show their gratitude towards Buddha by decorating their houses, temples and their villages vividly and it really is a good thing to express what we intended to. But the problem is the way we are doing it .Now-a- days, as we do in every activity in our lives, we use biodegradable polythenes and plastics for decorations. It can either be small lanterns or huge floats in the middle of the town, almost all are made using materials like polythenes and plastics for their water resistance and for the solid nature they gives to the creations. But once the Vesak is over all these decorations are become just trash and throw away to dispose. This happened over past consecutive years. This left only an immense amount of non-perishables in environment and did huge impact on it..If this is the end result of a sacred day like Vesak, How can we call ourselves Buddhists?

So this is where the change should be done. So we should step back thinking how we can do decorations while not harming nature. We can use biodegradable materials like coconut shells, woven coconut leaves , trunks and the spathe ,.Most of those materials are from nature itself and they fade to the nature once they disposed . Lanterns can be made of sticks from bamboo trees as usual and cover with colored tissues easily, Instead of using artificial materials like polythene and nylon.

Rather than creating huge thorana which leaves a large, perishable wastage at the end, our objective should be in realizing the actual meaning of this celebration.it is nothing but attaining wisdom of uncertainty. It all comes with when we engaged in Prathipaththi puja ,which helps to attain that spiritual awareness. Once we understood how much it is meaningless harming nature in the name of reminiscent Gouthama Buddha, this menace will be ended. As university students, we should think of this seriously and take the message among people and open their eyes on the real impact in the nature, it will be the greatest way to show our gratitude towards Buddha.

Written By R.M.S. Adithya Rathnayke