Day of the Great Buddha’s Descent from the Heaven of the 33 Deities
One of the most important Buddhist holidays — the Day of Buddha Shakyamuni’s Descent from the Heaven of the 33 Deities — was celebrated in Kalmykia today. On this day, special services are held in all the khuruls, where the monks recite prayers of praise to Buddha Shakyamuni, to his Dharma...
According to tradition, after attaining Enlightenment, Buddha Shakyamuni went to the Heavenly Realm of the 33 Deities, where his mother — Queen Mahamaya — had been reborn after her death on earth. There, as a sign of gratitude, he bestowed upon her his wise Teaching. And when the inhabitants of the earth called upon the Buddha to descend into their world, he agreed. This took place at the site of Sankasia — territory of present-day India. And ever since that time, Buddhists have celebrated this sacred holiday.
You can see how the festive prayer service took place today at “The Golden Abode of Buddha Shakyamuni” in the photo report by Alexander Demidenko.
