Today we celebrate Nirvana Day, the annual Buddhist festival celebrating the cycle of death and rebirth. February 15th is said the be the day Buddha achieved Nirvana upon the death of his physical body.
Nirvana can mean a place of peace and happiness, or enlightenment, by which a person’s desires and suffering go away. Buddhism promotes the idea that loss and change are things to be accepted, rather than sources of sadness.
Buddhists often celebrate Nirvana Day through meditation and attendance at Buddhist temples or monasteries, where people may offer presents like food, clothing, household goods or money to monks.
Meditation often centres on reflection of one’s future death and the passing of loved ones. Buddhism does not fear death, but appreciates that to understand death is to know the value of life.
Buddhism is one of the fastest increasing religions in Australia, with a population of almost 600,000 in the 2016 census. Martin Bullock Lawyers celebrate diversity, and will mark this Nirvana Day by reflecting and thinking about how we ourselves can work towards achieving peace in our lives.