DIWALI IS A SPRING FESTIVAL. THEN WHY IS IT CELEBRATED IN WINTER?

Some Buddhists have replaced the Brahmanic festival of Diwali with the CELEBRATION of what they call Deepdan Utsav.

Deepdan Diwas/Day (symbolic representation: a lit candle/s or dipa) is NOT a day of CELEBRATION but a day of REMEMBRANCE for Buddhists. Its a day for thinking, reflecting, learning, teaching & meditating (not much different from any other day for some Buddhists).

Dipa= light (wisdom/knowledge) and

Dana= giving without expecting a reward

So Deepa-dana is “freely imparting/sharing/giving knowledge/wisdom without expecting anything in return. It’s NOT an utsav, NOT a festival or day to be CELEBRATED.

It was a day in the Buddhist calender when the Ven Bhante, Maha Moggallana was killed. CELEBRATE Karthik Amawassiya in any form and you’ll be celebrating the murder of a great bhikkhu who served the Buddha as his left hand chief disciple.

On this day, Many Buddhists pay tribute to the great Bhikkhu by reading and contemplating on a Sutta dedicated in his name, the MOGGALLANA SUTTA. Many spend the day in meditation or sharing the greatest gift, the gift of Dhamma 

Many Buddhist scholars believe that Diwali is chosen to be celebrated on this day of Karthik Amawassiya (Oct/Nov), to divert attention from the above facts. The Brahmanic festival of Diwali is supposed to fall in the month of Vaisak.

Kartik Amawassya, is also said to be a day when the Buddha first visited his pre-enlightenment family home. This is no big reason for celebration either. Many Buddhist communities in Eastern parts of India and Bangladesh believe that the Buddha rejoined his family in the month of ‘Phalgun’ (around March) and have traditionally celebrated this day as a festival in Phalgun. (This contradiction, although unintentional it seems, is also seen in the attached video, which again diverts attention from the murder of Ven Moggallana).

Buddhists recognise, not to celebrate this day, just as 6th December, the day Babasaheb Ambedkar took his last breath is NOT CELEBRATED.

Furthermore, NO reference of Babasaheb Ambedkar celebrating this day of Karthik Amawassiya as Deepdanustav, on which Diwali is celebrated today, has been found.

Source: GLOBAL AMBEDKARITES FB PAGE