The Indian Buddhist community is still going through a discovery and development phase trying to figure out what is the right thing to do regarding certain days/festivals/rituals etc. Many try to justify celebrating /not celebrating, to fit their personal agendas and views.
On Karthik Amawassiya in the Buddhist calendar, the enlightened Ven Maha Moggallana was murdered. He was one of the two most respected Bhikkhus (the other being Ven. Sariputta), highest in seniority only after the great Buddha himself.
Celebrate Karthik Amawassiya in any form and you’ll be celebrating the murder of a great Bhikkhu.
Whatever else they believe, THAT’S THE POINT THAT ALL INDIAN BUDDHISTS NEED TO KNOW.
Many will still find excuses (factual or not) to celebrate this BLACK DAY in Buddhist history.
Could the day of Karthik Amawassiya be chosen to celebrate Diwali in order to overshadow /cover-up murder?
No reference of Buddhists CELEBRATING this day of murder is found in any of the Ashoka edicts either; although in ‘Ashoka Vamsa’ it may mention that Asoka payed tributes to this great monk in form of lighting deepas on Buddhist historical places.
The celebrators also say that on Karthik Amawassiya was the day when the Buddha first visited his pre-enlightenment family home, which to the Buddhist world outside India, is of no significant importance either, as to warrant a big celebration.
Before the mass revival of Buddhism in 20th century India (and today in parts of East India), Buddhists believed that this event happened in the month of ‘Phalgun’ around March.
There is circumstantial evidence that the Buddha did not return to his pre enlightenment home in the winter months. We know Buddhism wasn’t completely wiped out in India. It survived in the Eastern regions. In these areas, Buddhist communities do traditionally celebrate the return of Buddha to his ancestral home in the form of ‘FALGUNI POORNIMA’ but that celebration is during the month of “Phalgun” (around March) which is overshadowed by another Brahminic festival, Holi.
Siddhartha Gotama’s father, Suddhodhana had invited the Buddha and the Bhikkhu Sangha for alms giving as they often were invited by other nobles and laity.
https://en.banglapedia.org/index.php/Falguni_Purnima
Should we celebrate Karthik Amawassiya, the day the Buddha first returned to his pre-Buddhahood ancestral home, as deepdan diwas even though Ven Moggallana was murdered that day? This is just like asking should we celebrate 6th Dec the day Babasaheb Dr Ambedkar left us? What if that tragic day (6th Dec) fell on Karthik Amawassya, would you still then find an excuse to celebrate the return of Buddha to his ancestral home in the form of Dipdanutsav.
Furthermore, if anyone has any reference of Babasaheb celebrating this day, please forward it to me. If not, then please share this post.
Thank you
One last thought
If on a festive day someone dear to us dies, let alone murdered, would we still celebrate that festive day?
(I’m thinking of my grandmother who passed away on new year’s day. I’m still reluctant to celebrate new year’s day).
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