10 – 12 years
The best Vesak lantern you have made
The best Vesak lantern I have made was when I was eight years old. Our teacher requested us to make a beautiful lantern. She said that the best lantern will get a happy face sticker and the lantern will be hung up on Vesak Day.
All of us wanted to get the happy face sticker and wanted our Vesak lantern to swing in the air. I went home and told this to my parents. My parents got me 25 bamboo sticks, a small light bulb, some tissue paper of various colours, glue, scissors, string, tape and wire. I made six squares and tied them together. I tied the corners of the squares to make a ring. I did the rest of the structure myself and pasted the strings. My mother kept the light bulb inside and covered the surface. She cut and glued a lot of papers. At last my Vesak lantern was ready to be shown. I was really happy and I hugged my parents.
The next day I took my gorgeous lantern to school. Our class teacher examined all of our Vesak lanterns. And you know, I got the smiley face sticker!
All the students in our class clapped for me. Our teacher took the lantern and on Vesak Day I saw my Vesak lantern in school swinging in the wind with a smiley face sticker…
Githuja Kirierathan (13 years)
Ladies’ College, Colombo
13 – 15 years
Celebrating Vesak
The significance of Vesak – the threefold celebration on the thrice blessed day, which marks the Birth, Enlightenment and Pirinivana (Passing Away) of the Lord Buddha is celebrated by Buddhists all over the globe, under three themes – Religious, Compassion and Entertainment.
It is a special day for Sri Lankan Buddhists because Lord Buddha visited Kelaniya on his third visit to Sri Lanka, on a Vesak Day in 580 A. D. Hence Buddhists observe ‘sil’ by skipping the previous night’s meal till the following morning. They light up their hearts with the spirit of universal compassion, avoiding all extremes, bringing balance of mind and body with peace and harmony. Buddhists also pay homage to Lord Buddha by offering fresh flowers and lighting oil lamps, by going to temples to worship in order to make Vesak Day a ‘Day of Lights’.
They also celebrate it with colourful illuminated pandals to admire and recall the various aspects – ‘Jathaka Katha’ of the life story of Lord Buddha. ‘Dansals’ with thirst quenching drinks and eatables are put up at strategic locations for the tired devotees. Even Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith the Archbishop of Colombo, with certain priests, participated in one such ‘Kos (Jak) Dansala’ to show unity among all Sri Lankans. Colourful illuminated lanterns, buckets with fluttering Buddhist flags and ‘Olu Bakko’ dancing, entertain the children along with the ice-cream dansal.
The fulfillment of all the themes, religious, compassion and entertainment – especially during the present global terrorism threat was the greatest humanitarian message to the whole world; on this year’s serene but festive Vesak Day celebrations.
Neyali Abeyratna (14 years)
De Mazenod College, Kandana
