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The founder of Buddhism, Siddhartha, was born in India. He had his first enlightenment at the young age of 35 years. The followers of Buddhism are thorough believers of karma and incarnation. They believe that Nirvana can be achieved through leading meditation on the eight-fold path and leading a moral life.
The eight-fold path includes the below-mentioned ideals for ethical conduct, achieving wisdom, and mental discipline-
Today, the Buddhism community stands at one of the world's major religions with about 470 million followers. The most prominent followers of Buddhism are found in East and Southeast Asia, but its influence is taking a hike in the West too. There are many kinds of Buddhism existing around the world today. Listed below are three major types that signify particular geographical areas-
| Type | Location |
| Theravada Buddhism | Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Laos, and Burma |
| Mahayana Buddhism | Taiwan, China, Japan, Singapore, Korea, and Vietnam |
| Tibetan Buddhism | Tibet, Nepal, Bhutan, Mongolia, parts of Northern India, and parts of Russia |
There are various sacred scriptures and texts in Buddhism. Some prominent ones are-
Sutras- Sutras are sacred teachings accepted by Mahayana Buddhists mainly. There exist more than 2,000 sutras.
Tipitaka- These are texts which are believed to be the primary collection of Buddhist writings. These texts are also known as the “three baskets”.
The Book of the Dead- This is a Tibetan book consisting of a detailed account of the stages of death.
Indian Calendar 2022 : Get Indian Festivals 2022 Dates and Fasts Now
| Date | Day | Holiday |
| 10 January 2022 | Monday | Bodhi Day |
| 18 January 2022 | Tuesday | Mahayana New Year |
| 1 February 2022 | Tuesday | Chinese New Year |
| 15 February 2022 | Tuesday | Nirvana Day |
| 16 February 2022 | Wednesday | Magha Puja Day |
| 16 April 2022 | Saturday | Theravada New Year |
| 16 May 2022 | Monday | Vesak, Buddha Purnima |
| 13 July 2022 | Wednesday | Asala- Dharma Day |
| 13 August 2022 | Saturday | Obon |
Bodhi Day
Bodhi Day, one of the popular Buddhist Holidays 2022, marks the day when Gautam Buddha attained enlightenment in 596 BCE in Bodh Gaya while sitting under a Bodhi Tree. Bodhi Day is observed as one of the most prominent Buddhist Holidays in many mainstream Mahayana Traditions. The followers of Buddhism celebrate this day by meditating, chanting sutras, studying the Dharma, and performing kind gestures towards other beings. A traditional meal of cakes, tea, and readings is prepared on this day by many people.
Mahayana New Year
The Mahayana New Year is celebrated on different days in different countries and traditions as per Buddhist Calendar 2022. Some Mahayana Buddhists observe this day with the rest of the world on December 31st or January 1st, while others wait for the first full moon of the year to commemorate this Buddhist Holiday, which falls in the mid of January.
This day is celebrated by honouring and offering prayers to Buddha. The statues and idols of Buddha are bathed as a sign of respect and religious songs are played. Buddhists visit nearby temples and light candles there as a symbol of happiness and good luck for the year to come. The followers of Buddhism observe this day as a time for self-retrospection and meditation.
Chinese New Year
Chinese New Year is another prominent event that made it to the list of Buddhist Holidays 2022. The Chinese New Year is celebrated according to their traditional lunisolar Chinese calendar and it is falling on 1st February 2022 this year. On this day, people of the Buddhist community visit the nearby temple and offer their prayers to the idol of Buddha. Buddhists also believe in cleaning and redecorating their homes on this day, along with giving gifts for good luck. They devour feasts that include a lot of sweets and enjoy fireworks at midnight.
Nirvana Day
This day is also called Parinirvana Day, and it commemorates the demise of Buddha at the age of 80 when he attained Nirvana. Nirvana marks the culmination of the death and rebirth cycle, and is believed to be achieved once all the suffering and want is gone from within. The celebration of this day varies from place to place. Some people celebrate this Buddhist Holiday by meditating, while others pay a visit to Buddhist temples and Monasteries.
Monasteries observe Nirvana Day as a social event. Known to be one of the great Buddhist Festivals 2022, people prepare food and bring clothes and other household items for giving out to the needy.
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Magha Puja Day
Magha Puja is an important Buddhist religious holiday celebrated in the third lunar month, on a full moon day for over 2500 years. It is also known as the Fourfold Assembly or the Sangha Day.
This puja commemorates not one but four auspicious events that took place near Rajaghana in Northern Indian, nine months after Buddha attained enlightenment.
On this day, the followers of Buddhism gather together and carry out meetings to discuss Buddha’s teachings, listen to what seniors of the community have to offer, and meditate. People also light oil lamps and exchange gifts on Magha Puja Day.
Theravada New Year
Theravada New Year is a significant Buddhist Holiday in 2022, which will be observed on 16th April. This festival is observed for three days, and the celebration begins on the first full moon of April.
Vesak-Buddha Day
Vesak is considered one of the most important 2022 Buddhist festivals. It is also known as Buddha day or Wesak. This day is celebrated to commemorate Buddha’s birthday and is observed as a time to reflect on his teachings by the followers of Buddhism. The date of Buddha Day keeps on changing every year. It is observed during the time of the first full moon of the lunar month of Vesakha. It mostly falls in May or early June. This year, Vesak will be celebrated on 16th May.
Asala- Dharma Day
It is an important day for the followers of Buddhism as this day marks the first time when Siddhartha Gautam imparted his teachings of becoming a Buddha to other people. In Theravada countries, this day is observed in July, on the full moon day. Asala falls on 13th July this year.
Obon
Known to be one of the popular Buddhist holidays in 2022, Obon is mainly observed by the Japanese Buddhist community. It is celebrated in honour of the spirits of one’s ancestors. On this holiday, people gather with their families and return to their ancestral family places and clean the graves of their ancestors. It is believed that the ancestors pay a visit to the household altars. The Obon celebration lasts for up to 3 days.
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