Shakyamuni Buddha

Many legends cluster around the Buddha's life. It's said that the moment he was born he took seven steps, a lotus blossoming beneath each one. But the real story begins outside the palace walls. On the day of the four excursions, the young prince saw a stooped old man, a groaning invalid, and a cold and rigid corpse — and last, a wandering ascetic with steady, peaceful eyes. In that instant, all his wealth and comfort lost their weight.

At twenty-nine, on a moonlit night, he mounted his white horse Kanthaka and, with his charioteer Channa beside him, left the city behind — the Great Renunciation. Six years of severe asceticism followed, until he was starved to skin and bone and understood at last that torturing the body could never purchase awakening. At the bank of the Nairanjara River he accepted a bowl of milk-rice from the cowherd girl Sujata, and with his strength restored he sat beneath a pippala tree — the Bodhi tree — and vowed not to rise until he had attained enlightenment. Legend says the demon-king Mara sent his daughters and his armies to break his concentration, and the Buddha subdued them all.

Before dawn, he saw clear through to the truths of dependent origination and the Four Noble Truths, and became the Buddha — the Awakened One. For the next forty-nine years he walked the Ganges plain teaching the Dharma, his listeners ranging from kings to butchers, until at last he passed serenely into final nirvana between two sala trees at Kushinagar.

Worshipping Fozu calls for no lavish meats — quite the opposite. The offerings are simply clear incense, fresh flowers, and fruit, all vegetarian; keeping to a meat-free offering is the most basic rule of all. To pay respects, join your palms and make three bows, or the full three kneelings and nine kowtows, silently reciting 'Namo Original Teacher Shakyamuni Buddha,' or chant the Heart Sutra or the Great Compassion Mantra. Buddhism holds that sincerity is what makes an offering meaningful, so the simpler the offering the better — it's the heart that counts. To pray for blessings, most temples keep 'lamps of light' that you can dedicate. As for where to go: Fo Guang Shan emphasizes Humanistic Buddhism, Dharma Drum Mountain centers on meditation, Tzu Chi is known for its charity, and Chung Tai focuses on Chan meditation education. Each of the four great mountains has its own character — simply choose the one that suits you.

Shakyamuni Buddha has three major feast days in Taiwan, collectively referred to in Chinese as the "Three Great Buddhist Festivals" (佛教三大節日):

**Buddha's Birthday (Bathing the Buddha)**: 8th day of the 4th lunar month — **May 5 in 2026**. Temples hold the "Bathing the Buddha" ceremony, in which devotees pour fragrant water over a small standing Buddha statue, symbolizing the purification of the mind. Fo Guang Shan's celebration is the largest, drawing tens of thousands of participants. Tzu Chi traditionally combines Buddha's Birthday with Mother's Day and Tzu Chi Day into a single "Three-in-One" celebration that emphasizes gratitude to parents.

**Buddha's Renunciation Day**: 8th day of the 2nd lunar month, commemorating Prince Siddhartha's Great Renunciation. Temples typically hold sutra recitations and dharma talks.

**Buddha's Enlightenment Day (Laba Festival, 臘八)**: 8th day of the 12th lunar month. On this day, temples cook "Laba congee" — a porridge of rice, beans, nuts, lotus seeds, and other grains — to share with devotees, recalling the bowl of milk-rice offered to the Buddha by the cowherd girl Sujata just before his enlightenment.

Some temples also observe the 15th day of the 2nd lunar month as the Buddha's parinirvana day, with memorial services.