Sri Lanka, May 12 -- Today (12) marks the thrice-blessed Vesak Full Moon Poya Day, a sacred occasion for Buddhists worldwide.

It was on a Vesak Poya Day that Prince Siddhartha Gautama, the son of King Suddhodana and Queen Mahamaya, was born in a Sal grove of Lumbini, near Kapilavastu.

It was also on a Vesak Poya Day that Prince Siddhartha, having renounced all worldly pleasures and practiced rigorous austerities for six years, attained Enlightenment and became the Buddha.

Furthermore, the Parinirvana, the final passing away of the Buddha, also occurred on a Vesak Poya Day in the Upavattana Sal grove of the Malla kings.

Remembering these three pivotal events, Buddhists across the globe observe Vesak Day with a focus on spiritual practi...