Every Vesak season brings remembrance of the birth of the Buddha - and of the mother whose sacred vow across many lifetimes gave birth to an enlightened being.
A sacred dream before the Buddha’s birth
Some mothers pass quietly through life.
Others are remembered for thousands of years because behind them came the birth of an enlightened one.
Each Vesak season, as temple bells echo through the days of May, many people think of Queen Maya, the mother of the Buddha.
In Buddhist stories, before becoming pregnant with the Buddha, Queen Maya had a sacred dream in which she saw a white elephant with six tusks descending from heaven. (Illustration series on the life of Shakyamuni Buddha - Tu Tam Pagoda)
In Buddhist traditions, Queen Maya is portrayed as a virtuous and pure-hearted woman.
She had been married to King Suddhodana for many years but remained childless.
According to Buddhist scriptures, she conceived Prince Siddhartha only after reaching her forties.
That circumstance made the Buddha’s birth all the more extraordinary in the eyes of believers.
In Buddhist legends, before conceiving the Buddha, Queen Maya dreamed of a white elephant with six tusks descending gently from the heavens and entering her right side.
Court sages interpreted the dream as a sign foretelling the arrival of an extraordinary figure - either a great ruler or an enlightened being destined to guide humanity toward liberation.
When the time came to give birth, Queen Maya followed the customs of the era and traveled back to her maternal homeland.
Along the journey, while resting in Lumbini Garden, she gave birth to Prince Siddhartha beneath a sala tree.
Today, Lumbini remains one of Buddhism’s holiest pilgrimage sites, drawing millions of Buddhists from around the world each year.
The mother who never saw her son grow up
The Buddhist bathing ritual is based on the legend of two Dragon Kings pouring streams of hot and cold water over Prince Siddhartha at birth. Photo: Nguyen Hue
What moves many people most is how brief Queen Maya’s life was beside her son.
According to Buddhist accounts, she passed away only seven days after giving birth to Prince Siddhartha.
She never had the chance to watch the child grow up, leave the royal palace in search of liberation, and eventually become the Buddha.
That is perhaps why the story of the Buddha’s mother feels not only sacred, but deeply human.
Behind the birth of an enlightened being was still a mother whose love and silent sacrifice resembled those of countless mothers throughout the world.
Perhaps that is why Vesak is not only a remembrance of the Buddha’s birth, but also a season that awakens gratitude for motherhood and familial love.
Amid the pressures of modern life, people often realize that behind every step of their own journey stands a mother who quietly sacrificed so much, even as she was sometimes forgotten.
Vesak is more than a religious festival
Vesak celebration at Viet Nam Quoc Tu Pagoda. Photo: Nguyen Hue
In today’s world, people move quickly to keep pace with work, money and endless pressures, yet rarely pause long enough to truly listen to themselves.
Perhaps that is why each Vesak season draws so many people back to temples - not only to pray, but also to search for stillness amid the noise of life.
Within the sound of temple bells, the scent of incense and the glow of floating lanterns, people seem more able to slow down.
Some suddenly remember their mothers.
Others recall affections they once neglected amid the rush of everyday life.
And some, after carrying exhaustion for far too long, realize that peace does not come from possessing more, but from whether the heart can remain gentle and kind.
Perhaps that is also why the Buddha’s teachings have endured for thousands of years.
Not because they are distant or mystical, but because they remind people to slow down, to love more deeply and to look inward more honestly in a world that never stops rushing forward.
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