May 31, 2008
Source: The Buddhist Channel/The Journal Gazette
http://www.buddhistchannel.tv/index.php?id=62,6562,0,0,1,0
Buddhists hailing from far-away countries and nearby states will gather today in Hoagland for a joyous celebration that some compare with Christmas and Easter wrapped into one.
The event is called Wesak. Pronounced vay-sack, Wesak is marked annually with large gatherings featuring devotional music, dancing, parades, traditional foods, meditation, chanting and talks about Buddhist teachings.
The event celebrates the birth, enlightenment and passing into eternity of Gautama Buddha, says Venerable T. Devananda, chief abbot of the Indiana Buddhist Temple, 2528 Thompson Road, where the gathering will take place.