A Day of Enlightenment: Bodhi Day on December 8, 2013

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS
By TAHLIB

Different oral traditions have different dates for the Buddha's birth. Photograph: Narendra Shrestha/EPA

On December 8, Buddhist commemorate the holyday of Bohdi Day, marking the historical moment when Buddha, Siddhartha Gautauma (Shakyamuni) experienced enlightenment. There are more than 488 million Buddhists worldwide. The U.S. State Department's International Religious Freedom Report for 2004 indicates that 1.0% of the U.S. population is Buddhist, which would mean a total of 3,000,000 Buddhists (give or take about 100,000). Buddhists believe in reincarnation and strive for the state of nirvana. Enlightenment is achieved through morality, meditation and wisdom. There are three major branches of Buddhism - Mahayana, Theravada and Vajrayana Buddhism.