Monthly Inspiration

Birthday Celebration

By Ven. Master Hsing Yun

Each of us celebrates our birthdays once a year and a major one every ten years. We celebrate in different ways. Some take a trip and others have a party. Friends and relatives bring gifts. When those who enjoy high social status and power celebrate a birthday, they receive many valuable treasures from numerous visitors bearing presents.

However, a birthday is actually "Mother Suffering Day" because of the pain and suffering our mothers experienced during our births. Many believe it is not something to celebrate, but call a birthday a "Day of Gratitude," and, as a group, join together for the occasion, calling it a "Gratitude Party."

Regardless of what we call it, when celebrating our birthdays, we should follow the ideals of parental guidance and love. Since life comes from our parents, they should be the center of attention on our birthdays. In ancient China, some wise emperors would grant general amnesty as a sign of gratitude toward their mothers, or invite seniors sharing the same birthday to celebrate jointly as a symbol of universal celebration. There were also wealthy people who, on their birthdays, donated food and necessities to the poor and needy.

Nowadays, to celebrate birthdays, many Buddhists print sutras to give away, set up charitable foundations and scholarships, or establish libraries or hospitals in the names of their parents. If we are not able to do these things, we should at least do something with our parents that they would enjoy doing. For instance, we can take them on a trip, visit a temple, or invite monastic and guests for a vegetarian meal. If our parents are no longer with us, we can meet with friends and relatives to remember the benevolent deeds of our parents, publish books on their thoughts and speeches, or make donations on their behalf to support the community, so that their love will benefit the world endlessly. In addition, the merits of such deeds should be transferred to our parents for their rebirth in the Pure Land. These are the best ways to celebrate our birthdays.

In the course of celebrating birthdays, we should avoid killing other sentient beings. On our birthdays, we should be able to appreciate the life of every living being in the world. Since we all treasure our lives, we must protect and support them. Is it reasonable to kill other lives in order to support our own? Therefore, in wishing for longevity, we must protect life.

The meaning of life is greater than the lifespan of our physical bodies. We should strive to create beautiful speech, fragrant morals, outstanding careers, and dedication to faith, pure wisdom, long-lasting merits, and a lifetime of coexistence with others. Then, we will truly experience life and fully celebrate our birthdays.