By Howard Koplowitz
Hundreds of Buddhists celebrated the 2,600th anniversary of the Buddha’s enlightenment Saturday by parading through the streets of Queens Village, banging on drums and singing traditional songs as they marched their way toward the New York Buddhist Vihara Temple at 214-22 Spencer Ave.
Marchers waved the multicolored Buddhist flag while children in traditional yellow costumes carried gold-colored bowls filled with flowers.
Maj. Gen. Shavendra Silva, deputy permanent representative of Sri Lanka to the United Nations, carried one of the Buddha’s teeth on the parade route.
The parade included white trucks draped with the flag hauling a cardboard Buddha statue lifting a finger to the sky.
Another truck had a mural of a man leaning in prayer and a third truck carried a yellow umbrella with a tree underneath to signify the Bodhi tree where the Buddha is said to have gained his enlightenment, which brought him wisdom and a state of perfect happiness.
“Buddha’s enlightenment took place 2,600 years ago,” said Bhante Kurumegoda Piyatissa, high priest at the New York Buddhist Vihara. “We celebrate it by doing good deeds.”
Piyatissa said the celebration includes “meditation to develop knowledge.”
Bhante Aluthgama Dhammajothi, a monk at the Queens Village temple originally from Sri Lanka, said the Buddha was born, gained enlightenment and died on the same day: May 16.
“We ask the people to be quiet and calm, no need to get aggressive and try your best to reduce hatred and ignorance and do your best for the benefit of others and help each other,” Dhammajothi said. “We ask people to do good and stay away from evil. Buddha’s main and first message is: ‘Develop your mind, stay away from evil and do good things for the benefit of all human beings.’”
Dhammajothi said the hundreds of participants were born all over the world, including Cambodia, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Thailand, China and Korea.
The parade showed the crowd’s multi-ethnic flair as two boys who were part of a Chinese contingent dressed in dragon costumes and danced to drums.
At the end of the parade were monks from New Jersey dressed in yellow, brown and maroon robes and another truck carried a Buddha statue underneath a pink umbrella with rainbow string lights.
Chatura Patirane, who lives down the block from the temple, was one of the parade spectators who snapped photos and shot videos of the march.
“It’s cool,” he said. “It’s good for Sri Lankans in the United States.”
Reach reporter Howard Koplowitz by e-mail at hkoplowitz@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-260-4573.
