Esala Poya
Esala Full Moon Poya Day is very significant because many events relative to the life of the Buddha and His sublime teaching took place, on this day.
Esala Poya
The Blessed One, after attainment of Buddhahood arrived at Saranath and decided to preach His Philosophy and Doctrine. He thought of His five old companions Vappa, Baddhiya, Mahanama, Assaji and Kondanna, who were with Him, before HE attained the Supreme Bliss of Buddhahood. They were dwelling at Saranath in the Deer Park, of Isipatana. The Buddha went in search of them. The Buddha delivered His first sermon the Great Discourse of the wheel of Dhamma to them. This event took place on an Esala Full Moon Poya Day. In this inspiring sermon, the Buddha explained that there were two extremes, a “Life of Pleasure” and a “Life of self-mortification”. The Buddha in his discourse explained, that He was a believer of the Middle Path and not the two extremes. The Blessed One called upon them to follow the middle path which is the path of purity, the path of virtue and path of Righteousness.
It was on an Esala Full Moon Poya day that sixty-eight Rock caves around Mihintale were presented to the Maha Sangha. This event took place during the reign of king Devanampiyatissa coinciding with the advent of Buddhism in Sri Lanka.
During the reign of King Kithsiri Mevan, the Tooth Relic was brought to Sri Lanka by Princess Hemamala and Prince Dhanta on an Esala Full Moon Poya Day. This gave birth to the Dalada Perahera. Today, the annual Kandy Perahera is the biggest Cultural Pageant in Sri Lanka.
