Pournami – The night of the full moon

On a Pournami some 2500 years ago, something very tremendous happened after which the world has never remained the same. After almost eight years of very body-destroying efforts, Gautama Siddhartha had become very weak. His body was destroyed almost to a point of death. At this time, he came to the river Niranjana, which was actually just a large stream with knee-height water flowing swiftly. He tried to cross the river, but halfway across, his body was so physically weak that he could not take one more step. But he is not the kind to give up so he just held on to a dead branch that was there and just stood.

It is said that he stood for many hours. We do not know whether he actually stood for many hours or a few moments which seemed like hours in that state of weakness. But at that moment he realised that what he was seeking was after all within himself, so why all this struggle? 'All that is needed is absolute willingness, and it is right here. Why am I searching around the world?' When he realised this, he had that little extra ounce of energy to take that step, walk across the river and sit down under the now famous Bodhi tree. He sat down with the determination that, 'Unless the ultimate happens to me, I will not move. Either I will get up as an Enlightened Being or I will die in this posture.' And in a moment he was there, because that is all it takes. All it takes is that it should become the only priority. Then it is just one moment.

Gautama has left an unchangeable impression on the world. In his own silent way, he changed the world forever. He brought about a change in the world on the spiritual path; he brought about a different quality in the whole aspect of man's aspiration to seek something higher. That man's flowering on that full moon day 2500 years ago has made a significant change for every spiritual seeker all over the world, whoever they are. His presence has become so dominant. A person who grows on the spiritual path cannot ignore Gautama.

People on the spiritual path, if they are on the meditative path especially, it is more conducive to meditate on Pournami nights because without an upsurge of energy, without a heightened sense of energy, there is no question of awareness. What you call as awareness will come naturally to you when you have a heightened sense of energy in your system. So we want to just make use of that night, of that natural phenomenon which is occurring. One this day it is like you have a free ride of energy and awareness.