Buddha Serving his Disciples

On the occasion of Buddha Purnima, let’s dive into the teachings of Buddha. The day celebrates the Janma (birth), Samyak gyana (enlightenment), and the Mahaparinirvana (demise) of the Buddha. This image highlights the Buddha offering food to his disciple. The storyline is intrinsically linked to the “Middle Path” and the first sermon of Buddha after his enlightenment.

The idol depicts the Buddha along with his five disciples: Kondanna, Assaji, Bhaddiya, Vappa, and Mahanama, all of whom are holding bowls, while the Buddha serves them. This story illustrates the Middle Path theory of Buddhism. It recounts how the Buddha was abandoned by his followers when he accepted a bowl of kheer from a girl named Sujata. They believed that he had abandoned the path of spirituality, which they thought could only be achieved through asceticism and starvation. However, when the Buddha received the food, he realized that starvation would only weaken both the body and mind. He concluded that choosing the Middle Way is where true enlightenment lies.

So the depiction is the symbolic representation of Buddha feeding them with Knowledge and wisdom. These are the true factors of achieving enlightenment.