Gautama Buddha was born as prince Siddhartha in the year 564 BC in the himalayan country of Nepal. Prince Siddhartha left the luxury of his palace in search of peace, wisdom and enlightenment. The teachings of Buddhism are more relevant today as it focuses on compassion, inner peace and wisdom. On May 5th, the Nepalese community in Milwaukee celebrated Buddha’s birth anniversary (Buddha Jayanti or Buddha Purnima) at Buddha Haksa Temple in Waukesha. This program was successfully completed in collaboration with Milwaukee Nepali Pariwar, Nepali Cultural Program and the Non-Resident Nepali American(NRNA) Wisconsin chapter. This event included information on Buddha’s teachings, meditation, donations and lighting candles for fostering world peace. We enjoyed a blissful evening in the beautiful temple. This was followed by Nepali Cultural Program’s special Buddha Jayanti event on May 7th. It included performances based on Buddha’s life at Mitchell Park in Brookfield. I played a role in one of the plays as Buddha’s wife, Yashodara where I learned so much in the process. As a Nepalese American, I take pride in having roots in a country where Gautama Buddha, the messenger of peace was born. As I look at today’s world of violence and unrest, I feel there is a need for Buddha’s teachings on peace. My favorite 8 values of Buddha are the right thoughts, right understanding, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration, right speech, right action, and right livelihood. I hope that one day, Buddha’s teachings will uplift and foster the values of peace, compassion, and wisdom.
