Shakyamuni Buddha

Legend says that Prince Siddhartha took seven steps the moment he was born, and a lotus bloomed under each one. But the real story begins outside the palace walls. On the day of the four excursions he saw a stooped old man, a groaning sick man, a cold, stiff corpse, and finally a wandering ascetic with a settled gaze, and in an instant wealth and luxury lost all their weight. On a moonlit night at 29, he rode out on his white horse Kanthaka, accompanied by his attendant Channa, and left the city to become a renunciant. Six years of harsh austerities followed, until, starved to skin and bone, he understood that tormenting the body would not buy awakening.

On the banks of the Nairanjana River he accepted an offering of milk-rice from the shepherdess Sujata, regained his strength, and sat down beneath the Bodhi tree, vowing not to rise until he had attained enlightenment. According to legend, the demon king Mara sent his daughters and then his armies to disturb him, and he overcame them all. Before dawn he fully realized dependent origination and the Four Noble Truths, becoming the Buddha, the Awakened One. For more than forty years after that he walked the Ganges basin teaching, with everyone from kings to butchers among his listeners, until at last he passed peacefully into nirvana between twin trees at Kushinagar.

Worshipping the Buddha calls for no lavish meat dishes; quite the opposite. Offerings are simply incense, fresh flowers, and fruit, all vegetarian, which is the most basic taboo. When paying respects, bring your palms together and make three bows, or perform three kneelings and nine prostrations, silently reciting 'Namo Benshi Shijiamouni Fo' (Homage to our root teacher Shakyamuni Buddha), or chant the Heart Sutra or the Great Compassion Mantra. Buddhism teaches that sincerity is what matters: the simpler the offering the better, because the point is the heart. If you want to pray for blessings, most temples offer guangming lamps you can light. As for where to go: Fo Guang Shan emphasizes Humanistic Buddhism, Dharma Drum Mountain emphasizes meditation, Tzu Chi is known for charity, and Chung Tai Chan Monastery focuses on meditation and education. Each of the four great communities has its own character, so just choose the one that suits you.

Shakyamuni Buddha has three important commemorative days in Taiwan, together known as the 'three great Buddhist festivals':

Buddha's Birthday (Bathing the Buddha Festival): the 8th day of the fourth lunar month, which falls on May 24 in 2026. Temples hold Bathing the Buddha ceremonies in which devotees pour fragrant water over a small statue of the newborn Buddha, symbolizing washing the dust from one's heart and returning to one's originally pure nature. Tzu Chi combines Buddha's Birthday, Mother's Day, and Tzu Chi Day into a single 'three-in-one' commemoration that emphasizes gratitude and filial devotion to parents.

The Buddha's Renunciation Day: the 8th day of the second lunar month, commemorating the night Prince Siddhartha left the city to renounce the world. Temples mostly hold sutra chanting and Dharma talks.

The Buddha's Enlightenment Day (Laba Festival): the 8th day of the twelfth lunar month. Following tradition, temples cook Laba congee, a mix of eight ingredients such as rice, beans, nuts, and lotus seeds, and give it out to devotees, recalling the milk-rice the shepherdess offered the Buddha before his enlightenment beneath the Bodhi tree.

In addition, the 15th day of the second lunar month is the day of the Buddha's nirvana, and some temples hold memorial services on that day as well.