There are three major spiritual Festivals which form the high point of the yearly cycle. These are the Festival of Easter-at the Aries full moon-, the Festival of Wesak-at the Taurus full moon-, and the Festival of Goodwill-at the Gemini full moon.  Through the steady, persistent meditation work of many individuals and of groups in all parts of the world, these festivals are now achieving a personal anchorage in the consciousness of mankind.

The Wesak Festival is indeed a great spiritual event, with a powerful effect upon humanity. Each year at this time, two great streams of energy – one focused through the Buddha and the other through the Christ – are fused and blended, and it is the task of world servers to accelerate this combined energy into the waiting world.

It is the intention of the Buddha and the of Christ that in each country there will eventually be someone who will act as Their Representative at the time of these two Festivals. This also applies to the Festival of Goodwill which will be discussed next month.

According to metaphysical tradition, the Buddha was born, attained enlightenment, and left his Earthly incarnation under the Full Moon of Taurus. And the Buddha returns at this time each year to bring new light to the world. Spiritual leaders gather in Wesak Valley, a mythic place high in the Himalayas. Here initiates led by the Christ arrange themselves into a great pentagram (the Venusian emblem of world soul) while the Buddha hovers over those gathered- radiating light. This cosmic alignment occurs for eight minutes peaking at the moment of the Wesak full moon.

According to tradition, at the time of the full moon in Taurus, the Buddha comes to the Wesak Valley of the Himalayas. He brings the powerful spiritual energy of Shamballa to the assembled masters, to the initiates and to the disciples of the Hierarchy to assimilate and to eventually distribute- this Shamballa force throughout the world.

The Wesak Valley lies at a rather high altitude in the foothills of the Himalayan-Tibet ranges. It is surrounded by high mountains on all sides except towards the northeast, where there is a narrow opening in the mountain ranges. The valley is bottle-shaped in contour, with the neck of the bottle to the northeast, and it widens considerably towards the south. Up towards the northern end, close to the neck of the bottle, there a huge flat rock. There are no trees or shrubs in the valley, which is covered with a kind of coarse grass, but the sides of the mountains are covered with trees.

Approaching the time of the full moon of Taurus, pilgrims from the surrounding districts begin to gather near the valley. The holy men and the lama’s journey to the southern and the middle parts of the valley, leaving the northeastern end relatively free. There, so the legend runs, gathers a group of great Beings known as the Planetary Hierarchy—The Masters of Wisdom. They are the Custodians on Earth of God’s Plan for the planet and for humanity. They are taught and guided by the Christ, the Master of all Masters, according to their varied positions in the Hierarchy.

This group of knowers of divinity are the main participants in The Wesak Festival. They arrange Themselves in the northeastern end of the valley in concentric circles according to their status, and prepare for a great act of service. In front of the rock, looking towards the northeast, stand Those Beings Who are called by Their disciples “The Three Great Lords.” These are The Christ, Who stands in the center; the Lord of living forms, The Manu, Who stands at His right; and The Lord of Civilization, who stands at His left. These three face the rock upon which rests a great crystal bow full of water.

Behind the grouped Masters, adepts, initiates and senior workers under God’s Plan– stand the world disciples and aspirants in their various grades and groups (either “in the body” or “out of the body”). They represent at this particular time the New Group of World Servers.

As the hour of the full moon approaches, a stillness settles down upon the crowd, and all look towards the northeast. Certain ritualistic movements take place in which the grouped Masters and Their disciples of all ranks take up symbolic positions. They form on the floor of the valley such significant symbols as the five-pointed star, with The Christ standing at the highest point; or  a triangle, with The Christ at the apex; or a cross, and other well-known formations, all of which have a deep and powerful meaning. This is all done to the sound of certain chanted words and esoteric phrases called mantras.

The anticipation of the event causes an increased tension in the crowd of people. Through their entire body there seems to be felt a stimulation or an intense vibration which has the effect of awakening their souls,– fusing and blending the group into one united whole,– and lifting them into a great act of spiritual demand, readiness, and expectancy. It is the climax of the world’s plan focused in this waiting group. These three words – demand, readiness and expectancy – they-best describe the atmosphere surrounding those present in this secret valley.

The chanting and the rhythmic weaving grows stronger, and all the participants and the watching crowd raise their eyes towards the sky in the direction of the narrow part of the valley. Just a few minutes before the exact time of the full moon, in the far distance, a tiny speck can be seen in the sky. It comes nearer and nearer until a perfect form of The Buddha can be seen seated in the cross-legged Buddha position with his hand extended in blessing. He is clad in his saffron-colored robe and is bathed in radiance and illumined color.

When The Buddha arrives at a point exactly over the great rock, hovering there in the air over the heads of The Three Great Lords, a great mantra used only once a year at The Festival, is intoned by The Christ, and the entire group of people in the valley fall upon their faces. This Invocation sets up a great vibration or thought current which is of such force that it reaches up from the group of aspirants, disciples and initiates who employ it to the Being we know as God. It marks the supreme moment of the intensive spiritual effort for humanity throughout the entire year. The effect of this great Invocation is universal or cosmic, and serves to link us with that cosmic center of spiritual force from which all created beings have originated. The blessing is poured forth, and The Christ, as the representative of humanity, receives it in trust for distribution to us.

Thus, so the legend goes, The Buddha returns once a year to bless the world, transmitting renewed spiritual life through The Christ. Then-He slowly recedes into the distance until again only a faint speck can be seen in the sky, and he eventually disappears. The whole ceremonial blessing, from the time of his first appearance in the distance until the moment The Buddha fades out of view, takes just eight minutes.

The Buddha’s annual sacrifice for humanity (for He comes back only at great cost) is over, and He returns again to that high place where He works and waits. Year after year He comes back in blessing; year after year, He and His great brother, The Christ, work in the closest cooperation for the spiritual benefit of humanity. These two great Sons of God act together as Custodians of the highest type of spiritual force to which our humanity can respond. Through The Buddha, the wisdom of God is poured forth– Through The Christ, the love of God is manifested in humanity- and it is this wisdom and this love which stream upon humanity each Wesak full moon.

When The Buddha has again disappeared, the crowd rise to their feet; the water in the bowl is distributed in tiny portions to the Masters, the initiates and the disciples, and they return to their place of service. The crowd, who have all brought their little cups and vessels of water, drink share their portions with others. In this beautiful “water ceremony of communion” is portrayed the symbol of the new age which is upon us, the Aquarian Age, the age of the Water Carrier.

In this ceremony is preserved for us- the story of the universality of God’s love, the need for our individual purification, and the opportunity to share with each other that which belongs to all. The water, which has been magnetized by the presence of The Buddha and of The Christ, carries certain properties and virtues of a healing and of a helpful nature. Thus blessed, the crowd silently disperses.  The Masters and the disciples return with renewed strength to undertake another year of world service.

Tapa Session April 19, 1986  The Wesak Festival by Alice A.Bailey