The First Sermon of Lord Buddha in Bhutan Date in the current year: July 10, 2024

Buddha was born as Siddhārtha Gautam. The first 29 years of his life he spent in a palace as a prince. At the age of 29 he left the palace to meet his subjects. He saw outside the palace an old man, a diseased man, an ascetic and a decaying corpse. These depressed him and he decided to become an ascetic. At the age of 35 he obtained enlightenment (Bodhi), he understood nature as a whole and the reasons why people suffer and the way to eliminate them. These discoveries became known as the Four Noble Truths.

After enlightenment he became known as Buddha, that means “awakened one”. During the next couple of years he decided to start teaching people dharma. He read his first sermon in Sarnatha. Anniversary of this event is now known in Bhutan as The First Sermon of Lord Buddha.