Mahayana and Zen commemoration of Siddhartha Gautama’s enlightenment under the Bodhi tree in Bodh Gaya, after 49 days of meditation. At the moment of awakening, he perceived the morning star and realized the true nature of mind: empty, luminous, and unobstructed. In Zen tradition, practitioners hold intensive meditation retreats (Rohatsu sesshin) in the days preceding Bodhi Day, sitting through the night as Siddhartha did. The day points to the ever-present possibility of awakening.