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浴佛又稱「灌佛」，「浴」、「灌」就是用香潔的水，清洗佛像的塵垢。
佛教教主釋迦牟尼佛示現在印度成佛，印度是熱帶地方，到處設有浴室。佛在世時，某年臘月（十二月）八日，神通說法，降伏外道，化邪歸正。外道感恩，恭敬地對佛說：佛以法水洗我心垢，我今請僧洗浴，除其身垢。這是浴佛及僧的緣起，所以印度佛教徒經常嚴淨澡池，恭請佛、僧洗浴。《法華經》有：「流泉浴池，施佛及僧。」這種供養功德甚大。佛在世時，阿難尊者就因過去生曾請毘婆尸佛入浴，而感得做佛堂弟得金色身的果報。佛也教導比丘如法設浴室、做浴池，並告誡弟子應當食前浴身，洗後用齋，能令身體潔淨，且痰廕消散，所以時間都擇定日中齋前舉行。
佛入滅後，印度僧眾為紀念佛陀，就時常浴佛。正午時分先鳴犍椎（敲鐘），寺內寺外種種莊嚴，燒香散華，歌讚禮拜，虔誠供養，列香瓶，請聖像立盤中，灑細灰、磚末和水入內，沾細白布擦洗；淋淨、拭乾後，主法僧取浴佛水灌己頂，次灑大眾頭身，並皆虔心飲用。這乃象徵著用內在福智莊嚴的自性水，來洗心滌慮，亦含有如來法王以甘露法水灌佛子頂，以續佛慧命，能令佛種不斷的深意。法事圓滿，大眾頂禮辭佛，請佛回本處後，眾僧才上堂受食。
在印度天氣炎熱，僧常洗浴，也勤灌佛；傳到中國，尤其北方，氣候寒凍，僧少洗浴，所以只在一年一度的佛誕日（舊曆四月八日）才舉辦隆重的浴佛大典。經上記載，十方諸佛皆於四月八日夜半時生。爲什麼呢？《灌洗佛形像經》說，因這天是在春夏之間，此時萬物普生，罪殃悉畢，毒氣未行，也不過冷，也不太熱，時氣和適，正當佛的生日。《普曜經》說：「菩薩生時，九龍在空，降微細雨，不冷不熱，浴菩薩身。」
佛陀從母摩耶夫人右脅出生時，九龍吐水，蓮華捧足，前行七步，一手指天，一手指地，說「天上天下唯我獨尊」。故今每逢佛誕日，天下人民至心念佛功德，浴佛形像，以表不忘佛恩，人民亦藉此得以消煩惱、長福慧、成菩提。
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Bathing the Buddha means pouring clean, fragrant water on the Buddha's image to wash away the dust and filth.
Shakyamuni Buddha, the founder of Buddhism, appeared in India to realize Buddhahood. India is a hot country, and bathing facilities are found everywhere. One year when the Buddha was in the world, on the eighth day of the twelth lunar month, the Buddha used his spiritual penetrations to speak the Dharma and subdue a heretic, causing him to renounce his deviant ways and return to the proper path. The heretic gratefully said to the Buddha, "The Buddha used the water of Dharma to wash away the filth in my mind. Now I invite the members of the Sangha to take a bath and wash away the dirt on their body." That is how the tradition of bathing the Buddha and the Sangha came about. Thus Buddhists in India would often clean their bathtubs and reverently invited the Buddha and the Sangha members to take baths. The
Dharma Flower Sutra describes "offering flowing springs and bathing pools to the Buddha and the Sangha." There is great merit and virtue in such an offering. When the Buddha was in the world, Venerable Ananda was rewarded with being the Buddha's cousin and having a golden-colored body, because in a former lifetime he had invited Vipashyin Buddha to take a bath. The Buddha taught the Bhikshus how to properly construct bathrooms and bathing pools. He also instructed his disciples to bathe before taking their meal, so that their bodies would be clean and their phlegm would be cleared up. Therefore, the time for bathing was set before the noon meal.
After the Buddha's Nirvana, the Sangha community in India regularly bathed the Buddha's images to commemorate him. At noon they would first strike the boards (or bell). The temple would be splendidly decorated both inside and outside. They would light incense, scatter flowers, chant and bow in homage to the Buddha, and make offerings with sincerity. They would prepare scented water, stand the Buddha's image in a basin, blend fine ashes and brick-powder in the water, and then soak a fine white cloth in the water with which to wash the image. After the image was rinsed and dried, the leader of the ceremony would anoint his own head with the water, and then sprinkle it on the heads and bodies of those in the assembly. Sincere people would also drink the water to symbolize the cleansing of the mind with the water of one's inherent nature, replete with blessings and wisdom. It also represents the Dharma King anointing disciples' heads with the sweet dew of Dharma, thus extending the Buddha's wisdom-life so that the seeds of Buddhism will not be lost. At the end of the ceremony, the assembly bows to the Buddha and moves the Buddha image back to its original place. Then the Sangha goes to receive the lunch offering.
In the hot weather of India, the Sangha members frequently took baths and washed the Buddha images. When Buddhism came to China, due to the cold weather especially in North, the monks seldom took baths. Thus this grand ceremony now takes place only once a year on Buddha's birthday (the 8th of the fourth lunar month). The Sutras say that all Buddhas throughout the ten directions were born at midnight on the eighth day of the fourth lunar month. Why is that? The
Sutra of Bathing Buddha Images says this is the day that spring changes to summer, when the myriad things are born, all disasters are gone, and toxic energy has not come forth yet. Neither too cold nor too hot, it is the most appropriate time for the Buddha's birth. The
Sutra of Universal Radiance says, "When the Bodhisattva was born, nine dragons in space sent down a fine rain that was neither cold nor hot to bathe the body of the Bodhisattva."
When the Buddha was born from under the right armpit of his mother, Lady Maya, nine dragons spouted water, and lotus flowers supported his feet. Taking seven steps forward, he pointed one finger at the heavens and one finger at the earth, saying, "In the heavens and on earth, I alone am honored." Therefore, every year on the Buddha's birthday, we people on earth commemorate the merit and virtue of the Buddha, and bathe the Buddha's image to show that we have not forgotten the Buddha's kindness. This ceremony can also enable us to get rid of our afflictions, increase our blessings and wisdom, and realize Bodhi.
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