Schedule 10:40 a.m. Alms round 10:50 a.m. It celebrates a gathering that was held between the Buddha and 1,250 of his first disciples, which, according to tradition, preceded the custom of periodic recitation of discipline by monks. During this time, monks are busy lighting large wax candles all over the temple grounds. The awakened ones say nibbāna is the highest. Asalha Puja falls on the full moon day of the eighth lunar month, coinciding with the fifth of July this year. In the evening, 31 monks from the temples Wat Bowonniwet Vihara and Wat Ratchapradit would recite the Ovādapātimokkha, lit lanterns around the ubosot (ordination hall), and give a sermon about the same Ovādapātimokkha in the Pāli and Thai languages. We sacrifice our daily affairs to make merit in a skillful way by doing such things as practicing generosity, observing the precepts, and listening to the Dhamma. Who am I? [6][1] In Thailand, the Pāli term Māgha-pūraṇamī is also used for the celebration, meaning 'to honor on the full moon of the third lunar month'. Extracted from Uposatha Observance Days, edited by John T. Bullitt, Suggested reading: Dhamma for Everyone by Ajaan Lee Dhammadharo. Also, devotees will sometimes release animals from captivity. [27] In 1913, he officially established it as a public holiday,[28] as he started to organize the ceremonies in other places than the palace. On the day, devotees make merit, cook meals for elderly people or their parents, and clean up their houses.

[52] However, in 2006, the government of Thailand made an announcement that Māgha Pūjā should from then on be celebrated as a "national day of gratitude". Māgha Pūjā (also written as Makha Bucha Day) is the second most important Buddhist festival,[1] celebrated on the full moon day of the third lunar month[5] in Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Sri Lanka and on the full moon day of Tabaung in Myanmar. Instead of crying, we chant the passages reflecting on the virtues of the Buddha, Dhamma, and Sangha. This event is to celebrate the end of the three months rains residence retreat ("vassa" in Pali or pansa" in Thai) and is the day on which the members and devotees get the opportunity to offer a set of robes or robe cloth to the Sangha. For the Japanese festival, see, This article is about the Buddhist festival in Southeast and South Asia.


[24] He reasoned that the Māgha Pūjā "... was an important gathering, a miracle in Buddhism. What happened to my hair? "[18], Finally, the last stanza is about the path of religious practice:[17], "Not abusing, not injuring, and restraint under the rules of discipline, and knowing moderation in eating, and secluded lodgings, and exertion in respect of higher thought, this is the teaching of the awakened ones. [53] However, the Dusit poll showed that 75 percent of the respondents was able to tell that Māgha Pūjā was the day the Buddha taught the Ovādapātimokkha to his disciples, and 66 percent knew that it was the day that 1,250 of the Buddha's disciples came together spontaneously. [46] Māgha Pūjā was therefore presented as a day of spiritual love and gratitude instead. [38] Māgha Pūjā is celebrated most extensively in Thailand,[39] but it is a national holiday in most Southeast Asian countries,[40] such as Laos and Myanmar. [45] Furthermore, people will make merit by going to temples and by joining in with activities. [37] Moreover, devotees uphold and reflect on the five Buddhist moral precepts on this day, which includes avoiding intoxicants. Because of these four factors, Māgha Pūjā is also known as the Fourfold Assembly Day. This day, sometimes called "Dhamma Day," commemorates the Buddha's first discourse, which he gave to the group of five monks with whom he had practiced in the forest for many years. [23] The first known instance in modern times was during the reign of the Thai king Rama IV (1804–68) who instituted it as a ceremony in 1851. [1], Māgha Pūjā is also the day that the Buddha is believed to have announced in Vesālī that he would die (parinibbāna) in three months, and after the announcement a supernatural earthquake followed. On one occasion, a group of 30 monks from Saketa paid a visit to Lord Buddha to listen to his discourse. Ok Phansa marks the end of the Rains Retreat for the Sangha. Asalha Puja Day, one of the most sacred days in Buddhism, is observed on the 15th Day of the Waxing Moon in the Eight Lunar Month to commemorate the day … It comes under the headings of generosity and virtue, but doesn't count as the highest form of homage. [46] This was intended as an alternative to Valentine's Day, in which Thai youth often aim to lose their virginity. [36] Monastics and lay devotees will hold processions, light candles, attending preaching and making offerings of food, as well as meditating and Buddhist chants. It has been proposed in Thailand as a more spiritual alternative to the celebration of Valentine's Day. The day of his descent from heaven to earth is the Ok Phansa Day. This has to be carried out within the day itself and in Buddhist countries, it is a very important and joyous meritorious event at the temples. [21][22] Apart from the religious meaning, Māgha Pūjā also reflects the Southeast Asian agricultural year, as it is celebrated after the harvest. [10] Māgha Pūjā is held on the full moon day. [56] However, in August 2019, local media reported the Cambodian government removed Māgha Pūjā from the list of national holidays to increase the country's competitiveness, because the number of holidays had become too high. [15], Little is known on how traditional Buddhist societies celebrated this event in pre-modern times, but Māgha Pūjā was recognized and celebrated in Lan Na, Lan Xang and Northeastern Thailand. On this day, the Temple’s resident monks will perform the Devorohana ceremony and pindapata (alms round) in the temple compound. 16th Samoeng Strawberry Festival 2017 – February 10th thru 14th, 41st Chiang Mai Flower Festival Schedule for 2017, Jai Thep Festival 2017 This Saturday, February 4th, 2017 Handmade Umbrellas and Handicrafts Festival in Bo Sang – Jan 20th thru 22nd, Memorial For The King @ Three Kings Monument. The texts from the Theravada tradition describe that the Buddha spent his 7th rains retreat in the Tavatimsa realm to teach the Dhamma to his mother Queen Maha Mayadevi (who passed away 7 days after his birth). [29] From Thailand, the practice spread to neighboring countries which have a majority of Theravāda Buddhists. This is where Buddha revealed the Four Noble Truths to five ascetics (monks). Thai’s also like to linger at the temple as they talk to friends and family as well as taking pictures all around the temple grounds. [19] On Māgha Pūjā today, Buddhists celebrate the creation of an ideal and exemplary community. One thousand of the gathered monks had previously achieved Awakening upon hearing the Buddha's delivery of the Fire Sermon; the remaining 250 were followers of the elder monks Ven. [51], In 2003, a parliamentary question was raised by Premsak Phiayura [th], House of Representatives, requesting a Day of Gratitude, to express the importance of gratitude in Thai history and culture. [55] Meanwhile, Prime Minister Hun Sen and the Ministry of Cults and Religion have promoted activities on the day, and education for youths about it. This is the crucial point that the Buddha wanted us to focus on as much as possible, for this kind of practice was what enabled him to reach the highest attainment, becoming a Rightly Self-awakened Buddha, and enabled many of his noble disciples to become arahants as well. [7], Māgha Pūjā day marks an event occurring at the Veḷuvana [th] grove, near Rājagaha (present Rajgir) in northern India,[1][11] ten months after the enlightenment of the Buddha. 1,250 disciples came to see the Buddha that evening without being summoned; First Full Moon Festival, a festival celebrated in China, Japan, Korea and Vietnam as an, This page was last edited on 29 August 2020, at 18:10. Practices of worship probably varied a lot. Presently, it is a public holiday in some of these countries. The lay supporters who were present took pity on them and requested Lord Buddha to make an allowance for the monks to be offered new robes. This is called amisa-puja, or material homage. [26] A recitation text used for this occasion is attributed to Rama IV.

This day, sometimes called "Sangha Day," commemorates the spontaneous assembly of 1,250 arahants in the Buddha's presence.
The day is Upon hearing this discourse, one of the monks ( Ven.

Māgha Pūjā (also written as Makha Bucha Day) is the second most important Buddhist festival,[1] celebrated on the full moon day of the third lunar month[5] in Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Sri Lanka and on the full moon day of Tabaung in Myanmar. Expect to see large wax candles and flowers offered to monks in place of food in the mornings. Created for teachers, by teachers! From Thailand, it spread to other South and Southeast Asian countries. Asala-Dharma Day teaching resources for Key Stage 1 - Year 1, Year 2. The name Asanha Bucha is the Thai version of Asalha Puja that began in Benares, India. Asalha Puja falls on the sixth lunar month (typically July), and commemorates Buddha’s first sermon after enlightenment. Māgha is derived from the name of the third month in the traditional Indian lunar calendar, on which the celebration is held. Sariputta. Why Thailand? Palelai Buddhist TempleCopyright © 2019-2020. [64] Furthermore, the Kyaiktiyo Pagoda is very popular, and thousands of candles are lit around the boulder below the pagoda. The Sangha […] [49][50], In Northern Thailand, Māgha Pūjā was only introduced in the 1960s, by a monk called Paññananda Bhikkhu [th]. [43][44] On the evening of Māgha Pūjā, urban temples in Thailand hold a candlelight procession and circumambulation around the main ubosot called a wian thian (wian meaning to circle around; thian meaning candle). Once the chanting ends the monks lead the followers, with lit candles, incense and flowers in hand with more chanting around the pagoda three times. Uraiwan Thianthong [th], the then Minister of Culture, felt this was unnecessary, since "there are quite a lot of occasions" in the Thai calendar to express gratitude. Instead of eating three or four times a day, as we normally like to do, we cut back to only two times or one. Vesak Day or Visakha Puja, is an extremely important day in the Buddhist tradition, for it was on this day that the Buddha was born, and 35 years later awoke to the unexcelled right self-awakening, and another 45 years later passed away into total nibbana. [65], In Sri Lanka, Māgha Pūjā is also observed. The traditional story goes that a meeting was held in the afternoon, that had four characteristics, known as the cāturaṅgasannipāta [th]:[12]. The day of Asalha Puja honors the Buddha's first sermon in the Deer Park in Benares, India, and the foundation of the Buddhist Sangha. [46] Other popular ways to spend one's time in the week of Māgha Pūjā, as found in a 2019 poll by the Suan Dusit University [th] among 5,335 respondents of different ages:[47], At times, special events are also held, such as a recital of the entire Buddhist scriptures and ceremonies for avowing oneself as a Buddhist lay person. [46] To what extent Thai people are well informed about Māgha Pūjā is in dispute: in 2017, the National Institute of Development Administration (NIDA) held a poll among 1,250 subjects of diverse backgrounds and found that 58 percent of Thai did not know why Māgha Pūjā was important in Buddhism, and 75 percent did not know it had been branded as a day of gratitude.