First Buddhist Holy Day Within Lent Period

Today is the first Buddhist holy day within Buddhist Lent period. I've just known that the holy days during this time are considered more importantly than the normal ones.




On normal holy days, there is just one round of praying in the evening. However, today there are 3 rounds of praying. The first round starts around 6 p.m. and finishes at 7 p.m. This is the round of adults and the elderly. Most of them are lay & woman lay disciples who stay overnight at the temple (they came since morning and will go home in the next morning.) During the stay, they have to observe the Eight religious precepts.

The 8 Religious Precepts


1^st precept

«pánátipátá veramaši sikkhápadaµ samádhiyámi.» «I will abstain from being harmful to living beings.»

2^nd precept

«adinnádáná veramaši sikkhápadaµ samádhiyámi.» «I will abstain from stealing.»

3^rd precept

«abrahmacariyá veramaši sikkhápadaµ samádhiyámi.» «I will abstain from all sexual practices.»

4^th precept

«musávádá veramaši sikkhápadaµ samádhiyámi.» «I will abstain from uttering lies.»

5^th precept

«surámeraya majjapamáda††háná veramaši sikkhápadaµ samádhiyámi.» «I will refrain from intoxicating drinks and drugs which lead to carelessness.»

6^th precept

«vikálabhojaná veramaši sikkhápadaµ samádhiyámi.» «I will abstain from eating after noon time.»

7^th precept

«nacca gíta vádita visukadassaná málá gandha vilepana dhárana mandana vibhúsana††háná veramaši sikkhápadaµ samádhiyámi.» «I will abstain from listening or playing music, songs, wearing flowers, jewellery and other ornaments.»

8^th precept

«uccásayana mahásayana veramaši sikkhápadaµ samádhiyámi.» «I will refrain from lining or seating on high and luxurious places.»

Thanks information from http://www.dhammadana.org/en/dhamma/practice/8_precepts.htm

The second round is for youths. As I didn't know that they had the ritual today, I didn't prepare myself but I will surely join next time (next Buddhist holy day - one week later).

Last time I attended, I observed that all children were wearing white T-shirt & long pants (all white). The youngest was about 7 years old and the oldest was about 15. They were the children living in this village. I was the eldest! LoL

They were doing great! It's great to see young people conserving the tradition.

....And the last pray for today will start around 10 p.m. It's called "meditation" part. I'm not sure what they will do in this part. If I attend next time, I'll definitely have story to tell you.

ฺLocal Temple & Buddhist Lent Day

This video shows how new generation helps maintain a good tradition. It's not mine but I think it's good to share this video to widen your perception. ^-^ (The song is in Thai but you can understand the pictures, right? :-))

Today is Buddhist Lent day or Wan-Khow-Phan-Sa which is basically known that it's the first day that monks are required to stay in a certain place or temple during rainny season so they will not destroy little lives and plantations on the ground during the time.

Not to "kill" living things is the FIRST among the five precepts & during rainny seasons when the nature is enriched and there're so many living things on ground, so to stay in a place can decrease a chance to kill them.

The origin of this tradition happened in the Buddha's age. In rainny season, locals complainted that Buddhist's monk destroyed their plantations while they were wandering from one place to another place. Hence, the Buddha suggested that they were in one place during rainny season which normally lasted 3 months.

My village's temple (Front Gate) named "Wat Ping Muang"

The peaceful temple, the center of local lives

Buddhist Lent day is a national holiday so there are so many people coming to the local temple for merit making. I had to sit out of the room, near the front door!Actually, I had to come earlier to get room within the building but it's o.k. anyway. I had no problems with sitting outside as I still could concentrate with the ritual.

Mr.Laymans are preparing for the ritual

The ritual started around 7 a.m. and finished around 8 a.m.

What we do were starting with putting flowers and candles on big trays at the front door area and also put foods in other trays. Then, we would find a place to sit (on mats on the ground) and paid a respect to the place and secred by doing obeisance 3 times.Then, we followed the instruction of the header of the ritual until the end.

Normally, on the important day like this, people will go to the temple twice, in the early morning and evening. In the evening, people will get in white dress and mainly go to pray and meditation.

Beyond the big holy day, the locals always go to a temple 4 times a month on Buddhist holy days. As most of dwellers in my village are the elderly and children, they don't have to be in rush hours to go to work and worried about money like people in a big city.

Basically, one village has one temple. The temple is like the center of the community. Here, there is not only the issue of religion but the ongoing life of locals here.

At the temple, a dean of monks will work together with a layman. One temple will have one layman. Normally, a layman is a head of village. So, all operations of the temple will be managed under his responsibility.

My village has just got a new head of village and today it's the first day he officially appears to the public.

And he's doing quite well ^-^