Buddhism Connection: November 2010

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Sunday, November 7, 2010

This tradition of Tak Bat Vedo is derived from the original Pali term “Devorohana” that means “the Buddha’s coming down from the heavenly world.” According to the story, immediately after the Buddha had attained Enlightenment, he went f...orth to preach his teaching (Dharma) to people in all states of India that was then known as Chumpudipa started from the cities of Rajagaha, Varanasi or Banares, Savatthi and Kabilavasatu, the city of his fatherland. In Kabilavasatu city, the Buddha preached sermons to all of his kinsmen, such as King Suddhodana, his father, Queen Mahaprajapati, his aunt and step-mother, Yasodhara or Pimbha, his former wife and Rahula, his son and made them all realise the Four Noble Truths and attain some enlightenment according to their previously accumulated perfection. Then the Buddha remembered Queen Mahamaya, his own mother, who passed away seven days after the Buddha was born. The Buddha thought of repaying her invaluable and incomparable debt and after having deliberately considered thus felt that only the Abhidhamma (the profound truth) would be sufficiently valuable to pay off the debt of her milk and loving kindness. Then, seven years after his Enlightenment, he went up to Tavatimsa heaven, the abode of Indra God, for the rainy season retreat of three months and there he preached her the Abhidhamma Pitaka. On the last day of the retreat as on the first day of the eleventh waning moon in the lunar year the Buddha came down to Earth at the city called Sangkassa, when thousands of people presented food to him and his disciples. For this reason, the first day of the eleventh waning moon is regarded as the Buddha’s day of coming down from the heaven to the human world and so people try their best to make a special food-offering to monks that this kind of merit-making is being practised up to the present time and known as “Tak Bat Devo”.

Again, the Tak Bat Devo, a new tradition, was introduced to the people of Lanna Thai in B.E. 2500 by the Buddhist monks and laymen who went there from the central part of Thailand. It is said that in that ceremony thousands of people gathered together and five hundred monks were invited to collect alms-rounds. The Tak Bat Devo tradition as described above is organised by Chiang Mai University and is held yearly at Wat Fay Hin on the first day of the eleventh waning moon, in other words, on the first day of the Chieng month in the Lanna Thai tradition.

7 Nov 2010 - Kathina Day

Kathina is a festival that takes place during the months of October and November. For 2500 years families have gathered to take part in the largest alms-giving ceremony of the Buddhist year. Friends, old and new, parents and children join together in a celebration on the theme of harmony. Kathina occurs at the end of the Vassa. During this three month retreat, the residents of the monastery have been obliged by their Rule not to travel unless absolutely necessary; now some of them will move on. This may mean resuming the life of a mendicant wanderer, or going to live in another monastery - so it's a time for leave-taking and extending a welcome. Also, as winter approaches, the supporters are checking to see that the basic needs of the samanas are being met. It is with regard to the offering of these requisites that this festival comes about.