Buddhist year 2561 is the year 2018 in the calendar based on the birth of Jesus.
Buddhism celebrates many holidays and festivals, most of which commemorate important events in the life of the Buddha or various Bodhisattvas. The date of the holidays are based on the lunar calendar and often differ by country and tradition.
Buddhist holidays are joyful occasions. A festival day normally begins with a visit to the local temple, where one offers food or other items to the monks and listens to a Dharma talk. The afternoon might consist of distributing food to the poor to earn merit, circumambulating (walking around) the temple three times in honor of the Three Jewels, chanting and meditation.
Some of the most important Buddhist holidays and festivals are briefly outlined below.
Buddhist New Year
(First full moon day in April)
The Buddhist New Year is celebrated on different days throughout the world. In Theravadin countries (Thailand, Burma, Sri Lanka, Cambodia and Laos), the new year is celebrated for three days from the first full moon day in April. In Mahayana countries, the new year usually starts on the first full moon day in January, and Tibetan Buddhists generally celebrate it in March.
Vesak (Buddha Day)
(First full moon day in May)
Vesak is the birthday of the Buddha and the most important festival in Buddhism. On the first full moon day in May, Buddhists all over the world celebrate the birth, enlightenment and death of the Buddha in a single day. The name “Vesak” comes from the Indian month of that name in which it is held.
Visakha Puja Day (Wesak Day)
The Visakha Puja or the Full Moon Day of the sixth lunar month is considered the most important the reason being that three unique events concerning the Buddha occurred on such Full Moon day of that month. Firstly, Queen Maha Maya gave birth to a son, Prince Siddhattha on the Full Moon Day of the lunar month of May.
Secondly, thirty five years later the Prince, on the Full Moon Day of May became the Buddha, the Awakened One.
Thirdly, forty five years later on the Full Moon Day of May, the Englightened One passed away.
His teaching, doctrine and discipline have attained universal recognition and have become memorials to him. As Buddhists know, the personal name of Lord Buddha was Siddhatta Gotama, and taht he was the only son of King Suddhodana and Queen Maha Maya of the Sakyan. The Prince was born under a banyan tree in the Lumbini Grove located between the two cities of Kapilavatthu and Devadaha. Seven days after his birth, his mother passed away and so he was nurtured by his foster mother, Maha Pajapati Gotami who was the youngest sister of his father.
At the age of sixteen the Prince married the beautiful Princess Yasodhara, the daughter of King Suppabuddha of the Kolyan. Thirteen years of luxurious married life gave the Prince adequate experience in realisation of the insubstantiality of worldly life. At twenty nine, not long after his wife Yasodhara had given birth to a son, Rahula, the Prince decided to renounce wordly life for a homeless one devoting himself to a disciplined quest for spiritual satisfaction. He spoke to his disciples about the two possible goals to which men devote their lives, that is, the noble or holy quest as described in the Ariyapariyesana Sutta, and the ignoble or unholy quest. Due to the delusion of self man is subject to Dukkha (suffering or a sense of unsatisfactoriness) which is clearly evident in the process of decay and death. The ignoble quest, to which many devote their lives, consists in seeking after things or states which are really unsatisfactory due to their inherent state of flux or change, the very conditions from which deliverance is needed.
Sangha Day (Magha Puja Day)
(First full moon day of the third lunar month)
Sangha Day commemorates the Buddha’s visit to Veruvana Monastery in the city of Rajagaha, when 1,250 arhats are said to have spontaneously returned from their wanderings to pay their respects to the Buddha. Sangha Day is celebrated on the full moon day of the third lunar month (March).
Also called:
The Magha Puja Day, also known as วันมาฆบูชา (Wan Makha Bucha)
In Thailand, the ceremony of Magha Puja is performed to emphasize the significance of the Magha month. It was the period in which the Buddha constituted the Main Code of his instructions and which is universally regarded as the heart of Buddhist Teachings.
The historical events preceding this period must be reviewed briefly. The Buddha delivered his First Discourse to the Five Ascetics, namely Anna Kondanna, Vappa, Bhaddiya, Mahanama and Assaji, who when they heard the Englightened One were ordained and become the Five Noble Disciples. The Buddha then made a retreat at Isapatana in the Deer Park near Benares. There he ordained Yasa, the son of an influential family, who had approached the Buddha and had received instructions on the discourse concerning the Fivefold Principles, namely generosity, morality, happy life, renunciation and the benefit of ordination. He took as his refuge the Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha. Thus he entered into the monastic life. The Order now, increased to sixty in number. The Buddha urged the monks to journey in different directions and places, to disseminate the Law of the Truth. Hence the first Buddhist mission began. The teaching of the Awakened One has since spread to many people in many lands.
The Buddha himself went to preach at Rajagaha, the capital of Magadha State. There, three ascetics regarded as great teachers become Buddhist monks together with their disciples, the reported number being one thousand.
Bimbisara, the King of that State, become a Buddhist, taking the Triple Gem as his spiritual guide and supporting the Buddha’s mission. The King gave as a residence for the Buddha and his Order a quiet and suitable place called Veluvana Vihara (Bamboo Grove). This was the first Buddhist temple. Here many thousands of the citizens become Buddhists. During the period when the Buddha was staying in Veluvana Vihara, a certain incident took place in the Full Moon Day of the third lunar month. The Bhikkhus, about 1,250 in number who had been ordained by the Buddha himself and since then engaged in missionary activities, returned without prior notice to the Great Teacher to question him further about his teachings. Thus took place the Great Assembly of all the Holy Ones at Veluvana Vihara where Buddha delivered the discourse on the Main Code of his teaching which can be summarised thus (in Ovadapatimokkha Gatha):
“Patience, that is to say Forbearance, is considered the Supreme Endeavour. All the Buddha’s speak of Nibbana as the Highest Goal; a Bhikkhu who still does harm and violence to others is not a recluse at all. Do no evil , do whatever is good, purify the mind. This is the Teaching of the Buddhas. Non- abuse, harmlessless, restraint through the Disciplinary Code. This is the Teachings of all the Buddhas.”
Source of information on Magha Puja: From Puja Book by Bhikkhu Cattamalo
Dhamma Day (Asalha Puja Day)
(Full moon day of the eighth lunar month (July))
Dhamma Day commemorates the “turning of the wheel of the Dharma” – the Buddha’s first sermon – at the Sarnath Deer Park.
Also called:
The Asalha Puja Day (อาสาฬหบูชา) is the day on which the Lord Buddha preached the First Discourse to the Five Ascetics at the Isapatana in the Dear Park near Benares. Usually, it is held on the Full Moon Day of the eighth lunar month (July). All Buddhists in every part of the world annually celebrate such an important day of the Asalha month.
(View transcript of Dhammacakkapavatana Sutta)
After having attained Full Enlightenment, the Lord Buddha determined to teach the world. But he thought that the Truth or Dhamma, discovered by him is profound, sublime, difficult to understand and not easy to preach to lustful and ignorant persons. Were he to teach the Truth, others would not understand him, fatigue and weariness would be his. So his mind was inactive and there was no wish to teach anyone.
But he realised that there were at least a few who had only a little dust in their eyes and were capable of cultivating virtue and developing wisdom together with understanding the suffering of beings, and he wished to relief them of their burden. Out of great compassion for the many, he decided to devote himself to the dissemination of the Truth which he found. On deciding to present the Truth to the world, he surveyed the persons worthy of his teaching. He at first found that two great teachers, Alara Kalama and Uddaka Ramaputta, were worthy of being taught but they were now dead. After these two great teachers, he sought out his old companions in struggle, the Five Ascetics, namely Anna Kondanna, Vappa, Bhaddiya, Mahanama and Assaji, who had been of the greatest assistance to him during the practice of self-mortification. Then he knew that these five were staying at Isapatana, the Sages’ Resort, where he went, and first made known to them his discovery of the Truth. The day on which the Proclamation of the Truth was made by the Enlightened One was the Full Moon Day of the eighth lunar month. It is at present called Asalha Puja the celebration of which is held on the Full Moon Day of the eighth month of the year. The importance of this day is due to the fact that it is:
a. The day on which the First Discourse was preached by the Lord Buddha,
b. The day on which the first monk was ordained;
c. The day on which the Proclamation of the Doctrine to the world was made by the Lord;
d. The day on which the Triple Gem was completed, and
e. The day on which the First Disciple attained the dustless, stainless eye of Truth.
Source of information on Asalha Puja: From Puja Book by Bhikkhu Cattamalo
Rain season retreat (Vassana)
Buddhist retreat came into existence as a result of complaint made by the people. Jaina monastic order was already practising this Vassana Retreat practice before the Buddha made His follower Bhikkhus do the same. The people expected monks, both Buddhist and non Buddhist, to stay in one place at least for a certain period. They complained that the monks were moving from place to place all the time without a permanent dwelling. During rainy season, the monks did damage to the plants and crops. The Jaina monks and other mendicants observed a retreat during rainy season staying in one place for a period. People were wondering why the disciples of the Gautama Buddha did not do so.
This prompted the Buddha to lay down a rule that Buddhist monks should observe Retreat and stay in one place for three months. People wanted them to do that during rainy season and it became known as Rainy Retreat (Vassana). But strictly speaking the three months retreat can now take place at any season — maybe in winter or summer, although almost all have been observed during rainy season according to meteoric calendar in India.
Before this rule was there, the monks including the Buddha Himself travelled around the year and they still did so for nine months after the rule was laid down. Travelling and meeting people at different places is a kind of missionary life that the Buddha envisaged. It helps the monks not to be attached to dwelling places and people. It enables them to render their service to as many as possible. It frees them from a huge burden of constructing, maintaining and developing a big temple or monastery. It helps the teachings to spread everywhere as they travel. Travelling made them encounter with different cultures. It gave them an understanding of real nature of life. Roaming around empowers them to endure hard life. When you have to move from one place to another almost all the time, you do not gather things. You start gathering things only when you have the idea to settle. Since they wander most of the time their way of thinking, their attitude towards life and their spiritual practices are very pragmatic, realistic and are based on facts.
You can see now some development was taking place in monastic life. With this Rainy Retreat (Vassana) practice coming along, the monks got a bit comfortable shelter. The devotees who approach them can enjoy the opportunity of learning the Dhamma from the monks: they have regular and appropriate receivers in performing their act of generosity. Therefore, the benefit of the three months retreat is mutual. (Samyutta Nikaya)
I think that with the introduction of this Vassana practice, Buddhist monastic life came to balance its way of life. Brahmanism has secular lay life as its core while Jaina monastic life encouraged no shelter whatsoever such as a place for three months retreat. Buddhist Vassana practice could be viewed as middle way in this context.
A monk can choose his own time to start Rainy Retreat. There are two commencing dates different from one another exactly a month. But he is entitled to receive Kathina-civara (Kathina-robe) only if he starts his retreat with an earlier date — not the later one. This is quite important condition required of a monk to be entitled to Kathina-robe. Within three months retreat he must not break the rule of retreat by spending nights somewhere else without a valid reason consented in the Vinaya (Buddhist Monastic Disciplinary Rules). If there is emergency reason to travel, he can do so even during the retreat.
The two ceremonies — the Ceremony of Invitation (Pavāraṇā) and that of Offering Robe — mark the termination of the Retreat.
Pavāraṇā ceremony.
In India, where Buddhism began, there is a three-month-long rainy season. According to the Vinaya (Mahavagga, Fourth Khandhaka, section I), in the time of the Buddha, once during this rainy season, a group of normally wandering monks sought shelter by co-habitating in a residence. In order to minimize potential inter-personal strife while co-habitating, the monks agreed to remain silent for the entire three months and agreed upon a non-verbal means for sharing alms.
After this rains retreat, when the Buddha learned of the monks’ silence, he described such a measure as “foolish.” Instead, the Buddha instituted the Pavāraṇā Ceremony as a means for dealing with potential conflict and breaches of disciplinary rules (Patimokkha) during the vassa season.
The Buddha said:
‘I prescribe, O Bhikkhus, that the Bhikkhus, when they have finished their Vassa residence, hold Pavâranâ with each other in these three ways: by what [offence] has been seen, or by what has been heard, or by what is suspected. Hence it will result that you live in accord with each other, that you atone for the offences (you have committed), and that you keep the rules of discipline before your eyes.
‘And you ought, O Bhikkhus, to hold Pavâranâ in this way:
‘Let a learned, competent Bhikkhu proclaim the following ñatti [motion] before the Samgha: “Let the Samgha, reverend Sirs, hear me. To-day is the Pavâranâ day. If the Samgha is ready, let the Samgha hold Pavâranâ.”
‘Then let the senior Bhikkhu adjust his upper robe so as to cover one shoulder, sit down squatting, raise his joined hands, and say: “I pronounce my Pavâranâ, friends, before the Samgha, by what has been seen, or by what has been heard, or by what is suspected; may you speak to me, Sirs, out of compassion towards me; if I see (an offence), I will atone for it. And for the second time, And for the third time I pronounce my Pavâranâ, if I see (an offence), I will atone for it.”
‘Then let (each) younger Bhikkhu adjust his upper robe . . . .
Kathina Ceremony (Robe Offering Ceremony)
The Kathina Ceremony is held on any convenient date within one month of the conclusion of the three month rains retreat season (Vassa). On this day, the laity (non-monastics) offer new robes and other necessities to the monks and nuns.
Today, the Kaṭhina robe offering is a large, annual festival where Buddhists get together and celebrate the day by offering monastics gifts, such as robes and alms.
Kaṭhina means “hard”, “stiff”, “difficult”, etc. The word Kaṭhina denotes a cloth offered to the monks annually after the end of the rains-retreat (vassāvāsa). It also refers to a wooden frame used by the monks in sewing their robes. However, the word mostly denotes the robe, cīvara in pali, known as Kaṭhina cīvara. The character of the material used symbolizes the cīvara, which is one of the four requisites of a monk. The Kaṭhina robe is offered to the monastic Saṅgha by lay followers. Apart from the lay followers, monks, nuns and novices also can offer to the Buddhist Saṅgha.
The historical background of the Kaṭhina robe offering is mentioned in the Vinaya Pitaka. While the Buddha was dwelling at JetavanaVihar in Shravasti, a group of thirty monks visited the Buddha after the three-month rains-retreat. The Buddha asked them about their retreat and noticed their worn out robes. It is said that at the time, monks used to wear sewn pieces of cloth collected from different places such as cemeteries, streets, rubbish-heaps, etc.To rectify this, the Buddha granted permission to celebrate the Kaṭhina ceremony with the following such rules:
Throughout the day, Buddhists enjoy the ceremony with cultural entertainment and performing many meritorious acts. According the schedule, it begins early in the morning. People gather in the monastery, undertake the five precepts, and listen to Dhamma talks. The first session is concluded before noon. Thereafter, the devotees serve a meal to the Saṅgha and enjoys whatever is left over.
Festival of Floating Bowls (Loy Krathong)
At the end of the Kathin Festival season, when the rivers and canals are full of water, the Loy Krathong Festival takes place in all parts of Thailand on the full moon night of the twelfth lunar month. People bring bowls made of leaves (which contain flowers), candles and incense sticks, and float them in the water. As they go, all bad luck is supposed to disappear. The traditional practice of Loy Krathong was originally meant to pay homage to the holy footprint of the Buddha on the beach of the Namada River in India.
Elephant Festival
The Buddha used the example of a wild elephant which, when it is caught, is tied with ropes to a tame one so as to train it. In the same way, he said, a person new to Buddhism should have a special friendship of an older Buddhist. To mark this saying, Thais hold an elephant festival on the third Saturday in November
The Festival of the Tooth
Kandy is a beautiful city in Sri Lanka. On a small hill is a great temple which was especially built to house a relic of the Buddha – his tooth. The tooth can never be seen, as it is kept deep inside may caskets. But once a year in August, on the night of the full moon, there is a special procession for it.
Avalokitesvara’s Birthday (Kuan Yin)
(Full moon day in March)
Avalokiteśvara is a bodhisattva who embodies the compassion of all Buddhas. This bodhisattva is variably depicted, described and is portrayed in different cultures as either female or male.[2] In Chinese Buddhism, Avalokiteśvara has become the somewhat different female figure Guanyin. In Cambodia, he appears as Lokesvarak, and in Japan he is called Kanzeon or Kannon.
This is a festival which celebrates the Bodhisattva ideal represented by Avalokitesvara. Who represents the perfection of compassion in the Mahayana traditions of Tibet and China. It occurs on the full moon day in March.
In times past both Tantrayana and Mahayana have been found in some of the Theravada countries, but today the Buddhism of Ceylon, Burma, Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia is almost exclusively Theravada, based on the Pali Canon. The only Mahayana deity that has entered the worship of ordinary Buddhists in Theravada countries is Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara.
Ancestor Day (Ulambana)
In Mahayana countries, it is believed that the gates of hell are opened on the first day of the eighth lunar month and ghosts may visit the world for 15 days. Food offerings are made during this time to relieve the sufferings of the ghosts. On the fifteenth day, Ulambana or Ancestor Day, people visit cemeteries to make offerings to the departed ancestors. Many Theravadins from Cambodia, Laos and Thailand also observe this festival.
A related holiday is the Japanese Buddhist festival known as Obon, beginning on the thirteenth of July and lasting for three days, which celebrates the reunion of family ancestors with the living.
Uposatha days
Observance Day refers to each of the four traditional monthly holy days that continue to be observed in Theravada countries – the new moon, full moon, and quarter moon days. It is known in Sri Lanka as Poya Day.