Asalaha Puja – Kaopansaa day

July 8th, 2009

Article By IPA Member: Guy Verstraeten
Guy594 Photography

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Last Sunday, July 5th, the Buddhist traditional festival “Asalaha Puja - Kaopansaa Day”, together with the ordination ceremony for five novices was celebrated in the Thai temple “Wat Dhammapateep” in Mechelen (Belgium).

Asalaha Puja Day is one of the most important festivals of the Thervada Buddhists.

There were dignitaries and highly-decorated officials present such as Gen. Jongsak Panichkul, who is the chairman of the ceremony, and Col. Chainat Yatchimplee, who led paying the homage and worshipping of Buddha and petitioned the Five Regulations.

The festivity was very colorful: various classical and traditional Thai dances were presented beautifully by the graceful students of the school for classical Thai dance of the temple. But this festivity would not be complete without the serving of the delicious and appetizing Thai foods.

There were a lot of people present not only Thai nationals but Europeans as well. This event gave the public a good impression of the Thai culture and tradition.

“Asalaha Puja Day”:

Asalaha is the eight lunar month of the old Indian calendar which usually falls in July.
The main historical event this festival commemorates is the Buddha delivering his first discourse or sermon.

The Lord Buddha gained his enlightenment on the full moon of the sixth lunar month (Visakha Day) in Gaya. He spent seven weeks traveling to Baranasi where he met his five friends whom he traveled with for years in the Gangetic plains. After reaching Baranasi, he decided to teach the Dhamma even though it was difficult for ordinary people to understand. He thought the next group of people, who were five ascetics called “Pancavaggi”, named; Anyakondanya, Vappa, Pattiya, Mahanama, and Assasi, who at that time, lived in a forest named “Isipatanamarukatatayawan”, the Deer Park near Baranasi. Buddha arrived there on eve of the full moon day of the eight lunar month, Asalaha. The next day, the full moon day, The Lord Buddha gave them His FIRST SERMON called “Dhamm-Cakkappavattana Sutta” meaning: “The Discourse on Setting the Wheel of Dhamma in Motion”, which is generally agreed to contain all the essence of all the subsequent future teachings. Not long after that, the head of the Five Ascetics, named “Kondanya” got the “Eye of Dhamma” and exclaimed his understanding of the Truths just preached and requested the Lord Buddha to accept him as his disciple. This was followed by a simple ordination process from the Lord Buddha and he became the FIRST MONK in Buddhism. That day became the day that honored Sangha, or the order of the monks.

“Khao Pansaa Day”:

The Buddhist Lent starts on the first day of the waxing moon of the eight lunar month. The tradition of Buddhist Lent or the annual three months of Rains Retreat known in Thai as “Khao Pansaa” dates back to the time of early Buddhism in ancient India, all ascetics or holy men, mendicants, and sages spent three months of the annual rainy season in permanent dwelling. They avoided unnecessary travel during the period when crops were still young for fear they might accidentally step on them. In difference to popular opinion, Lord Buddha decreed that his followers should also abide by this ancient tradition, thus they began to gather in groups in simple dwellings. This day means the day on which the Buddhist monks take the vow to stay only at a particular place or temples which will shelter or protect them from the sun, storms and rain. For Buddhism and its followers, the Buddhist Lent has the following important characteristics: (1) Buddhist monks who have been traveling from place to place have to take up shelter in a particular place, and following Buddha’s disciplines, (2) Buddhist monks who stay at a particular place for a length of time shall teach the Dhamma to the young ones who wish to be ordained in order to study the Buddhist Doctrine, and preach it to the lay followers, and (3) During the Buddhist Lent, the lay peoples acquire merit, observe five or eight Precepts, listen to sermons and sit meditating in Temples. Buddhist followers all over Thailand will attend temples in the morning bringing in foods, necessity items, money, the traditional candles, garments and ceremonial items for the monks with flowers and candles in hand. Other devoted Buddhist followers consider this Buddhist Lent as the time for making resolutions such as refraining from smoking or correcting wrong habitual practices, merit making and training oneself more for good deeds.

The Thai temple is located and can be visited at this address:

Wat Dhammapateep,
Kouterdreef 37
2800 Mechelen, Belgium.
Tel/fax: +3215290099
E-mail: ssubhalert@yahoo.com