The Buddhist lent or entering the rain retreat (Vassa)

The Buddhist lent or entering 

the rain retreat (Vassa)

       The Buddhist lent or entering the rain retreat in Pali language call Vassa what the Buddhists in the western familiar with.

       In rainy season, going to anywhere is very difficult. Especially the Sangha missionary who seek for salvation go for giving a sermon to people  they sometime stepped on the grain that made people to blame on them. Indian people, in the ancient time, also grow rice.   The Buddha gave regulation that the Songha order (monks/Bikshu) cannot go for that sake for 3 months, in rainy season. They have to stay in the temple where they made a wish to stay until the end of the rain retreat.

       The Buddhist lent or entering the rain retreat is set on the first day of the waning moon in the eight month. People go to the temple for doing merit, observing religious precepts and meditating. It said that very important day for the country people. People, generally, allow their sons to enter the priesthood during these days so they come for visiting and offering food for all monks in the temple too.  

       During the Buddhist lent or entering the rain retreat, monks and novices who want to go outside the temple must come back before getting dark. Going outside also they can go after drawn that mean they can observe their palm by nature light. If they need to go other places with necessary objective they can go but they must come back within 1 week called Sattaha.

      It is also important festival for association because people would set it as the time to begin to cut out tobacco, drug and so forth. They believe that they doing both good deed and heal themselves.

      So the Buddhist lent or entering the rain retreat is meaning full for both Buddhism and association that the government support for this festival too.



Image : Dhammakaya