Theravada Temples

Today's Event(s)

Major Buddhist Events

Past Events

Pavarana Day
Sunday, 24 October 2010
Lunar Observance: Major Full Moon
470 days and 19:48 hours ago.

This day marks the end of the Vassa retreat. Vassa, or "Rain Retreat," sometimes called the Buddhist "Lent," is a three-month period of intensive meditation and practice. The retreat is a tradition that began with the first Buddhist monks, who would spend the Indian monsoon season secluded together.

Asalha Puja ('Dhamma Day')
Monday, 26 July 2010
Lunar Observance: Major Full Moon
560 days and 19:48 hours ago.

Sometimes called "Dharma Day," Asalha Puja commemorates the first sermon of the Buddha. This is the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta, meaning the sutra (sermon of the Buddha) "setting the wheel of dhamma [dharma] in motion." In this sermon, the Buddha explained his doctrine of the Four Noble Truths.

Vassa, the Rains Retreat, begins the day after Asalha Puja. During Vassa, monks remain in monasteries and intensify their meditation practice. Laypeople participate by bringing food, candles and other necessities to monks. They also sometimes give up eating meat, smoking, or luxuries during Vassa, which is why Vassa is sometimes called the "Buddhist Lent."

Water Festivals (Bun Pi Mai, Songkran)
Tuesday, 13 April 2010
Lunar Observance: Major Full Moon
664 days and 19:48 hours ago.
The Water Festival is the New Year's celebrations that take place in Southeast Asian countries such as Burma, Cambodia, Laos, and Thailand as well as Yunnan, China. It is called the 'Water Festival' by Westerners because people throw water at one another as part of the cleansing ritual to welcome the new year. Traditionally people gently sprinkled water on one another as a sign of respect, but as the new year falls during the hottest month in South East Asia, many people end up dousing strangers and passersby in vehicles in boisterous celebration. The festival has many different names specific to each country, such as Songkran in Thailand and Pi-Mai Lao in Laos (translates as "New Year"), Chaul Chnam Thmey in Cambodia, and Thingyan in Myanmar. The New Year is celebrated in other South Asian countries, based on the astrological event of the sun beginning its northward journey. Traditional dance, singing and cultural shows are performed together during the festival. Religious activities in the tradition of Theravada Buddhism are also carried out at both Pagoda and Monastery. Young people visit elders to pay respect during this period. (Wikipedia)

Magha Puja ('Sangha Day')
Sunday, 28 February 2010
Lunar Observance: Major Full Moon
708 days and 19:48 hours ago.

For Theravada Buddhists, every new moon and full moon day is an Uposatha Observance Day. A few Uposatha Days are especially important, and one of these is Magha Puja.

Also called "Makha Bucha," Magha Puja commemorates a day when 1,250 monks, all from different places and on their on initiative, spontaneously came to pay homage to the historical Buddha. In particular, this is a day for laypeople to show special appreciation for the monastic sangha.

This is a major holiday in Thailand in particular. On this day, Thai Buddhists gather at sunset in their local temples to participate in candlelight processions called Wian Tian.

In some other Asian nations, Magha Puja is observed in March.

Vesakha Puja ('Buddha Day' )
Thursday, 28 May 2009
Lunar Observance: Major Full Moon
984 days and 19:48 hours ago.
Vesākha (Pali; Sanskrit: Vaiśākha वैशाख) is an annual holiday observed traditionally by practicing Buddhists in South Asian and South East Asian countries like Nepal, Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Indonesia and India. Sometimes informally called "Buddha's Birthday," it actually encompasses the birth, enlightenment (Nirvana), and passing away (Parinirvana) of Gautama Buddha. The exact date of Vesākha varies according to the various lunar calendars used in different traditions. In Theravada countries following the Buddhist calendar, it falls on the full moon Uposatha day (typically the 5th or 6th lunar month). Vesākha Day in China is on the eighth of the fourth month in the Chinese lunar calendar. The date varies from year to year in the Western Gregorian calendar but falls in April or May. In 2010 the first full moon day in May is the twenty-eighth.