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Editors Note: The following was written by a Monk in the Thai Buddhist Temple in Fort Walton Beach, Florida and was published in the February 2019 Temple news letter. What Tampa celebrates Thai holiday based on a Sunday close to the actual date based on the lunar calendar.
Magh Puja Day is one of the most important Buddhist celebrations which falls on the full moon day of the third lunar month (about last week of February or early of March).
This day marks the great four events that took place during Lord Buddha's lifetime, namely:
1) 1250 Buddhist monks from different places came to pay homage to Lord Buddha at Valuwan Vihara in Rajgaha, the capital of Magaha State, each of his own initiative and without prior notification or appointment.
2) All of them were enlightened monks (or Arahantas)
3) Al of them had been individually ordained by Lord Buddha himself (Ehi Bhikkhu)
(4) They assembled on the full moon day of the third lunar month.
On the evening of that day, Lord Buddha gave the assembly a discourse "Ovadha Patimokha" laying down the principles of His Teachings summarized into three parts, i.e., to do good, to abstain from bad action and to purify the mind.
Welcome to Wat Mongkolratanaram (also know as Wat Tampa). Happy New Year!
Let me start today by quoting to you a traditional Thai New Years wish: "By the power of the Buddhist Triple Gems: Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha - May you and your family be blessed with good health, beautiful, prosperous, long life, and be successful in your career and in life for the New Year. May all of these blessings and all your wishes be fulfilled."
The Songkarn Festival is cancelled
On Sunday, April 12, 2020 we celebrate the Songkarn Festival. You may know it by one of its "nicknames" – Thai New Year or the Water Festival.
It is a Thai tradition to give Alms offering to Monks. And in turn, you offer this good deed to relatives who passed away by wishing for them by pouring a small glass of water on a big tree and it is a very good deed and good luck for the beginning of a New Year. This year, as in earlier years there will be a ceremony of sprinkling the Buddha statues and Monks with flower pedals & perfumed water., and, of course, the congregation will also sprinkle perfumed water on each other for good luck and good health and a prosperous New Year. There will be Thai Vegetable and Thai food available.
For more information on Songkran also see the following articles:
Things to do on Songkarn:
- Do offer food alms to the Buddhist monks at the temple
- Do donate the merit on behalf of one's ancestors
- Do sprinkle water onto a Buddha image and the monks for good luck
- Do pour scented water onto the parents and elders hands for good luck and prosperity
- Do bring family members to visit grandparents. It is a family day.
- Do clean up home and engage in volunteer work to clean public areas
- Do set birds and fish free for merit
- Do politely play with water for joy and to continue good traditions
- Do arrange the tradional plays to continue the cultural heritage
Makha Puja Day falls on the full moon day of the third lunar month. The date of all of the Thai festivals is based on the lunar calendar so the "American" dates vary from year to year. We will be celebrating Magha Puja Day at Wat Tampa on Sunday, February 09, 2020.
Makha Puja Day from a Monk's perspective
This ceremony marks two important dates in the life of Buddha. The first event occurred two years after Buddha’s enlightenment and is referred to as the Fourfold assembly. These events were:
- All 1,250 monks had achieved enlightenment.
- These monks were ordained by Buddha himself
- The monks assembled on their own without being called together.
Visakha Puja Day is Cancelled
Visakha Puja Day is an important day in Buddhism. We will celebrate Visakha Puja Day at Wat Tampa on Sunday, May 3, 2020
Visakha Puja Day marks the Buddhism Trinity or three important incidents occurred in the life of Lord Buddha on the same day. They happened on the same day on full moon of the sixth lunar month.
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