Makha Bucha Day

What is Makha Bucha Day?

In Thailand, 18^th Feb 2011 was Makha Bucha Day. Makha Bucha Day is an important Buddhist Cerebration day in Thailand. It comes from the auspicious occasion during Buddha’s time. It’s happened at Veḷuvana Bamboo Grove, near Rājagaha in Northern India, nine months later from the Enlightenment of the Buddha. In the evening of a full moon day, 1,250 Sangha happen to come to see the Buddha without any previous arrangement. All of them were Arahats* and were ordained by the Buddha Himself. In this auspicious occasion, Buddha gave the Arahat Principles called “Ovadhapatimokha” which laid down the principles of the Buddhist teachings.

Activities held on Makha Bucha Day

1. Wian Tian (wian meaning circle; tian meaning candle). Holding flowers, incense and a lighted candle, the monks and lay people circumambulate clockwise three times around the Temple - once for each of the Three Jewels – the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha.
2. Tum Boon: Making merit by going to temples and join in the Buddhist activities.
3. Keeping the Five Precepts. Practice of renunciation: Observe the Eight Precepts, practice of meditation and mental discipline, stay in the temple, wearing white robes, for a number of days.
   

The posted photos are taken at Wat Jedee Luang in Chiang Mai. Every year on Makha Bucha Day, temples in Thailand are full of devotees circumumbulating around temples and stupas and making offerings to the Sanghas and Buddha's shrines. There are Pali Chanting sessions for devotees lead by Sanghas in the shrine hall.

* An arahant is a person who has destroyed greed, hatred, and delusion who upon decease will not be reborn in any world, having wholly cut off all fetters that bind a person to the samsara.

Life's a Funny Proposition After All

George M. Cohan

Verse 1
Did you ever sit and ponder,
Sit and wonder, sit and think,
Why we're here and what this life is all about?
It's a problem that has driven
Many brainy men to drink,
It's the weirdest thing they've tried to figure out.
About a thousand diff'rent theories
All the scientists can show,
But never yet have proved a reason why
With all we've thought
And all we're taught,
Why all we seem to know
Is we're born and live a while and then we die.

Refrain 1
Life's a very funny proposition after all,
Imagination, jealousy, hypocrisy and all.
Three meals a day, a whole lot to say;
When you haven't got the coin you're always in the way.
Ev'rybody's fighting as we wend our way along,
Ev'ry fellow claims the other fellow's in the wrong;
Hurried and worried until we're buried and there's no curtain call.
Life's a very funny proposition after all.

Verse 2
When all things are coming easy, and when luck is with a man,
Why then life to him is sunshine ev'rywhere;
Then the fates blow rather breezy and they quite upset a plan,
Then he'll cry that life's a burden hard to bear.
Though today may be a day of smiles, tomorrow's still in doubt,
And what brings me joy, may bring you care and woe;
We're born to die, but don't know why, or what it's all about,
And the more we try to learn the less we know.

Refrain 2
Life's a very funny proposition, you can bet,
And no one's ever solved the problem properly as yet.
Young for a day, then old and gray;
Like the rose that buds and blooms and fades and falls away,
Losing health to gain our wealth as through this dream we tour.
Ev'rything's a guess and nothing's absolutely sure;
Battles exciting and fates we're fighting until the curtain falls.
Life's a very funny proposition after all.


(Note)
We decided to post this song here for 1st article of the year 2011.
Master Hui Guo Chan Shi is doing retreat most of the time due to his poor health.
We hope that the contents of this song can help the reader to ponder about Life seriously and benefit from this song written by Mr.George M. Cohan.

*May any merit gain by posting this article be dedicated to the enlightenment of all sentient beings especially dedicate to Mr.George M.Cohan.