What is Makha Bucha Day?
In Thailand, 18th 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
- 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. - Tum Boon: Making merit by going to temples and join in the Buddhist activities.
- 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.
d 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.
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