KATHINA CEREMONY B.E. 2554 (2011)

KATHINA CEREMONY B.E. 2554 (2011)

 

Take Your Share in Creating World-Peace

 

6^th November B.E.2554 (2011)

 

at wat Phra Dhammakaya

Pathum thani Province, Thailand

 

 

KATHINA CEREMONY B.E. 2554

 

What is Kathina?

 

At the end of Buddhist Lent a joyful moment comes to the hearts of all Buddhists. It is  the time of the very special annual Robe Offering ceremony, called the Kathina.

 

The term ‘Kathina’ comes from the actual embroidery frame which monks use to sew their robes; it also refers to the equipment monks use to prepare new robes after the old ones have degenerated. In the Lord nuns to make their robes from discarded cloth from rubbish heaps and cremation grounds.

 

The Lord Buddha’s famous lady-patron, Visakha, saw a great difficulty associated with this practice and proposed to offer monks new sets of robes. Thus, the Lord Buddha allowed monks to take now robes from laypeople at the kathina ceremony.

 

The Kathina ceremony was enacted by offering kathina robes among the monks assembled in the respective temples. The abbot or the senior monk of that temple would provide these robes to monks who had fulfilled the qualifications to receive the robes during the special Kathina ceremony. The qualifications required that Buddhist Lent was observed in the temple and that the respective temple must have had at least five monks staying there during Lent. The Kathina is only held within one month after the end of Buddhist Lent and cannot be conducted at any other time.

 

Nowadays, the ancient Kathina ceremony is not just an occasion for laypeople to offer robes to Buddhist monks as they will also offer monetary donations to support the temple’s many humanitarian and religious activities, During this year B.E. 2554 (2011), wat Phra Dhammakaya will take the opportunity at its annual Kathina Robes Offering Ceremony to raise funds for the construction of dormitories for its monks and upasika (full-time female staff).

 

 

The Kathina ceremony was enacted by offering kathina

robes among the monks assembled in the respective temples.

 

Living Places for Monastic Members

 

Wat Phra Dhammakaya was first established on the 20^th of February B.E. 2513 (1970) by the Most Venerable Luang Phaw Dhammajayo, the Master Nun Chand Khonnokyoong and their close disciples on a donated 78 acres plot of land with initial funds of 3,200 baht.

 

The temple was built to fulfill the mission assigned by the Great Master Phramonkolthepmuni (Sodh Candasaro), the discoverer of Dhammakaya meditation, who wished to propagate Dhammakaya meditation throughout the world in order to bring about true everlasting peace. After receiving this assignment, the Master Nun Chand Khonnokyoong, who was one of the leading disciples of the Great Master, had put much effort in instructing the public in meditation until she met Luang Phaw Dhammajayo when he was a young man who decided to dedicate his life to meditation and Buddhism.

 

After Luang Phaw Dhammajayo graduated from Kasetsart University in Bangkok, he became a Buddhist, monk and was given the monastic name ‘Dhammajayo’ which means ‘Victory through the Dhamma.’ One year after his ordination, Venerable Dhammajayo and the Master Nun Chand Khonnokyoong led their close disciples to build Wat Phra Dhammakaya which was designed to be the center for Buddhist learning and meditation practice in the future.

 

Throughout the subsequent period of 41 years, Luang Phaw Dhammajayo has led the members of Wat Phra Dhammakaya to convert the empty rice paddy field into a beautiful monastery. The temple actively runs many humanitarian and religious activities which magnificently benefit Thai society and the international community.

 

Nowadays, Wat Phra Dhammakaya has more than a hundred thousand members. The temple has launched hundreds of projects to serve monks, novice-monks, laymen and laywomen, both in Thailand and abroad. All of this is made possible by thousands of its monastic members including monks, novice-monks, upasaka (full-time male staff) and upasika (full-time female staff).

 

The numbe of monks, novice-monks, upasaka and upasika at Wat Phra Dhammakaya has been growing significantly with the temple’s success in many Buddhist megaprojects aimed to improve the quality of people’s life through the Lord Buddha’s teaching and meditation. As a result, the present dormitories for monks and upasika have been overcrowded and it is necessary to build new dormitories.

 

 

Living Places for Monastic Members

 

Buddhist Megaprojects for World-Peace

 

In addition to the construction of infrastructure, Wat Phra Dhammakaya also runs Buddhist megaprojects such as the 100,000 monks ordination and training program, the International Dhammadayada Ordination Program, the 1,000,000 monks project, the monthly susthern provinces of Thailand, the annual sustenance of erring to monks from 10,000 to 30,000 temples across Thailand, the World – Peace Ethics Contest, the Path of Progress Ethics Contest, the V-Star World Morality Revival Project, the Peace Revolution project, the international Visakha Puja celebration in various countries and the Middle Way Meditation Retreat.

 

Wat Phra Dhammakaya truly believes that the propagation of meditation and morality will make this world a better place. We sincerely hope that more and more people will enjoy the benefit of meditation and the Lord Buddha’s  teachings when they apply this to their daily life. This will enable them to develop themselves everlasting world-peace that all humankind longs for. And the Kathina Ceremony this year is a good opportunity for everyone who wishes to join us and earn merit from your generous sharing.

 

“Giving food is the gift of energy.

Giving clothes is the gift of complexion.

Giving a vehicle is the gift of happiness.

Giving light is the gift of vision.

Giving a pace for living means giving everything.”

 

 

wat Phra Dhammakaya will take the opportunity at its annual Kathina Robes

Offering Ceremony to raise funds for the construction of dormitories for its monks

 

The giver is lovable

 

Farmers are not delighted by the unfertile results of sowing into a highland likewise, gifts made to immoral persons do not yield fertile merit and bring no delight to the giver Sowing made to a fertile land will make the farmers happy by achieving abundant produces Little gifts given to meritorious recipients who are steadfast in virtues will bring about ample results And enable the givers to be joyful

 

The fund-raising for this project will be concluded on the Kathina Ceremony Day of Wat Phra Dhammakaya (Thailand) on the 6^th of November B.E. 2554 (2011). You are cordially invited to join the ceremony and take your share in creating world – peace. The schedule of events is as follows:

 

06.30 a.m. alms giving

09.30 a.m. Morning meditation session

11.00 a.m. Offering meals to the monks

11.15 a.m. Lunch break

01.30 p.m. Afternoon meditation session

02.00 p.m. kathina robes’ offering

03.30 p.m. End of ceremony

06.00 p.m. Monks’ ceremony on kathina robes

 

Note: Participants should dress modestly in white.

 

*B.E. = Buddhist Era

 

Translation devices for English and Chinese language are available at Column C18 of the Dhammakaya Meditation Hall, Wat Phra Dhammakaya, Thailand, The Ceremony will be broadcasted world-wide through www.dme.tv/en

 

Donations can be made at Wat Phra Dhammakaya in Thailand or its overseas meditation centers worldwide. A special ceremony will be held on the temple’s annual Kathina-robes offering day, which this year falls upon Sunday the 6^th of November.

 

For contact details, please visit www.dhammakaya.net or contact Ven. Ronnapob at (6687) 502-6262, E-mail:[email protected]

 

For more information, please contact a Dhammakaya Meditation Center nearest you.

 

 

kathina robes’ offering

 

http://goo.gl/vnmyT