Saturday 24 March 2007

Buddhist Religious Days In Thailand

Buddhist Religious Days In Thailand Image
Buddhist customs in THAILAND have been influenced by many Hindu beliefs. The association of a color with each day, for example, is one such custom. It is illustrated by this series of stamps celebrating important Buddhist religious days. Thais attach particular significance to the color of the day on which they were born.

2000: "Asalha-"PUJA Day, Red - Sunday
2001: "Visakha-puja" Day, Yellow - Monday
2002: "Magha-puja" Day, Pink - Tuesday
2003: "Asalha-puja" Day, Green - Wednesday
2004: "Visakha-puja" Day, Orange - Thursday
2005: "Magha-puja" Day, Blue - Friday
2006: "Visakha-puja" Day, Purple - Saturday

"Asalhapuja" Day is the full moon day of the 8th lunar month (the day following the full moon). This day commemorates THE BUDDHA'S FIRST SERMON following his enlightenment. The sermon was given to the FIVE ASCETICS in the forest. The Buddha taught them to follow the "Middle Way" -- to avoid either extreme of sensual indulgence or mortifying asceticism, lust and penance. After this sermon the senior ascetic, A~n~na-KONDA~n~nA, was ordained as the first Buddhist monk. He became the foundation of the Buddhist Monastic Order, the "Sangha.

"Visakhapuja" Day is the full moon day of the 6th lunar month. This day commemorates VESAK (the birth, enlightenment, and NIRVANA-IZATION of the Buddha, all of which occurred on the full moon day of the Indian month of Vesakha). All these events occurred years apart but on the same day: The Buddha was born on this day in 623 BC, attained enlightenment in 588 BC, and died in 543 BC (passed into final nirvana). Of course, the dates are disputed, most famously by DR. PAL.

"Maghapuja" Day is the full moon day of the 3rd lunar month. This SANGHA DAY commemorates the spontaneous assembly of 1,250 disciples of the Buddha nine months after his enlightenment. Each of the disciples had been ordained directly by the Buddha. The meeting took place 44 years before the start of the Budddhist Era (587 BC). The Buddha gave a sermon at this meeting, expressing the principal ideas of his teaching and how they apply to everyday life.

On all of these days Thai Buddhists usually give alms to monastics, meditate, and otherwise make merit at temples around the country.

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