KATHINA CIVARA DANA AND
NIGHT LONG PARITTA CHANTING FESTIVAL
at
Lokashanti Buddha Vihara, Maha Bodhi Society, 14, Kalidasa Road, Gandhinagar, Bengaluru – 560009, India.
4 PM on 7-11-2015 upto 8 AM on 8-11-2015
Dear Friend in Dhamma,
Subject : Invitation and Appeal
Very hearty greetings from Maha Bodhi Society, Bengaluru. Hope this finds you in good health.
We
are celebrating a rare ancient Buddhist cultural festival, first time
in Bengaluru, in memory of Venerable Acharya Buddharakkhita,
called
Kathina Robe Festival along with night long chanting of Paritta suttas
for protection and happiness of one and all. Over 350 devotees from all
over India will come and conduct the robe making ceremony which includes
weaving of the cloth, cutting, stitching and making robes for monks
within 12 hours staring in the evening and concluding before the dawn.
Simultaneously 25 monks will be chanting throughout the night the holy
teachings of the Buddha for peace and happiness of one and all.
This celebration is organized at Maha Bodhi Society, Gandhinagar, Bengaluru, on 7th November 2015 starting at 4 PM and it will conclude on 8th
November 2015 at 8 AM morning. Thousands of people are expected to
participate in the program. We heartily welcome you to come and
participate. More details in the attached file Kathina at Bengaluru.
Since
lot of expenses are involved in conducting Kathina and Night long
Paritta chanting, we request you to kindly donate generously and be part
of this great event.
May all your family members, relatives and friends, and also all beings share merits and be happy and well!
Kathina
is a festival that takes place during the months of October/November.
For 2600 years families have gathered to take part in the largest
offerings of alms-giving and other requisites to the monks and
monasteries. Friends, families, parents and children join together in a
celebration on the theme of generosity and harmony. Kathina occurs at
the end of the Vassavasa-three months rains retreat of monks. During
this three month retreat, the resident monks of the monastery practice
the dhamma intensely and have been obliged by their rule not to travel
unless absolutely necessary.
Historical Background
Few
years after attaining Awakenment, the Supreme Buddha was dwelling at
Jetavana Maha Vihara near Savatthi City, the capital of the Kosala
kingdom ruled by King Pasenadi.
A group of thirty monks from Pava
wanted to come and live with the Lord at Jetavana for the vassa rains
retreat. But they could not reach Jetavana before the Vassa started and
therefore they stayed in Saketa for three months with the wish to see
the Lord at the earliest. Soon after the three months they went to
Jetavana to take blessings of the Buddha. The Buddha greeted them, asked
them about their retreat and journey, and noticed their wet and torn
robes. Due to rain their robes were drenched.
The lady disciple
of the Buddha, Visakha Maha Upasika was also there visiting and
listening to the Dhamma. When she saw the monks in tattered and worn
robes, wet and muddy, she asked permission of the Buddha to offer new
robes to the monks, and the Buddha granted her request. Since then the
Buddha granted the monks the opportunity to search for robes and even to
accept robes offered by donors during the period of one month from the
Ashwina purnima to Kartika purnima (Oct – Nov normally). This period is
also called Kathina period as Kathina robe can be offered any day during
this time.
As there were no sewing machines or textile factories
in those days, the preparation of robes for monks required a lot of
manpower and coordination. It could not be done in a single day. The
Buddha realized this problem and allowed his lay disciples to prepare
and make robes for any monks who needed them. The process required
searching for appropriate cloth or weaving cloth, washing it, cutting
it, sewing the pieces together into robes, coloring the robes, and
drying them. After that, the robes are offered to the Sangha with one
robe specially designated as Kathina civara. All this is done almost
overnight. Then the Sangha gives that Kathina to one monk who has spent
three months vassa properly according to the Vinaya rules and the rest
of the robes are distributed to the monks who need them with the consent
of the Sangha. Since this involved great efforts, hard work and
firmness both in the monastic and lay people it is called Kathina robe.
The frame which is used to make this robe is also called Kathina but it
is the nature of hard work and firm faith in the spiritual practice,
which signifies this whole process as Kathina Civara Dana.
Present:
Nowadays,
ready made robes are available or lay people make robes in modern ways.
But in some Buddhist communities the practice of making a robe from the
beginning stage of weaving the cloth is still alive. This process
involves many lay people in making the robe, which means a meritorious
deed for all of them bringing awareness of many Dhamma practices. In
India, it is prevalent in the North East Buddhist communities. The
devotees who involve in weaving and making the robes take atthasila –
eight precepts with trisarana and do with great devotion.
Kathina Ceremony and the Night Long Maha Paritta Chanting
For
the first time in Bengaluru, this kind of mega robe making ceremony is
organized by the Dayaka Mandali of Maha Bodhi Society, Bengaluru, where
many monks have taken Vassa retreat for three months. We are grateful
that over 300 people from all over India, mainly the North East will be
coming all the way to perform the Kathina robe weaving and robe making
ceremony and will be offering to the Sangha.
What is still special
this time is the simultaneous program of the night long Maha Paritta
Chanting by a group of monks, specially invited from Sri Lanka. This
chanting has deep effect on the listeners as they are the original words
of the Buddha. The Paritta will start soon after the Kathina weaving
starts and both will go on simultaneously throughout the night where the
devotees can witness both and meditate and spend the whole night in
intense spiritual atmosphere.
How can you participate
You
are welcome to be together on 7th night. If you intend to gain merits
then participate in meditation and the Dana, offering to the Sangha.
There are 150 monks in Mahabodhi monastery living on the support of
devotees. You may offer on this occasion, anything that you feel is
needed for daily use of monks like towels, soaps, blades, razor, tooth
brush and paste, cleaning materials for clothes and floors, kitchen
utensils, etc. Or you may offer money dana to Mahabodhi monastery which
maintains monastic school and training center to run the activities. We
also request you to donate for this Kathina ceremony and Maha Paritta
chanting arrangements which involves lot of money.
Benefits of Kathina Civara Dana Offering
There
are several benefits for monks who receive the Kathina robe all
signifying the firm and strong establishment in the practice of the
Dhamma by a monk who is responsible for establishing Buddha Sasana.
For lay devotees who offer the Kathina robe will get many benefits:
• Deep saddha, faith in the Triple Gem will develop
• Intense wholesome action is performed throughout the night which
will bring deep joy whenever one remembers this event.
•
Participating in Kathina robe making and offering will enable one to
come in contact with the Sangha more often, which means coming in
contact with the Dhamma.
• This offering brings abundant wealth and one will not suffer scarcity of basic needs of life.
• One will get good birth and will progress fast on the path of Nibbana in future.
• The harmony between the Sangha and the lay devotees is established.
• Buddha Sasana will remain for long time in the world.
•
Benefits of Maha Paritta Patha
The
Maha Paritta chanting involves offering veneration to the Triple Gem
and uttering the words of the Buddha in a proper way. Many suttas are
chanted during the whole night. Some of the suttas and their benefits
are as follows:
Paritta Parikamma- for preparation and invitation to devas for the sharing of the Paritta chanting;
Mangala Sutta- for blessings and prosperity;
Ratana Sutta- for getting free from dangers caused by disease, evil spirits
and famine;
Metta Sutta - for suffusing all kinds of beings with loving-kindness and overcome relationship problems
Khandha Sutta- for protecting against snakes and other creatures;
Mora Sutta- for protection against snares, imprisonment and for safety;
Vatta Sutta - for protection against fire, accidents, etc;
Dhajagga Sutta- for protection against fear, trembling and horror;
Atanatiya Sutta- for protection against evil spirits, and gaining health and happiness;
An Appeal
This
is a great opportunity to get many benefits from these rare programs.
We welcome one and all to join this meditation and merit gaining
programs. We also request you to donate freely for this huge program and
to the Mahabodhi monastery.
Bhavatu Sabba Mangalam!
Yours in the service of the Dhamma
Upasakas and Upasikas
Mahabodhi Dayaka Mandali
You may give your donations by check/DD/Cash in the name of
MAHA BODHI SOCIETY, BENGALURU or transfer directly to
Maha Bodhi Society
Account No. SB 353102010000137
IFSC Code: UBIN 0535311
MICR Code: 560026005
Union Bank of India, Gandhinagar, Bangalore – 560009, India.
Kindly inform your transfer by mail to info@mahabodhi.info or
Tel: Mr.Krupa Urs – 09343158020, Mr.Gambhiro- 09901248015 (Accounts Officers)
