Celebrating Buddhism - Asalaha Bucha Day
Asala Bucha Day is one of the most sacred days in Buddhism. It is evidenced as the day when the Triple Gem: the Lord Buddha, His Teachings and His Disciples came into being. Asala Bucha Day comes on the fifteenth day of the waxing moon of the eighth lunar month i.e. July. On this day Lord Buddha delivered his first sermon to his first five disciples. This sermon was delivered 2500 years ago, at the Deer Park which is situated at Varanasi, in India. These five ascetics were known as "Pancavaggi" and their abode was the "Issipatanamarukatayawan", which is presently known as the Deer Park.
The First Sermon is called as "Dhamma-cakkappavattana Sutta" or the Discourse on Setting the Wheel of Dhamma in Motion and concerns the "Four Noble Truths". "Kodanna" who was the leader of the five ascetics was given the "The Eye of Dhamma" and became the first ever Buddhist monk.
The sermon told that:
• Every suffering comes from the cycle of life, disease, old age and death.
• Desire or inability to obtain something is the foundation of suffering.
• Only when you stop desiring, you will become free from any suffering.
• There is a "middle way" that leads you to a path between extremes of asceticism and indulgence leading you to the eliminating of desire.
Thai people celebrate this day in various ways:
• Tum Boon: This day, Thai people offer their prayers in the temple and give donations to the monks. They listen to the preaching of Buddhism and perform other holy activities throughout the day.
• Rub Sil: The Thai people observe abstinence from all the unethical deeds of life like consuming alcohol.
• Tuk Bard: In this the monks are given food and they are worshipped. The local Buddhists wash the feet of monks and offer them alms.
• Practice of Renunciation: This entails the observation of eight precepts whereby the Buddhists put on white robes and live in temples. Meditating for mental discipline is also observed. The eight-fold path included possession of correct views, resolve, speech, conduct, livelihood, effort, mindfulness and meditation.
• Vien Tien: During the evening of the Vesak full moon day, the Buddhists carry a procession with candles in their hands, near the Uposatha Hall.
This day is marked as the Birth of Buddhism. The Buddhist order named as Sangha was created this day. Therefore this day is also known as the Sangha Day.
While in Bangkok, youll find many such religious ceremonies, traditional festivals and cultural events. Your time spent in Bangkok will be a wonderful one if you take the time to explore the city thoroughly. You can check out the Bangkok serviced apartments for affordable short-term accommodation
