Asalha Puja Will Be the First Buddhist Event to Celebrate After the Country’s Lifting of Curfew and Easing #COVID-19 #Lockdown
Author: Liberal HomoDeus
Date: 1st July 2020
Keywords: #Asalha, #COVID-19, #DhammaCakka, #Lent, #Vassa, #lockdown
Length: 1182 words
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Theravada historical record recognizes #Asalha Puja as the day the Lord Buddha first passed on His Teachings to five ascetics while at Deer Park in Benares. This first discourse is called the #Dhamma Cakka Sutta which is sometimes known as the sermon that set the Wheel of Dhamma into motion. With the given reason, Buddhists #Asalha Puja Day is also called Dhamma Day; to celebrate the day, it is meant to celebrate the very first Teachings from the Lord Buddha.
The Dhamma Cakka Sutta is of great significance; not only was it the first structured Teaching given by the Buddha after His enlightenment but it is generally agreed as containing the essence of all subsequent Teachings. A thorough study of this discourse is a must as it puts many of the later Teachings into perspective.
The discourse represents the Four Noble Truths which include life means suffering or Dukka, the origin of suffering is attachment or Tanha, the cessation of suffering is attainable or Nirodha, and the way to that cessation is through the Noble Eightfold Path or Magga.
At the end of the discourse one of the five ascetics named Kondañña, exclaimed his understanding of the Truths just taught and requested the Buddha to receive him as a disciple. This was done in what is seen as the most basic ordination procedure and so the Order of monks was also established on this day, being the first date for the completion and veneration of the Triple Gems, which consisted of the Buddha, His Teachings and His noble disciples. This occasion was effectively the establishment of Buddhism as a religion.
Therefore, #Asalha religious celebration is regarded as one of the most beloved and holy days of the year for those of the Buddhist faith. Theravada Buddhist tradition in the modern days celebrates #Asalha Puja and over the Asalha month by observing the Eight Precepts, leading meditation practice, chanting the #Dhamma Cakka Sutta in Pali, giving sermons and leading a candle procession around the temple in the evening. This would usually form part of the evening’s full-moon vigil. Additionally Buddhist congregations will give offerings to the monks.
#Asalha Puja Day also marks the beginning of the Buddhist #Lent or a Rains retreat period in a monastery. Monks in Theravada countries would spend the next three months living together, not travelling unless entirely unavoidable and taking shelter from the rain during the monsoon season.
In the early days of the Buddha’s dispensation, monks tended to wander the countryside quite freely. As the Order grew and became more established, monasteries were built and the Buddha laid down a rule that monastics should take up a determined residence for the three months of the rainy season.
In Thailand, this year, Thai Buddhists dance away with the news that the government will lift the five-month ban for religious event to be held due to the #COVID-19 pandemic and state quarantine to avoid cluster and infection. According to the Public Health Ministry’s report, several families that attended the ceremony and religious activities aboard discovered they had the #Coronavirus. It is suggested that religious events resulting in disease infection especially, indoor religious services are a high risk for transmission of disease.
So the upcoming #Asalha Puja Day will be a long-awaited event for Thai Buddhists after having been impossible to hold the annual #Vesak celebration in May. Buddhists in Thailand believe that religious ceremonies are essential; the prolonged lockdown period has made temple goers miss the feeling of being in a group. Ceremony to the masses via television or internet gives the sense of making no direct contact between the attendants and the audience. In coupled with the impact on general public and communities due to #COVID-19 isolation, society saw the increasing mental health distress and knows it need to be reckoned. Regardless of the underlying causes, attending a religious event will definitely inject energy into the mind of those worrying and distressed participants, resulting in this year #Asalha Puja being an event communities looking forwards.
For the #Asalha ceremony on the 5th of July at Dhammakaya Temple in Thailand, the monastic committee said the Temple is ready to practice precaution for the reassuming religious gathering to ensure the health of the Temple’s visitors and attendants by putting smart physical-distancing guidelines in place. The Temple’s administration understands that as with every public event, vigilance is required. This demonstrates the vibrant leadership and the indefatigable willingness to engage of all Dhammakaya monastic members in addressing every unprecedented social challenge.
And thanks to the understanding and well co-operation to the Temple’s infectious preventing measures throughout the getting-through-together #pandemic period of all the Temple’s member network both inside and outside the country. Generally, we all know that Buddhist strength can be seen through the tolerance and mutual respect in practice within the congregation and the #COVID-19 isolation has demonstrated that the Temple’s members literately put these two Buddhist principles into practicing.
At this #Asalha celebrating for the Dhamma Day, Dhammakaya members would understand that an attendance of about 50,000 plus+ people in the ceremony to practice Buddhist teachings together: make offering, observe the Precepts and meditate, and so on, is a success to no small measure, but a significant other step we all have to help pushing forwards is to bring the presence of Dhammakaya mediation practice to the wider community and globally for the benefit of all humanity. The true essence of Dhamma Day means Dhamma is practiced and shared. It is the only way to ensure the continuity of the religion.
General overview of Buddhism, so far, it has been, except for practitioners and scholars, of course, a stranger for general public in the non-Buddhist countries, particularly in the West. If we want to take Buddhist meditation practice to those countries to let the masses experience it face to face, in the practical context, it means to offer courses through a learning annex, which would attract the average young crowd of the professional type, in mini-skirts and high heels, or jeans and long hair or no hair, and in between.
The good news is that meditation in those countries at present time is a meme, something fashionable that everyone would like to be seen doing. It is also a hit in medical, penitentiary, education, business, government, etc. Records reveal that Buddhist meditation practice is a part in Buddhism many younger generations invariably like because it is a new experience to them. There have been signs indicative of the growth of Buddhism in western countries because of Buddhist meditation. There is also coming to be an increasing number of Buddhist Sangha, having both English skills as well as higher academic qualifications settling in those countries. Yes, relatively, the rising rate of Buddhist practitioners and believers may seem organic and at snail pace, but please remember: slow and steady wins the race, hasn’t it been said!
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