The day after Asahna Bucha is another important day in the Buddhist calendar. The day is called Wan Khao Phansa and marks the beginning of the three-month long period known as Phansa which is the Buddhist retreat period and is sometimes referred to as 'Buddhist Lent'. The Phansa rains retreat marks … [Read more...]
Asahna Bucha Day
July 8, 2009 By
This public holiday in Thailand marks the day when the Lord Buddha delivered his first sermon at Benares in India over 2,500 years ago. The exact date of the holiday is determined by the waxing moon and the lunar months, but is usually held in July. The Buddha preached his first sermon at a deer … [Read more...]
Visakha Bucha Day
May 8, 2009 By
The holiest of all Buddhist holidays is commemorated on the full-moon day of the sixth lunar month (known as the Visakha month) which normally falls in May. Three defining events in the life of the Lord Buddha all took place on the Visakha full-moon day: he was born, 35 years later he achieved … [Read more...]
End of Buddhist Lent (Awk Phansa)
October 14, 2008 By
Today is a public holiday in Thailand marking the end of the three-month Buddhist Lent period and the traditional end of the rainy season. The final day of the Buddhist Lent period falls on the full-moon day of the eleventh lunar moon and is known in most parts of Thailand as Awk Phansa, although … [Read more...]
How to Make a Buddhist Offering (Wai Phra)
September 28, 2008 By
When Thai Buddhists visit the temple they will normally make an offering. This act is known as wai phra; wai being the traditional greeting with palms pressed together and raised towards the face and phra being the word for a Buddha image, monk or priest. The usual offering made consists of a … [Read more...]
Respecting Buddha Images
August 7, 2008 By
Wherever you go in Thailand you will see Buddha images and it doesn’t matter how small, old or what state of disrepair it may be in, the image is still sacred. Standing on an old Buddha statue to have your photograph taken is one of the most disrespectful things that you can do in Thailand because … [Read more...]
Theravada Buddhism in Thailand
May 19, 2008 By
There are various forms of Buddhism followed throughout the world, but in Thailand 95% of people are Theravada Buddhists. Theravada Buddhism Theravada ("the Teaching of the Elders") is a school of Buddhism that believes it has remained closest to the original teachings of the Buddha. As well as … [Read more...]
