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Maha Bucha Day in Thailand

One of the three great Buddhist holidays is celebrated in Thailand this coming Saturday. The full moon of the third lunar month is revered as Maha Bucha. ...

Many centuries ago, 1250 of his disciples appeared before the Buddha in one day. They came from different places to honor their teacher and listen to his sermon. They set off on a journey without agreeing and arrived at Rajagaha, the capital of the country of Magaha, at the same time. The Enlightened One ordained all of them as monks.

On this day, the Buddha delivered his great sermon to the people, among the listeners was the king of this country. From the joy that his dream came true - to hear the sermon of the Buddha himself, he, as a token of gratitude, presented the Bamboo Grove to the brotherhood of Buddhist monks.

A little later, a merchant built dwellings for the monks in this grove. This is how the first Buddhist monastery appeared.

"Maha" in Pali is the name of the third lunar month. "Bucha" or "Puja" is reverence and respect.

The tradition of respect, veneration and support of the monks is strong in Thailand to this day.

Over 3000 BC Buddhism appeared in Thailand, even before the formation of the state of Siam. Buddhism was then the philosophy of kings, but over time, the people accepted the Teachings of the Buddha.

Now, as before, every man is ordained as a monk and must improve his knowledge in the monastery, at least 3 months.

To this day, some of the family members receive education in monastic circles.

Maha Bucha Day in Thailand is a public holiday and a public holiday so that everyone can visit a monastery or temple.

Every temple across the country hosts beautiful rituals throughout the day. In the evening, people gather in the main temple for a general prayer. At the end of it, the statue of Buddha, festively decorated, is placed on a stretcher and walked around the temple with it three times.

The whole atmosphere of the holiday is majestic and solemn - candles, incense, lotus flowers - very beautiful and ritualistic.

This ritual symbolizes the three main principles of Buddhist philosophy - non-resistance to evil, cultivation of goodness and purification of the mind.

The Three Jewels of Buddhism are revered on this day - the Buddha himself, his Dharma teachings, and the Sangha, a Buddhist brotherhood of monks.

In Thailand, on the day of Maha Bucha, all government offices are closed and a ban on the sale of alcohol in shops, restaurants and bars.