The Kathina Ceremony at Dhammakaya Temple in 2013

The Kathina Ceremony at Dhammakaya Temple in 2013

 

The Kathina Ceremony at Dhammakaya Temple

Kathina Dana – The Great & Special Merit

    The Kathina Ceremony is a culture that all Buddhists in every era agree that its merit is great and limitless.  So, it is the meritorious event of the year that the congregation is waiting for.

    This ceremony was originated in the Buddha Time.  The Lord Buddha saw the importance of changing the monks’ saffron robes, he allowed the monks to receive the Kathina Robes to use instead of their old ones.  This culture has been arranged since then.
   

How special is this ceremony?  Because of many reasons:

This ceremony must been arranged within one month after the last day of Buddhist Lent.
The offering must be Sangha Dana which means the donor must not specify the receiver.
The monk who receives the Kathina robes must stay at that temple throughout the Buddhist Lent and there are at least 5 monks there.
Each temple can arrange and receive the Kathina robe only once a year.

The Kathina robe must be correspond to the monastic specification.

When a monk receives the Kathina robe, the monks there must complete the Kathina Khandhaka Ceremony within that day.

Moreover, the Kathina robe offering is special than other ones because both donors and receivers get fruits.  The receivers, monks, get fruits according to the monastic discipline so they are convenient while they are doing the monastic duties after the Buddhist Lent.  The donors, laypeople, get great fruits of supporting the monks to receive the new saffron robes and also get the merit of supporting Buddhism if this ceremony takes part in the construction or the restoration of the temple or religious objects.  Another important thing is the Kathina ceremony is Sangha Dana.  If someone does the Sangha Dana with pure and faithful mind, they will get lots of fruit which the Lord Buddha taught that its fruit is enormous and endless.
   

So, we would like to invite you to participate in the Kathina Ceremony at Dhammakaya Temple where over 2,000 monastic who are fertilized merit fields have stayed for 3 months.

 

Merit of the Kathina Ceremony is enormous because of the restrictions of the ceremony

Fruits for the monks

They can travel to some silent places for meditation without informing in advance.
They can go without bringing full set of saffron robes.
They can have meal together.
They can receive more saffron robes.
If they receive the additional saffron robes, they can use for themselves, not send to the hub.

Schedule of the Kathina Ceremony
Sunday November 3rd, 2013
Dhammakaya Temple in Pathum Thani province

Morning

6:15 a.m.    The Morning Alms Round at Bankaewruanthong of the Master Nun
9:30 a.m.    Meditation / the First Sunday Ceremony of Offering Alms to the Lord Buddha
11:00 a.m.    The Ceremonies of Offering Meal to the Monks and Offering Gold to Cast the Gold Statue of the Most Ven. Phramongkolthepmuni

 

Afternoon

12:10 p.m.    The special program “Praise the Kindness of the Triple Gems”
1:35 p.m.    The Procession Invites the Imperial Kathina Saffron Robe Sets to the Ceremonial Center of Kaewsarapadnuk Room.
3:20 p.m.    The Dhammachai Kathina Ceremony
3:50 p.m.    End of the Kathina Ceremony
7:00 p.m.    The Monks perform the Kathina Khandhaka Ceremony

* Please wear the white suit to join this ceremony to keep the nice Buddhist culture.

We would like to invite you to participate in the Kathina Ceremony at Dhammakaya Temple where over 2,000 monastic have stayed for 3 months.  If you want to make this merit, please donate at the Donation room in Dhammakaya Temple or contact your coordinator.  For more information, please call 02-831-1000.  Thank you and rejoice in your merit.

Translated by Chadawee Chaipooripat

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