The meaning of Buddhist Lent Day(ពិធីបុណ្យចូលព្រះវស្សា)

Buddhist lent day is also quite useful festival among another Buddhist holidays. In noticed that all Buddhist people always make food to monks who stay at pagoda every year. So, why do they have to go at there?   what does exactly Buddhist Lent day mean? And, what does different Cambodian Buddhist to another’s? In order to become more familiar clearly understand about it. A novice monk would like to share some of the stories about this festival at BRASAT SREAH KANDAL pagoda, CHAN SOCHUN said.

What is the Buddhist Lent day festival? It refers once a year during the wet season from May to October, all Buddhist priests retire to their own temple​for the period of Lent. It also called BON CHOL PREK VASSA(ពិធីបុណ្យចូលព្រះវស្សា). This festival was celebrated for 5 Buddhist

countries such as Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Thailand, which celebrate Buddhist Lent festival as the same day. On fifteen Keit of Ashad (Khmer lunar months), the evening of 8th July, Buddhists are parading together for monks’ gifts which are monks’ clothes(សាដក) and any huge candles (ទៀនវស្សា). And then the evening, on the first Roaj of Ashad(Khmer lunar months), 9^th July, it is Buddhist lent day. The history of this festival Because of the monks’ traveling and farmers worked in their farms in the rainy season, the monks damaged the farmers’ rice sprouts unintentionally because they misunderstood that the rice sprouts were grass.  So, the farmers went to sue the Lord Buddha that the monks damaged their rice sprouts, why the monks did not stay in the temples during the rainy season like birds. And then, the lord buddha set rules all monks to stay at pagoda during raining season. but not least, it is very useful for new monks studied Dhamma from the senior monks, and the senior monks taught Dhamma and the monastic disciples to the junior monks. Anyway, monk cannot stay over a night. If monk has individual obligation like parents were sick or monk’s self were accidentally injured by some cases. The monks can stay outside.

TINGMOMG or Scarecrow

Cambodia’s activity at Buddhist lent day

All Buddhist people cook dishes to monks who study Dharma for three months. Parading request money along Buddhists’ household with laymen, nuns and several younger teenagers. This event will celebrate before 15 day of Buddhist Lenten day.  Some of pagoda celebrate this event that called Scarecrow marching​​​​​ or HEL TINGMOMG. It is more interesting event than another country. Scarecrows are a symbol of Buddhist lent day that kind of designing human similarity. It looks funny and scared too. The purpose of this marching refers to Buddhists solidarity. In addition, the group of older people who stay at pagoda, laymen and nun. They come to find some money from neighbor along each village. So, when we offer money to them, will bless you back with any fortunately in the future. Buddhist lent festival is coming soon.