100 monks participate in robe offering event at Mahabodhi Mahavihara
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<span class="date"><i class="icon-calendar"/> Dec 04, 2020</span>
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Monks worship Lord Buddha under the Bodhi Tree at Mahabodhi Temple during Maha Kathina Civara Dana ceremony in…Read More
Earlier, around 500 monks from countries like Thailand, Myanmar, Bhutan and Sri Lanka used to attend the robe offering event, but no outsider was part of the function this year.
BTMC secretary Nangzey Dorjee welcomed the monks to the function that was also attended by committee members Mahashweta Maharathi and Krishna Manjhi.
Chief monk Bhikkhu Chalinda, who led the participants offering prayers under the Bodhi Tree, told this newspaper, “After the three-month ‘varsha vaas’ or rainy retreat of the monks, devotees offer them robes and other items. During the period from July to September, they stay indoors and meditate in their monasteries.”
According to Buddhism, offering robes (‘civara’) to the monks is the highest form of donation.
The chief monk added, “The ‘civara’ is offered to one of the 10 monks of the BTMC every year. It was given to Bhante Manoj this year because he followed the ‘varsha vaas’ tradition properly.”
There is an equally strong Buddhist belief that a month after receiving his ‘enlightenment’, Buddha delivered his first sermon – called the Dhamma-Cakkappavattana
After the Maha Kathina Civara Dana function, the monks were offered ‘sanghdana’ (meal).
The four months of Shravana, Bhadrapada, Ashvina and Kartika could even be trimmed to three months depending on the regional character of the rains and local needs.
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