Yesterday my friend Nava took me to an Atlanta Thai Buddhist Center to celebrate the Kathina Robe Offering Ceremony. Many times we had talked about going to meditate, but this was very special. She was so convincing that both John and Gavin had to accompany us! We were to wear all white, so that we could be pure and accept the monk's blessing. We gave a donation, and both were asked to make a 'wish.' I am not sure what Nava wished for, but mine was easy.
I hope I get this right, but Kathina is the frame that is used to sew the monk's saffron robes. This ceremony must always take place within the month following the rainy season. The history behind this: 30 monks were on their way to meet Lord Buddha, and got caught in the rains. Their robes were muddied and ruined. Lord Buddha granted them a grace period to get new saffron robes, known as Kathina, which must take place one month after the Buddhist 'lent' period.
I can't help but think of Hurricane Katrina . . . probably just a coincidence.
Water does not make for clean clothes, or anything else! But certainly, the rainy season in Thailand is a fact of life . . . and is expected, prepared for.
The Atlanta Center had a beautiful day for the event; yummy Thai food was served outside in tents. The boys enjoyed the headphones that translated (at one point, Gavin shouted out to the entire crowd: "It's working!!!!!!" Everyone laughed).
I felt so blessed to be included and to have a friend that would introduce me to this special celebration.
The Atlanta center, which is the Georgia Meditation Center, doesn't have a good web site, so if you want to view more, check out the Thai site that has many international affiliates.
2 comments:
"We were to wear all white, so that we could be pure and accept the monk's blessing. We gave a donation, and both were asked to make a 'wish.' This ceremony must always take place within the month following the rainy season. . . . which must take place one month after the Buddhist 'lent' period.
Sounds sweet, but as a practicing Buddhist, I must comment. Wearing all white has absolutely nothing to do with Buddhism or "purity"; that is a formality that means absolutely nothing. A donation = a wish??? That's typical of old-school Buddhism, whereby so-called priests require followers to make donations; it has nothing to do with Buddhism.. "Monks" give "blessings" for "donations"? Wrong. That's exactly the same as wanting a Catholic priest to say prayers for you. That's not Buddhism; that's Christianity. And why exactly must this ceremony take place exactly at this point in time? That's also a falsehood; I would also term it "bogus" and and "misleading." At best. I'm being kind.
I'm just saying . . . this is a complete misrepresentation of Buddhism, and I would love to challenge these so-called "monks" to a Buddhist debate. There is no "Buddhist 'lent' period."
What a nice day for you and the boys. It's great for them to see the different ways of celebrating holidays and life. A happy moment.
I think maybe Jerome is taking it too seriously. To me it sounds like it was a traditional ceremony that lent an air of festivity to the day.
Would a Buddhist really care if another practiced his faith in a slightly different way? Sounds a bit dogmatic, in my humble opinion.
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