Khao Phansa (守夏节)

Monday, July 26, 2010 is the day of Khao Phansa event for Wat Sungai Siput. Khao Phansa aka “Candle Festival”. As the seasonal monsoon rains descend over the kingdom, it marks the beginning of the Buddhist "rain retreat" and the Buddhist Lent, or "Phansa", during which all Buddhist monks retreat to the temples. This is also an auspicious time for Buddhist ordinations as it marks a period of spiritual renewal.

Known as "Khao Phansa", the Buddhist Lent is a time devoted to study and meditation. Buddhist monks remain within the temple grounds and do not venture out for a period of three months starting from the first day of the waning moon of the eighth lunar month (in July) to the fifteenth day of the waxing moon of the eleventh lunar month (in October). Stories of the Buddhist Rains Retreat can be traced back to the beginning of the Buddhist era. At that time, the Lord Buddha saw that monks wandering outside the temple compound might damage growing crops or accidentally kill insects, so he proclaimed that it would be better for the monks to observe the teachings and practice meditation at the monasteries instead.

Buddhism, Buddhist traditions and beliefs are central forces that shape the local way of life and give rise to various festivals of religious origin which have been observed for generations. For example, the majority of the Buddhist ordinations take place during the Buddhist Lent when young novices enter the monkhood. Villagers also actively engage in merit-making during this period. Offerings consisting of an assortment of savoury dishes and sweets as well as items for daily use are offered to monks. Items that provide light such as candles, lanterns and lamp oil are deemed to be particularly important offerings as it is believed that they provide monks with illumination physically and spiritually.

The event of Khao Phansa for Wat Sungai Siput is on Monday, July 26, 2010, time is 8PM at night. You must prepare the flower, candle (white or yellow) and joss stick, it will be start with chanting ritual in lomtam follow by surrounding the whole area of Wat Sungai Siput by holding the flower, candle and joss stick. It should be nice to have the opportunity to participate into such event, do not miss it if you are free on that night!

守夏节亦称坐守居节、入夏节、入雨节等。在此期间，佛教僧侣留在一个地方，通常在他们的寺院。应在寺内 坐禅修学，接受供养。这段时间称为雨安居期，禁止僧尼外出在一些寺庙. 守夏节前，僧侣要清扫寺院和僧舍。守夏节之日，全寺僧人举行入夏安居仪式，礼佛诵经并诵念“贫道将在此寺守夏安居三个月”三遍。然后一般僧人向高僧忏悔过 失。之后，各寺院和僧人互送鲜花、香烛互致敬意和忏悔。仪式后，僧人开始安居修学。守夏节早晨，平民百姓普遍到寺院施斋，所施斋饭除新鲜饭食菜餚外，还有 传统糕点蕉叶兹粑。同时奉献蜡烛丛及甘蔗水、糖、牙刷、牙膏、肥皂、浴巾等日用品。并且制作可燃三个月之久而不熄的巨大蜡烛，敲锣打鼓送到寺庙，供僧人在 守夏节诵经时使用。傍晚，人们手持鲜花和点燃的蜡烛，在寺院举行隆重的巡烛仪式，守夏节活动达到高潮。在守夏节期间，许多善男信女将出家三个月，或天天聆 听僧侣诵经，或在家中持守佛律八戒，示对佛教的虔诚。在守夏节，许多佛教信徒重振精神的培训，採取更加苦行的做法，如放弃肉类，酒精，或吸烟。

据 说这种仪式源于古印度人，每当雨季到来他们就停止去其它地方，如有游历在外的泰国人牞在哪里碰到雨季就在那里停留三个月，雨停了继续行进，这样很不方便。 即使是三藐三佛陀尊者（对佛陀的敬称），他们要去各个地方游历，一到雨季他们也会按自己的意愿停止游历。这和作为一个三藐三佛陀尊者应有的行为是一致的， 但是没有必要把这作为一个风俗习惯，也没有佛祖规定僧侣们要守夏。

直到后来僧侣越来越多，有一回佛祖居住在玉舍城 （古印度摩提陀国首府），有六个和尚没有固定的地方居住，即使是雨季他们也要去游历，踩踏农民的庄稼，草木和许多小动物，以至人们都说：“即使是异教徒 （佛教以外的）都懂得在雨季以后停止游历；鸟在下雨的时候也懂得做窝避雨，但是为什么僧侣们一年到头都要到处去游历踩踏许多活生生的草木和杀害许多小生 物？”这些话传到了佛祖的耳朵里，佛祖就规定：每年雨季的三个月里僧侣们一定要住在一个固定的地方，停止游历，也就是阴历的8月16日至11月中旬，这一 时期叫做守夏期。

在泰国这是最重要的佛教传统节日，大部分商店都关闭，夜总会不会出售酒。有点像庆祝中国新年，每个人都放假回家。他们传统的蜡烛游行到庙裡 。这种蜡烛游行穿过市中心的花车，伴随着各自的代表机构， 舞者，或音乐家通常穿着传统的服饰。

空 怀泰佛寺的守夏节仪式定在2010年7月26号，星期一的晚上八点。善信们要自备鲜花3朵，黄/白烛以及香一把。仪式开始为诵经，诵经完毕后阿占爹就会带 领大家拿着花朵，蜡烛以及香环绕佛寺，也称为巡烛仪式。当天有空的善信们不妨前来参加这项鲜为人知的活动，经历一下传自佛陀时代就进行的仪式，对于佛教徒 来说其意义应该深长。