Vassa

Vassa (from Pāli vasso , Sanskrit varṣaḥ , both roughly: rain ; Burmese : ဝါဆို , Khmer : វស្សា or ព្រះវស្សា ; Lao : ພັນ ສາ pʰán săː , sometimes ວັດ ສາ wāt săː ; Thai : พรรษา , pʰan săː ; in English, Rains Residence ) is the traditional retreat of the Buddhist monks ( bhikkhus ) during the rainy season . It lasts three months of the lunisolar calendar , roughly from July to October.

In English literature, this period is also often referred to as the Buddhist Lent (Buddhist Lent). However, this is rejected by at least one prominent bhikkhu, since the Christian fasting cannot be compared due to different religious ideas and backgrounds.

The reason for this rainy season retreat : even before the times of the Buddha , it had become common practice that holy men ( sadhus and sannyasins ) refrained from wandering for three months. Because at this time the young seed sprouts in the fields. In order not to trample the saplings, the Buddha stipulated that the monks spend the night in the same temple during the rainy season, except in exceptional cases. Since Mahayana Buddhism is mainly widespread in areas without a pronounced rainy season, the Mahayana Buddhists do not know such a " retreat ".

Beginning of the "rain residence"

Vassa begins on the first day of the waning moon in the eighth month of the lunar calendar, and Asalha Puja is celebrated the day before . In Thailand, the beginning of the retreat is celebrated as Khao Phansa (literally: “to enter the rainy season”) throughout the country.

During the next three months the bhikkhus are not supposed to wander around, that is, as one commentary put it, he has to greet the rising sun every morning in the residence he has chosen for the rainy season. During this time, unless they cannot return to their temple for night's rest, they should perform their normal duties. There are, however, a few exceptions to this rule, the “seven day matters” and “valid preventions”. In the Pāṭimokkha rules there is a long list of the legitimate "seven-day matters" and the "valid preventions".

End of the "rain residence"

The end of the monks' retreat is the day of the full moon in the 11th lunar month, it is known as "Pavarana Day". In Thailand, this day is celebrated as Wan Ok Phansa ( วัน ออกพรรษา , literally: day of the end of the rainy season). On the Mekong , in the northeast region of Thailand and in Laos, boat processions are held on this occasion.

In the following days, the Kathina ceremony is celebrated, during which the Buddhist monks are given new robes. Particularly impressive is the royal Kathin ceremony in Thailand, where the king or a member of the royal family hands over the gifts and robes; this happens exclusively in temples that are under the auspices of the royal family ( Wat Luang ) . It is often associated with a royal barque procession .

Traditional wall painting, Phutthamonthon Park, Nakhon Pathom , Thailand

In the Buddhist legends, this day is also described as the return of the Buddha from the "Tāvatiṃsa heaven" (Pāli, Sanskrit: Trayastriṃśa, roughly: "33", hence also called "the world of 33 gods"), where he was during the rainy season presented his teaching ( Dhamma ) to both the resident gods and his mother . On Pavarana Day, he descended to earth by triple stairs made of precious stones. He was accompanied by the Hindu gods Indra and Brahma , who each descended on a golden and silver staircase next to him. On his return, a large number of people gathered at the foot of the stairs to welcome the Buddha with gifts. In traditional works of art in Thailand and Burma, the Buddha is shown standing on the stairs in an open lotus flower . The place where this event is said to have taken place is Sankisa (Farrukhabad Division, Uttar Pradesh , India), which is one of the eight traditional pilgrimage destinations of Buddhists.