Skip to content Skip to footer

Retreat

Anual vassana retret

DatesAguest - November (every year)
LEAD BYCheif incumbent

The highly important time a year for Theravada Buddhist monks is a three-month-long Vassana or ‘Rains Retreat’ period. It comes right after the full moon of Asalha month which is around July every year. The first Buddhist monks did not reside in monasteries, they travelled through villages offering their teaching, collecting alms, and sleeping beneath the trees in the forests. However, monsoons that struck South and Southeast Asia during that season, made travelling too complicated and dangerous. Eventually, monks and nuns started being invited to village monasteries and nunneries for the duration of rains.

Buddha himself started the tradition of the Rains Retreat in the year 588 BCE when the Lord along with 60 bhikkhus and his 54 friends resided in Sarnath vicinity near Varanasi. Therefore, the period of Lent or Rains Retreat means a lot for ordinary Thai people. At this time most monks are to stay at a single monastery without changing their locations and dedicating their time solely to religious aspects. During this time, many vendors will be slightly quiet, and the atmosphere will be a bit more solemn and spiritual.

For lay people, the Vassana traditionally used to be the period when one could come to resident monks and ask for Dhamma teachings or spiritual guidance. In the Theravada School of Buddhism, the unique tradition of observing the Vassana has survived to the present day

The Lent starts depending on the lunar calendar, but typically in July on Khao Phansa Day, and finishes on Awk Phansa Day, typically in October.

What's your reaction?
3Cool1Bad2Happy1Sad

5 Comments

  • By Kevin Johnson
    Posted April 20, 2019 11:53 am 2Likes

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat.

    • By Vanessa Smith
      Posted April 20, 2019 11:54 am 0Likes

      Sed ut perspiciatis, unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam eaque ipsa, quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta sunt, explicabo. nemo enim ipsam voluptatem, quia voluptas sit, aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur.

      • By Imogene Martin
        Posted April 20, 2019 11:54 am 0Likes

        Quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat.

  • By Christian Spaulding
    Posted April 20, 2019 11:55 am 0Likes

    Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi.

  • By Dorothy Finley
    Posted April 20, 2019 11:56 am 0Likes

    Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi.

Leave a Reply to Dorothy Finley Cancel reply