THAI
BUDDHIST MONKS PROMOTE ACTIVITIES TO ATTRACT THE FAITHFUL TO TEMPLES
by Weena Kowitwanij, AsiaNews, July 9,
2009 94% of Thais are Buddhist but only a small
percentage attend places of worship. For the feast of Asalhabucha, which recalls the first sermon
of Buddha, the religious leaders call for prayer, meditation and living the
monastic experience for one day.
In
the land of the elephants, 94% of the over 62 million people are Buddhist but
only a small part follows the precepts of faith. According to a recent survey
conducted at the temple of Yannawa - in central
Bangkok - just 57% make food offerings to monks, 8. 2% listen to sermons and
3.2% practice meditation. 42.7% attend religious services once a month, 30%
said it "depended on the occasion", 11.2% once every three months,
8.8% every six months and 7.1% once a year.
He
explains the goal of "giving life to special activities in the temples"
targeting "children and young people." Among these
"encouraging the reading of the Dhamma (the
teachings of Buddha, ed), living the monastic
experience for one day and one night and promoting voluntary action for the
good of the community." On
the occasion of the feast of Asalhabucha, the
supreme patriarch Somdejphrayanasungvorn urged the
Buddhist faithful to peace and mercy, to bring joy to the community, society
and the entire nation. "I call on the faithful - said the Buddhist
leader - to take the opportunity to observe the precepts of the faith, to
gain merit, listen to sermons and pray more for a life of peace. Prayers calm
the spirit, a life of peace begins with peace in the
mind through meditation. " The
Asalhabucha is one of the most important festivals
for the Buddhist calendar, it recalls the first
sermon - the Dharmajuckkappawattanasutra - the
Enlightened One held before his five faithful. The day also coincides with
the revelation of the three basic elements: the Buddha, the Dharma (the law) and
the Sangha (the assembly of monks), which together
form the Triratna (the three buds). The
Buddhist day of celebration is followed by a
day of fasting, which marks the beginning of three months of abstinence and
prayer, where the monks lock themselves in temples and leave only if
necessary, returning to the temple before sunset. |
Last
Updated on Tuesday, 21 July 2009 19:20. |