Buddhist holy days
August 1, 2012 by TTRweekly Staff
Filed under News, Thailand
BANGKOK 1 August 2012: TTR Weekly takes a two-day break due to public holidays here in Thailand to mark Asalha Bucha Day, 2 August and Khao Phansa, 3 August.
We will be back with the news 6 August.
Asalha Bucha Day is considered one of the sacred days in Buddhism as it commemorates the coming of the Triple Gems, namely the Lord Buddha, the Dhamma ( teachings) and the Sangha ( disciples).
The day falls on the fifteenth day of the waxing moon of the eighth lunar month, preceding the Buddhist Lent or “Khao Phansa”, which starts on the first day of the waning moon of the eighth lunar month.
The holy day marks an anniversary of the day when the Lord Buddha delivered the first sermon to his first five disciples so-called “Pancavaggi”, who lived in a forest named “Issipatanamarukatayawan” or the Deer Park in Varanasi, India, over 2,500 years ago.
Khao Phansa follows marking the first day of the Buddhist lent that lasts for three months. The rice is growing and monks will remain in their cloisters for the entire three months and are forbidden from sleeping elsewhere.
So for the tourists it’s beer out of a teapot – if they are lucky. This constant yet unpredicatble ‘no-drink’ policy completely puzzles them, especially Europeans, and in many cases is a major blot on their holiday (eg they can’t go and enjoy a good dinner on two of maybe 3 or 4 days in Thailand’s capital). Typically, many of these people will go somewhere less draconian next time.
When will the industry learn? (Answer = ‘never’)