Kushinagar, October 17: Buddhist monks of Kushinagar are excited by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ceremonial donation program on the day of the conclusion of Varshavas.
Ashwini Purnima Tithi is on October 20th. The Varshavas of Buddhist monks will end on this date. The Prime Minister will donate ‘Chevar Daan’ (professional cloth to wear) to 20 Buddhist monks.
Thus, the district administration is picking the names of the monks. The Prime Minister will also address the monks after donning the cedar on the stage of the Buddhist Conclave.
Buddhist monk Bhante Ashok told that in the Buddhist world, there is a special significance of rain. It was started by Lord Buddha after attaining Buddhahood. During the three months of Varshavas, the monks and the Shramners study and contemplate the nuances of Buddhism by staying in the Sangha Vihara. Varshavas begins on the day of Ashadha Purnima and ends on Ashwini Purnima. It is a matter of pride for the Prime Minister of the country to live among the monks on this day.
Bhante Mahendra told that the Buddha ordered all the monks during his time to spread the word of Dhamma. All the Buddhist monks engaged in this work. But while doing this work, he had to face many problems.
โBuddhist monks used to get washed away due to floods in the rivers especially during the rainy season. His walking used to damage the crops of the field. The monks told this to the Tathagata. Buddha ordered that all Buddhist monks should stay at one place from Ashadha Purnima to Ashwini Purnima,โ Monk said.
Bhante Asas Ji Mahathero told that there is a tradition of staying at one place in Varshavas. The Buddha had said that the monks should not go to the villages for alms and stay at one place to read and spread the Dhamma. If necessary, the monk can go out of the monastery by taking a maximum of one week’s leave from his master. This tradition of Varshavas has been present since the time of Buddha.
The Buddha had made his first Varshavas in 527 BC at Rishipatan in Sarnath. He also did his 45th Varshavas at this place. Apart from this, he did rain-was in Shravasti, Jetavan, Vaishali, Rajgriha. The Buddhists of Thailand, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Cambodia also follow the rain abode.
