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Sunday, October 31, 2010

Kathina Ceremony 2010 at Sri Lankaramaya Temple, 30C St Michaels' Road, Singapore

Date : 31/10/2010
Venue : Sri Lankaramaya Temple
30C St Michaels' Road
Pictures taken from 630am
( Pics from 530 am were not captured, a procession from Jalan Taman,
carrting the white offer cloth for Kathina )


Kathina Origin


July 9th, 2010

Author: admin

Kathina, also called Kathen or pinkama Kathina is a Buddhist ceremony held in the Theravada regions during the month following the end of the annual monastic retreat (October-November). On this occasion, the laity to the monks offer a piece of fabric they must transform into a night in a monastic robe.

Other useful gifts and a meal are also available. The ceremony takes place mostly in a monastery, but can also take place in a ballroom or a private room. Traditionally, the cloth is first little display in the village or neighborhood, sometimes accompanied by a tree in which offerings are hung other gifts.

Rules kathina

The tradition of kathina, Sanskrit name of a kind of frame used to stretch the fabric during the sewing is very old and assigned by the Vinaya the Buddha himself. The monks who observed the rules are entitled to a share of donations from fabric made in the monastery during the month, and benefit from an easing of rules (five to six fewer) for a period of up five months.

They are, for example, must notify the other monks of their journeys or to take the prescribed three dresses in all their movements, they can accept as many gifts that they will receive clothing and food donations that are not presented in the rules.


The kathina can be observed by a community of at least five monks who spent three months of retirement in the same residence. Those who do not meet the conditions specified in the presence of Vinaya are excluded. The piece of cloth about three meters long, is presented to the entire community which offers solemnly to one of them, supposedly the poorest, the most learned or older.

he fabric is then washed away and will be cut, sewn and dyed before dawn the next day by all the monks or a designated group if the community is important. When the garment, called mahakathina is completed, the candidate symbolically extends the framework and calls on others for approval.

Participants in the ceremony can then “roll through”, that is to say, enjoy the relaxation of regulations. At the end of the period authorized kathina also called, they must “fold under” again and follow all the rules.

Origin


It comes in the Pali canon of a group of thirty to fifty monks visiting Savatthi to spend the rainy season with the Buddha. Having failed to arrive on time, they stopped on the way and set off again at the end of three months mandatory, regardless of rain, she had not stopped, they got drenched destination.


Perhaps it is comforting for that Gautama decided to renew their wardrobe and to temporarily waive certain rules. Another possible explanation is that the month following the retreat was devoted to the joint development of the closet, and that some rules were relaxed to facilitate this work.


While donations of the laity in general sufficient to satisfy the fashion needs of monks, the tradition of sewing together has been maintained because it helps to bond the community. The dress made in a night reminiscent of the Mahaprajapati Gautami, adoptive mother of the Buddha and Dean nuns wove for her son.


Local Holiday


The kathina for the monastery is a special day during which the laity and some monks or nuns other communities are invited. Although the rules forbid the monks to solicit a gift of cloth lay people, the tradition is firmly entrenched and the date of the ceremony is usually discussed in advance between the monks and the associations of the faithful.



The various temples in the region want their kathina at different dates. As in all Buddhist festivals, some lay it to acquire more merit, benefit to speak with the abbot vow to observe the precepts. If the temple is rich, the surplus must be distributed gifts to the poor. The local temple kathina is a day of celebration for everyone.



Source: http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kathina





























Monday, October 25, 2010

Alms Offering to the Sangha 2011

Date : 2 Jan 2011, Sunday
Time : 830 am to 10am
Venue  88 Bright Hill Temple Road
Bright Hill Temple
Kong Meng San Phor Kark See
(Tai Pei Shrine 1000th Hands Guan Yin )



Tel : 68495300







Every pious Buddhist more or less carries out the meritorious deeds of dispensing charity, observing morality and practising meditation. Out of these three, the Buddhists usually perform the charitable deeds daily.

 At every house of Buddhists, they offer food, water and flowers dedicated to the Triple Gems every morning. Moreover, with generous mindedness, they offer alms-food to the Sanghas who go round from house to house for collecting alms-food, in procession or individually.

In some towns, there are many hundreds of Sanghas going in procession for alms-food. The Buddhists heartily believe that the daily act of offering alms-food to the Sangha is the main cause for the perpetuation of the Buddha's Teaching. According to their wealth, they occasionally make other donations such as inviting the monks to their home and offering food, novitiating their sons, donating the four material requisites to the sangha. etc. In fulfilling the ten perfections, the Bodhisattha performed the perfection of charity prior to the other perfections. Therefore, Dana is the first of the Ten Perfections.

The charity is the first item of ten meritorious deeds stated in the previous charpter.

Therefore in this chapter. the notable facts concerning charity shall be exergerated.

Fwd this infomation to all who can share this merits with all

Sadhu Sadhu Sadhu



僧礼包/Packages to purchase for alms offering:

请到寺务处报名参与供僧活动及选购以上供僧礼包。您将获得收据以方便当天上午6点30分至7点30分在钟楼旁索取所选购的礼包 *所收款项将纳入新加坡佛学院

Please register and purchase the above packages from the staff at the Front Office. In return, you will obtain a receipt in which you can exchange for the package you have purchased at a booth next to Bell Tower on the actual day from 6.30am to 7.30am.

 * All proceeds of packages for alms offering will go to Buddhist College of Singapore.


1. 广种福田 (米)Cultivating Merits (rice ) $ 48

2. 智慧如海 (盐)Ocean of Wisdom (salt ) $ 48

3. 五谷丰收 (干粮)Bountiful Harvest (dried goods) $ 88

4. 福禄安康 (药材)Longevity & Good Health (medicinal herbs) $ 138

5. 丰衣足食 (用品)Abundance & Prosperity (daily necessities ) $ 228



时间/Time: 上午8点30分至10点 8.30am - 10.00am

地点/Venue: 光明山普觉禅寺大悲殿,

Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery, The Hall Of Great Compassion

88 Bright Hill Road Singapore 574117
电话/Enquiries: 6849 5300 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 6849 5300 end_of_the_skype_highlighting



注:本寺从未派人出外沿户登记或收取活动功德金,恐未周知,顺此敬告

The monastery has never sent any volunteers or staff to solicit donations publicly or from door-to-door for this event.






http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alms

In Buddhism, alms or almsgiving is the respect given by a lay Buddhist to a Buddhist monk, nun, spiritually-developed person or other sentient being. It is not charity as presumed by Western interpreters. It is closer to a symbolic connection to the spiritual and to show humbleness and respect in the presence of normal society.[note 1] The visible presence of monks and nuns is a stabilizing influence. The act of alms giving assists in connecting the human to the monk or nun and what he/she represents. As the Buddha has stated:




Householders & the homeless [monastics]


in mutual dependence


both reach the true Dhamma....

—Itivuttaka 4.7[1][note 2]


In Theravada Buddhism, monks (Pāli: bhikkhus) and nuns go on a daily almsround (or pindacara) to collect food. This is often perceived as giving the laypeople the opportunity to make merit (Pāli: puñña). Money should not be accepted by a Buddhist monk or nun, although nowadays not many monks and nuns keep to this rule (the exception being the monks and nuns of the Thai Forest Tradition and other Theravada traditions which focus on vinaya and meditation practice). In countries that follow Mahayana Buddhism, it has been impractical for monks to go on a daily almsround. In China, Korea and Japan, monasteries were situated in remote mountain areas where it could take days to reach the nearest town, thus making the daily almsround impossible. In Japan, the practice of a weekly or monthly takuhatsu took its place. In the Himalayan countries, the large number of bikshus would have made an almsround a heavy burden on families. Competition with other religions for support also made daily almsrounds difficult and even dangerous; the first monks in the Shilla dynasty of Korea were said to be beaten due to the Buddhist minority at the time.



In Buddhism, both "almsgiving" and, more generally, "giving" are called "dāna" (Pāli).[2] Such giving is one of the three elements of the path of practice as formulated by the Buddha for laypeople. This path of practice for laypeople is: dāna, sīla, bhāvanā.[3]

The exquisite paradox in Buddhism is that the more we give - and the more we give without seeking something in return - the wealthier (in the broadest sense of the word) we will become. By giving we destroy those acquisitive impulses that ultimately lead to further suffering. Generosity is also expressed towards other sentient beings as both a cause for merit and to aid the receiver of the gift. In MahayanaTradition it is accepted that although the three jewels of refuge are the basis of the greatest merit, by seeing other sentient beings as having Buddhanature and making offerings towards the aspirational Buddha to be within them is of equal benefit. Generosity towards other sentient beings is greatly emphasised in Mahayana as one of the perfections (paramita) as shown in Lama Tsong Khapa's 'The Abbreviated Points of the Graded Path' (Tibetan: lam-rim bsdus-don):



Total willingness to give is the wish-granting gem for fulfilling the hopes of wandering beings.


It is the sharpest weapon to sever the knot of stinginess.


It leads to bodhisattva conduct that enhances self-confidence and courage,


And is the basis for universal proclamation of your fame and repute.


Realizing this, the wise rely, in a healthy manner, on the outstanding path


Of (being ever-willing) to offer completely their bodies, possessions, and positive potentials.


The ever-vigilant lama has practiced like that.


If you too would seek liberation,


Please cultivate yourself in the same way.




—[4]


In Buddhism, giving of alms is the beginning of one's journey to Nirvana (Pali: nibbana).

In practice, one can give anything with or without thought for Nibbana. This would lead to faith (Pali: saddha), one key power (Pali: bala) that one should generate within oneself for the Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha.



The motives behind giving plays important role in developing spiritual qualities. The suttas record various motives for exercising generosity. The Anguttara Nikaya (A.iv,236) enumerates the following eight motives:

[5]

1.Asajja danam deti: one gives with annoyance, or as a way of offending the recipient, or with the idea of insulting him.


2.Bhaya danam deti: fear also can motivate a person to make an offering.


3.Adasi me ti danam deti: one gives in return for a favor done to oneself in the past.


4.Dassati me ti danam deti: one also may give with the hope of getting a similar favor for oneself in the future.


5.Sadhu danan ti danam deti: one gives because giving is considered good.


6.Aham pacami, ime ne pacanti, na arahami pacanto apacantanam adatun ti danam deti: "I cook, they do not cook. It is not proper for me who cooks not to give to those who do not cook." Some give urged by such altruistic motives.


7.Imam me danam dadato kalyano kittisaddo abbhuggacchati ti danam deti: some give alms to gain a good reputation.


8.Cittalankara-cittaparikkarattham danam deti: still others give alms to adorn and beautify the mind.


According to the Pali canon,  Of all gifts [alms], the gift of Dhamma is the highest.




—Dhp. XXIV v. 354)[note