Giving is up for Lent

The most important Buddhist event starts today

(KPL) Buddhism is an integral part of the lives of Lao people, as it helps to teach Lao people the differences between good and bad and assists them to achieve good things. Every year there are many festivals and rituals that take place, and one of the most important of these is Boun Khao Phansa, or Buddhist Lent.
Buddhist Lent begins today, 17 July, which falls on the fifteenth day of the waxing moon. Buddhist followers will spend the next three months, coinciding with the wet season, striving to attain merit.
During the Buddhist Lent, people will undertake many different activities, including preparing foods to offer as alms to monks and preparing candles, flowers and baskets that contain white clothes and foods, as offerings to Buddha images.One of the most important activities is offering lit candles to Buddha images, as people believe that the candles will create light in their lives and careers.
People also strive to get up early and offer alms to monks during the Lent, and to their local temple to listen to sermons, with as candle procession ceremony at night. Each temple also holds a candlelit procession around its main sanctuary every eighth and fifteen day of the waxing and waning moon. Monks also increase their devotion during the three-month Lent period.
They will spend more time prying to Buddha images during Lent, particularly in the evenings.
Monks will wear white robes, called “Pha Ab Nam Fonh”, when bathing during Lent rather than their usual yellow robes, worn during the rest of the year. Monks also strive to increase their spiritual life during Lent.
They undertake to remain within the walks of the temple throughout the three-month period, expect for their morning alms collection.The only exception to this rule is a case of serious illness in a monk’s family, and even then monks can only remain outside the temple for a maximum of seven days.
The historical roots of this practice go all the way back to the time of the Buddha. During the early years of their religion, the Buddha travelled a lot spreading the ideas of Buddhism. The needed to gather together once a year to maintain their sense of community and so the period of Lent was set aside for them to do so.
During the Lent period, monks undertake to perform the three obligations of Sin (moral conduct), Samathi (meditation), and Panya (Knowledge).
It is not only monks that undertake to follow rules more stringently during Lent: laymen and women too undertake to abide by their own three obligations, Sin (moral conduct), Thann (making offerings), and Phavanna (meditation).
Individual people also undertake to enhance or stop various behaviours during Lent. Some people try to not drink alcohol. Still others undertake to rise early every morning and give alms to the monks as they pass by at dawn.
Some undertake to pray to their Buddha image every morning or evening and to abide by the eight precepts of restraining from harming living beings, abstaining from stealing, abstinence from sexual activity, not telling lies, refraining from intoxicating drinks and drugs, abstaining from eating after noon, abstaining from listening to music, watching television and films and wearing ornaments, and refraining from sitting or sleeping in high places. Some people even undertake to sleep at their local temple on the fifteenth day of each waxing and waning moon.
They wear white, listen to sermons from the monks and practice meditation.
During the Lent, there are no celebrations, except for funerals, and Boun Khao Padabdin and Khao Salak festivals.

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