End of Rains 2010

We have now reached the end of the Rains Retreat, and we are now busy post-retreat with a project to both improve fire-safety and to beautify the Wat, as well as with preparations for the upcoming December retreat. Currently, there are 4 permanent residents – two monks, a long-term lay supporter and an Anagarika (someone in training to become a monk) – and 3 ladies staying for a month or longer.

Three events marked the close of the Rains Retreat of 2010.

First, Tan Chao Khun Maha Samai came along to the Wat on October 17^th to lead the celebration of the annual ‘Thai-Australia’ day. This day has been an annual event for more than 20 years. This year, as well as a large number of Thai supporters, many people of Vietnamese origin also came, reflecting Ajahn Khemavaro’s growing support amongst the Vietnamese community of Sydney. There were more than 100 people in all as well as 2 Venerables from Tan Chao Khun’s monastery Wat Pa Buddharangsee. The day followed the usual program –  after a lovely meal shared by all, the monks led a slow procession to the Sala chanting ‘Iti pi so’ along the way, and then circumambulated the Sala three times before heading inside. The group then took the 3 refuges and 5 precepts, and listened to short Dhamma talks by Tan Chao Khun and by Ajahn Khemavaro before making their offerings.  An amount of over $4000 was raised for the benefit of the monastic community and the running of the Wat. After the ceremony, Tan Chao Khun led a short monastery tour.

Second, the community ended the Rains Retreat on the night of October 23^rd with a formal ceremony, dating back 2,500 years to the time of the Buddha. This involves each person who stayed the Rains Retreat at Wat Buddha Dhamma offering ‘Pavarana’, a beautiful invitation to the community to admonish him or her based on any wrong-doing they may have committed during the Rains Retreat. After all the members of the community, both lay and monastic, have invited admonition in this way, first the monks then the lay people perform a forgiveness ceremony, so that any wrong-doing of body, speech or mind, whether intentional or unintentional, is forgiven by the senior monk and they in-turn forgive any wrong-doing by him.

Finally, in the time of the Buddha the community of monks, provided there were 4 or more in residence the whole Rains Retreat, would hold a ‘Kathina’ ceremony to mark the end of the Rains Retreat. At Wat Buddha Dhamma, because there were just 2 monks in residence the whole Rains, it was not possible to hold a complete Kathina ceremony, so instead on the 21^st of November a Robe Offering ceremony was conducted, sponsored by Charlie and Kim Tran. Although Tan Chao Khun Maha Samai could not come, this was by far the biggest ceremony of the year. Some 250-300 people came to the Wat to support the monks and to celebrate the end of the Rains. The day followed the same program as usual, except that once inside the Sala the group was led in requesting the 3 refuges and 5 precepts in Vietnamese by Kim Tran.  Kim then chanted the formal request for the Sangha to receive an offering of robes and other requisites and a very generous offering of large numbers of robes and other items needed by monks was made. Donations were also collected, and more than $7,300 was raised for the benefit of the monastic community and the running of the Wat. After the ceremony, people had the opportunity to go on a short tour of the monastery.

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