Buddhist Lent - A Mandatory Diet Spell For Orange-clad Baldies
Buddhist Lent: Rain, Restraint, and Really Good Candles So you’re in Thailand during the rainy season, and someone mentions it’s the start of Buddhist Lent. You pause, confused. “Wait... monks give up chocolate too?” Not quite. This isn’t a diet plan. This is Vassa , a three-month period of reflection, rain, and religious devotion, and it’s kind of a big deal. It begins on Asalha Bucha Day , which commemorates the Buddha’s first sermon. The next day kicks off the actual Lent, known as Khao Phansa . This is when monks retreat to their temples, stay put, and meditate like champions. Why? Because it’s monsoon season, and 2,500 years ago it was considered poor form to go trampling through farmers' rice fields in the mud while trying to spread wisdom. So for three lunar months, monks don’t travel nor do they make their rounds for alms in the mornings. They deepen their practice, and laypeople join in by making merit such as offering food, robes, and what appears to be an absolutely unre...