Commentary: Kathin Festival encourages participation in donating personal wealth for society and Buddhism
Phnom Penh÷A senior official of the Ministry of Cults and Religions confirmed that at present, in addition to receiving alms, the festival also encourages the generous donation of wealth by Buddhists everywhere to participate in the development of Cambodian society, both Buddhist and non-Buddhist. Empire section.
Kathin is a festival that begins after the rainy season. Kathin festival is always marched to all temples, not a single pagoda is missed. Therefore, it is often seen that the Kathina procession marches to monasteries across the country from the 1st day of the lunar month to the 15th day of the lunar month. During this period, if any temple does not have the initiator of the Kathin procession, the temple must be organized by the Buddhists as the Kathin at the foot of the pagoda or the Solidarity Kathin.
His Excellency Nhean Phoeun, Secretary of State of the Ministry of Cults and Religions and a member of the National Festival Organizing Committee, told Cambodia-China Friendship Radio on October 18, 2022 that the Kathina Festival has made a significant contribution to fundraising. Other achievements include temples, monasteries, monasteries, schools, roads in each community.
His Excellency stated that the Buddhists have a very clear belief in initiating the Kathina ceremony at various pagodas, some of them accept the big triad, some accept the trialeang or the small triad according to their ability and ability. At the same time, the initiators of the Kathin festival also added many more suffixes for the monks to use to manage the construction of various achievements.
This Kathina Festival has made it easy for the people, monks, and pagoda committees to unite to raise funds to build something that is necessary in the pagoda or in the commune village. Also.
Voice: “The interest in our Cambodian society is to inspire the generosity of Buddhists, young and old, to contribute to Buddhism and develop the society, because our Cambodians need to be built everywhere. This Kathina has been used to build many achievements, especially those who perform this Kathina ceremony, who believe that they have been ordained as monks. ”
At the same time, HE Nhean Phoeun rejected the suggestion that young people can not start performing Kathina or Toul Tri, which leads to short life, business and other misfortunes. In fact, no matter how old you are, you can also celebrate this festival, there is nothing wrong with being pure.
Voice: “It is never a festival that can not be done, it is possible to do Kathin festival, both young and old can do it all, because the festival turns out to be pure generosity.”
In the scriptures of Buddhism, it is said that the Kathina ceremony is the alms given by the Buddhists to the monks by giving them a chivor or sangha, according to the rules, and the time of the alms is clearly defined. Only 29 days in a year, if the time limit is exceeded as stated, this is not called a Kathina.
The Kathen Donation Ceremony to each temple was held with great rejoicing. For the initiators of the festival, they have prepared the Kathin equipment, such as the trichivor, the sangha de sbong, as well as other gifts such as the bottom of the plate, the knife, the needle, the needle, the guard bag, the umbrella, etc., and then they all march to the designated pagoda.
In Cambodia, although there is no document to confirm when the celebration of Kathina in Cambodian society originated, some researchers have concluded that the celebration of almsgiving to the monks of God This Buddhism has existed since the former Khmer king brought Buddhism to practice.
(Article by Cambodia-China Friendship Radio)
