"TBSO - Waso Robe Offering Ceremony Invitation" (July-20, 2024)
All Dhamma Fellowships .....
According to the Lunar Calendar this year Rains Retreat will start July (21) and end it October (17). Theravada Buddha Sasana Organization (TBSO) sincerely invites all of you to participate Waso Robe Offering Ceremony on 20th July 2024 (Saturday) (Fullmoon Day of Waso) as follows:
Date: 20th July 2024 (Saturday)
Time: 10:30 PM - 3:00 PM
Place: 17730, Broadway Ave, Snohomish, WA 98296
Tel: (360)-243-3468
“Waso Robe Offering”
The Vassa is a time for the lay Buddhists to express their devotion to the cause of Buddhism by supporting the Sangha with special diligence, which task they regard as a potent source of merit. The devotees who approach the monks can enjoy the opportunity of learning the Dhamma from them: they have regular and appropriate receivers in performing their act of generosity especially offering robes (Vassāvāsika cīvara = Waso Robes). Therefore, the benefit of the three months retreat is mutual. This is the suitable time to offer robes if you would like to give at the proper time offering as follows:
For one complete Robe set = US$(50)
For upper Robe = US$(30)
For lower Robe = US$(20)
Once upon a time, while the Lord Buddha was residing at the Savatthi, Jetavana monastery, one deva (celestial being) approached the Lord Buddha at midnight. He most humbly paid obeisance and inquired - 1. What to offer? So that it may amount to offering of vitality and strength. 2. What to offer? So that it may amount to offering of pleasant appearances. 3. What to offer? So that it may amount to offering of happiness and comfort. 4. What to offer? So that it may amount to offering of the eyes (visual capacity). 5. What to offer? So that it may amount to offering of all the four gifts. The Enlightened One replied thus O! Deva! (=celestial being) - Offering of alms-food amounts to offering of vitality and strength. Offering of clothing and robes amounts to offering of pleasant appearances. Offering of vehicle and conveyance amounts to offering of happiness and comfort. Offering of light (as of candles, lamps, electrical energy etc.) amounts to offering of eyes (visual capacity). Offering of dwellings, lodgings, rest houses and monastic buildings amounts to offering of all the four gifts and Lord Buddha added the sixth - Offering of Dhamma by preaching, admonishing or distributing and propagating scriptures doctrinal books etc., amounts to offering of Nibbāna bliss - deliverance from all suffering. Offering of clothing, robes, etc. though a person may have good looks, if his clothing dresses are dirty, worn-out and rugged, his appearance will be very presentable. But when he is adorned with neat and tidy dress, his appearance becomes pleasant and amiable. So, offering of clothing robes etc. amounts to offering of pleasant appearances.
Vassa (in Pāḷi), also called Rains Retreat, is the traditional period during the Asian rainy season lasting for three lunar months. The observation of the Vassa was established within the Buddha’s lifetime. He laid down this rule based on a pre-existing practice where religious seekers avoided travel for a three-month period during the rainy season, in order to avoid the damaging crops and small living beings. Before this rule was there, the monks including the Buddha himself travelled around the year and they still did so for nine months after the rule was laid down. Travelling and meeting people at different places is a kind of missionary life that the Buddha envisaged. It helps the monks not to be attached to dwelling places and people. It enables them to render their service to as many as possible. It frees them from a huge burden of constructing, maintaining and developing a big temple or monastery. It helps the teachings to spread everywhere as they travel. Travelling made them encounter with different cultures. It gave them an understanding of real nature of life. Roaming around empowers them to endure hard life. When you have to move from one place to another almost all the time, you do not gather things. You start gathering things only when you have the idea to settle. Since they wander most of the time their way of thinking, their attitude towards life and their spiritual practices are very pragmatic, realistic and are based on facts.
The Vassa, a three-month rains retreat, was instituted by the Buddha himself and was made obligatory for all fully ordained bhikkhus; the details are laid down in the Mahavagga of the Vinaya Piṭaka (3rd and 4th chapters). The specific dates of the rains-retreat period vary somewhat: referring to the earlier (purimikā in Pāḷi) and later (pacchimikā) timing. The earlier period of rains-retreat spans from June-July (full moon) to September - October (full moon) of Buddhist lunar calendar. The later period begins one month after the earlier date: July-August (Sāvaṇa full moon) to October-November full moon of Buddhist month. Each period is 3 out of 4 months in duration of the rainy season (according to Buddhist counting). For all monks and nuns it is compulsory to observe rains-retreat. However, according to Buddhist discipline they are allowed to spend for seven days out of their residence for a few particular reasons. For example, to attend to the Buddhist Saṅgha, to give a Dhamma talk, or to visit relatives who have fallen ill. After the task or visit is completed, they should return within seven days to their residence. It is also important to mention that if the location for retreat is vulnerable to danger from thieves or wild animals, then a monastic member is allowed to dispute the retreat without any offence of transgressing a rule of discipline.
On the first day of the retreat the monks have to formally declare that they will dwell in that manner in the selected monastery or dwelling. The Vassa is also a time for the lay Buddhists to express their devotion to the cause of Buddhism by supporting the Saṅgha with special diligence, which task they regard as a potent source of merit. It is customary for prominent persons to invite monks to spend the period of time with them in dwellings specially prepared for the purpose. In this latter case the host would go and invite the monk or monks formally. If the monks accept the invitation, the hosts would prepare a special temporary dwelling in a suitable place with a refectory and a shrine room. The hosts would assume responsibility for providing all the needs of the monk or monks during this period, and they attend to this work quite willingly as they regard it as highly meritorious. With this Rainy Retreat (Vassana) practice coming along, the monks got a bit comfortable shelter. The devotees who approach them can enjoy the opportunity of learning the Dhamma from the monks: they have regular and appropriate receivers in performing their act of generosity espically offering robes (Vassavāsika cīvara = Waso Robes). Therefore, the benefit of the three months retreat is mutual. (Samyutta Nikaya)
During the rains-retreat, the monastic Saṅgha was advised to settle where alms-food and other requisites would be available without extensive travel. The retreat settlement is clearly defined in the Mahāvagga stating: neither too far from a village nor too near, suitable for coming and going, accessible for people whenever they want, not crowded by day, having little noise at night, little sound, without folk's breath, haunts of privacy, suitable for seclusion.
During rains-retreat, lay followers take certain vows and observe the precepts rigorously, engaging in activities such as: providing alms food to monastic Saṅgha, giving up smoking and intoxicants, observing the eight precepts, practicing meditation, chanting Buddhist Suttas and listening to Dhamma talks. At the end of the rains-retreat the Buddhist Saṅgha performs a special ceremony called the pavāraṇā, where each one invites his fellows to point out any mistakes committed during the retreat period. It is well documented in the texts that during the rains-retreat, many monks and nuns achieved spiritual goals. The rains-retreat affirms that both monastic and lay community have developed over time in mutual co-operation and observance of the Buddha’s teachings. Undoubtedly, with the institutionalization of the rains-retreat, the Buddhist Saṅgha has performed an important role in the development of Buddhism.
Giving is of prime importance in the Buddhist scheme of mental purification because it is the best weapon against greed (lobha), the first of the three unwholesome motivational roots (akusalamūla). The Buddha said that the practice of giving will aid us in our efforts to purify the mind. Generous gifts accompanied by wholesome volition help to eradicate suffering in three ways. First, when we decide to give something of our own to someone else, we simultaneously reduce our attachment to the object; to make a habit of giving can thus gradually weaken the mental factor of craving, one of the main causes of unhappiness. Second, giving accompanied by wholesome volition will lead to happy future births in circumstances favorable to encountering and practicing the pure Buddha Dhamma. Third, and most important, when giving is practiced with the intention that the mind becomes pliant enough for the attainment of Nibbāna, the act of generosity will help us develop virtue, concentration and wisdom (sīla, samādhi, paññā) right in the present. These three stages make up the Buddha's Noble Eightfold Path, and perfecting the path leads to the extinction of suffering.
Theravada Buddha Sasana Organization (TBSO) is located in the North East of Seattle, Washington State.
We are a monastery in the Dhamma Gone Yee Mahasi Sasana Yeikthar of Seattle Myanmar Buddhist organization.
TBSO was founded in September of 2009. Our mission is to promote and teach Buddha's teachings and cultures.
TBSO is essentially just beginning; it is a young monastery with great growth potential.
All donations go to support our Buddha Mission - TBSO(USA) to establish a meditation center for your present and beyond the life goal.
Donations, as always, are very much appreciated.
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May all of you grow longevity, beauty, happiness and strength in physical and mental by the power of wholesomeness.
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