Cambodia’s Makha Bucha Day Buddha (Theravada): March 30
Makha Bucha Day Buddha (Theravada) is a public holiday in Cambodia.
Theravada Buddhists countries, of which Cambodia is a part, observe the Makha Bucha Day, on the full moon of the third lunar month in the Buddhist calendar. The date of celebration may change since Buddhist calendar is astrological in nature which means the date of observations may vary depending on the position or sightings of celestial bodies.
Makha Bucha, or commonly known as Magha Puja, commemorates the act of 1,250 monks in paying homage to Buddha. Cambodia celebrates it on March while other countries such as Thailand usually celebrate it at the end of February.
History of Cambodia’s Makha Bucha Day Buddha (Theravada)
Makha Bucha (Magha Puja) is celebrated in countries with high concentration of Buddhists such as Laos, Thailand, and Cambodia. The name of the festival is derived from the name of the month in Buddhist calendar (Makha, third lunar month of the Buddhist calendar) and the act of venerating the Buddha (Bucha). With that, the celebration is the day for Buddhists to honor the Buddha and his teachings as soon as the full moon is sighted on the third lunar month.
The main goal of the holiday is absolute righteousness among the followers of Buddhism; this means that people are encouraged to do only good and despise evil of any kind and become at peace with nature.
The origin of Makha Bucha has tied up to the events that happened after the Enlightenment of the Buddha. The events that followed became the foundation of how the event is celebrated today: 1,250 followers (Shangha) visited Buddha, each of them are considered the ‘Enlightened One’ (Arhantas), the Buddha conferred what was called ‘ovadhapatimokha’, a principle that calls for absolute goodness of the Arhantas which is defined by doing what is good, discontinuing all evil acts, and cleansing one’s mind. It is said that during the event, the moon’s phase was on full moon.
Cambodia’s Makha Bucha Day Buddha (Theravada): Traditions, Customs and Activities
During the holiday, especially at sunset, the faithful gather in local temples and participate in traditional religious ceremonies. Processions called Wian Tian also happens within that day.
Buddhist monks also calls for the observance of Five Precepts, a Buddhist principle which includes meditation, staying in the temple while wearing white robes, and being at peace with nature by clearing one’s mind with earthly worries.
Other interesting posts:
- Buddha’s First Sermon
- Parinirvana is a religious observance for Buddhists
- Cambodian New Year Celebration: Chol Chnam Thmey
- Bodhi Day is a religious observance for Buddhists
- Dharma Day
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