The Kathina Ceremony is one of the most significant Buddhist festivals which is celebrated once in a year in every Buddhist monastery. In this very special ceremony both Sangha members and the devotees accumulate much merits. The “Kathina Robe Offering Ceremony” takes place after the completion of three months “Rainy Retreat” (Vassa). The season during which a monastery may hold a Kathina festival is one month long, that takes place during the months of October and November.
Residential monastic community of Korat campus of the International Buddhist College celebrated the Kathina ceremony on November 6, 2014. The celebration included offering light and paying homage to the Triple Gem, observing five precepts by the devotees, offering the robes and requisites to the Sangha members, giving Dhamma talk both in English and Thai, transference of merits, offering vegetarian lunch to everybody etc.
It is mentioned in the Nagita Apadana that the Kathina dana (offering) is the highest meritorious deed among the act of wholesome deeds in the realm of Sensual world (Kamavacara Kusalakamma). The advantage and results of merits accumulated by offering of Kathina robe mentioned in the “Kathinanisansa Katha” (the story about the result of Kathina) of the Nagita Apadana. Ven. Nagita pointed out: “I have never experienced in the lower realms in the period of thirty aeons with the advantage and result of offering the Kathina robe to the Noble Community of monks.” “Each and every place of my birth alone with all the worldly luxurious material gained I became a very noble superior person with the result and merits of offering Kathina robe to the Noble Community of monks.” He further pointed out that “I have never known in any lower realms excepts being born only to the human and heavenly world with the results and merits of offering the Kathina robe to the Noble Community of monks.”
We hope we will be able to celebrate such meritorious Kathina ceremony in coming years as well. Our sincere thanks to all the lecturers, staff, students and the organizing committee members for their various contribution and mutual support to make the Kathina celebration successful
The Free Metta Clinic Service has proven to be a winning success for the local community in Pak Thong Chai. Klintiendharm Foundation and IBC are therefore looking forward to the future cooperation with the aim to further improve the level of care quality provided to our local community.