Buddhist Lent Day is a period of three lunar months during the rainy season when monks are required to remain in one particular place or wat (temple). Khao Phansa Day is on the first day after the full moon of the eighth lunar month (this year is on July 14th,2003) and marks the beginning of the three-month Buddhist 'lent' period.
The tradition of Buddhist Lent or the annual three-month rains retreat known in Thai as "Phansa". Khao Phansa means to remain in one place during the rainy season. Phansa represents a time of renewed spiritual vigor and Khao Phansa festival is a major Buddhism merit-making festival.
The day before Khao Phunsa Day is Asalha Puja Day. The day falls on the full moon
of the eighth lunar month (July 13th,2003). This day is also very important in Buddhism. It was on this day that the Lord Buddha preached His sermon to followers after attaining enlightenment. The day is usually celebrated by merit making, listening to a monk's sermon, and joining a candle lit procession during the night.
Three Dhamma Principles in Buddhism They are
1. Stop doing bad deeds
2. Do only good deed
3. Purify his/her mind
What the Buddhists should do during the Buddhist Lent
During the Buddhist Lent, both senior and junior monks stay in the same places, so it is a good chance for the congregations to make merit with a lot of merit fields. Our forebears never let the monks to have the special time only, they did too. Our
forebears had this special time by making a pledge to do some special things during the Buddhist Lent day.
1 . Candle Festival
2 . Traditional offerings robes rain.
Or many other people using the Buddhist Lent day as the beginning of a good deed or intend to do good, such as sobriety, quit smoking, quit gambling
.