Makha Bucha Day

Makha Bucha

Today we celebrate one of the most important Buddhist holidays: Makha Bucha Day (also called Māgha Pūjā). 🙏

It is celebrated on the full moon day of the third lunar month, it is the anniversary of the first gathering of Buddha and his disciples (there were 1250 of them). Buddhists consider this day as the creation of an ideal and exemplary Buddhist community called Saṅgha. On this gathering Buddha revealed to his disciples three main principles of Buddhism (so-called Ovādapātimokkha), which are:

1. The non-doing of evil
2. The full performance of what is wholesome
3. The total purification of the mind

This festival is celebrated in Thailand by visiting the temple and walking 3 circles around it (clockwise) with a burning candle held in their hands, the forefront of this procession is of course the monks. This day is also celebrated by preaching and making offerings of food, gathering together for listening of Buddha’s teaching, group meditation and chanting together Buddhist mantras.

It is the day for purity for both: the soul and the body, therefore it is forbidden to sell alcohol on the whole territory of Thailand.