Kushinagar,

16 July (HS): A group of 75 Buddhists from Thailand has reached Kushinagar in

Uttar Pradesh, the place of Gautam Buddha's Mahaparinirvana, for the rainy

season. The group will stay at the Thai Wat Buddhist Vihar here during the

three months of the rainy season and will also study and contemplate Buddhism.

The group also includes 20 women monks. The group will leave for their home

country after donating the robes on Sharad Purnima.

In

Thai Wat, in-charge of Thai Monastery and Buddhist religious guru Chakhun

Sompong and Chakhun Songkran on Wednesday informed the migrant Buddhist monks

about the importance of Varshavas. The religious gurus taught the monks to

imbibe humility and modesty in life. He said that this develops spirituality

and gives the power to enrich the unity of the Sangha and community life. Phra

Kittiphan, Phra Bunma, Phra Dam, Phra Praveen etc. are also imparting education

to the migrant Buddhist monks. It is noteworthy that on 20 October 2021, Prime

Minister Narendra Modi donated Chivar (clothes) in Kushinagar on Kwar Purnima.

What

is Varshavasa: Varshavasa is an important tradition of Buddhism. Lord Buddha

did his first Varshavasa in Sarnath in 527 BC in Rishipatan of Sarnath. He also

did his 45th Varshavasa at this place. Apart from this, he did Varshavasa in

Shravasti, Jetavana, Vaishali, Rajgriha. During the rainy season, Buddhist

monks and nuns practice religion by staying at one place for a period of three

months from Ashadha Poornima to Kwar Poornima. In special circumstances, they

can go out with the permission of the Guru with the condition of returning

before sunset.

Hindusthan Samachar / Abhishek Awasthi