Sunday 26 October
10:00 AM to 03:00 PM
Kathina Ceremony
Sunday 26th October 2014
Arrival 10:00 – 10:30 am Almsround & Lunch 10:30 – 12:00 pm Ceremony 12:15 – 2:00 pm Guided Tour 2:00 – 3:00 pm
The Kathina Ceremony marks the end of the Rains Retreat. On this day we rejoice in having spent the past three months at the Wat dedicated to the practice of cultivating peace and kindness. The ceremony was instituted by the Buddha to celebrate the mutual respect and appreciation between the monastics and the lay community who looked after them during the Rains Retreat. This is a rare opportunity to take part in an ancient and inspiring Buddhist ceremony and chance to make new friends.
The core values that are celebrated during Kathina are those that make living together in harmony possible; qualities like kindness, compassion, patience and acceptance. In our sometimes confusing and competitive world, it is important to remember that our own sense of well-being cannot be secure unless it is founded on acts of generosity and goodwill to others.
The celebration will include taking the Three Refuges and Five Precepts, awe-inspiring Buddhist chanting, Dhamma talks by Ajahn Khemavaro and Ajahn Phanom, and offerings of robes, requisites, and a shared meal. After the ceremony there will be a monastery tour, where visitors can see some monks’ huts.
For further info, please call 02-4323-3193 or 0409-389-887 between 8-10 am and 11 and 1 pm or email: office@wbd.org.au