Kathin celebrated in Phana and Devon

A telephone call to Phana last week alerted us to the Kathin being celebrated there under the sponsorship of the Tetsaban on Sunday. This year we are still in England at the end of the vassa (phansa, in Thai), the so-called rains retreat which lasts for three months. Kathin ceremonies have to be performed in the month following the end of the vassa. But by coincidence our local Buddhist monastery was celebrating on the same day as Tetsaban Phana and we had planned to take part.

Last year, one of the things I wrote was this:

Each wat with at least 5 monks in residence is entitled to benefit from one robe presentation (Tod Kathin) each year. Originally that is all it was, the presentation of a new set of robes to one monk nominated by the abbot. Nowadays, and for some time past, it has become a major source of fund-raising for the temple, a major source of merit-making for lay people, and a major source of economic activity for the makers and sellers of Buddhist supplies and for local construction companies. Oh, and it is also a major source of sanuk for everyone who takes part.

The celebration at the Hartridge Buddhist Monastery (or the Devon Vihara, as it used to be known) was certainly a sanuk occasion, and the teaching by the senior monk (Tan Acharn Sucitto, abbot of the monastery at Chithurst in Sussex) was amusing and uplifting, focussing on the benefits and responsibilities of friendship. The ceremony was organised and sponsored by two Thai women long resident in England, Noi and her aunt Mudhitta. One of the objects was to raise funds towards the enlargement of the shrine room at the monastery. In fact, because the number of people attending ceremonies such as this has increased so much, the main ceremony was held in the local village hall.

This monastic fan was presented three years ago at a previous kathin ceremony.

 

This group of (amateur) musicians welcomed people into the hall. 

 

A large group of Thai women were busy in the kitchen receiving offerings of food for the alms round and the meal that lay people would share.

 

Some of the food was labelled 'VEGETARIAN' as you can see in this photo. The rest was labelled 'NORMAL' which is how most Thais I know view the distinction, but it caused some murmuring amongst the rather earnest meditators and seekers after enlightenment who frequent the monastery more often than the Thais and who have a more puritanical view of Buddhism. They are English, don't forget!
 

 

One end of the hall had been prepared fro the arrival of the monastics (monks, a nun and an anagrarika, a young man preparing for ordination). They did not eat here as most monks would do in Thailand. These monks are followers of the late Luang Por Ajahn Chah, so they are in the forest tradition and eat only once a day, from their alms bowl.

 
 

Another job for the Thai women was receiving donations and recording the amount offered and by whom. This is the custom in Thailand, of course, as is the money-tree you can see here on the right.

 

Pensri joined others lined up outside the hall waiting to offer rice to the monks. It was a bright, sunny day but very cold and people waited patiently a long time for the alms round to start.

  

  

 
 

The nun (in brown) and the anagarika (in white), below, were the last in the line. In Thailand, of course,women do not receive full ordination and so would not be wearing a robe like this, and the English Sangha in the line of Ajahn Chah has caused something of a controversy by ordaining women. 

 
 

 When the main ceremony finally started, the atmosphere was quite light-hearted.

 

Here, Khun Mudhitta is raising the tray that the robe is offered on.

 

The two monks facing each other formally received the robe and announced that it had been decided unanimously by all the monks that it should be given to the abbot of the Hartridge Monastery. This led to the lay people breaking into spontaneous applause and the abbot himself remarking that it must be his birthday.

 

Following the presentation of the robe it was explained that by custom the pieces of cloth which will make up the robe have to be sewn together before dawn the next day, so two monks who had been assigned this task left with the robe to return to the monastery to begin sewing.

Then came the dhamma talk by the senior monk. During this, many of the Thais present behaved as is 'normal' (that word again!) in Thailand. That is, they carried on conversations, moved around, behaved normally, in fact. This led to much 'shushing' from elderly English people. At one stage a particularly noisy outburst at the back of the hall resulted in equally loud requests (or orders) to be quiet and I heard one man call out "This is disgusting!" I learned later from one of the young Thai women involved that they had been totalling the monetary donations and had been excited by the amount. A little later a difference of opinion had arisen between the Thais and English as to whether the total should be announced, as is the usual custom in Thailand. The Thais won, and the abbot was pleased to announce that a little short of £3,500 had been raised.

I suppose these cultural differences which had been thrown up were funny as much as anything, and certainly the Thais did not seem particularly put out.

The fact is that although there is a small group of particularly hard-working English supporters who are very active on occasions such as this, nevertheless, without the Thai people not much would get done and the whole affair would have seemed much less of a celebration. The Thais do know how to put on a good show and most definitely know how to avoid overmuch solemnity.

My posts on Kathin celebrations in Phana last year (2009) can be accessed most easily through the Archive tab at the top of this page. Posts were dated 20, 29, 31 October and 2 and 3 November. 

http://www.forestsangha.org  is the community portal page for the world-wide Sangha of Ajahn Chah's communities. Besides providing links to most of the branch monasteries and associated groups it also hosts a variety of teachings in English and other languages.

NB If this link does not work, please type the address yourself. I originally mis-spelt it but have corrected it. However, whenever I test the link the original mis-spelling appears and of course the site cannot be found. However, patience is something I learned the meaning of in Thailand.

 

 

Comments

[Mike]

Lawrence, a very interesting slant to this story from the UK. I particularly liked the elderly English folk shushing. So very British.

I was up at Duen's local temple a couple of weeks ago for the anniversary of her fathers death.

I wonder what your English audience would of made of the entrance of the lottery ticket seller as the monks were chanting.

PS She sold two tickets ;-)

[Lawrenc]

Good timing on the part of the lottery seller, I'd have thought. It must be an auspicious time so I'm surprised she only sold two. You didn't win, did you? No, I thought not.

[Martyn]

Lawrence an excellent account of the Kathin celebrations being held in England. The differences of opinions between the Thais present and their UK counterparts also highlight the more seriousness nature of are English ways.

Great post, smashing photos and I bet you can't wait to get back to Phana.

[Martyn]

I forgot to add, what a great comment by Mike. Very funny but oh so true.

[Catherine]

Lawrence, what a timely post. I'll be in Devon before the end of the year. If I have the time (you know how that goes!) I'll stop by the monastery.

[Lawrence]

Cat, I think you'd enjoy a trip out to the monastery and there would be some good photo ops for you there, I think. It is not easy to find, so if you would like directions, let me know and I'll mail you them.