ワンマカブチャー (万仏節) Makha Bucha Day

３月７日は仏事です。万仏節


　タイの朝は僧たちの托鉢によって始まる。愉楽に騒ぐ熱帯の夜の名残りと、新たな一日の光が生起する豊饒への胎動との境目に、密かに目と祈りが流れ出る。合掌した手の熱い思いから、あたかも一瞬一瞬紡ぎ出される奇跡のように、生きとし生けるものの時間が動き始める。
裸足の僧と、裸足で食物を捧げる叙の、大地を通した交歓のなかに、洗われる心が光る。「サバーイ　チャイ」という内面の輝きの美しさを、タイの人々は生れながらに具備している。祈りの溶け合うそこに、タイの朝がある。

タイ人は朝托鉢に来る僧侶に食物を捧げる。また、誕生日には早朝から寺へ行って捧げ物をする。これらも、幼少の頃から一つの習慣として受け入れられていくものである。「徳を積む」ことを社会と人生の価値観として学んでいく。「ナーム　チャイ」（水の心＝怦､）とか、「サバーイ　チャイ」（心がすっきりする）とか、精神の清らかさやさわやかさを表す言葉が、日常のなかに息づいている
。

ワンマーカブチャー (万仏節)

陰暦3月の満月の日に釈迦がウェールワン寺院を訪れた際、悟りの境地に達した1,250人の弟子が偶然一堂に会したという奇跡的な出来事を祝う日で、人々は寺で説法を聞き、手にロウソクを持って本堂や仏道を3巡します。

Makha Bucha Day is a very important Buddhist Holiday in Thailand

Makha Bucha takes place on the full moon of the third lunar month. The day commemorates two separate events that occurred on the same date, but 45 years apart during the lifetime of the Buddha over 2500 years ago.

The first event was the spontaneous coming togeather of 1,250 monks to meet and be ordained by the Buddha, woithout any prior announcement having being given. This took place 7 months after the Buddha began his teachings.

The second event, which took place 45 years later, was the Buddha delivering his teachings shortly before his death.

The name of the event is derived from two words in the Buddhist Pali language: "Makha" which is the word for the third lunar month and "Bucha" which means to venerate or to honour. Thus Makha Bucha Day is for the veneration of Buddha and his teachings on the full moon day of the third lunar month.

Makha Bucha Day is a very important Buddhist Holiday in Thailand (where about 92% of the population are Buddhist). Many Thai people take the day off work, but the main festivities take place in the early evening. Thai Buddhists gather at the temples at sunset to "Wian Tian". Wian Tian is the act circumnavigating the Bhot (the main building of a temple complex), where Monks are ordained, three times. While doing this they chant and carry with them one burning candle and three incense sticks held along with one lotus flower between their upright folded hands. They do this as a way to show their respect to what is called the "Tripple Gem", which is the Buddha himself, his teachings and doctrines, and the monkhood he founded. As such, the first time they walk around the Bhot they think of the Buddha, on the second they think of his teachings and the third, they think of the monks who devote themselves to Buddhism.