(Reported by Ven. Satyajit)
International Buddhist College (IBC) celebrated Kathina (Robe Offering ceremony) on October 30, 2016 at its multipurpose auditorium hall of the main campus.
IBC and Than Hsiang temple together organized this annual event. It was a very meaningful, educative and meritorious event. The ceremony gave immense opportunity to generate merits for the IBC and Than Hsiang temple lay community.
Kathina ceremony signifies a reciprocal relationship and mutual dependency between the monastic community and lay community, whereby Sangha uphold the Buddha-sasana by cultivating Dhamma - Vinaya and show moral guidance to the lay community to lead a harmonious and peaceful life and in return lay community take care of the Sangha members by offering necessary requisites including robes on this especial day.
Although some members have previous experiences with the traditional Kathina celebration at their home countries, however, for many it is the first hand experience to see the combination of two traditions, Theravada and Mahayana, and customs of various Buddhist countries.
The celebration began at 9 am included offering Puja, paying homage to the Triple Gem and chanting by Theravada and Mahayana traditions, observance of five precepts by the devotees, offering the robes and requisites to the Sangha members, conducting Dhamma talks, Kathina dedication, transference of merits for all sentient beings and donors, offering vegetarian lunch to everybody etc.
The ceremony also took the opportunity to tell the biography of late Thai King, the beloved father of Thailand, His Majesty Bhumibol Adulyadej and transferred the merits in memory of him.
There are many beautiful stories to be found in the scripture to illustrate the significance and merits of the Kathina. It is recorded in the Nagita Apadana that the Kathina dana (offering) is the highest meritorious deed among the act of wholesome deeds in the realm of Sensual world (Kamavacara Kusalakamma). The advantage and results of merits accumulated by offering of Kathina robe mentioned in the “Kathinanisansa Katha” (the story about the result of Kathina) of the Nagita Apadana. Ven. Nagita pointed out: “I have never experienced in the lower realms in the period of thirty aeons with the advantage and result of offering the Kathina robe to the Noble Community of monks.” “Each and every place of my birth alone with all the worldly luxurious material gained I became a very noble superior person with the result and merits of offering Kathina robe to the Noble Community of monks.” He further pointed out that “I have never known in any lower realms excepts being born only to the human and heavenly world with the results and merits of offering the Kathina robe to the Noble Community of monks.”
Finally Sangha members went to Wat Yang Thong to do Kathina robe kammavaca activity to fulfil the requirement of Kathiana celebration after the lunch dana.
