On the first day of the full moon in the eighth month of the lunar calendar, Thailand celebrates one of the most important Buddhist holidays — Asaha Puja Day.
This day is considered the founding day of Buddhism. It commemorates the day when the Buddha, after gaining enlightenment, preached his first sermon to five yogis leading an ascetic lifestyle at the time, in which he explained aspects of his vision of the structure of this world. The words he spoke were filled with enormous significant power and meaning. The brevity of his sayings as a mirror reflected the essence of people's behavior, as a result of which they, without knowing it, were in ignorance and suffering.
Then, more than 2,500 years ago, using only a few succinct expressions, the Buddha was able to voice what, in fact, can still serve as a guiding star for everyone who strives to understand the main thing — "why is everything so?". Over the years, the Buddha's words have turned into a mighty religion with millions of followers, and the guiding star he left behind in the disciples' records has turned into a finger pointing to it under the weight of interpretations.
Asaha Puja Festival — tradition of turning to the origins, to the past, to the words spoken by the Buddha many years ago, to his deep compassion and desire to help those who do not yet know. Buddhism, born from the words of an enlightened person, to this day serves as a support on the path of life for millions of seekers.
Thailand honors this holiday, which is celebrated on the eve of a three-month fast. Throughout the country, Buddhist believers come to temples early in the morning and present food and basic necessities to the monks. At the same time, newcomers, especially school-age boys, are converted to monks and novices. All significant ceremonies are conducted under the guidance of respected abbot monks, who « guide » people in prayer and worship. People engaged in performing rituals, following generally accepted rules of behavior and repeating sacred mantras, meditate on their deep meaning.