Khao Pansa

The beginning of Buddhist Lent is a period of three months in the rainy season when monks and nuns are allowed to take their retreat. The tradition was formed in response to criticism by followers of the Jain religion, who believed that religious mendicants must avoid travelling during the rainy season so as not to tread upon small seedlings growing in the ground. In Jainism, physical actions are the main sources of karma, and non-violence is an essential component of a devout life; trampling the sprouting seedlings was considered an act of violence causing a painful end of life.
In early Buddhism, the rain retreat tradition consolidated the Buddhist community. Monks and nuns who lived the homeless life were able to strengthen their relationships to one another. It also provided a forum for exchanging spiritual experiences. Senior monks and nuns were seen as fathers and mothers to their students, thus fostering the Sangha as a family in which members act as brothers and sisters. Each member of the Sangha is responsible for the physical and spiritual growth of the others. Community care was the heart and soul of the Sangha.
There is no better way to celebrate the Asalaha Puja rain retreat than to bring back the spirit of caring to promote peace and harmony.