THE FULL MOON OF WASO

It sounds like the title of a 2-disc space opera rock concept album, and may be it is unreleased by one of the great Burmese metal bands. To my knowledge, "The full moon of Waso", celebrated at Dhammasekya Day, marks the start of a special season in the year all over Myanmar that commemorates the time when the Buddha gave his first sermon to five monks.

Official astrologists have announced that this year 2014, the full moon on the Burmese Lunar Calendar will be on 11th July. Pilgrims throughout the country will gather wild flowers to offer at pagodas, and offer new robes to monks who embark on a period of confinement to their monastery, as per the Buddhist code of conduct, to follow a the 3-month long Lent.

Apparently, the code dates back to when a group of monks, set out on a journey to pay Buddha their respect, walked across cultivated fields, spoiling the crops and insects unintentionally. A law was passed forbidding monks to travel more than a night during the three months of the monsoon rains (season for seeding and transplanting in the fields). That started the rain-retreat: the Buddhist Lent.

So this year, they will miss the Germany-Argentina final of the World Cup 2014. But I guess it is okay, since they will devote their times to higher ground realities, through meditation and practicing the Buddha's teachings.

In Myanmar, the Lent will last until the full moon of Thadingyut, celebrated by the Lighting Festival, the second most popular festival after Thingyan (the water festival, see the post in this blog). During Thadingyut festival, all will celebrate the Buddha’s descent from the heaven after he preached the Abhidhamma to his mother, Maya, who was reborn in the heaven.