Kathina And Loykratong With Lay Buddhist Association

Written by Ubasaka Colin

Two weeks prior to the Kathina celebration, I was showing a new-comer around the monk’s house at Wat Buddhapadippa and as we entered the library our eyes were assailed by the wonderfully vibrant colours of the threaded decorations which several Thai people were busily preparing, seated on the floor. The colours made my heart glow with the pure joy and excitement that one usually only experiences as a child on special occasions.

This year I was to be responsible for coming early to the temple and setting up the bookstall as the usual person who does this had meritoriously taken herself off to Thailand for a retreat. I suggested that on this occasion we include some children’s Dhamma books on our stall. Trevor, who was helping for the first time, graciously offered to buy some simple story-books for children depicting the Buddha’s life, as we realized that we did not have sufficient time to order books from internet companies.

The weather in the days before the celebration had been very cold and frosty and it seemed that Sunday 5^th November might be no exception. In the event, however, it turned out to be one of those crisps, English, autumn days where the sky was clear blue and the sun shone warmly despite the cold. When I arrived at 7.30 a.m. to set up, I realized how much pre-arranging I should have done to secure a good location for the stall and to have thought about bringing cloths to cover the rather dull brown tables that the books were to be laid out on. Necessity is the mother of invention, however, and I found a friendly monk and persuaded him to lend me his bed sheets for the greater good of giving away Dhamma. I was made to promise to return the sheets personally at the end of the day!

The day went well with the monks splashing people with water in continual blessings and the lay-people in return buying monks robes. Groups of Thai people had entered into competition and produced wonderfully constructed dragons to float on the lake. People bought beautifully-made Katinas made of polystyrine and bright tissue paper to float off with their lighted candles. Children delighted in going to the lakeside with their parents and launching these delicate vessels. Companies of adults and children performed Thai dancing and singing. People stayed all day and refreshed themselves with the freshly-cooked traditional Thai food offered by local Thai restaurateurs. The smells and sights and sounds were a feast in themselves.

People visited the Lay Buddhist Association bookstall as always and were interested in taking away books to give to friends to stimulate their spiritual interests. People’s wish to share the faith and devotion they themselves have in Buddhism was touching and impressive. They also looked for books of interest to themselves. Several people asked about the kind of Buddhism practiced at Buddhapadippa and spoke of the practice of other temples they had been to or were attending. The exchange of ideas was as stimulating as it always proves to be on such occasions and one received as much as one gave away. Many Thai people came and took away books about Vipassana meditation as well as chanting books, which showed how important the temple remains as a centre of Thai language, culture and tradition. Importantly, the experiment in having some children’s books on the stall proved successful with all Trevor’s books being snapped up by people who wanted to give them to their sons and daughters and nephews and nieces. Children themselves liked to find something of interest to themselves and to find that they had been kept in mind. At the end of the day, we found that as well as spending a day sharing wisdom with others we had also collected