Songkran or water festival, Hindu calendar-based New Year festivals

Songkran is a term derived from the Sanskrit word, saṅkrānti (or, more specifically, meṣa saṅkrānti) and used to refer to the traditional Lunar New Year celebrated in Thailand, Laos, 

Cambodia, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, parts of northeast India, parts of Vietnam and Xishuangbanna, China. It begins when the sun transits the constellation of Aries, the first astrological sign in the Zodiac, as reckoned by sidereal astrology. It is related to the equivalent Hindu calendar-based New Year festivals in most parts of South Asia which are collectively referred to as Mesha Sankranti.

Songkran is the occasion for family re-unions, temple visits and annual house cleaning. People from Many countries observe the holidays by spending time with families and friends. Traditionally, they perform the Rod Nam Dum Hua ritual on the first day of Songkran, which is officially the National Elderly Day. During the ritual, young people would pour fragrant water into the elders’ palms as a gesture of humility and to ask for their blessings. 

The second day of Songkran is officially the National Family Day. Families would wake up early and give alms to the monks, and then ideally the rest of the day would be spent sharing quality family time together. An important religious ritual on Songkran is ‘Bathing the Buddha image’, in which devout Buddhists pour fragrant water over Buddha statues both at the temple and at home. More religious Thais would engage themselves in Buddhist ceremonies and merit-making activities throughout the holidays.

The Songkran celebration is rich with symbolic traditions. Mornings begin with merit-making. Visiting local temples and offering food to the Buddhist monks is commonly practiced. On this specific occasion, performing water pouring on Buddha statues is considered an iconic ritual for this holiday. 

It represents purification and the washing away of one's sins and bad luck. As a festival of unity, people who have moved away usually return home to their loved ones and elders. As a way to show respect, younger people often practice water pouring over the palms of elders' hands. Paying reverence to ancestors is also an important part of Songkran tradition.

The holiday is known for its water festival which is mostly celebrated by young people. Major streets are closed for traffic, and are used as arenas for water fights. Celebrants, young and old, participate in this tradition by splashing water on each other. Traditional parades are held and in some venues "Miss Songkran" is crowned. where contestants are clothed in traditional Thai dress.

buddhism date

Presenting BUDDHA AND HIS DHAMMA written by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar to Buddhist lay woman from Jain community.
सबका मंगल हो.

From Mumbai To U.S. tour

Venerable Dhammaratna Mahathera from Mumbai is in U.S. tour. He will be there in New York and Washington till 11th April, thenon will be in California till 18th April.
Venerable Bhante's U.S. mobile no is +13233046755.

+5

Life of the Buddha - Siddhartha to seek for Nirvana

After many days of contemplation and distress, Siddhartha visited the city for the fourth time. As he was driving to the park he saw a happy man wearing an orange coloured robe. He asked Channa, "Who is this man wearing an orange robe? His hair is shaved off. Why does he look so happy? How does he live and what does he do for a living?"

"That is a monk." replied Channa, "He lives in a temple, goes from house to house for his food and goes from place to place telling people how to be peaceful and good." The prince felt very happy now. He thought, "I must become one like that," as he walked through the park.

He walked until he was tired, then sat under a tree to think some more. As he was sitting under the cool shady tree, news came that his wife had given birth to a fine baby boy. When he heard the news he said, " An impediment ("rahula") has been born to me, an obstacle to my leaving has been born," and thus his son's name became Rahula.

As he was returning to the palace he met the Princess called Kisagotami. She had been looking out of the palace window and, seeing the prince coming, was so taken by his handsome looks that she said loudly, "Oh! How happy must be the mother, and father, and the wife of such a handsome young prince!"

As he passed this woman, Siddhartha heard this and thought to himself, "In a handsome figure the mother, father and wife find happiness. But how does one escape obstacles and suffering to reach nirvana (escape from suffering, a lasting liberation which is happiness and genuine peace)?" With this question he realised what he must do. "I must quit this household life and retire from the world in quest of enlightenment. This lady has taught me a valuable lesson. I will send her a teacher's fee." Loosening a valuable pearl necklace from about his neck, Siddhartha honoured his word and sent it as payment to Kisagotami, with thanks.

Life of the Buddha- The Four Sights: Old Age, sick, dead, and ascetic

The king did everything he could think of to ensure his son Prince Siddhartha would grow up prepared for a life following in his own footsteps and become a king. He ordered a high wall to be built around the palace, including its parks and gardens, but the prince was not happy living like a prisoner. One day he told his father, "I must go out of the palace gate and see how other people live."

"Very well, my son," said the king, "you shall go outside the palace wall to see how people live in my city. But first I must prepare things, so that all would be good and proper for my noble son's visit."

The king ordered the people of the city to prepare for his son's visit by making the streets and homes beautiful and welcoming him as he passed them by. When the people had decorated the city the king said, "Now you can go, my dear son, and see the city as you please."

As the young prince was going through the streets all of a sudden, from a small old hut beside the road, out came an old man with long silver-grey hair, wearing very old, torn and dirty rags. The skin of his face was dried and wrinkled. His sunken eyes were dim and he was almost blind. There were no teeth in his mouth. He stood up, trembling all over, almost bent over double and clutching at a shaking stick with two bent and skinny hands to save himself from falling.

The old beggar dragged himself along the street, paying no attention to all the happy people around him. He was speaking very feebly, begging people around him to give him food, as he would die that very day if he could find nothing to eat. When the prince saw the old man, he didn't know what he was looking at. It was the first time in his life that he had seen an old man of this type.

"What is that, Channa?" he asked his driver. "That really cannot be a man! Why is he all bent? What is he trembling for? Why is his hair silver-grey, not black like mine? What is wrong with his eyes? Where are his teeth? Is this how some people are born? Tell me, oh good Channa, what does this mean?"

Channa told the prince that it was an old man and he was not born like that. "When young he was like us and now, due to his old age he has become this way." Channa told the prince to forget this man. But the prince was not satisfied. "Everyone in the world, if he lives long enough, becomes like this man. It cannot be stopped," said Channa.

The prince ordered Channa to drive back home at once, as he was very sad and wanted to think carefully about that terrible thing called old age.

That night there was a grand royal feast for the prince, but he was not interested or happy at all during the dinner and dance. He was thinking all the time, "Some day you will all grow old and frail and bent — every one of you, even the prettiest."

He could not sleep when night came. He was in bed thinking that one day, everyone would grow old, grey, wrinkled, toothless and ugly like the old beggar. He wanted to know if anyone had found a way to stop this horrible thing — old age.

The king, when he heard this story, was very sad and worried that his son would leave the palace. He told his attendants to put on more dances and dinners. But the prince begged his father to allow him to see Kapilavatthu on an ordinary day without the people being told of his visit.

Life of the Buddha- Prince Siddhartha's Wife

The five wise men who were at Prince Siddhartha's naming ceremony not only predicted the great future of the new prince, but had given the king a warning. "When your son sees a sick man, an old man, a dead body and a monk, he will want to leave the palace and become a monk himself," they had said.

These words worried the king. He became afraid that this son would see these four sights and leave the palace. To shield Siddhartha from any such experiences he employed many young servants to distract and protect him, and did not allow any sick or old people or monks to go into the palace. He built Siddhartha three palaces: one for winter, one for summer and one for the rainy season, as well as enclosed parks and hunting grounds.

Siddhartha played in a sunny world of gardens and groves, attended by dancing girls and musicians. He lived in a world of plenty and beauty. He could have whatever he wanted, yet he was not happy.

One day the king asked some wise people, "What shall I do to make my son happy? He seems depressed and sad always." They answered, "Now your son is sixteen years old, why not find him a beautiful girl to marry?"

The king agreed and sent for all the beautiful girls in the country to come to the palace. When they had all arrived, a grand parade was arranged and the king asked the prince to choose one to be his wife.

Among them there was a most charming and kind girl by the name of Yasodhara. When Prince Siddhartha gave her a present more valuable than any he had given to the other maidens, the king saw that the prince had chosen his love. The king happily accepted Yasodhara and allowed his son to marry her.

Buddha images in the Bangkok Period

In modern times, Buddha images are often replicas of images from the Sukhothai and other early periods, often more ornately and elaborately adorned. Faces in new innovative depictions are typically more realistic and human-like. An elongated flame aureole is popular. Robes depicted in modern images often depict floral designs. The Indian Gandhara style, as well as western art have also influenced many of the modern images.

After the destruction of Ayutthaya in 1767, Thonburi and then in 1782 Bangkok became the kingdoms new capital. Even there was a new capital, the kingdom continued to exist and so did his artists and sculptors. Unlike Sukothai and Lanna styles, which vanished, Rattanakosin style is the continuation of Ayutthaya style in a new place. The Rattanakosin sculptors continued what had started in Ayutthaya; the creation of new styles and themes.

The material of choice was bronze, wood became less important than it had been during the Ayutthaya period, but still played a role . Many other figures besides the Buddha became popular, including scenes from the Buddhist mythology and Thai history.

Not counting the short Thonburi intermezzo, Rattanakosin has 4 periods that are identified by the name of the kings:

Rama I and II (1782 – 1824): Continuation of Ayutthaya clearly visible, Beautiful wooden images on decorated pedestals. Buddha sheltered by naga becomes popular again. Bronze images, especially standing ones are still heavily decorated

Rama III (1824 – 1851): Many sculptures other than Buddha images appear, Beautiful faces mostly found in plain, undecorated images.

Rama IV (1851 – 1868): King Rama IV brought new rationalism to Thailand, in politics as well as the Arts. The heavy decoration is partly replaced by Buddha images clad in a beautiful robe with flowery design, but no crown or jewelry. Most of the beautiful faces of Rattanakosin are from this period.

Rama V – VIII (1868- 1946) and Rama IX (1946 - present): This period saw 2 important developments. First of all, industrialization brought mass production of Buddha images, many pieces (except for the big important ones commissioned by the palace or temples) are not individual pieces of art any more, but mass production. Secondly, it became popular in the beginning and middle of the 20th century to copy the beautiful old Buddha images of Sukothai, Lanna and early Ayutthaya. This style is called „Rachakan“ and most of the so called „Sukothai style“ Buddha images sold in galleries in Thailand and elsewhere today are from this period. Since they are about 100 years old, customers are often mislead. Similarly, it became popular to mix different styles.

Rattanakosin Buddha images are ideal pieces for people who want a beautiful, authentic Buddha for an affordable price. All prices except for very large or perfect pieces (faces) are still affordable. Prices don’t differ much from the late Ayutthaya period.

Crowned Buddhas in the Ayutthaya Period

Artistic styles in Ayutthaya were a complex mix. The images below suggest the range of styles and geographically distributed influences shaping the arts of Ayutthaya.

Main Buddha Image at Wat Na Phramen, Ayutthaya. Hands display the gesture of Subduing Mara. The Buddha is in Royal Attire, with a prominent Head Dress or Crown. Typical of the late Ayutthaya period.

Buddha images of the Ayutthaya period show more different gestures than the other previoius styles. The images display the influence of Lopburi, U Thong and Sukhothai styles.

Initially the face may be more square, and a band (U Thong influence) may be present between the hairline and the forehead. Later on (Sukhothai influence) the face became more oval, with a Sukhothai type of flame on top of the ushnisha (prominent bump on the top of Buddha's head). Typical of some images are small lines carved above the upper lip and above the eyes.

Later on also, the facial expression became more stern, sometimes without any smile at all. In the later period, it became also common to show the Buddha wearing a lot of ornaments. One type shows the Buddha with an Emperor's attire (the Thai language term refers to 'big ornamentation') or with a somewhat more modest attire ('small ornamentation') featuring a crown or diadem. See examples especially at bottom of this page.

Buddha images of this period display many gestures and postures. Standing images (as featured below) often display the gesture of Dispelling Fear (Abhaya Mudra). Sitting images often display the gesture of Subduing Mara. Some giant Reclining Buddhas were constructed during this period.

Ayutthaya sculptors were fond of depicting the Buddha dressed in the "closed manner", with the clothing seeming to hug the body tightly. The upper turned-back edge of the antaravasaka shows through the outer uttarasanga, as does the stripe of its lengthwise folds between the legs. Beginning with Ayutthaya art this kind of treatment of the Buddha's clothing, which also occurred in Sukhothai, gradually becomes the general norm. In their depiction of types of ornament the sculptors followed the changing fashions of the Ayutthaya rulers. The modest embellishment of the crown and the absence of all other adornments (apart from earrings) allow us to date this sculpture to the 16th century. This is also borne out by the character of the depiction of the clothing, which is also completely devoid of adornments.

Bodhisattvas from the Malay Peninsula

The Malay Peninsula or Thai-Malay Peninsula is in Southeast Asia. The land mass runs approximately north-south and, at its teminus, is the southern-most point of the Asian mainland. The area contains territories of Burma,Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand.

This image of Manjushri, the Bodhisattva of Wisdom, belongs to the Shrivijayan tradition of sculpture, so named for the kingdom of Shrivijaya that, from its capital at Palembang in Sumatra, controlled large parts of southern Thailand. This seafaring kingdom may also have controlled other regions in Indonesia such as parts of Java. As a result, sculptures made under Shrivijayan rule exhibit a wide diversity in style, making them difficult to classify. Sculptures produced on the Thai/Malay Peninsula, such as this bodhisattva, are classified as either Thai, Chaiya, or Shrivijayan.

Manjushri is identified by the sword and book placed atop the lotus that he holds in his left hand. The gesture of bestowal or charity (varadamudra) further defines the figure as the Sita Manjughosa or "Gift-Bestowing" form of Manjushri. The tiny seated figures in the bodhisattva's headdress represent the five transcendent buddhas of the Esoteric pantheon, linking this sculpture with the practices of that branch of Buddhism. This figure wears a thin diadem and has jeweled and flowered hair, some of which falls in the long corkscrew-shaped curls often found in early Buddhist sculpture from peninsular Thailand, as are the oval face, fleshy cheeks, small features, and flexed posture. The bodhisattva sits in the posture of relaxation (lalitasana) on a lotus pedestal, which is placed on a two-tiered square base. Four pudgy lions with squat faces sit at the four corners of the base.

Srivijayan Empire (7th–13th century)

Srivijaya, a maritime empire centered at Palembang on the island of Sumatra in Indonesia, adopted Mahāyāna and Vajrayāna Buddhism under a line of rulers named theSailendras. Yijing described Palembang as a great centre of Buddhist learning where the emperor supported over a thousand monks at his court. Atiśa studied there before travelling to Tibet as a missionary.

Like Dvaravati art, Srivijayan art was also heavily influenced by Indian traditions. It seems likely that this part of Thailand was on the trade route between India and China, and as a result local artists were well aware of Indian styles. A problem with characterizing the art of this period, which spanned five centuries, is that it is very varied.

Srivijaya was a Mahayana Buddhist Empire, and numerous Avalokitesvara Bodhisattvas have been found, in both stone and bronze, at Chaiya . Some of these are wonderfully carved, and particularly notable is the supremely modelled bronze Avalokitesvara (eighth century, 63 cm high), unearthed at Chaiya and now housed in the National Museum in Bangkok. In fact, so much Srivijayan art has been discovered around this town that some experts went so far as to argue that Chaiya, and not Palembang, was the capital of Srivijaya. Unfortunately, however, there are few architectural remnants from the period. Two exceptions are Wat Phra Boromthat and Wat Kaeo, both at Chaiya .

A SUMATRA, SRIVIJAYA STYLE, BRONZE FIGURE OF AVALOKITESVARA, standing in samabhanga, his six arms radiating around his body and holding clockwise varadamudra, pasa, akshamala, pustaka, padma and formerly the kamandalu, now missing, wearing dhoti engraved with alternating floral and chevron bands, sashes falling to both sides, tiger-skin around his hip, belt,upavita, many bodhisattva-ornaments, his face with silver-inlaid eyes, urna, pointed nose, elongated earlobes with large ear-rings, high jatamakuta set with small figure of Amitabha in the front, dark-green patina, late 7th - early 9th Century.

Srivijaya spread Buddhist art during its expansion inSoutheast Asia. Numerous statues of bodhisattvas from this period are characterized by a very strong refinement and technical sophistication, and are found throughout the region. Extremely rich architectural remains are visible at the temple of Borobudur the largest Buddhist structure in the world, built from around 780 CE in Java, which has 505 images of the seated Buddha. Srivijaya declined due to conflicts with the Chola rulers of India, before being destabilized by the Islamic expansion from the 13th century.

19th century reproduction of a 12th century Sri Vijaya Bodhisattva
Thailand

A 19th century, Srivijaya style, cast bronze Buddhist statue of a Bodhisattva, standing with right knee slightly bent on a double tiered circular lotus base. His oval face is sensitively cast with a meditative expression and framed with pendant ears supporting dangling earrings partially resting on the shoulders. His hair is arranged in a very tall chignon with a spiral pattern fronted by ornaments and a five point diadem. This deity has four arms, arranged two on each side:

- the front right hand posed in a form of the Vitarkamundra,
- the back right hand raised, holding a book (symbol of knowledge),
- the front left hand holding the stem of a lotus bud entwined around the left front arm,
- the back left hand holding the base of the lotus bud.

The lower body is covered with a close fitting dhoti, decorated with incised diaper pattern, the chest and waist festooned with various necklaces, ornaments and ribbons. The metal surfaces is patinated green with some traces of gilding in recesses of casting.