Dhamma Earth & Tusita Hermitage

INVITATION TO OUR KATHINA CEREMONY

Dear Brothers and Sisters in the Dhamma,

Malaysia Dhamma Society (MDS) and Dhamma Earth Club of Malaysia (DECOM) cordially invite all of you to our 2018Kathina Ceremony in Kuching and Semenyih. Please refer to table on the right for details. This year our theme is “Great Aspiration”, we welcome everyone to join us in this auspicious annual event. On this day, the monks and nuns will go for alms round as usual; you may experience offering food and other allowable requisites on your own.

Tusita Hermitage (Kuching)

Venue : Tusita 2

Dhamma Earth (Semenyih)

Venue: Sālā hall

Kathina Ceremony’s Origin

According to the third book of the Vinaya Pitaka (Vin III. 351ff), Mahavagga, at one time thirty monks of Pava were on the way to see the Lord Buddha who was staying at Savatthi in Jetavana, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. They were all forest-dwellers, all almsmen, all wearers of rag-robes, all wearers of the three robes. As vassa was approaching, they were unable to reach Savatthi in time; so they entered vassa at Saketa.  

Then after the vassa, the monks continued on their journey to Jetavana, Savatthi, where the Lord Buddha was staying. It was raining and the waters were gathering, while swamps were forming. By the time the monks arrived at their destination, their robes were drenched and they were exhausted. Having greeted the Lord Buddha, they sat down at a respectful distance.

Now it is the custom for the Buddha to exchange friendly greetings with in-coming monks. So the Lord Buddha said to these monks: “How are you keeping, monks? Did you have enough to support life? Did you spend a comfortable vassa in unity, being on friendly terms and harmonious? And you did not have difficulty with alms food, did you?”
“Things did go well with us, Lord Buddha. We had enough to support life, Lord Buddha. We spent the vassa in unity, being on friendly terms and harmonious, Lord Buddha. And we did not have difficulty with alms food,” answered the monks. They then related what had happened to them when they were on their way to see the Buddha since the beginning of vassa.

Then the Lord Buddha, on this occasion, having given Dhamma talk, addressed the monks, saying: “Monks, I allow monks who have completed the vassa to spread the kathina. And thus, after the vassa ended, lay people may offer the Kathina cloth to the saṅgha, and the cloth will be ceremonially presented to the nominated monk with good virtue in a formal Saṅgha act (Saṅgha-Kamma).

Relations between Kathina and Dāna

Generosity (dāna) is easy to practise and even ordinary people can perform dāna. To do an offering, four conditions must be present:

1. A donor
2. Objects to offer (four requisites: food, robes, dwelling and medicine)
3. A recipient
4. The volition to give

It is a complete act of generosity (dāna) only when all these conditions are fulfilled.During the Buddha’s time, two great donors, Anāthapiṇḍika and Visākhā who devotional faith in the Triple Germs. They each offerred food to two thousandsbhikkhus every day.  Other devotees also offered food to other bhikkhus according to their own capabilities. This is an example in making an act of generosity when all four conditions are fulfilled.

Sometimes, although a donor has offering items and the volition to give, there is no recipient present to receive the offering. Devas usually have this problem. Most of the time, when devas want to make an offering, they need to come down to the human world. For example, the Sakka (King of Gods) and Sujātā had to disguise as a poor peasant couple to give alms to the Venerable MahāKassapa (DhpC IV.10).

Sometimes, there is a recipient present to receive but there are no items to be offered. For example, poor men who have noability to offer. In the story recorded in the Dhammapada Commentary XVII.3, Puṇṇa was an example for this situation. However, if there is any opportunity for the poor who have devotional faith to give alms, they will definitely think this: “Once when I had alms to give, I did not see the Elder; and once again when I saw the Elder, I had no alms to give. Today, however, I not only see the Elder, but also have alms to give…”

Sometimes, a donor may have alms to give and there is also a recipient to receive, but he may be a miser or has no faith, and therefore has no volition to give. Therefore, we can see that a wholesome act can be done only if all the necessary conditions are present.

Saṅghika-dāna (offering made to the whole Order of Bhikkhus [the saṅgha]) is more meritorious than Puggalika-dāna. Kathina ceremony is a ceremony organized by lay persons for monks. This offering of Kathina cloth to monks is a most precious opportunity for us to make a saṅghikadāna.

“Ten years of Dhamma voyage with selfless contribution and abundant appreciation”

Every year, members of the Saṅgha will be spending their vassa at Tusita Hermitage or Dhamma Earth. By having the harmonious Saṅgha who practise the sīla, Samadhi, pañña diligently, this creates opportunities for lay people to accumulate merits through meritorious deeds.

With the noble wish for everyone to have the opportunity to perform wholesome deeds, Malaysia Dhamma Society (MDS) and Dhamma Earth Club of Malaysia (DECOM) organise Kathina Day annually at the end of vassa.

With the theme this year being “Ten years of Dhamma voyage with selfless contribution and abundant appreciation”, this marks the 11th Kathina Day held by MDS and the 3th by DECOM. In the last decade, many have been led from darkness to brightness because of this “Dhamma voyage”.

This 10 years of Dhamma journey has not been a smooth ride. We have overcome many challenges as well as ups and downs. Throughout this voyage, in addition to the guidance of the Saṅgha at the helm of the direction, the committees and the Dhamma workers are essential in playing their role of sailors, relentlessly putting efforts to overcome adversities together.

Only a Dhamma voyage which is able to carry all beings towards the deathless would be worthy of the sacrifices and dedication made by the Buddha in his long bodhisatta’s path. The selfless dedication of the Sangha to propagate the Dhamma would also fulfil the original intention of a sammāsambuddha.

Hence, we are very grateful for this past decade and will continue to be, as there have been devotees with us throughout these trials and adversities.

Thank you for accompanying us as we grow up hand in hand, at the same time generating extraordinary merits and countless memories on this beautiful land of Dhamma.

Here, we sincerely extend our invitation to you and your family to join us in the annual festival of Kathina Day.

If you wish to make a monetary donation or reserve your robes and allowable four requisites for Kathina, kindly contact the person in charge as shown in the table below. You may channel your contribution to the following bank and attach your bank in slip via WhatsApp to respective person in charge. All robes and allowable four requisites can be collected at the respective (Kuching or Semenyih) donation counter on Kathina Day.

We rejoice in your generosity and look forward to seeing you on Kathina Day! May all the merits performed during Kathina be a supportive condition for the attainment of Nibbāna.

By speaking of this Truth, may the Triple-Gem protect all beings! May you be well, happy and peaceful.

With mettā,
Kathina Day Organiser