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New Year’s Day/Pra Acharn’s Birthday
At nighttime on 31st December 2004: at Wat Pa Luangta Bua Pavilion (Tiger Temple) 19.00 hrs., Monks and villagers from Wat Pa Thamphutoei Forest Monastery (the previous monastery of Pra Acharn) had joined the Evening Praying and chanted several prayers lasting for almost 3 hours. Later, Pra Acharn gave a sermon, monks and laymen sat in meditation. At midnight, unexpected roaring sound of the tigers! They might be saying happy new year and happy birthday to Pra Acharn. Amidst the silence, there wasn't any other sound of any animals there. Pra Acharn said that “if other animals hear tigers’ roaring, they won’t dare to make any sound…”. 00.01 hrs. Pra Acharn led everyone to pay respect to the “Golden Jubilee Buddha Image”. It’s an auspicious beginning of a new year. The greeting of New Year 2005 Every year on this day, the disciples will make food offerings to monks in the front of the monastery at around 7 a.m. (after all monks return from their rounds for food offerings in the village). Then, we will help arrange the food and things for offerings at the pavilion. Monks accept the offerings and draw foods in their bowls. Monks make rejoicing chanting and dedicate merit before eating from their bowls. (Meditation monks of forest monasteries will have one meal from bowls at around 8 a.m.). After that, Pra Acharn gave a new year’s sermon. Then, the disciples jointly made the merit by Thod Pha Pa (by offering robe and money to Pra Acharn), by Salakaphat (money from this will be offered to every monk equally), by Thay Krachad (money from this will be equally divided to laymen who are lucky from the ID card drawing in the same quantity as monks), and it’s a must for this forest monastery to make donation for tigers’ food, animals’ food. On this day Pra Acharn gave 10 used computers and 30 bicycles (from donation by the disciples) to the principal of Wat Pa Thamphutoei School, Chalae Sub-district, Thongphaphum District, Kanchanaburi. (The school was established by Pra Acharn when he was at his old Monastery.) Then, the disciples offered a set of joss sticks and candles in
a gesture to ask for forgiveness for all the wrong they might have
done from Pra Acharn. Pra Acharn gave his blessings and sprinkled
the disciples with holy water. That was the end of New Year’s celebration,
also Pra Acharn's birthday. Before leaving, everyone received Dharma
book, CD on New Home for Tigers Project, and calendar, as well as
pomelo given out at the charity hall of the foundation in front
of the monastery. Everyone was enlightened by each own merit… |
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