Wat Damnak -

Magha Puja Ceremony

In the Buddha’s day falls on the full moon day of third lunar month, sometimes toward February. Magha is the name of a month in the lunar calendar used in ancient India and also Visak. The word Pujea means signified worship, so Magh Pujea means the worship in the month of Magh. Buddhists always celebrate this ceremony every year, because This Day is also known as the day of the Fourfold Assembly and the Lord Buddha also had delivered his the Main Discipline Discourses. This was very special event which happened at the Veluvana (Bamboo Grove) and contained of four specialties, namely:

It was on the fullmoon day of the month of Magha
1250 special disciples assembled abruptly to see the Buddha, all came by themselves without an appointment.
All those disciples were Arahants who had reached the sixfold supper-knowledge.
All of them were ordained by the Lord Buddha himself.

At the assembly the Buddha gave the very important discourse to the monks which summarize his teaching into three main parts, namely:

Sabba Papassa Akaranam = Not doing all evils
Kusalasu Pasampada =To do all good deeds
Sacitta Pariyodapanam =To purify one’s mind

These three principles are fundamental in the Buddhist-doctrine.
Magha Puja is also very important in another aspect. Because that is the last year of his life (Buddha’s life), just three months before his passing away, the Buddha had determined and announced to all his followers that he would be in the next three months, what I, Tathagata (Buddha call himself) should do is already done, from now on what you should do please do it carefully!.. . This fact adds more significance to the Magha Puja Day and makes it even more sacred for all Buddhists.

On the fullmoon day, the Buddhists gather at the pagoda in the afternoon at around 3 o’clock, praying, reciting the Dhamma, walking around a shrine or a Buddha image three times as a gesture of faith and respect in the Holy Triple Gem, then sit into proper place, observe five precepts from monks, invite monks to Sutt Mant (Dhamma-Prayer), then listen to a sermon, and serve food/dinner together. And at that night some of them perform meritorious activities in pagoda till morning such make meditation, Dhamma Talking, Listening to sermons, and Dhamma Reciting….

Wat Damnak is pleased and most welcome all Buddhists and Non-Buddhists to join us.

Khmer New Year

Khmer Traditional New Year is the most popular holiday in Cambodia. The joyous celebration is held in mid-April and lasts for three days. The celebration includes gathering at the pagodas in their own communities for prayers and offering/serving food to monks, as well as classical dances, music and traditional games. In Khmer language New Year celebration is called “Bun Chaul Chnam Thmei” which means entering the New Year. The greeting for Happy New Year is Sur Sdey Chnam Thmey (Happy Khmer New Year). The date of the New Year celebration is set by astrologers by the lunar calendar to determine the exact moment when the new animal protector arrives. It falls around April 13 or 14 in the month of Chet, the end of the dry season or after harvest season but before new agricultural season come (people are not busy in agricultural work). Like the Chinese, Cambodians observe the 12 years cycle of designating each year by the name of an animal. Sanskrit numerals from 1 to 10 are sometimes combined cyclically with each name so that it takes 60 years to complete the cycle of all number and animal combinations. Preparations are made well ahead for the New Year celebration. Silk is used to make new clothing. Men and boys typically wear white round neck shirts and black pants, the women wear knitted shirts and beautifully decorated robes (Khmer Traditional Dress), some rich people change their dress in accordance with the day, in Khmer traditional we have seven colors of dress differently in seven days, Monday to Sunday. Houses are thoroughly cleaned and decorate with different colors too. The new clothing, cleaning-house and decorating are symbol of a new beginning, bad spirit or badness go away, just start new things. Buddhism plays a central role in the New Year celebration as well as in everyday life. New Year is the greatest time to show/pay respect for elders, including parents, grandparents and teachers etc. By offering charity to those less fortunate, by doing good deeds and showing forgiveness, one gains merit in the coming New Year. New Year is a time to celebrate with families and friends, so traveling during the holiday is very common. The three days of New Year each have a special name and activity, namely: Maha Sangkrant, Vana Bat, and Loeung Sark. Maha Sangkrant is the day of entry and marks the arrival of the New Angel, Thevada, each year has a guardian angel who arrives at the moment the old year ends and the new year arrives. At a time specified by astrologers, the Buddhist Temple's drum or bell signals the arrival of the New Year. Home altars, have been prepared to receive the New Angel with five candles, five incense holders, flowers, fruit and lights etc and a bowl of perfumed water e.g. Families pray for happiness, health and good crops and successful job for New Year. In the morning of Maha Sangkrant (first day), families wear their new clothes and go to pagoda, bring food or fruits or favorite things for the monks. Afternoon, after prayers, and clean pagoda is for playing many kinds of Khmer Traditional Games such as Chol jhun (Throwing Jhung), a scarf tossing game, Teanh Proat (a tug-of-war game on the Temple grounds), Bos Angkonh (throwing Angkonh), Traditional Dancing etc. In the evening they also builds a sand mountain. The grains of sand are believed to be equal to one's health and happiness. Vana Bat is the second day of celebration, which includes more praying, the more happier, more playing, children show respect and gratitude by giving their elders gifts of clothes, baked goods and money, go to pagodas etc. Gifts are given to servants and the poor. After completing their good deeds, the children play games, dance and sing at the Temple. The sand mountain continues to be added to. On the third day, Loeung Sark, the monks bless the sand mountain. The Buddha statues are bathed with perfumed water, smaller statues are submerged, while the large ones are washed by hand. The cleansing of the statues is a good deed, thought to bring good luck, merit and rain for the coming crops. After the statues are cleaned, people wash parents, the elders, monks, teachers with the perfumed water. Then the young people washing themselves or each other by perfume water or holy water because they get from their real gods (parents or monks) is to bestow good wishes and blessing on each other.

During these three days, people are very happy, some areas they start playing 10 or 15 days before New Year come too.

Visak Puja Day

Visakha is the name of a lunar month, Puja means worship, so Vasakha Puja Day means the day of worship on the month of Visakha. It is the most sacred occasion for the whole Buddhist Community, as we know that it make three important events in the Buddha’s life, those are: his birth, enlightenment and Great Demise which all took place on the full-moon of Sixth Lunar month or Vasak.

The Buddha was born in 623 B.C, his father was King Suddhodana, mother was Queen Mahamaya, and their capital was Kapilavatthu in the north of India. Before his enlightenment the Buddha was known as his clan name as Siddhattha Gotama. Seven days after his birth, his mother was died and the baby prince was looked after by his foster mother, Pajapti. Siddhattha was an extraordinary person, extremely intelligent and compassionate. He was predicted that he would be either become a Universal Monarch or a Buddha.

Hi lived in a comfortable and luxury palaces, despite so at the age of twenty nine he decided to leave home and family and become a wandering ascetic in the searching of the Truth. He practiced very strict for six long years, experiencing all kinds of religious practice and final method was meditation. Then on the full-moon of the months Visakkh, at exactly thirty five years, he attained enlightenment and become a Buddha, means the enlightened One.
After enlightened, the Buddha has worked hard to spread his teaching and to enlighten people. During the forty-five years of his mission, he was able to establish his religion which is now known as Buddhism. His following came from all walk of life: there were kings and princes, traders and peacsants, Brahmins and outcastes, the rich and poor, the influential and ordinary etc. his teaching is called the Dhamma.

The Buddha passed away at the ripe age of eighty, on the full-moon day of Visakha again. He had left us an great legacy-a spiritual heritage-which has benefited the world at large through its long existence and wide spread of over 2500 years.

All Buddhist Countries and Buddhist Communities always celebrate Visakkha Puja Day, because it is very important for three events, the Birth Day of the Buddha, Enlightened Day of the Buddha and The Day of passing away of the Buddha. So on the full-moon Day, the Buddhists gather at the pagoda just different in time.

Wat Damnak people gather at around 3 o’clock afternoon, praying, reciting the Dhamma, walking around a shrine or a Buddha image three times as a gesture of faith and respect in the Holy Triple Gem, then sit into proper place, observe five precepts from monks, invite monks to Sutt Mant (Dhamma-Prayer), then listen to a sermon, and serve food/dinner together(all quests). And at that nighttime some of them perform meritorious activities in pagoda till morning such make meditation, Dhamma Talking, Listening to sermons, and Dhamma Reciting….

Wat Damnak is pleased and most welcome all Buddhists or non-Buddhist to join us.

Bun Pachum Ben/Khanben (Cambodian Feast For Ancestors Worship)

Bun Kanben/Pachum Ben is a grateful expressing day of Cambodian compatriots. Bun Kanben is a 15 days-ceremony, stats from early Third Month of Retreat Season, and Pachum Ben is a final ceremony for Kanben, it falls on the 15 days before end of Buddhist Lent Day. Pachum Ben is Khmer national holidays, Cambodian citizens both sex, even during 15 days of Kanben, they couldn’t afford their time to go and doing good deeds everyday togather, but at least they always on the final day (Pachum Ben Day) they never forget and they make many kids of Khmer cakes such Nom Kom, Nom Thmey, Nom Ansorm, Nom Chak, Nom Cheal and delicious foods with the beautiful dress of Khmer traditional clothes march along toward Buddhist pagodas from their homes, but not so playing time as New Year. Bon Bachum Ben has begun from the Buddha's era and continuously perform today. Buddha admired it is great merit ceremony because we pray to our ancestors and they could receive our goodness dedication. Following Khmer belief (Not Real Buddhist belief), in this time, if our ancestors find almost seven temples but still unsee any relatives who dedicate goodness to them they would be so sad/crying, lamenting around pagodas and make sorrowful reflecting to us.Briefly, Bon Bachum Ben means:

Praying for our death relatives
To make our life happier, prosperous, charity, offering Dana.
To harmonize our national unity and nurture our Cambodian invaluable culture as the world mesmeric motive

Chol Vassa Ceremony (The beginning & End of Buddhist Lent Ceremony)

Vassa or Vassupanayika in Pali means the Lent or Rainy Residence or Rainy Retreat, during these three months call Retreat Season. Every year the Buddhist monks have to be in retreat for three months called Chol Vassa (The beginning of Buddhist lent in rainy season) begins with the first waning of the moon in the eighth lunar month (normally July) and ends on the full moon of the eleventh month (usually October)(end of Buddhist lent). Before the beginning of the retreat season the monks have to prepare some important things ahead and make some agreement to each others, because in these three months monks will never be able to sleep out of pagoda-except very special cases however they have to let each other know before go. During monk are in retreating season, the people serve/support monks with clothing, food, accommodation and medicine etc. and Bun Pachum Ben is fall on the early third month of three months Retreat. After Buddhist lent season, one more special ceremony comes called Kathina Ceremony, Kathina is a special ceremony, marking the end of this retreat season, with the offering of robes and other presents to a monastery, ending in a public feast and the display of the gifts on a tree.

Kathina Ceremony

Kathina in Pali Word means refer to the wooden frame which monks in ancient time (Buddha’s time) used to sew their clothes on, the clothes thus prepared came to be known as Kathina clothes The Buddha allowed the Kathina clothes to be presented t the monks who have completed the three month period of Rainy Retreat. The event in which the clothes are offered to the monks is called Kathina Ceremony or Clothing Offering Ceremony. This event can be offered to the monks only month period after the End of Buddhist Lent.

This event is one of the most important for Buddhist, there are several reasons that why it has become to occupy so much importance in Buddhist Community:

It is a ceremony that can be done and effected only once a year for a monastery and it must take place within a very specific time.
The ceremony enables participant monks to extend the benefit period of five months (make monk’s live easier than normal).
This clothing offering ceremony can be offered to only Sangh (Monk-Community), can not make to individual monks or dedicate to individual monks, must be dedicate to Sangha or all monks!.....etc

In period of a month for Kathina ceremony, the Buddhists can offer any day to the monks. But exact date is according to organizer, So Wat Damnak will update this information again for every year.

Tesana Mahavesantarachataka (Sermon Ceremony)

Tesana means sermon, Mahavesantarachataka means one of past lives of the Buddha when he was born as a Royal Family namely Vesantara, Tesana Mahavesantarachataka, So Tesana Mahavesantarachataka means the Sermon of past life of the Buddha when he was Vesantara.
This ceremony is always celebrated by some Pagodas in Cambodia, it is in accordance with the time, they always celebrate during after harvest season and full of many fruits too, and this ceremony is very much different from other religious events, because they always decorate with may different trees and fruits, it looks like ceremony in the jungle or forest.
Wat Daamnak will update the schedule next.

Ordination Ceremony

In Cambodian Society, there are two kinds of ordination, long term ordination or short term ordination. Some men/guy wishes to became a monk or novice for 3 days, one week or 3 weeks, this can be held for any time as a proper time for one. But if that ordination is a planning or long-term period from 3 months up, they have to complete some tasks both in religious and administrative tasks and except 3 months that they can not or should not ordain or allow to ordain, that is in the period of Buddhist Lent.

All are welcome to join or ordain!

Other events

Coming soon...