On Wednesday, one of the most important religious festivals for Buddhists, Prabarana Purnima, is going to be celebrated with due religious fervour.
The word Prabarana originates from the Sanskrit language, and broadly it means rejecting false and unwholesome actions and embracing truth and wholesome actions.
Another name for Prabarana Purnima is Ashwini Purnima.
While it is linked to the observance of the monks' "Vassa" (rain retreat), the full moon day holds significance for all followers of the Buddhist faith.
Buddhist monks observe a three-month-long retreat, starting from Ashadha Purnima and ending on Ashwini Purnima. During this time, they reside in monasteries.
As it is natural for misunderstandings to occur among those living together, monks too may have disagreements.
Therefore, at the conclusion of the retreat, on Ashwini Purnima, the monks participate in Prabarana, where they seek forgiveness from one another for past mistakes.
This act helps to elevate the Buddhist teachings and promotes the welfare of the monastic community.
It is around this sacred occasion of concluding the Vassa that the Prabarana Purnima is celebrated.
From the day after Prabarana Purnima until the next full moon of Kartik Purnima, a month-long ritual known as the offering of "Kathin Chibar Dan" (the donation of robes) is carried out. The monks who have completed their Vassa receive these robes.
On the auspicious day of Prabarana Purnima, devout Buddhists gather at monasteries in clean attire to offer prayers to the Buddha, provide food to monks, observe the Pancasila (five precepts) and Atthasila (eight precepts), and participate in afternoon religious assemblies.
One of the most attractive aspects of this holy day is the evening's sky lantern festival.
People of all walks of life enjoy the spectacle of sky lanterns being released into the sky.
The lanterns are primarily released to honor and show reverence to the relics of Buddha.
The Prabarana Purnima begins on Wednesday night at 9:12pm and will conclude on Thursday at 5:26pm.
In honor of Prabarana Purnima, the Bangladesh Buddhist Federation has organized a day-long colorful event at the International Buddhist Monastery in Merul Badda, Dhaka.
The day's events will include breakfast for the monks, the acceptance of precepts, Buddha puja, alms offering for the monks, a discussion session, and the launching of sky lanterns, along with various other religious rituals.
In the afternoon, to celebrate this significant and sacred day with proper grandeur and religious solemnity, the Bangladesh Buddhist Federation has arranged a special discussion session on “The Role of Buddhism in Establishing Non-violence, Equality, Humanism, Communal Harmony, and World Peace as Preached by the Great Man Gautama Buddha”.
The event will be presided over by Venerable Dharmamitra Mahathera, the chief abbot of the International Buddhist Monastery, Dhaka.
Other activities planned for the day include the raising of national and religious flags, early morning alms for the monks, Buddha puja, acceptance of the precepts, offering of the eight requisites, major alms offerings to the monastic community, food for those observing Atthasila, lunch for invited guests, reading from the sacred Tripitaka, lighting of lamps, and an evening illuminated sky lantern festival.
Meanwhile, Prabarana Purnima is also being celebrated in the three hill districts.
Various religious ceremonies, including the donation of Buddha statues, offering to the monastic community, and the lighting of a thousand lamps, are taking place in all the Buddhist monasteries in Rangamati in observance of the festival.
Although the month-long Kathin Chibar Dan donation festival was scheduled to begin in the hill districts from Friday, it has been postponed as per the decision of the monastic community.