Published in “Puendham; friends in dhamma,” Issue 47, Year 14; January – April 2010,

The Buddhavihara Temple, Kings Bromley, UK

Dhamma Discussion on Net

The Magha Puja; a
Buddhist Valentine Day

By
Ven. S. M. Sujano

Chilly says Hi! Good afternoon Ajahn!

Bud says: Good afternoon, Chilly ! Happy Magha Puja: a Buddhist Valentine day

Chilly says: What is Magha Puja?

Bud says: Magha puja is one of the important full moon days in the Buddhist

calendar, which celebrates by the Buddhist that honours the Sangha, or the

Buddhist community and offers a chance to the people to reaffirm their

faith and commitment to Buddhist practices and traditions.

Each of the full moon days is important days in Buddhism as the

day to perform wholesome activities. Buddhists visit temples to do

meritorious deeds and practice meditation. Among the full moon days there

are three main days that Buddhist celebrates widely. They are:

1. Vesak full moon; celebrates the Buddha was birth, enlightened and

entered mahaparinibbana,

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Published in “Puendham; friends in dhamma,” Issue 47, Year 14; January – April 2010,
The Buddhavihara Temple, Kings Bromley, UK

2. Asalha full moon; the day Buddha delivered his first sermon and the

triple gem was fulfilled, and

3. Magha full moon. So, today is Magha Puja day, one of the most

important Buddhist days, also known as the day of Dhamma or The day of

Love, which is similar to Valentines Day in the western world.

Chilly says: Really! Today is Magha Puja? How do you translate it?

Bud says: Magha puja is a short form of Maghapunnamipuja, worship on the full

moon day of Magha month. Maghapunnamipuja (magha+punnami+puja)

Magha is the name of the third month in lunar calendar; Punnami means

the full moon day and Puja means to pay respect or to worship. So, Magha

Puja means to worship or pay respect in the third month of lunar calendar.

Normally, it falls on the full moon day in the month of February,

commemorates the significant events in the dispensation of the Buddha that

has four signs. They are:

(1) The 1,250 enlightened monks were assembled

(2) All monks were ordained by the Buddha directly (Ehi Bhikkhu category)

(3) They came to join together in one place without prior appointment

(4) It was the Full moon day of Magha lunar month and the Buddha gave

the instruction called Ovadapatimokkha.

So, the communal noble assembly is also known as

Caturasannipata among the Buddhists. Equally important, it is also

believed that the confirmation of two chief disciples of the Buddha and the

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Published in “Puendham; friends in dhamma,” Issue 47, Year 14; January – April 2010,
The Buddhavihara Temple, Kings Bromley, UK

announcement of entering Mahaparinibbana of the Buddha in three months

are also happened to be on the full moon day of Magha lunar month.

Chilly says: Oh! it’s very interesting to know about it. How does Caturasannipata day

come?

Bud says: Caturasannipata is a pali word, which is the combination of two words:

Catu means four, Anga means factors and Sannipata means together or

close. Therefore, it means the day when the four factors happened at the

same time.

It happened while the Buddha was residing in Rajagaha City at

Veluwan, the first Buddhist monastery in this history of Buddhism, in nine

months after the Buddha’s enlightenment, Buddha gaya in modern India,

the place where Buddhists from around the world visit as part of one of the

holy Buddhist pilgrimages. After his enlightenment the Buddha travelled to

different villages and cites starts from Isipatana Deer Park, in the town of

Benares, where he was able to convinced 5 ascetics after the end of the first

sermon on turning the while of the dhamma. They were followed by other

55 young boys headed by Yasha. The Buddha sent his newly formed

members in his dispensation to spread the word of teachings that leads to

way out of suffering. The Buddha himself travelled to enlighten the fire

worshipping hermits in Uruvela by delivering the Adittapariyayasutta

before coming back to the city of Rajagaha, the city of promise that he did

with the king Bimbisara, while he was in search of truth. Similarly, other

members of in his dispensation had travelled and successfully spread the

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Published in “Puendham; friends in dhamma,” Issue 47, Year 14; January – April 2010,
The Buddhavihara Temple, Kings Bromley, UK

message. So, the Great assembly with the fourfold wonder on the full moon

day of the Magha month took place.

Chilly says: Did the Buddha preach any doctrine on this occasion?

Bud says: Yes, the Buddha taught fundamental teachings of his dispensation on that

day. If we look at the teachings of the Buddha, sometimes we may get

confused and have difficulty to understand them due to the vast number of

doctrines he delivered. Someone says Buddha’s main doctrines are the Four

Noble Truths (Ariyasacca), Dependent Origination (Paticca-samuppada),

Three Characteristics (Tilakkhana) etc. However, Buddha gave a

fundamental principle on that occasion, which is known as

Ovadapatimokkha or the main principles of the Buddha. The purpose of

Buddhism is to teach for good, avoid evil actions and purify mind. Let’s see

in original pali words:

Sabba paapassa akaranam Kusalassa upasampadaa

Sacittapariyodapanam Etam Buddhaana saasanam.

Do not do any evil, do good deeds and purify your mind is the teaching of today

Chilly says: I’ve heard about it. This is a very important doctrine of the Buddha. Isn’t it?

Did the Buddha say more?

Bud says: Yes! The Buddha instructed further that patience, to restrain and to resist

any means of impulsive desire or to reacting violently either through action

or words or both, is the foremost of asceticism. Similarly, the Buddhas

regard elimination of Lust, Hatred and Delusion is the supreme. Equally,

the Buddha said that one who hurts other is not called righteous or decent.

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Published in “Puendham; friends in dhamma,” Issue 47, Year 14; January – April 2010,
The Buddhavihara Temple, Kings Bromley, UK

Further, the Buddha went on to instruct that not to speak ill of

anybody that means not insulting or harming anyone, restraint in the

fundamental precepts, to be moderate in food, to associate with places of

seclusion and to take the practice of advance meditation.

Chilly says: wow… really! They are very important doctrines. Are they only for the

monks or for the lay people too? Even though, I think, these are for monks

but useful for all Buddhists. Especially, limitation of taking food is a major

problem in the modern world.

Bud says: Although, the Buddha instructed these to monks, but it is applicable to all.

Further, the teachings of the Buddha, in reality, are how to learn and

practice. Since, the two and half of this stanza of ovadapatimokkha

teachings contain Buddhist objectives, principle and way of practice.

Therefore, these doctrines are relevant to all.

All human beings wish happiness and successful in their life. Thus,

we are following different paths to achieve it. Concerning food

consumption, if we look at other beings i.e. animals eat only to eliminate

their hunger but we can eat regardless of time or things, except medical

precautions.

Chilly says: So, How to have happiness?

Bud says: All beings are looking for peace and happiness. From the time we were

born we face different kinds of suffering. Nobody wants to suffer and have

problems. So, our life is full of problems or problematic and we are

searching for happiness. The main objectives of the teachings of the

Buddha are how to be free from suffering or to achieve happiness in life.

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Published in “Puendham; friends in dhamma,” Issue 47, Year 14; January – April 2010,
The Buddhavihara Temple, Kings Bromley, UK

When we study teachings of the Buddha, we should look directly into

‘where is happiness? How happiness arises? How does one get happiness?’

Therefore, the Buddha’s main teaching is to understand suffering or

Dukkha. Once, Dukkha has been understood happiness will begin.

However, in order to understand these phenomena one has to perform good

things.

Chilly says: How can we do good things? Would you please give some examples?

Bud says: To do good things normally means to avoid any bad actions - bodily,

verbally and mentally. Although, the Buddha did not elaborate what is evil

and what is good at the beginning due the discourse was given to

enlightened noble ones who obviously know well enough. Nevertheless, the

Buddha explained in detail about it, so that other people might be able to

know and abandon or develop it accordingly. Simply to do good things

means to love yourself much more than others. Furthermore, to respect and

love others as we respect ourselves.

Love, in this instance is not as we understand it normally. Love in

Buddhism is love in both the spiritual and physical sense. Therefore, one

who loves himself never does any bad actions, which then reflects back to

them. Because, according to law of karma every action gives a result. Good

actions give good results and bad action give bad results. So, the Buddha

introduced fundamental moral principle called five precepts that are

abandoned killing, stealing, committing adultery, telling lies and taking

intoxicants.

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Published in “Puendham; friends in dhamma,” Issue 47, Year 14; January – April 2010,
The Buddhavihara Temple, Kings Bromley, UK

Chilly says: umm! I never thought about it. It means that normally, we are speaking of

love in terms of getting material or outer love. Especially, love from

another person, in relationships etc.

Bud says: yes, you are right. Valentines Day in the west is very famous and gradually

getting ground in the east. The significance of the day is love that mostly

celebrated among lovers. Sadly, its influence among the youth in east has

been developed into the day that they open their virginity to their loved one,

which is one of the hiding problems in Asian countries. They are loosing

their own respect on the name of love and forgot how to love and respect

oneself. Further, any actions done by someone such as harming oneself or

killing others or taking intoxicants means they do not love themselves.

Chilly says: but there is a kind of person, who hurts others in order to love themselves.

Bud says: Actually, our present world is burning with the unlimited desire to fulfil.

Every one is running towards the non-stop rapid development and

competitiveness of the modern world. Therefore, hurting others became

normal in terms of wining for the official post, enjoyment and other

activities. On the other hand, if someone hurts in return, what do they feel?

Most of people forget to think of this. Therefore, they use another’s

suffering as something to be entertained on. However, that is momentary

happiness. Not for long and they will be alike others soon.

Chilly says: Um. You are right but as you said, if we want to survive in present world,

we have to fight to get something. Most people say nothing is free in the

world and we have to fight for it. However, entertained on another’s suffer

is not fair. So it seems they don't respect lives.

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Published in “Puendham; friends in dhamma,” Issue 47, Year 14; January – April 2010,
The Buddhavihara Temple, Kings Bromley, UK

Bud says: Yes, you are correct on one side; however, we should not take it only from

this one side. There are a number of people who became world famous and

well respected throughout the world. They never hurt others and respect

other’s lives. Pure love and compassion work better than forcing. Horse

riders train horses as a part of his life and are full of love for the horse,

which shows the respect to the horse and horse also tries its best to win the

game as the owner wishes. If it does not win the game the owner thanks

him and trains him more instead of blaming him. Looking at the Buddha’s

life when he got to join the horse race competition, he did not force the

horse and didn’t hit either. However, he won the race.

In the competitive present world, even though competition is a fact

of life, if we are on the right path and do not hurt others one way or another.

We’ll progress our work and be successful in business. Success correlates

with respecting oneself and others. There are many examples of those who

hurt without immediate consequence, but then suffer at the end a lot one

way or another. In a concise way, as the English saying goes; ‘never do to

others what you do not want other’s do to you.’

So whenever they realized that these works are good and are not

hurting others. It is good to do, which is helpful to the self and others. It

makes them happy and peaceful. It means them avoid doing evil deeds;

physically, verbally and mentally.

Now, you got two in one and the last is when you love yourself, it

means that your mind will be pure and calm all the time as you face now,

that's it. Once you love yourself purely then you will see the way of

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Published in “Puendham; friends in dhamma,” Issue 47, Year 14; January – April 2010,
The Buddhavihara Temple, Kings Bromley, UK

liberation and will practice for it. However, doing good things should be in

the proper place and time too.

Chilly says: oh! How is it? A proper place, not anywhere, would you please clarify bit

more?

Bud says: The house or the temple or the country, where the situation is good for

practice moral or wholesome activities. You cannot practice it anywhere,

everywhere, if you do, the result won’t be good as you expected either.

Such as when you are in a bad place or situation your mind will not be in

good condition, will you be able to have thought of performing wholesome

meritorious acts. Even, if you have those thoughts, but your whole mind

will not able to accept it due uncomfortable environment. So, when mind is

not pure and clear, how can action be pure and good? It says that ‘when

mind is pure, land will be pure.’ Therefore, one of the highest blessings, the

Buddha says, is living in a right place, which will help us to improve both

spiritually and physically. This is among one of the highest blessings said

the Buddha in his discourse on highest blessing (Mangala sutta)

Therefore, place of practice does effect to our wholesome activities.

In the country, where Buddhists are allowed to practice or if you have an

opportunity to attain such activities you shouldn’t miss the ceremony.

Likewise, this is national holyday in Sri Lanka, Laos and Thailand, where

Buddhists visit to temple and perform meritorious acts on the day. In

Thailand in particularly, people offer a food to the monks in the very

morning and go to temple to observe precepts, attain blessing chanting and

practice meditation. Further, in the evening every temple organise chanting

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Published in “Puendham; friends in dhamma,” Issue 47, Year 14; January – April 2010,
The Buddhavihara Temple, Kings Bromley, UK

in the main chapel of the temple. After the chanting, they walk with lighted

candles and incense in their hand around a temple for three times. Further,

one of the invited monks will give a short sermon on significance of the day

followed by guided meditation.

Chilly says: I didn't know it before Ajahn ! Thank you very much for your sharing.

Anyway, I got to leave it here and talk to you later.

Bud says: Um! It is my pleasure to share it with you. It’s been a wonderful discussion.

Chilly says: It’s always so nice to talk to you....

Bud says: Wish you all the best and may you achieve supreme happiness of Nibbana.

Chilly says: Sadhu Sadhu Sadhu Ajahn!

Maagha Puja

(LEADER): Handa maya.m buddhassa bhagavato pubba-bhaaga-namakaara.m karoma

se:

Now let us chant the preliminary passage in homage to the Awakened One, the Blessed
One:

(ALL): [Namo tassa] bhagavato arahato sammaa-sambuddhassa. (Three times.)

Homage to the Blessed One, the Worthy One, the Rightly Self-awakened One.

Ajjaaya.m maagha-pu.n.namii sampattaa, maagha-nakkhattena pu.n.na-cando yutto,

yattha Tathaagato araha.m sammaa-sambuddho, caatura"ngike saavaka-sannipaate,
ovaada-paa.timokkha.m uddisi.

Today is the full moon day in the month of Magha, the date on which the Tathagata —
the Worthy One, Rightly Self- awakened — held the four-factored meeting of his
disciples and gave the Patimokkha Exhortation.

Tadaa hi a.d.dha-terasaani bhikkhu-sataani, sabbesa.myeva khii.naasavaana.m, sabbe te

ehi-bhikkhukaa, sabbepi te anaamantitaava, Bhagavato santika.m aagataa, Ve.luvane
kalandaka-nivaape, maagha-pu.n.namiya.m va.d.dhamaana- kacchaayaaya.

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Published in “Puendham; friends in dhamma,” Issue 47, Year 14; January – April 2010,
The Buddhavihara Temple, Kings Bromley, UK

At that time, 1,250 monks — all entirely free of defilements, all recipients of the Come-
Bhikkhu ordination by the buddha, all unnotified of the meeting — came to the Blessed
One's presence in the Bamboo Forest on the afternoon of the full moon day in Magha.

Tasmiñca sannipaate, Bhagavaa visuddh'uttam'uposatha.m akaasi, ovaada-

paa.timokkha.m uddisi.

In that meeting, the Blessed One led an utterly pure full moon observance and gave the
Patimokkha Exhortation.

Aya.m amhaaka.m Bhagavato, ekoyeva saavaka-sannipaato ahosi, caatura"ngiko, a.d.dha-

terasaani bhikkhu-sataani, sabbesa.m yeva khii.naasavaana.m.

This was the only time our Blessed One held a four-factored meeting with his disciples,
1,250 monks, all entirely free of defilement.

Mayandaani, ima.m maagha-pu.n.namii-nakkhatta-samaya.m, takkaalasadisa.m

sampattaa, sucira-parinibbutampi ta.m Bhagavanta.m samanussaramaana, imasmi.m
tassa Bhagavato sakkhi-bhuute cetiye,

Now, on this same date — the full moon day in Magha — remembering the Blessed
One, even though he long ago gained Total Liberation, we have come to this memorial
to him.

Ime da.n.da-diipa-dhuupaadi-sakkaare gahetvaa, attano kaaya.m sakkaar'uupadhaana.m

karitvaa,

We take these offerings — candles, incense, & so forth — and make our bodies a vessel
for them.

Tassa Bhagavato yathaa-bhucce gu.ne anussarantaa, ima.m pa.timaa-ghara.m [thuupa.m]

tikkhattu.m padakkhi.na.m karissaama, yathaa-gahitehi sakkaarehi puuja.m kurumaanaa.

Reflecting on the Blessed One's virtues as they actually are, we will circumambulate this
image shelter [stupa] three times, paying homage to him with the offerings we hold.

Saadhu no bhante Bhagavaa, sasaavaka-sa"ngho, sucira-parinibbutopi, gu.nehi

dharamaano,

Although the Blessed One, together with that Community of his Noble Disciples, long
ago attained total Liberation, they are remembered through their virtues.

Ime amhehi gahite sakkaare pa.tigga.nhaatu, amhaaka.m diigha-ratta.m hitaaya sukhaaya.

May he accept the offerings we hold, for the sake of our long- term welfare & happiness.

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