NAY PYI TAW April 20
Vice Chairman of State Administration Council Deputy Prime Minister Vice-Senior General Soe Win addresses coordination meeting of board of patrons, leading committee for organizing auspicious ceremonies to mark full moon day of Kason- Buddha Day
A coordination meeting of the board of patrons and the leading committee for organizing ceremonies to mark the full moon day of Kason – Buddha Day was held at the meeting hall of the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Culture in Nay Pyi Taw at 2 pm today and Chairman of the Board of Patrons for Organizing Auspicious Ceremonies to mark the full moon day of Kason (Buddha Day) of the State Administration Council of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar Vice Chairman of the SAC Vice-Senior General Soe Win addressed the meeting.
Also present at the meeting were union ministers, the chairman of the Nay Pyi Taw Council, the commander of the Nay Pyi Taw Command, deputy ministers, permanent secretaries, directors general and officials.
First, the meeting began with a three-time recitation of Namo Tassa.
At the meeting, the Vice-Senior General delivered an address, saying as the full moon day of Kason (Buddha Day) marks the four significant events in the life of Thatbyinnyu Buddha or the lord of three world such as receiving divine prophecy, being given birth to, attaining enlightenment and entering Maha Parinibanna, according to the record known as prophecy, birth, bodhi trees and Parinibanna, Myanmar Buddhists regard the day as their holiest day.
As the Buddha attained enlightenment under the Maha Bodhi tree on the full moon day of Kason, Buddhists have organized ceremonies to mark the full moon day of Kason (Buddha Day) or festival to pour water at the foot of banyan trees as one of their 12 Myanmar traditional festivals.
As the Maha Bodhi tree was one of the seven birthmates of the would-be Buddha, Prince Siddhartha and contributed a lot to his enlightenment, it is regarded as one of the Pribawga Zedis. As pouring water at the foot of Maha Bodhi trees in Kason in summers, when groundwater has dried up, contributes to flourishing and longevity of Maha Bodhi trees and amounts to paying obeisance to the living Buddha, it will bring the same benefits of stability and prosperity of the country and peace of mind of all its citizens.
As the full moon day of Kason on which water is poured at the foot banyan trees is one of the holiests days of Buddhists, the United Nations General Assembly held on 13 December, 1999 designated the day as International Vesak day or Visakha day under its resolution 54/115.
The ceremony to offer water to Maha Bodhi trees in the precinct of the Uppatasanti Pagoda in Nay Pyi Taw in the past was organized by the Nay Pyi Taw Council and the pagoda board of trustees but it is the third year since the ceremony has been organized as a national level one.
On the full moon day of Kason, the ceremony will be organized on a grand scale as a national level one by scheduling five sessions such as offering alms and day meals to monks to commemorate the Buddha Day, holding paper reading session marking the Buddha Day, organizing Kason water offering ceremony, offering lights in processions and delivering Dhamma sermons in the precinct of the pagoda in the Nay Pyi Taw Union Territory.
With the Kason water offering ceremony, religious events on the Buddha Day will be held at the State level. To successfully hold the events, the Order No. 89/2023 to form the Patron Body and the Steering Committee was issued by the Office of State Administration Council on April 11. With the working committee, the Ministry of Culture and Religious Affairs, the steering committee, had given assignments on April 18 through forming 13 sub-committees.
The matter to select the four Sayadaws who will read papers on four significant events of the Buddha at the paper reader event on the Buddha Day was submitted to the Sitagu Sayadaw, chancellor of Sitagu Buddhist Academies, and three Rector Sayadaws of three Buddhist Academies and matter to enable the three Rector Sayadaws to act as a board of chairmen.
The event to carry oil lamp posts will be held in accordance with the State level. For that event, 80 men and 1,000 women have been prepared to participate in the event. It is believed that the event will be convenient and smooth as coordination has been already made with the ministries concerned to get the number of vehicles necessary ready for that event.
The ministries concerned need to properly decorate the vehicles which will participate in the parade of demonstration in accordance with the State level as the State-run media will broadcast a live show on the event.
As the Maha Mingalar ceremonies will be held in five parts, it is to systematically take security measures at the venues for the relevant events with a sense of consciousness and attentiveness on security until the end of events. Subcommittees are to carry out their tasks in accordance with the directives on COVID-19 prevention and control. The Vice-Senior General urged the attendees to openly present their suggestions to the meeting.
Then, Chairman of Leading Committee Union Minister U Ko Ko briefed on grandly holding the Kason Water Offering Ceremony and Mingalar events in Buddha Day at the State level and Deputy Minister U Aye Tun on the schedule of the ceremony and events.
Next, the sub-committees reported on their sector-wise tasks on the ceremony and events to the meeting.
Later, the Vice-Senor General made coordination on the suggestions and reports gave necessary instructions.
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