| Āsāḷha Pūjā | |
|---|---|
 The sermon in the Deer Park as depicted atWat Chedi Liam, Thailand | |
| Also called | Dhamma Day Dharma Day Asadha Puja Asanha Bucha (in Thailand) Esala Poya (in Sri Lanka) Dhammasekya Boonsang Day (in Burma) |
| Observed by | Theravada Buddhists, especiallyCambodians,Lao,Burmese,Sri Lankans andThais |
| Type | Buddhist |
| Date | Full moon day of the lunar month Āsādha |
| Related to | Esala Mangallaya andKandy Esala Perahera, which are held as part of Asalha Puja celebrations in Sri Lanka Chokor Duchen Festival(in Tibet)Drukpa Tshe Zhi(in Bhutan) |
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Āsāḷha Pūjā[2] (Thai:อาสาฬหบูชา) is aTheravadaBuddhist festival which typically takes place in July,[3] on the full moon of theĀsādha month. It is celebrated inIndonesia,Cambodia (Khmer:ពិធីបុណ្យអាសាឡ្ហបូជា),Thailand,Sri Lanka,Laos,Myanmar and in other countries with Theravada Buddhist populations. InIndonesia, the festival is centered atMendut Temple andBorobudur Temple,Central Java.
Asalha Puja, also known asDharma Day, is one of Theravada Buddhism's most important festivals, celebrating as it does the Buddha's first sermon, theSermon in the Deer Park atSarnath,[4] in which he set out to his five former associates the doctrine that had come to him following his enlightenment. This first pivotal sermon, often referred to as “setting into motion the wheel of dhamma,” is the teaching which is encapsulated for Buddhists in theFour Noble Truths: there is suffering (dukkha); suffering is caused by craving (tanha); there is a state (nibbana) beyond suffering and craving; and finally, the way to nirvana is via theNoble Eightfold Path. All the various schools and traditions of Buddhism revolve around this central doctrine.
This first sermon is not only the first structured discourse given by the Buddha after his enlightenment, it also contains the essence of all his subsequent teaching. At the end of the talk, one of the five participants recounted his understanding of what had been said and asked to be received as a disciple, a request the Buddha granted, thus establishing the first order of monks.[5]
The day is observed by donating offerings totemples and listening tosermons. The following day is known in Thailand asWan Khao Phansa; it is the first day ofVassa, the Theravada rains retreat.
| Jan–Mar | |
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| Apr–Jun |
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| Jul–Sep | |
| Oct–Dec | |
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