Candles for Buddhist Lent are made some time prior to the advent of Buddhist Lent, during which time monks are supposed to retreat to their temples for 3 months and devote their time to prayers and meditation. The need for candles therefore arises during this period.
For Buddhists, the making of candles for this occasion itself is regarded as a form of merit-making as their candles help in the religious duties of the monks during the holy months. They believe that they too will become enlightened through they participation in this prayerful period.
The candles when made will be paraded in a procession in a procession three times around the convocation hall before being lit throughout the three-month Lental Season. In the rural area, this marks an especially festive event. In some localities, candles are entered into contest for their creativity and the procession which parades around the city centre is particularly colorful. For other localities, however, this represents an annual event where villagers make merit by offering food to monks.
No comments:
Post a Comment