Phra Udom Vajiramonkol, the Chief Monk of Phuket, presided over the religious aspects of the ceremony, while Governor Sopon Suwannarat led the lay participants. Joining them were the Governor’s wife Mrs Busadee, who serves as President of the Phuket branch of the Red Cross and Chairwoman of the Phuket Provincial Housewives Association, along with various government officials and Buddhist devotees.
The ceremony aimed to honour the teachings of Buddhism. All participants wore white clothing, a traditional gesture of purity and respect, as they listened to a Dharma sermon, made merit and circled the ordination hall in a candlelight procession.
Asarnha Bucha, also known as “Dharma Day”, is one of the most significant Buddhist holidays. It falls on the full moon of the eighth lunar month, marking the day the Buddha delivered his first sermon, the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta, to the five ascetics in Sarnath, India, two months after his enlightenment.
The sermon introduced the core teachings of Buddhism, encapsulated in the Four Noble Truths, the essence of the Buddha’s teachings:
Dukkha: The truth of suffering, acknowledging life’s inherent challenges and pains.
Samudaya: The truth of the cause of suffering, identifying desire and attachment as the sources of suffering.
Nirodha: The truth of the end of suffering, emphasising the possibility of liberation from suffering.
Marga: The truth of the path to the end of suffering, outlining the Noble Eightfold Path as the way to achieve liberation.
The teachings form the foundation of Buddhist practice, guiding adherents towards a path of moderation and ultimate liberation from suffering, explained an official report of the event.
The religious holidays Asarnha Bucha and Khao Phansa by law invoke a nationwide ban on the sale of alcohol that ends at midnight tonight.
All government offices will be closed tomorrow (July 22) as the country observes the substitution day public holiday for the auspicious religious occasion.