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Kathina is a festival that takes place during the months of October and November. For 2500 years families have gathered to take part in the largest alms-giving ceremony of the Buddhist year. Friends, old and new, parents and children join together in a celebration on the theme of harmony. Kathina occurs at the end of the Vassa. During this three month retreat, the residents of the monastery have been obliged by their Rule not to travel unless absolutely necessary; now some of them will move on. This may mean resuming the life of a

The cloth is carried in procession.

mendicant wanderer, or going to live in another monastery - so it's a time for leave-taking and extending a welcome. Also, as winter approaches, the supporters are checking to see that the basic needs of the samanas are being met. It is with regard to the offering of these requisites that this festival comes about. Origins: According to the scriptures, a group of thirty bhikkhus (monks) were

The cloth has been received and acknowledged.

journeying together with the intention of spending the retreat season with the Buddha. However the Vassa began before they reached their destination and it was required that they stop travelling. Accordingly, although they lived harmoniously during the retreat, the bhikkhus were unhappy at not being able to be with the Master. When they were allowed to travel again, the bhikkhus continued on to see the Buddha. Hearing of their unhappy sojourn, he decided to cheer them up by allowing them to roam freely after the Rains Retreat to gather cloth for robes. The Buddha knew that nothing is so uplifting as sharing and generosity, and so then established a procedure whereby the bhikkhus could agree among themselves to

Carefully layed out and cut ready for sewing.

make a gift of the cloth so acquired to one of their number. And so, when they had enough cloth, the bhikkhus set about sewing a robe. In those days the method used involved spreading the pieces of cloth on a frame and stitching them together. This frame was called a Kathina.

Today:
The whole bhikkhu community will take part in finishing the robe.

From that time until now, lay supporters have made a point of offering cloth at the end of the Vassa; it being allowed that this offering can take place at any time during the four weeks following the end of the retreat. The Sangha are not allowed to request the offering, so it is important that the initiation of the offering and its organisation be done entirely by the lay people. Actually, the ceremony is held in such high esteem that it is rare that the Kathina doesn't take place and supporters will usually agree on a date with the abbot of the monastery well in advance. The cloth, according to the Buddha's advice, must be offered to the whole Sangha, not to any particular individual, so that the bhikkhus have to formally agree as to which of them should receive the cloth. About three metres of cloth are needed: enough to make up at least one of the main robes. Once the cloth has been offered, the entire community tries to take part in the activity of sewing the new robe, it being stipulated that this robe be cut, sewn and finished before the dawn of the next day. Until recent times finishing always involved dyeing the robe as well, and even today, in traditional forest monasteries in Burma and Thailand, white cloth is given and whilst some of the bhikkhus are cutting and sewing, others are preparing the bath of natural dye. The Ceremony Usually one person has undertaken the task of co-ordinating the occasion; this work may have started as far back as the Kathina of the previous year. Although all that is required is enough cloth to make up one robe, it's usually the case that all sorts of things are offered: everything from socks to tools to stamps and winter fuel. On the day of the festival people begin arriving at the monastery early some may have come the night before. Bhikkhus and nuns from other monasteries will have been invited and be gathering also. By about 10:00 a.m. everyone is beginning to settle and at around 10.30

a.m. a meal is offered to the Sangha and then everyone helps themselves to the remainder of the food. About 1.00 p.m. the ceremonial offering of cloth and requisites takes place with one donor leading the assembly of lay people in taking the Refuges and Precepts and then announcing the offering using the following formula. This would be done in both Pali and English. "May we venerable Sirs, present these robes together with the other requisites to the Sangha. So, Venerable Sirs, please accept these robes and the other requisites from us, for our long-lasting welfare and happiness." The cloth is formally presented to two bhikkhus who have been agreed upon by the Sangha. In turn they announce the donation of all the Kathina offerings and then nominate one senior and wellrespected member of the community to receive the robe once it has been made up. The unanimous agreement in silence by the Sangha is strengthened by the collective utterance of "Sadhu" (it is well). At this point some of the bhikkhus leave and begin cutting the cloth. Later, others will join them. The formal Sangha Act (Sangha Kamma) of receiving a Kathina offering will be completed later in the evening (sometimes very late depending on whether or not the sewing goes smoothly) when the finished robe is ceremonially presented to the appointed bhikkhu. Part of the acknowlegement of the offering by the two appointed bhikkhus: Kale dadanti sappaa vadau vitamacchara Kalena dinnam ariyesu ujubhutesu tadisu Those who are wise, generous and free from selfishness give at the appropriate times. Then what is given to those who

Vipassannamana tassa vipula are worthy and morally sound hoti dakkhina. is an offering of great purity

Ye tattha anumodanti veyyavaccam karonti va Na tena dakkhina una tepi puassa bhagino. Tasma dade appativanacitto

and substance. Those who likewise show appreciation or perform acts of service make no lesser offering and they also share in this merit. Thus

yattha dinnam mahapphalam in giving, the heart is Puani paralokasmim patittha honti paninan'ti. unbounded, what is given is of great fruit and those meritorious deeds bring about good fortune in the life to come. view a selection of Kathina ceremonies in Western monasteries

The Past The festival dates back to the time of the Buddha. It once happened that a group of 30 bhikkus or monks were on their way to the place where the Buddha was based so as to spend their retreat season with their great master. However, as luck would have it, vassa or the Rains Retreat began before they could reached their destination. As per the rules, during the three month period of vassa, the monks had to cease all their travel and live peacefully together. The monks followed all the rules but were, quiet obviously, unhappy at not being able to stay with their master. When the period of vassa came to an end, the monks continued with their journey. The Buddha, on knowing their sad state, knew that something needed to be done to cheer them up. He also knew that nothing in this world could be as uplifting and cheering as sharing and showing generosity. With this in mind, he allowed the monks to wander completely freely after the Rains Retreat and collect cloth for robes. When they had enough cloth, the monks were to sew a robe using a method which entailed spreading out the the pieces of cloth on a frame and stitching them together. This frame was known as a Kathina. It is from here that the festival draws its name.

The Present Kathina, today, is celebrated as the largest alms giving festival of the Buddhist world. The tradition of collecting cloth at the end of the Rains Retreat continues till date. From the time the vassa comes to an end to the four weeks that follows, supporters can make an offering of cloth to the Sangha. The Sangha, themselves, cannot go about seeking cloth, so the offering has to come from the lay people themselves. Given the fact that the festival holds so much of significance in the life of the Buddhist, it hardly happens that cloth is not offered or falls short for the ceremony.

On the day of the festival, people begin to pour in large numbers in the monastery. By 10.30 in the morning, the sangha is served a meal, the remainder of which is consumed by the rest of the people. At around 1 pm, the ceremonial offreing of the cloth takes place. A representative of the lay people leads the group and announces the offering, which is then presented to two monks who have been selected by the Sangha. The monks, thereafter, announce the name of one senior monk who will receive the robe once it is made up.

After this, the bhikkus get together to make up the robe. The entire cutting and sewing has to be completed before the dawn of the next day. When the robe is completed, the formal Kathina offering ceremony takes place.

The Celebration Time The celebration of the Kathina festival takes place during the months of October and November. The date of the festival varies from one country to another depending upon the rainy season.

The festival is most important for the Burmese, Sri Lankans and the Thai Theravada Buddhists.