The Kathina robe offering is one of the most important ceremonies in the Thai Buddhist calendar, and the Great Kathina Robe Offering at Wat Phra Dhammakaya is held every year in November. It also serves as the principal commemoration of Khun Yai Achan, the temple’s founder.
When is Kathina?
Kathina falls in the lunar month that covers the end of the Buddhist Lent, so on the Gregorian calendar it usually falls in October or November each year. The exact date shifts with the lunar calendar, so it is best described by season rather than by a fixed date.
The Kathina offering marks the end of Khao Phansa, the three-month rains retreat. Monks who have stayed in one place through the rains may then receive new robes and other necessary items, which is why the festival is associated so strongly with generosity.
Who Khun Yai Achan was
Khun Yai Achan Maha Ratana Upasika Chandra Khonnokyoong was the founder of Wat Phra Dhammakaya. She established the temple on land she had set aside for the purpose, and worked tirelessly to raise funds for its construction, the surrounding community, and education.
She was widely known for her frugality, her patience, and her insistence on careful accounting of every donation. Because of that reputation, the Kathina celebration carries a double meaning at this temple: it is both the year’s robe offering and a commemoration of the person who built the temple.
The morning alms to the monks
The day begins early. Several hundred monks assemble in the ordination hall, and lay participants come to offer breakfast, presenting food with both hands while keeping the three refuges and five precepts in mind.
The scale of the offering is part of the point. Alms-giving on this day is a public demonstration of community support rather than a private act, and the food prepared is shared again among the participants afterwards.
The Great Kathina Robe Offering ceremony
The main ceremony takes place outdoors. Robes that have been dedicated over the preceding weeks are carried out and presented to the monks in a formal procession, after which the ceremonial robe is offered and the assembly recites the Kathina verses.
The ceremony is deliberately public and open to visitors. It is one of the largest gatherings of the year at the temple, and the atmosphere combines formality with a strong sense of family participation.
How to join — on site
Wat Phra Dhammakaya is at Khlong Sam, Khlong Luang, Pathum Thani 12120. Arrive early if you would like to help with the morning alms, as the hall fills well before the formal start. Dress modestly with shoulders and knees covered, and remove your shoes before entering the ordination hall and the Cetiya.
If you wish to dedicate a robe or join the offering, contact the temple in advance so that arrangements can be made in time.
How to join online
Live coverage is shared through the temple’s Line OA “@dhammakaya” account and the official Facebook page, and is also broadcast by the DMC channel. Online participants commonly send a robe dedication, follow the ceremony, and dedicate the merit to their family and to the founder of the temple.
Preparing for the day
- Arrive early if you want to take part in the morning alms to the monks.
- Dress modestly with shoulders and knees covered.
- Contact the temple ahead of time if you intend to dedicate a robe.
- Bring water and a small cloth, and be ready to remove your shoes.
Plan your merit-making all year
The Great Kathina Robe Offering is one of many merit-making events at the temple. See the Dhammakaya Merit Calendar to plan your year of dana, sila, and bhavana. Thai readers can also read the Thai-language guide to the Kathina Robe Offering at Wat Phra Dhammakaya.
References
พักใจเติมพลังบุญ 5 นาที ณ ศูนย์กลางกายฐานที่ 7
หลังอ่านบทความนี้ ลองหลับตาเบาๆ ผ่อนคลายร่างกายและจิตใจ ร่วมบันทึกสถิติสมาธิของคุณในระบบเพื่อสะสมพลังบารมีในทุกๆ วัน
🧘♂️ เริ่มต้นบันทึกสมาธิวันนี้ (ฟรี)ติดตามทาง LINE Official
รับข้อคิดธรรมะสั้น 2 นาที & เตือนวันพระ สะดวกบนมือถือ
