Buddhist Lent..?

[Totster]

After having many conversations with my GF over the last few days about her attending the local Temple everyday for the last three days, I was still none the wiser as to what it was all about.

She made reference to people not drinking for three months and after this they can again....

Now just before posting this I saw a post Neeram had made about "buddhist Lent".... now this would make sense.

I wonder if anyone would be kind enough to give me a better idea about this, I'm just curious.

Cheers

totster

[jingjingna]

Totster,

I will probably make matters worse, but here's my input:

In Thailand there are many types of Buddhist...The Chinese Buddhists observe "vegetarianism" throughout the "JJ" period (approx 10 days)...this made me smile because I know quite a few people who don't eat meat or fish. All year round my Thai friends never quite grasped the meaning until "JJ"...

Thai Buddhists believe that if they give up alcohol for 3 months it will have a good impact on their life...well that's what I am told!

[Abandon]

Totster.

Buddhist lent is the three month Vassa (rains retreat) period going from roughly july-august-sept-oct depending on the lunar calendar. During this period monks are supposed to spend each night under one particular roof, that they designated at the start of the period. In special circumstances they can travel away from the temple for a Maximum of 6 nights.

The original idea was to stop monks from wandering across the countryside when folks were planting crops; stop them from trampling seedlings.

Today, many people make a special renunciation for the period, hence the comparison with Lent. You can choose anything or nothing - whatever you like. Thais consider the rains retreat period important to keep, but other countries don't really give a stuff. In England there is good argument to move the 3 month period to the winter.