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Visakha Bucha 24 May

VISAKHA BUCHA (Vesak) means the worship of the Buddha on the full moon day of the sixth lunar month. It usually falls in May. In the case of a year with an extra eighth lunar month--Adhikamasa (there are 13 full moons in that year)-- the Visakha Bucha Day falls on the full moon day of the seventh lunar month.

BIRTH-ENLIGHTENMENT-PASSING AWAY
The Vesak full moon day (The full moon day of Sixth lunar month)

Visakha Bucha Day is one of the most important days in Buddhism because of three important incidents in the life of The Buddha, i.e. the birth, the enlightenment and the passing away, miraculously fall on the same month and date, the Vesak full moon day. .So each year, Buddhists throughout the world gather together to perform the worship to recollect the wisdom, purity and compassion of the Buddha.

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
The Buddha was a king by birth. His clan name was Gotama. He was born in Sakya Kingdom, eighty years before the Buddhist Era (around 2625 year ago), at Lumbini Park (now called Rummindel, in Nepal, north of India), in Madhayama Pradesa, located between Kapilavastu, capital of the Sakya Kingdom and Devadaha, capital of the Koliya Kingdom, on Friday, the Vesak full moon day in the year of the dog.

Prince Siddhatha (the Buddha's personal name) was the son of King Suddhodana and Queen Sirimahamaya. On his birthday, Queen Sirimahamaya who was pregnant, wanted to pay a visit to Devadaha wich was her native country.

In the morning of the Vesak Full moon day, the Queen left Kapilavastu on a visit to Devadaha. Approaching a lovely park of Sals trees called Lumbini, located between the two capitals but nearer to Devadaha, the Queen wanted to visit the park and when she arrived at a Sal tree she started contractions and gave birth to a son there. When the Kings of Kapilavastu and Devadaha learned this, they were very happy and arranged a procession back to Kapilavastu.

Prince Siddhatta was brought up in the midst of luxury, led the happy life of a privileged youth and married at the age of 16 to Princess Yasodhara or Bimba who bore him a son, Rahula.

He discontened and took on the life of a wandering ascetic a the bank of the Anoma River. He was then 29.

He studied the mystic practices of the foremost Brahmin ascetics and realized that such practices were not the way to enlightenment. He went on his own way applying the reflective thought of conscious meditation to a rational simple life of moderation.

At the age of 35, he attained Enlightenment at Uruvelasenanigama subdistrict, Magadha State, (nowadays, located in the area of Buddha Kaya, Bihar State, India), on Wednesday, the Vesak Full moon day, the year of the cock, forty five years before the Buddhist Era.

The Dhamma discovered by the Buddha was Ariyasacca or the Four Noble Truths, namely:

The Noble Truth of Suffering
The Noble Truth of the Origin of Suffering
The Noble Truth of the Extinction of Suffering
The Noble Truth of the Path leading to the Extinction of Suffering

After having attained Enlightenment, the Buddha wandered from place to place teaching his discoveries to people who are accessible to instruction, helping large numbers of them achieve various levels of spiritual attainment. He sent his followers to spread Buddhism in capitals, cities and upcountry, until Buddhism was firmly established and widely spread.

The Buddha passed away on Tuesday, the Vesak full moon day in the year of the small snake under the two Sal trees in the Sala Grove of the Mallas in Kusinara, capital of the Malla State, (nowadays located in Kusinagara of Uttrarapradesa, India) at the age of eighty (around 2545 years ago).

The performance of the rituals on Visakha Bucha day had been continuously observed in Jambudavipa or India, the motherland of Buddhism, for a long time before Buddhism spread to Sri Lanka and Thailand. There, the Visakha worship has been continually observed to the present day.

In Thailand, Visakha Bucha observance began during the Sukhuthai period (around 700 years ago), because of the close religious relations between Thailand and Sri Lanka. Sri Lankan monks came to propagate Buddhism in Thailand and were highly respected. Thai monks also went to study in Sri Lanka. It's believed that, those monks introduced this ceremony to the King and people at that time.

Source: http://www.thaicongenvancouver.org/visakhabucha.htm

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HRH the Crown Prince officiates at royal ceremonies in observance of Visakha Puja Day

BANGKOK, 24 May 2013 (NNT) - His Royal Highness Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn yesterday (23 May) represented His Majesty the King at the ceremony of presenting monastic fans to monks and novices who were promoted to higher ranks, on the occasion of the Visakha Puja Day celebrations at the Temple of the Emerald Buddha in the Grand Palace.

His Royal Highness arrived at the Temple of the Emerald Buddha at 15.11 hr, and then paid homage to the main Buddha image before presenting Prayer Fans of Insignia to 223 monks and novices who have finished monastic studies and are entitled to higher ranks.

In observance of Visakha Puja Day 2013, His Majesty the King has graciously commanded royal merit making ceremonies to be conducted on two consecutive days. The appointment of ranking monks is to be held on the day preceding the Visakha Puja Day or on the 14th day of the waxing moon of the sixth lunar month. The Royal ceremony in celebration of Visakha Puja Day will be held on the 15th day of the waxing moon (full moon day) of the sixth lunar month.

Visakha Puja Day is considered the most important day in Buddhism as it celebrates three occasions which occurred on the same day but different years in the life of Lord Buddha, namely his birth, attainment of enlightenment and passing away. The United Nations has declared Visakha Puja Day as a day of universal significance of the world since 1999.

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-- NNT 2013-05-24 footer_n.gif

Posted

Egat power purchase plan for South delayed
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- A plan to acquire additional electricity from Malaysia to cope with the shortage in South may have to be delayed until next year due to continuing violence in the region, an official at the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (Egat) said yesterday

The 1,320-kilovolt will be delivered to a power station in Narathiwat's Sungai-Kolok district, in addition to another supply purchased from Malaysia, which is currently being delivered to a power station in Songkhla's Sadao district, said Worraphoj In-thong. Another supply is also planned from Narathiwat to Sungai-Kolok, which could help with the shortage. However, the plan may have to be delayed until 2015.

Egat has assigned 13 generators for Pattani and Narathiwat.

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-- The Nation 2013-05-24

Posted

JAPAN MISSION
PM drums up yen for Dawei, rail plans

The Nation

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Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra offers a toast to her Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe during their meeting
Yingluck gives Abe details of port, water and infrastructure projects

TOKYO: -- Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has invited Japanese investors to join the Dawei Deep Sea Port project in Myanmar, while Japanese businesses have expressed an interest in bidding for satellite and high-speed rail projects in Thailand, the PM's secretary-general said yesterday.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/641626-japan-mission-yingluck-drums-up-yen-for-dawei-rail-plans/

Posted

Police raid public official's home
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Investigators from the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) yesterday raided the home of an official from Chaiyaphum's Tambon Wang Takhe Administrative Organisation.

Prajak Khonglaem is believed to have been involved in the exam-cheating scandal by arranging for answers to be signalled via cell-phones and getting others to sit for the exam in exchange for Bt400,000. Prajak, who could not be found, has been urged to report to DSI by next Wednesday.

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-- The Nation 2013-05-24

Posted

Cement Dust Health Risk at Pattaya School Number 11

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PATTAYA: -- The Principal of a government-run school in Pattaya has complained to the local media after months of inaction by the City Authorities over complaints about a Cement Factory located next to the school which is seriously affecting the school and its students.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/641633-cement-dust-health-risk-at-pattaya-school-number-11/

Posted

RT @RichardBarrow: Thailand Mobile Expo 2013 at QSNCC (ศูนย์ประชุมแห่งชาติสิริกิติ์) from now until Sunday #Bangkok

Posted

Warathep criticized Democrats for claiming 2.2T bt loan lacks transparency

Bangkok, 24 May 2013, 2013, (NNT) -- Minister Attached to the Prime Minister's Office Warathep Rattanakorn has criticized the Democrat Party for threatening to withdraw from the sub-committee on the 2.2 Trillion baht loan bill on grounds that details of the loan bill are not transparent.


According to Mr. Warathep, the government has not tried to hide any details of the bill, adding it has done all that the opposition party asked it to do; including live broadcasting of the vetting session and providing the opposition with all of the documents related to the matter. The only thing missing is the feasibility study report which is now underway, lashing out that the Democrat Party itself stated earlier on Wednesday that the report was not necessary for the debate at the moment. But the opposition party is now claiming that the missing of the document is intentional.

The Minister deemed that the move is merely a foul political maneuver, labeling it as creating a scenario as an excuse to bring the matter to the Constitutional Court, which is what the Democrats Party has wanted to do all along.

Nonetheless, Mr. Warathep said that the bill drafting would be finished within a week''s time, but will not be included on the next cabinet meeting's agendas, given the cabinet will be holding a 2014 budget debate on 29-31 May.

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-- NNT 2013-05-24 footer_n.gif

Posted

Thailand aims to become regional mint
By Digital Media

BANGKOK, May 24 – Thailand's Treasury Department will enter a joint venture with the British government to set up a mint to serve Thailand and neighbouring countries, according to the agency's director general.

Naris Chaiyasoot said Thailand will become a coin minting hub for Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia and Vietnam, none of which have their own mints.

In Thailand coins are normally produced for use as currency, souvenirs and royal decorations and awards, he said, adding that the Thai-UK agreement will involve construction of a mint and a training centre to find less costly and more durable materials for the manufacture of coins.

Construction should take two years after the government’s approval and the production, initially aimed at Southeast Asian region, will be expanded to other Asian countries in the future, he said.

Thailand's Treasury Department currently produces about one billion coins a year. (MCOT online news)

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-- TNA 2013-05-24

Posted

UPDATE:

Berserker Australians get rough Phuket justice
Naraporn Tuarob

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The brawl started in the Kangaroo bar and spilled out into Bangla Rd. Image: Google Street View


PHUKET: -- Two out-of-control Australians received rough justice early yesterday morning (May 23), after they attacked an American in a bar on Bangla Rd and started a brawl.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/641645-phuket-mob-violently-bounces-aussies-from-kangaroo-bar/page-5?p=6433092#entry6433092

Posted

Plodprasob to set outlines for constructing Biomass Power Plant

Bangkok, 24 May 2013, (NNT) -- Deputy Prime Minister Plodprasob Surassawadee, in his capacity as the head of the Office of the National Water and Flood Management Policy (WFMP), has stated that the details of the construction of the planned biomass power plant will soon be outlined.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/641696-plodprasob-to-set-outlines-for-constructing-biomass-power-plant/

Posted

Farm front egg price capped at 3.30 baht/egg

BANGKOK, 24 May 2013 (NNT) – The Ministry of Commerce has capped the farm front price of chicken eggs at 3.30 baht per egg, in its effort to rein in the problem of expensive eggs.

Deputy Commerce Minister Nattawut Saikuar on Thursday met with hen raisers and representatives from related sectors, and discussed with them the problem of expensive chicken eggs. He said after the meeting that the main reason for the heightened egg prices was the very hot weather that has caused egg hens to lay fewer eggs. Output now averages 34-36 million eggs per day, almost matching the 36 million eggs per day in daily demand.

Mr. Nattawut says the current price per egg at the front of farms is 3.20 baht. This figure may not increase until the ministry-established ceiling, but he will evaluate the situation again next month. The minister believes prices will become lower starting in June or July. With the cooler weather during that period causing an increase in egg production, eggs may become oversupplied and prices could drop significantly. He has assigned the Internal Trade Department and the Livestock Department to prepare measures to accommodate such a scenario in advance.

Mr. Nattawut also disclosed he is requesting collaboration from the 3 mobile phone service providers to provide price updates on items such as pork, chicken meat, eggs and vegetables. Those wishing to receive the service would have to make subscription.

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-- The Nation 2013-05-24

Posted

PM Yingluck urges enhanced cooperation for Asia’s future
By Digital Media

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TOKYO, May 24 – Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra expressed strong confidence today that “The Asian Century” will be realised in the coming decades with US$6.4 trillion foreign reserves in the entire region.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/641626-japan-mission-yingluck-drums-up-yen-for-dawei-rail-plans/

Posted

Buddhists in Yala commemorate Vesak Day amid tight security

YALA, 24 May 2013 (NNT)-Thai Buddhists in Malaysia have traveled to Putthathiwat Temple in this southern province to make alms giving and pay respect to the Buddha statue on the occasion of Vesak Day amid tight security.

Many people joined the alms giving ritual this morning at the temple in Betong district, Yala. Police officers and soldiers were providing security for locals as well as businessmen and officials at the event. Monks from other temples were also invited to receive alms here although they had to be provided with security protection on their journeys to and from the temple to assure their safety.

Vesak Day is an important day in Buddhism as it is the day Buddhists commemorate significant religious events including the birth, enlightenment and the passing away of the Lord Buddha.

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-- NNT 2013-05-24 footer_n.gif

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