General public and students being urged to visit temples

The Department of Religious Affairs is encouraging members of the public and students to visit Buddhist temples and make merits on the Buddhist Sabbath Days (วันธรรมสวนะ).

Mr. Preecha Kanthiya (ปรีชา กันธิยะ), the head of the department, said his department has set up projects to urge people to visit the temples on Buddhist Sabbath Days. The project has been carried out for over the past two months since the Buddhist Lend Day.

The project is aimed for Buddhist people to take part in the religious practices in their daily lives because Thai people in the past have continued to practice them on every Buddhist Sabbath Day. Therefore, the Religious Affairs Department is promoting the general public and students to visit various temples throughout the year.

People can contact the department if they would like to join this religious project.

Meanwhile, Ms. Narumon Patcharoen (นฤมล แพทย์เจริญ), a Thai student, said students would learn how to meditate at the temples, and this would help improve their studies

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 15 September 2006

I was not aware that Buddhism has a "sabbath" day.

Which day of the week is it?

From the name it should Saturday, the 7th day of the week.

I was not aware that Buddhism has a "sabbath" day.

Which day of the week is it?

From the name it should Saturday, the 7th day of the week.

the lunar quarters, if i remember correctly.

The Department of Religious Affairs is encouraging members of the public and students to visit Buddhist temples...

This is news? Can these headlines be far behind:

• "Ministry of Education encourages students to go to school."
  
• "Ministry of Agriculture encourages people to eat food."
  
• "Ministry of Foreign Affairs encourages foreigners to stay the heII out of Thailand."
  

I was not aware that Buddhism has a "sabbath" day.

Which day of the week is it?

From the name it should Saturday, the 7th day of the week.

Wan Put?

I was not aware that Buddhism has a "sabbath" day.

Which day of the week is it?

From the name it should Saturday, the 7th day of the week.

Wan Put?

Interesting thought.

So everyone has to abandon school and work to visit the temple on a Wednesday?

Not that the Lunar quarter days mentioned elsewhere are any better.

Wan Phra - lunar quarters as mentioned earlier. These are marked on any Thai calendar.

Not very convenient days for abandoning work or school to go to the Wat.

nothing particularly inconvenient about it either ....

If they mean the 4 times a year that are mostly holidays anyways!

I go to temple more than 4 times a year ... and just under once a week.

Nothing inconvenient about it at all!

Maybe I should have been more clear - lunar quarters means on every full moon, new moon, and each half moon. So, we're talking about 4 times a month or basically once a week, though it can vary since the lunar cycles don't exactly match up with our weeks & months.

We already have waaaaay too many holidays of all forms in the public schools. Maybe I'm a strange one to be asking for fewer holidays and more work, but it's truly in the interests of students. I don't think it does the kids any favours to encourage them to spend less time in classes.