Makka Bucha

I never imagined I would sit among 100,000 Thai Buddhists in absolute silence.

While hanging out on Saturday night, my friend P’Nui invited me to join his family the following day at Wat Dhammakaya to celebrate Makka Bucha day. Makka Bucha commemorates Buddha's sermon to 1,250 enlightened monks; it is the most important Buddhist holiday.

Delighted at the opportunity, Heidi, Suzanne and I met Nui, his mother, sister and nephew at the giant temple in Rangsit on Sunday afternoon. This is the same temple where I witnessed Nui's ordination as a monk several months ago. I don't know how to adequately emphasize the vastness or the feeling of the Dhammakaya complex. It currently has enough space for 100,000 monks to live, and construction is underway to house a full ONE MILLION in the future. It's huge and very modern-looking, though quite strict about its meditation and monkhood rules.

It took us ages to find Nui, who graciously answered our questions and guided us through the meditation. Approaching the ceremonial area, I first noticed thousands of small posts with unlit candles, each about a meter tall and placed a perfect 2 meters from its nearest neighbor. Behind each post sat one of the estimated 100,000 visitors, dressed head to toe in white clothing and sitting politely upon his/her heels over the hot cement. We sat in wai position, listened, chanted and meditated for an hour or more. Then the monks processed an auspicious three times with candles around the main center temple. Finally, small fireworks were lit around the permiter, and flames were passed from one person to the next so that we could each light the candle raised before us.

This was such a peaceful experience for me, and I am nowhere near finding the words to really express how I felt. Maybe someday I will find those words, but for now I wanted to at least write this short description. I am forever in Nui's debt for including me on such special occasions.

The temple website (http://www.dhammakaya.net/en/docs/makha-bucha-the-light-of-peace-ceremony) has a wonderful explanation of the ceremony, some of which I've copied below:

"I'm the candlelight
I am a kind of brilliant light
I am like a glorious light
My mind inside is candle bright"

The sunset over the horizon, giving way to the moonlight. The lantern of the night sky which is now decorated by brilliant light of the hundreds thousands of lanterns, lit by the monks and all participants, as if to say that the light of Dhamma has shone inside everyone's mind. Hundreds thousands of lantern light being lit fabricate the shining sea of Dhamma that casts the darkness of the night sky away, as well as marking the light of enlightenment for mankind."

Wat Dhammakaya
Makka Bucha Day, 28 February 2010/2553
(photo from Wat Dhammakaya website)