festivals

• Festivals

  Celebrations of important events.
• Buddhist Festivals

  Usually celebrate events in the Buddha's life, opportunity to remember the Buddha's teachings, an opportunity to meet and practice together, some are specific to certain traditions and countries, some are concerned with other Buddhist figures.
• Retreats

  An opportunity for intensive practice.
• Buddhist Retreats


  May involve meditation, talks, study groups, workshops and rituals, aims to help people deepen their understanding of Buddhist practice, held in monasteries or Buddhist centres.
• Wesak

  A Theravada festival that celebrates the Buddha's birth, enlightenment and passing away.
• Parinirvana Day

  A Mahayana festival that commemorates the Buddha's passing away.
• Parinirvana

  The Buddha's passing into full nirvana (nibbana) at his death (parinibbana).
• Anicca


  Impermanence.
• Vassa

  An annual retreat for Theravada lasting 3 months during the rainy season.
• Kathina


  A Buddhist alms-giving ceremony at which new robes and other requisites are offered to members of the sangha at the end of the 3-month rainy season retreat (vassa).
• Mahaparinirvana Sutra


  A Buddhist scripture that describes the Buddha's last days.
• Mahaparinirvana


  Great, complete Nirvana.
• Kushinagar

  A place in India where it is believed the Buddha passed away.