Thadingyut Myanmar Festival
is the seventh Myanmar
month (in Septem'ber-October) towards the
end of the rainy season.
Lord Gautama
Buddha preached The Abhidhamma to Maidawmi
Nat (reincarnate of His Mother) in Tavatimsa
Abode of celestial beings for three Lenten
months and returned to the abode of men on
the full-moon day of Thadingyut. The King of
Celestials cerated gold, silver, ruby
stairways for him. Buddha took the middle
ruby one radiating six hues of aura. The
nats came along by the right gold stairways
and the brahmas by the left silver
stairways.
On account of
that, Myanmar Buddhists celebrate the
full-moon day with multi-coloured
illuminations. It is also called Tavatimsa
Festival after the Tavatimsa Abode of the
nats and the Myinmo Lights Festival after
the Mount Myinmo there.
For the Sangha
it is the time for what is known as Pawayana,
which means inviting, entreating, urging. In
practice since the times of Buddha, it is to
beg on another for forgiveness of any action
that might have displeased any other among
Sangha. There is also the practice among
laity of paying obeisance to parents and
elders.
The Text is by Myat Min Hlaing, Illustration from Wa Thone
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