Sangha Day, also known as Māgha Pūjā or Fourfold Assembly Day, is the second most important Buddhist holiday.[#1823]. It commemorates the spontaneous gathering of 1,250 arhats (saints or disciples) at Veruvana Monastery in Rajagaha, India, where they heard the Buddha's first sermon. Celebrated on the full moon day of the third lunar month (February or March), Sangha Day is especially popular in Thailand and other Southeast Asian countries.
Names and Etymology of Sangha Day
In Buddhism, the sangha refers to monks or to the Buddhist spiritual community in general. Sangha Day is so named because it celebrates:
- the sangha that gathered to hear the Buddha speak at Veruvana;
- the Buddha's historic sermon that outlined the rules for the sangha; and
- the value of the Buddhist spiritual community.
The name Māgha Pūjā derives from māgha, the name for the third lunar month, and puja, meaning worship or devotion.
Fourfold Assembly Day refers to four characteristics of the historic assembly of the sangha at Vervana:
- All of the 1,250 who gathered were arhats;
- All were ordained by the Buddha himself;
- They assembled spontaneously without being called; and
- It was the full moon day of Magha month.[#1821]
Date of Sangha Day
Sangha Day/Magha Puja is held on the first full moon day of the third lunar month (Magh or Magha). This falls in February or March on the western calendar.
Sangha Day Observances
Festival rituals may include meditation, chanting, lighting oil lamps, and reaffirming one's commitment to Buddhist spirituality.[#1823]