WRITER : THE AU LIBRARY
The Office of Thai Art and Culture, Student Affairs, Assumption University of Thailand (AU) led a meaningful cultural and spiritual outing for members of the AU community on Tuesday, 8 July 2025, to mark the beginning of Buddhist Lent (Khao Phansa) with a Candle Offerings Ceremony and Alms Giving at Wat Sukhunthawas, located in Bang Bo District, Samut Prakan Province.
Participants departed from the Suvarnabhumi Campus, traveling together to the temple grounds. Upon arriving, students, faculty, and staff were welcomed into the sacred space to begin a day rich in cultural heritage and community spirit.
The heart of the morning unfolded when attendees presented beautifully crafted candles in the Buddhist Lent Candle Procession, a cherished Thai tradition symbolizing the light of wisdom and the beginning of the monks’ three-month retreat. The ceremony also included chanting, prayer, and the presentation of nine auspicious ceremonial candles (เทียนพรรษา ๙ รูป) to the temple monks.
Following the ceremony, participants engaged in an alms-giving ritual, offering food and daily necessities—many bringing personal items as part of the merit-making tradition. The formal activities concluded with a blessing, and all were invited to enjoy a shared lunch prepared by Office of Thai Arts & Culture, Student Affairs.
The group returned to Assumption University, having taken part in a rare opportunity to reflect, connect, and contribute through one of Thailand’s most sacred Buddhist traditions.
About Buddhist Lent (Khao Phansa): A Season of Stillness, Study, and Spiritual Light
Khao Phansa—literally “entering the rains”—marks the beginning of Buddhist Lent, a three-month spiritual retreat observed by Theravada Buddhist monks across Thailand and Southeast Asia. Traditionally coinciding with the rainy season, this sacred period dates back over 2,500 years to the time of the Buddha, when monastics were encouraged to remain in one place to avoid harming crops or stepping on insects during planting season.
But it’s much more than just staying put.
During Phansa, monks devote themselves to deeper meditation, scriptural study, and self-discipline. Laypeople, in turn, support the monastic community with renewed devotion—offering food, supplies, and the iconic Buddhist Lent candles, which symbolize the light of wisdom illuminating the path through spiritual darkness.
Candle offering ceremonies like the one at Wat Sukhunthawas are rooted in both symbolism and service. Before electric lighting, these large beeswax candles provided essential light in temple halls during the long rainy nights of prayer and reflection. Today, the ritual continues as a gesture of reverence and community support—and as a reminder that even in the darkest seasons, light can be shared.
For university students, it’s a chance to step outside the classroom and into a living tradition that blends compassion, mindfulness, and cultural identity—a timeless kind of learning.
More Information about Office of Thai Art and Culture, please visit:
Website: https://sa.au.edu/offices/office-of-thai-art-and-culture.html
Email: SA.OVP@AU.EDU
Tel: (+66)-2783-2222 Ext. 2253
