Māgha Pūjā

Māgha Pūjā is a Theravada Buddhist observance held on the full moon of the lunar month of Māgha, which usually falls in February or March. In some places in the West it is called Sangha Day. It is a public holiday in Thailand, and is also widely observed in Laos, Cambodia and Sri Lanka, where the full moon of this month is known as Navam.

What it remembers

According to tradition, on this full moon, early in the Buddha's teaching life, 1,250 of his disciples gathered at the Bamboo Grove near Rājagaha without having been called. All of them were arahants, fully awakened, and all had been ordained by the Buddha himself.

The Buddha is said to have taught them the Ovāda Pāṭimokkha, a short summary of the whole teaching in verse. Its best-known lines are found in the Dhammapada: not doing evil, cultivating what is good, and purifying the mind; this is the teaching of the Buddhas. The verses also praise patience as the highest discipline, harmlessness, moderation in eating, solitude and meditation.

Why the Sangha is honoured

Vesak centres on the Buddha and Āsāḷha Pūjā on the Dhamma, the first teaching. Māgha Pūjā is often linked to the third jewel, the Sangha, the community of those who practise the teaching. For lay Buddhists it is a time to appreciate the monastics and teachers who keep the tradition alive, and the wider community of practitioners.

How it is observed

Customs differ between countries and communities. Common elements include visiting a monastery, offering food to monastics, taking the five or eight precepts for the day, and listening to a Dhamma talk.

In Thailand and neighbouring countries, a central custom is wian thian, walking with candles. In the evening, people circle a temple hall or stupa three times holding a lit candle, flowers and incense. The three rounds recollect the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Sangha. Many people also spend time in chanting and meditation.

Reflecting at home

You can mark the day simply by reading the Ovāda Pāṭimokkha verses and asking how each applies to your own life. The short summary – avoid harm, do good, purify the mind – is easy to remember and practical in any situation.