THE PARENTS AS ARAHANT AT HOME WHO HAVE OFTEN FORGOTTEN

Abstract

Birthdays are important days of lives. When the time of the birthdays comes. The Buddhists so believe that philanthropy will increase prosperity, makes the life get longer and give the new age thriving. Birthday’s ceremony has started from the Buddha period which two Brahmin of husband and wife took their child to a friend in the forest. Their friend told that the child will be died within seven days, then had suggested the two Brahmin husband and wife going to the Buddha for the help. The Buddha gave them an advice to invite the monks to pray phraparit chanting throughout the seven days until the last day the Buddha come to them by himself. Towards the time of chanting, the child had listened to the phraprarit chanting, finally the child had survived up to 120 years old. In Thailand, it began the birthday ceremony in the reign of king Rama 4 when he was in ordination. In his royal thought when the birthday came once again, the people still alive, it is very good luck and suit for making merit to oneself and others. So the result of this ceremony as called Royal Birthday Anniversary by making the philanthropy that invited Ten monks to pray chanting and blessing. In the end, the owner of birthday gave the offerings to the monks which kept going on this traditional culture then and now. The way to practice the birthday ceremony begins with purifying the mind, preserving the five precepts, pray chanting and practicing meditation, offering food to the monks, dedicating merit to forefather who passed away and person with previous deeds on each other, letting the cows free from killing and releasing fish, donating something for public, and as importantly bowing the parents and blessing from the ultimate prosperity of lives.