The Annual Summer Retreat in Lingdum has started since 19th August and will end on 2nd October.2024. Rejoice!
Summer Retreat for Comprehensive Practice of Discipline
The discipline of moral conduct is an indispensable precious jewel in both religious and worldly aspects. It is also the supreme ornament that beautifies everyone, regardless of age, gender, or social status. Properly observing moral discipline generates faith and inspires respect in laypeople. For the practitioner, it accumulates great merit, resulting in temporary benefits of excellent human or divine rebirth, and ultimately serves as the foundation for all causes leading to the attainment of Buddhahood. Moreover, the existence of Buddha's teachings depends on this discipline of moral conduct.
Therefore, the Buddha Bhagavan taught five ways to protect and maintain this discipline without deterioration:
1. Observing it by relying on a teacher
2. Observing it through one's own excellent intention
3. Observing it by recognizing unfavorable conditions
4. Observing it by relying on favorable conditions
5. Observing it through purification of discipline
The last one refers to the well-known three foundations of ritual:
- Purification of discipline through poṣadha (fortnightly confession and restoration of vows)
- Complete purification of moral discipline through summer retreat
- Purification of Dharma through the pravāraṇā (invitation for correction at the end of retreat)
Regarding how the summer retreat came about, the Vinaya Vastu states:
The Buddha Bhagavan accepted to spend the summer in Jetavana, Anāthapiṇḍada's park in Śrāvastī. At that time, monks were wandering during the summer. [The text continues describing how lay people criticized the monks for wandering during the rainy season.] When the monks reported this to the Buddha, he proclaimed, "Therefore, I allow..." and established the summer retreat.
The benefits of summer retreat, according to the Vinaya, include:
1. Avoiding the fault of not observing the summer retreat
2. Preventing harm to small creatures that are abundant during summer
3. Avoiding criticism from non-believers like tīrthikas
4. Protecting one's life and body from potential dangers of extensive travel during the rainy season
5. Focusing on few activities and purposes
6. Increasing meditation, recitation, and study of scriptures
7. Maintaining and repairing living quarters that might deteriorate if left unattended
8. Enabling other practices like pravāraṇ
