Cambodia and Thailand

Adventure Travel can often take you all over the world, but securing accommodation wherever you travel can be difficult, and costly. That's why many adventurers who find themselves traveling frequently have decided to purchase a timeshare resale. The flexibility that these vacation properties afford allows owners to travel to thousands of locations on a budget; and you can find timeshares for sale all over the world.

Your FREE online travel magazine e-zine of exciting travel adventures, travel reviews, travel photos from all ages and lifestyles of real travel in US and the world. International travel adventure - travel adventure magazine - travel reviews - trip planner - road trip planner - travel news - Real Travel Adventures Ezine with Book Review and Travel Guides for good reads and good listens on your trips and international travel adventures.

Sharing Travel Adventures & Adventure Travel

Discover Great get-aways, budget stays, and luxury travel to Dream About .Choose from Hundreds of Travel Reviews and and book reviews Outdoor and Nature Photos

Get Your Travel Review Published here!

INTERNATIONAL

MAGAZINE

Bonita Productions Inc.

International Magazine

Previous Page Next Page

Flag of Cambodia

Send this Page to a Friend

Vassa, The Buddhist Lent

Most of us have some aspect of our personality or our life that we wish to change. We want to lose weight, quit smoking, save money, or develop the discipline to meditate daily and heal our minds. Some people wish to become less materialistic and to appreciate the simple things in life. Our biggest holidays, Christmas and Thanksgiving and Chanuka are good opportunities to overeat, overindulge, overspend, over-consume, and overdo. What most westerners need is a prolonged fast, a quiet return to the simple life and an escape from the modern world of consumer culture. The Buddhists have such a holiday.

Toward the end of July, travelers may have noticed inordinate numbers of monks crowding the bus stations of Cambodia’s and Thailand. Most of the monks were given special leave to visit their families, in preparation to the Buddhist lent, a three month celebration of faith, when they would not be permitted to leave the monastery.

Anyone who has tried doing business in South East Asia during rainy season, you will find that things slow down immensely. Actually, the slow down, at least in part, is based on the observance of the Buddhist holiday, Vassa (called Phansa in Thailand), the Buddhist lent, which is primarily practiced in Cambodia, Thailand, Lao, and Burma. The Buddhist lent is often loosely referred to as the “rain retreat.” The period of deep religious dedication begins on the first day of the waning moon of the eighth lunar month.

The word Vassa is actually an old Pali word which means rain. The holiday is divided into two parts. The first part, for the entering of the rainy season, is called “Choul Phrah Vassaanother. The second part, for the exit of the rainy season, is called “Cheanh Phrah Vassa”. While lay people are free to chose what level of discipline they wish to exert in following the rules of the lent. For monks, however, strict observance is mandatory.

Non-monks often use this Lenten period to renew their spiritual practices and give up some of their luxuries, such as meat, alcohol, or smoking.

During the lent period, normally from August to October (depending on lunar months), monks aren't allowed to sleep outside their temple, neither are they permitted to wear “regular clothes.” The tradition stems from a story abut how Buddha remained in the temple during rainy season to prevent stepping on any insects of sprouting seeds. They are, however, permitted to go out during the day. Monks use this period of restricted movement to do intensive study, meditation, and prayer. This is also a time when they would teach the sacred scriptures to younger monks.

Buddhist lent is the most important religious holiday for monks, novices, and lay people. Monks stop wandering and stay on the temple grounds. Novices benefit because they receive additional education. Laypeople stop doing evil and cut back on bad habits. Some people take this opportunity to purify themselves and start a new life.

A few days before the Buddhist Lent, Cambodian people buy pairs of big candles decorated with dragons or flowers. One candle is for the buyer and one to get a husband or wife in the next life. The day before Buddhist Lent, the 15th day of the dark moon, commemorates the first sermon of Buddha to his first five disciples. Crowds of people gather in the temple in order to listen to the Dharma. In some parts of Cambodia there are grand candle processions, with the people walking three times around the pagoda with the lighted candles.

And thus begins a three month period of abstinence, sobriety, and meditation. If you really want to understand the southeast Asian culture, and if you want to stop gambling or drinking shoe polish, Buddhist Lent could be like a low-cost spa treatment to get your life back on track.

Editor's Note:

Antonio seeks financial help in making a video to let the world know the plight of people in the former Burma. His work in Asia is totally dedicated to helping people learn and grow and he offers his services everywhere he can. If you want to contribute to his work in Asia, please contact him at antonio@speakingadventure.com see his website www.speakingadventure.com

You can see several clips of his videos on YouTube. http://youtube.com/watch?v=rCjNaHnk7Jw

Antonio Graceffo is an adventure writer, living in Asia. His work appears in hundreds of magazines around the world. He is the author of four books, available on amazon.com :

The Monk from Brooklyn

Bikes, Boats, and Boxing Gloves

The Desert of Death on Three Wheels

Adventures in Formosa

Subscribe For Your Free Monthly Travel Magazine
Email:

Online Specials Daily Sign up for Senior Travel Club

Our friendly agents are here to help.

Call 1-800-578-1479 or 1-800-559-1141 email: information@usarivercruises.com

visit: www.usarivercruises.com

Travel News

Complete Index of Features

Many Book & Audio Reviews For Your Travels

XE.com Personal Currency Assistant

Find This Place On MapQuest

What Time Is It Anywhere In The World

Send this Page to a Friend

<|<|<|<|<|<|<|<|<|Add to Bookmarks

Subscribers:So that your free subscription is not mistaken for spam,

Please copy & paste our E-mail address into your address book:mail@realtraveladventures.com

It's that simple!

Real Travel Adventures International Magazine

Adventure Travels in your Free Ezine

Free Monthly Subscriptions

Home Next Page Previous Page

Peace for Everyone

If any links don't work

PLEASE NOTIFY US

Thanks for visiting us!

Real Travel Adventures International Magazine

Real and Armchair Travelers: Enjoy best trip reviews, travel features, and excellent travel photos in RealTravelAdventures.com, your FREE on-line international magazine. Send your funny or outrageous travel experiences & photos and get published!

Visit or dream of fascintating places with Real Travel Adventures e-zine! This site offers travel humor, photos, stories, helpful guidebooks, and more. Visit for fun or to seek tips for your next travel adventure...and then share your own stories with us here at

realtraveladventures.com, your free online travel magazine, where you'll find great book reviews, international travel adventures magazine, airline tickets, real travel adventures, camping, RV travel, RV's, Cruises, restaurant reviews, RVing, FamilyTrips, traveling with kids and children, Nature and eco trips, ecology, international travel, Ski Trips, Spas, Spiritual Retreats, interviews with Special People, Travel Humor, Travel News, Unbelievable, WeddingTrips, restaurant reviews and advisor, traveling adventures, adventure travels, travel, virtual and armchair travel, Back Roads, off the beaten path, where to go Camping and enjoy RV trips, where to Dine and Sleep, fun Family Trips, our Favorite Finds, Arts and Crafts, cruises and cruise vacations, romantic trips, traveling tips, travel stories, audio book reviews for your travels, books reviews, good books for a trip, wedding trip planner, wedding Trips, Honeymoons, Unbelievable adventures, Travel News, humorous travel stories, spas and retreats, spiritual retreats, meditation retreats, ski trips, week-end trips Near You, nature's Best places, ecology trips, travel guide books, traveling with children, e-zines, FREE Ezines, Free travel magazines, magazine, free online magazines, internet magazines, free magazine subscriptions, web magazines, true stories, humorous articles, funny features, human interest features, nature photos, environment photographs, photos, adventurous stories, real true stories, true adventrues, camping gear, vacation, holidays, safaris, Caribbean vacations, cheap hotels, great places to go, nature hikes, nature photography, family vacations, family holidays, trip planner, great trips, scenic photos, holiday vacations, holidays, holiday stories, foreign destinations, International travel trips. And you can Get published here too! Send us your travel stories and pictures.

If you wish to use our features or photos you must first contact us