The Kathina festival, aka “Buddhist Lent”, is a major observance of Theravada Buddhism. It is a time for laypeople to offer cloth for robes and other necessities to the monastic sangha. Kathina takes place every year in the four weeks following the end of Vassavasa, the rains retreat.

The three months prior, Vassavasa, The Rains Retreat : During the rainy season the Jain (spiritual practice well before the Buddha’s time) mendicants developed the notion of non-injury (ahimsa) and paused their wandering habits. Respecting this as well, the Buddha ordered his followers to pass the rainy season in settled dwellings.

What began simply as a 3-month pause in the practice routines of nomadic monks became an institutional development that would greatly influence lay and monastic cooperation.

Kathina-Robe Offering is a wonderful Buddhist tradition that has been preserved for thousands of years since the Buddha’s time.  It is a practice established by the Buddha permitting the lay community to make a respectful offering of robes to monks who have spent three months during Buddhist Lent purifying their mind and body. The objective as envisioned by the Buddha was to foster harmony in the monastic community and to allow virtuous monks with torn robes to receive new sets. The fruit from this good deed is tremendous—as the Lord Buddha expounded in one of His teachings that sanghadāna, the offering of DĀNA, yields positive consequences for the donor.

In other words, those who wish to acquire a great source of merit should perform wholesome deeds with the monastic community.

The monks also benefit as they receive, according to Lord Buddha, effective for a maximum of five months:

• Then the Lord, on this occasion, having given Dhamma talk, addressed the monks, saying: “Monks, I allow monks who have completed the vassa to spread the kathina. Five [privileges], monks, will be allowable to you who have spread the kathina:

• 1. Going (to visit families before noon) without having informed another monk [freedom of movement before noon in spite of having accepted an invitation for a meal]

• 2. Going (around) without taking (the full set of three robes) [freedom to stay apart from one’s set of three robes at the break of dawn]

• 3. A group meal

• 4. As many robes as you require (without having to determine or assign them according to Vinaya regulation)

• 5. Exclusive right to Sanghika robes given at one’s vassa monastery. These five [privileges], monks, will be allowable to you who have spread the kathina. And thus, monks, should the kathina be spread

Kathina is actually quite auspicious as it requires 8 miraculous events to occur without it being pre-determined.

1. The Kathina cloth must be done (spread out, measured, cut, sewn) within the month after the End of Vassa (Buddhist Lent)

2. the donor of human, Deva, or ordained monk/nun, donates cloth for the reason of Kathina and the recipient did not hint or exhort it to be done.

3. the cloth must be proper: ahata—unsoiled, ahata-kappa—made unsoiled, pilotikā—a rag, paṁsukūla—cast off, āpaṇika—from a tradesman/shopkeeper, picked up at the door to a store.

4. at least five bhikkhus are needed to spread the kaṭhina (4 to bestow and 1 to accept - However if a location has few monks available, then visiting monks are allowed over to help complete the Kathina Ceremony) and they must have stayed the Rains without break - a break of Vassa is when:

   1. monk(s) doesn’t return to monastery by the 7th night if asked (by male/female devotee, a monk/nun, a male/female novice, King or their administration) to leave for purpose of spreading Dhamma ONLY,

   2. monk(s) doesn’t return to monastery by next daybreak if for any reason outside of spreading Dhamma).

5. the recipient Bhikkhu must be knowledgeable about eight things:

   1. the preliminary activities to be done before spreading,

   2. how to remove the determination of his old robe,

   3. how to determine his new robe,

   4. how to announce the spreading of the kaṭhina,

   5. the eight headings (mātikā) covering the ways in which the kaṭhina is dismantled,

   6. the two constraints preventing the dismantling of the kaṭhina,

   7. the transaction through which the Community may withdraw the kaṭhina privileges, and

   8. the privileges themselves.

6. Of the most worn-out robe (upper, lower, outer), it must have 5 sections and be measured, cut, sewn, dyed, and marked in one day (to promote unity in the Saṅgha)

7. Once the robe is finished and has been made allowable, the kaṭhina may be spread to other Bhikkhus if one so pleases.

8. Proper dismantling of the Kathina.

KATHINA PRIVILEGES FOR BHIKKHUS

1. Freedom of movement before noon in spite of having accepted an invitation for a meal. 2. Freedom to stay apart from one’s set of three robes at the break of dawn. 3. Freedom to accept invitations for group meals 4. Freedom to keep as many robes as desired (without having to determine or assign them according to Vinaya regulation) 5. Exclusive right to Sanghika robes given at one’s vassa monastery

CLAIMED BENEFITS FOR KATHINA SPONSORS Go anywhere without danger, hindrances or obstructions. Fire, water, wicked kings, thieves and ungrateful children cannot destroy their property. They can perform their tasks without difficulty. They will not meet with any harm. They will not meet with any danger on account of their meals. Their belongings will be kept safe. They can get many clothes. They can own many other possessions. They will be able to keep their properties.

please click here to read FULL Vinaya Rules on Kathina