📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / K.Venkataramana
Religion
Bodhgaya Monks Observe Three-Month Vassa, Emphasizing Meditation and Dharma Teaching
✍️ Amar Ujala · Gaya
🗓 11 Sep 2026, 10:36 AM
👁 30
During the rainy season, Buddhist monks in Bodhgaya observe the traditional Vassa, staying at a single site for three months to meditate, study the Dharma and offer non‑violent guidance to the community.
The ancient Buddhist practice of Vassa, also known as the rainy‑season retreat, has begun in Bodhgaya, the sacred town in Bihar where the Buddha attained enlightenment. For the next three months, monks will remain in a designated monastery, refraining from travel as prescribed by the Vinaya code.
During this period, the resident monastics devote their days to intensive meditation, systematic study of Buddhist scriptures, and the contemplation of the Four Noble Truths. Senior monks also conduct dharma talks and offer counsel to lay followers, reinforcing principles of non‑violence and ethical living.
Vassa is regarded as a time of spiritual renewal, allowing monks to deepen their practice away from worldly distractions. The local community welcomes the retreat, viewing it as an opportunity for moral guidance and cultural continuity in the region.
During this period, the resident monastics devote their days to intensive meditation, systematic study of Buddhist scriptures, and the contemplation of the Four Noble Truths. Senior monks also conduct dharma talks and offer counsel to lay followers, reinforcing principles of non‑violence and ethical living.
Vassa is regarded as a time of spiritual renewal, allowing monks to deepen their practice away from worldly distractions. The local community welcomes the retreat, viewing it as an opportunity for moral guidance and cultural continuity in the region.