Transcript Kathin

Teacher Jantana Khan-anukul
Kanchananukroh School
Kathin Ceremony
With the end of the 3-month Rains
Retreat(about July to September),monks
throughout the country are free to move from
place to place and are eligible to receive new
robes in an annual presentation ceremony
called “Thot Kathin”.
Besides new robes, Buddhist literature, kitchen
equipment, financial contributions and building
materials e.g. nails, hand-saws and hammers etc.
are also presented to monks on this occasion.
In fact, the word “Thot” means “making an
offering to the monk” and the word “Kathin”
literary means the “embroidery frame” used in
sewing the yellow robes which, in those days,
were collected from rags on dead bodies in the
jungle since clothes were not available in plenty
as nowadays.
Buddhist people regard the “Thot Kathin”
Ceremony as the most significant form of
merit-making nest to the ordination of their close
kin. Thus, once in their lifetime everybody is
looking forward to having an opportunity to be
the sponsor of a Kathin ceremony as it involves a
lot of time, manpower and expense.
Above all, an advance booking must be made
with the temple, otherwise, the chance to be a
sole sponsor of the Kathin may not be possible
especially with the reputable temples.
Nontheless, those who fail to be the sole
sponsor of Kathin can also take part in the
ceremony which, in this type, is known as
“Kathin Samakki” or the “United Kathin”.
It is to be noted that Kathin and Pha-pa (or the Forest Robe or a robe left for the monks to take
as a discarded cloth) are totally different from
one another, in other words, while the Kathin
ceremony can be performed only once a year
and only after the end of the Rains Retreat, the
Pha-pa ceremony can be performed all the year
round and at any time suitable. In addition,
while each temple is allowed to accept the Kathin
robes only one time in a year,
the Pha-pa robe can be presented to monks as
often as possible. Evidently, the Pha-pa ceremony
is less significant than the Kathin ceremony
which requires greater preparation. Thus,
the Kathin is treated as one of the most significant
religious events and can take part from the king
to the poor people in rural areas.