Buddhist Full Moon and New Moon Days

Dr Ashin Acara

Full Moon days are important as major events took place on these days in the
time of the Buddha.

The Buddha-to-be was conceived in the womb of Maya, chief queen of King
Suddhodhana, the ruler of Kapilavatthu, on the Full Moon Day of Savana
(July/August), the fifth month of the Buddhist Calendar, in the Great Era 67. He was
born on the Full Moon Day of Vesakha (April/May), the second month in the
Buddhist calendar, in the Great Era 68, so the Vesak Celebration of Buddhists is
celebrated on Full Moon Day, also called the Buddha’s Birthday Celebration.
However, it is just called Vesak Day, perhaps to respect the Buddha since the
celebration of birthdays is a secular affair. Vesak is named after the month (Vesakha)
when the Buddha was born. On the same day (Full Moon Day of Vesaka) in the Great
Era 103 the Buddha attained enlightenment. He also passed away on the Full Moon
Day of Vesakha in the Great Era 148.

Moreover, two months after his enlightenment, on the Full Moon Day of the
month Asalha, the fourth month of the Buddhist Calendar (June or July), the Buddha
preached his first sermon (Dhammacakkapavattana-sutta). On the Full Moon Day of
the month Assayuja, the seventh month of the Buddhist Calendar (September or
October), at the end of his first vassa, the Buddha’s missionary ministry was initiated
with 60 disciples. On the Full Moon Day of Magha, the eleventh month of the
Buddhist calendar, in the Great Era 103, Ven Sariputta and Ven Moggalana were
appointed as the Buddha’s chief disciples, his lefthand disciple and right-hand
disciple respectively; and on this Full Moon day, fifteen days after his ordination,
Ven Sariputta attained arahantship while Ven Moggalana's attainment of arahantship
was achieved seven days earlier. In the Great Era 148 on the Full Moon Day of
Kattika (October/November), the eighth month of the Buddhist calendar, Ven
Sariputta passed away and two weeks later, on the New Moon Day of Kattika, Ven
Moggalana passed away.

Since the time of the Buddha, Patimokkha (monastic rules for monks)
recitation has been made by the Buddhist Samgha, fortnightly, on Full Moon Days
and New Moons days. This practice is called uposatha. Buddhist devotees took the
eight precepts (uposathasila) on these days. Full Moon Days are public holidays in
Buddhist countries.
 Now, at Mangala Vihara (MV), we celebrate Full Moon and New Moon Days
with important activities. These activities are wholesome deeds or meritorious acts.
When flowers, candles, etc. are offered to the Buddha, special chanting is performed,
special lunch donations are served to members and devotees, and special blessings
and evening dhamma talks are delivered by resident monks.

Actually these good deeds can be done anywhere at any time. So, why are
these done on Full Moon and New Moon Days only? The answer is simply that we
cannot do these good deeds every day. So Full Moon and New Moon Days are
selected for the performance of these meritorious deeds.

Another reason or explanation is as follows: According to the Catumaharrja-

sutta of Anguttara Nikaya (Tikanipata, The Threes), ministers of the four great kings
of gods namely Ratarattha, Virulaka, Virupakkha, and Kuvera, come down to the
human world on the eighth waxing and waning days; sons of the kings of gods come
down to the human world on the fourteenth new moon days; and the kings of gods
themselves come down to the human world on the fifteenth Full Moon and New
Moon Days.

It should then be noted that in the Buddhist calendar there are the two types of
New Moon Days: one falls on fourteenth waning day which is the end of month, and
the other falls on the fifteenth waning day which is also the end of month. Full Moon
Days fall in the middle of a month and always upon the 15th day of the waxing of the
moon. There are 12 calendar months and the months have alternate 29 days and 30
days. The first month of the calendar has 29 days; the second month has 30 days, and
so on. And days are counted from 1 to 14 or 15, not from 1 to 29 nor 1 to 30 as in
other calendars. For example, days of the calendar are waxing 1 to 15 and waning 1
to 14 or 15. Thus in the Buddhist calendar, the New Moon Day (and the end of the
month) may fall on either the 14th or 15th waning day of the moon.

These celestial beings observe the human world. They want to know if human
beings are performing meritorious deeds and thus may be reborn in the deva world
and populate it with merit makers. That is why at Mangala Vihara Full Moon and
New Moon Days are selected for the performance of special meritorious deeds so that
our wholesome deeds can be ecognised by celestial beings who, as it is traditionally
believed, regularly come to the human world to observe us.

One of distinguished MV’s celebrations is Pin Kamma, celebrated on Full

Moon and New Moon Days. Pin Kamma is a Sri Lankan word derived from Pali. The
original Pali word for Pin Kamma is Punna Kamma that means wholesome (Punna)
act (Kamma) or meritorious (Punna) deed (Kamma). In Sri Lanka almost all Buddhist
religious ceremonies are called Pin Kamma or Pin Kama (Punna Kamma). For
example, there are ceremonies of Vesak Pin Kamma (Vesak Day or Buddha Day
Celebration), Kathina Pin Kamma (Kathina Robe Donation Ceremony), Seventh Day
Pin Kamma (Transfering Merit to a Departed One on the Seventh Day Counted from
the Day on which he or she passed away), and Bana Pin Kamma (Ceremony of
Buddhist Religious Sermon). Actually all the Buddhist ceremonies might be named
Pin Kamma. Very often Kamma is spelled with only one ‘m’; that is, Pin Kama.
 At Mangala Vihara this name (Pin Kamma) is only applied to the meritorious
deeds that are done on Full Moon and New Moon Days. More specifically, the lunch
donations to the resident monks, members and devotees made on those days are
called Pin Kamma. This is one of the Theravada practices of Mangala Vihara,
initiated by the late founder Bhante, MM Mahavira who was a Sri Lankan monk. It is
believed that the founder gave the Sri Lankan name of the meritorious deed (Pin
Kamma) to the lunch donations at Mangala Vihara. This name is given to this merit
only and thus this has become significant.

In conclusion, Full Moon Days and New Moon Days are very important, as
has been described. Extraordinary meritorious deeds which cannot easily be
performed every day are reserved for these days.

(Taken from page 1 and 2, Mangala Vihara Newsletter, 2/2010)

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