The Significance Of "Vas" Observance Of The Maha Sangha

Senior Lecturer, Pandit,
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
University of Sri Jayewardenepura
Dr. Ven. Dodamgoda SumanasaraThero

The season of Vassana or the Vas retreat is a valuable period for all the Buddhist monks, nuns, and Buddhist lay devotees all over the world to engage in religious observances spiritually. Also, they can practice religious activities to accumulate merit.

All the monks who have received the higher ordination (upasampada) are eligible to observe Vas during the three months of the rainy season from the Esala Full Moon Day to the Vap Full Moon Day every year respectively. This three-month period is referred to in Pali as ‘Vassana’ (retreat or rainy season), and in Sinhala as ‘Vas kalaya’. According to the Buddha’s advice mentioned in the Vassupanaikakkanda of the Mahavagga Pali, the monks should observe Vas in two periods, namely ‘Pera Vas’ and ‘Pasu Vas’ either on the Esala Full Moon Day or the Nikini Full Moon Day. The latter Vas observance (Pasu Vas) takes place only for the monks who have not observed Vas on the Esala Full Moon Day due to a valid reason or reasons as mentioned in the Vassupanikakkhanda.

In general, the devotees of the temples and monasteries invite the monks to observe Vas on the Esala Full Moon Day. With their invitations, the monks observe Vas on the following day of the Full Moon. According to the disciplinary rules, if the monks are not invited for the observance of Vas, still they must observe Vas alone at their residencies during the rainy reasons. At present, it takes place in both temples and monasteries with the invitation of devotees in the presence of upasaka and upasika respectively.

The Buddha always listened to the opinions of the general public and honored them. Once, king Bimbisara made a kind request from the Buddha to reside in one place during the rainy season without traveling from place to place for Dhamma propagation. After considering this, and as an honor to the king’s advice, the Buddha asked his disciples to remain in one place (in a sheltered place) to observe Vas, or the Rainy season retreat. Also, he further instructed the monks to assemble twice a month in the monasteries and recite the Patimokkha (the code of discipline) on the Amavaka and the Purapasolosvaka.

Thereafter, following the king’s concern the Buddha promulgated and declared a disciplinary rule for the monks “Anujanami bhikkhave vassane vassam upagantum” (O monks, I hereby both (Bhikkhu and Bhikkhuni) request you and permit you to observe Vas (retreat) during the Vassana season.” However, if a monk wanted to leave his residence due to a specific reason during that period, he had special permission to go out, but he should be back to the same place without exceeding seven days or within seven days (Satthahakarana).

According to the Mahavagga Pali in the Vanya Pitaka, the great teacher, the Buddha spent his first rainy season with his first five disciples at Isipatana in Banaras, India. After that, the Buddha spent the Vas seasons in different places during his first twenty years of Enlightenment such as Rajagaha, Vesali, Mankula Hill in Kodambi, Tavatimsa Heaven, Bhesakala Forest, Kosambi, Parileyyaka Forest, Ekanala Brahmin village, Veranja, Caliya Rock, Jetavana monastery, Kapilavatthu, the city of Alavi, Rajagaha, Caliya Rock and Rajagaha. For the remaining twenty-five years of his life, he spent the rainy season retreats at Jetavana monastery and Purvaramaya. For nineteen years, the Buddha spent Vas at Jetavana monastery built by his great supporter, Anathapindika, and other six years at Purvaramaya built by Vishaka, the chief benefactress.

However, while he was spending the rainy season retreats in the above-mentioned places like kingdoms, heavens, cities, hills and rocks, monasteries, and forests a lot of people had an opportunity to listen to the Buddha’s doctrines and practice meditation as well. As a result of that, some lay devotees were able to release from suffering and eradicate all defilements in the cycle of existence. On the other hand, after listening to the noble doctrines of the Buddha, some Dhamma followers attained the first, second, and third sainthood, and eventually, they became Arahant.

There were thousands of thousands of people who were often advised by the Buddha and lived as lay devotees in practicing the teaching of the Buddha with their family members. These lay people helped to build up monasteries and offered the four-fold requisites (sivpasaya) and other necessary objects to the monks with great reverence. Besides, the lay devotes were committed to protecting the Order throughout their lives honestly with great endeavor.

Today, in many temples and monasteries of Sri Lanka and other foreign Buddhist countries; Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, and India vivid religious activities are organized by the Dhamma followers such as meditation retreats, Dhamma preaching, Dhamma discussion, observing precepts, Bodhi puja, Buddha puja, Pirith chanting, offering alms to the monks, giving necessary objects to the poor people and so on to acquire merits in this rainy season.

However, in some rainy seasons, the Buddha and his disciples encountered difficulties due to having no alms or food. Though Veranja brahmin invited the Buddha and his disciples to spend the rainy season in his village, he forgot his Vas invitation and to offer alms and other objects to the Maha Sangha. But the Buddha and his disciples spent three months there with great compassion for the betterment of the villagers in Varanja throughout the Vas season.

At the beginning of the rainy season in Kosambi a dispute arose between two groups of monks. Therefore, the Buddha left those monks and approached alone the Parileyya forest for his retirement. In the forest, the Parileyya elephant and a monkey looked after the Buddha providing alms and shelter over the three months with honor and respect.

Overall, the rainy season retreat is very useful for both the Maha Sangha and the lay Dhamma practitioners to execute their religious practices, and further, they can strengthen the mutual relationship to acquire merit through engaging in meritorious deeds every year.