Samster Gathering JB

[ProfessorOokami]

Originally Posted by Cheeco

I thought wesak day already past. Its on 1st May 2007, right?

You are right to a certain extent. The Buddhist communities used to, and are still doing so in a number of countries, base their calendars on the lunar cycles, where each lunar cycle is about 29 days, thus in a year it will total 336 days which is less than the solar calendar's total of 365.25 days, by 29 days. To compensate the deficit which will affect the planting and harvest cycles due a slack, the oriental astrologers had incorporated a mechanism to compensate the loss by adding an extra month! This year, based on the lunar calendar, has 2 extra months [or rather 2 extra moons]. Some believe that the latter is the actual month for Wesak, but the whole Buddhist communty had adopted the earlier moon to be the wesak day. If you want to celebrate 2 Wesak days, go ahead, but no public holiday though.

BTW, the coming wesak day where there is a full moon, will be what is known as a "blue moon" to the Westerners [apparently the moon will glow in a bluish tint due to pollutants]...thats where you get the saying: "once in a blue moon" [not very rare, but still can occur one]

[KatoeyLover69]

More on Vesak Day .......


Vesak (Sinhalese) is the most holy time in the Buddhist calendar. In Indian Mahayana Buddhist traditions, the holiday is known by its Sanskrit equivalent, Vaisakha. The word Vesak itself is the Sinhalese language word for the Pali variation, "Visakha". Vaishākha is the name of the second month of the lunar Hindu calendar. Vesak is also known as Visakah Puja, Buddha Purnima or Buddha Jayanti in India, Bangladesh and Nepal, Visakha Bucha in Thailand, Phat Dan in Vietnam, Waisak in Indonesia, Vesak (Wesak) in Sri Lanka and Malaysia, and Saga Dawa in Tibet. The equivalent festival in Laos is called Vixakha Bouxa and in Myanmar is called Ka-sone-la-pyae meaning 'Fullmoon Day of Kasone which is also the second month of the Myanmar Calender. Vesak is a public holiday in many Asian countries like Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam, and so on.

The exact date of Vesak, informally "Buddha's Birthday," is in the fourth month in the Chinese lunar calendar (typically May), coinciding with the first full moon of that month. The date varies from year to year in the Western Gregorian calendar and actually encompasses the birth, enlightenment Nirvana, and passing (Parinirvana) of Gautama Buddha.

History
The decision to agree to celebrate Vesak as the Buddha’s birthday was formalized at the first Conference of the World Fellowship of Buddhists (W.F.B.) held in Sri Lanka in 1950, although festivals at this time in the Buddhist world are a centuries-old tradition. The Resolution that was adopted at the World Conference reads as follows, "That this Conference of the World Fellowship of Buddhists, while recording its appreciation of the gracious act of His Majesty, the Maharaja of Nepal in making the full-moon day of Vesak a Public Holiday in Nepal, earnestly requests the Heads of Governments of all countries in which large or small number of Buddhists are to be found, to take steps to make the full-moon day in the month of May a Public Holiday in honour of the Buddha, who is universally acclaimed as one of the greatest benefactors of Humanity."

On Vesak Day, Buddhists all over the world commemorate events of significance to Buddhists of all traditions: The birth, enlightenment and the passing away of Gautama Buddha. As Buddhism spread from India it was assimilated into many foreign cultures, and consequently Vesak is celebrated in many different ways all over the world.


The celebration of Vesak
May 2007 has two full moon days, the 2nd and the 31st. Some countries (including Sri Lanka, India and Malaysia) will celebrate Vesak on the 2nd, while others (Thailand, Singapore) will celebrate the holiday on the 31st.

On Vesak day, devout Buddhists and followers alike are expected and requested to assemble in their various temples before dawn for the ceremonial, and honorable, hoisting of the Buddhist flag and the singing of hymns in praise of the holy triple gem: The Buddha, The Dharma (his teachings), and The Sangha (his disciples). Devotees may bring simple offerings of flowers, candles and joss-sticks to lay at the feet of their teacher. These symbolic offerings are to remind followers that just as the beautiful flowers would wither away after a short while and the candles and joss-sticks would soon burn out, so too is life subject to decay and destruction. Devotees are enjoined to make a special effort to refrain from killing of any kind. They are encouraged to partake of vegetarian food for the day. In some countries, notably Sri Lanka, two days are set aside for the celebration of Vesak and all liquor shops and slaughter houses are closed by government decree during the two days. Also birds, insects and animals are released by the thousands in what is known as a 'symbolic act to liberation'; of giving freedom to those who are in captivity, imprisoned, or tortured against their will. Some devout Buddhists will wear a simple white dress and spend the whole day in temples with renewed determination to observe the observance of the Eight Precepts.


Buddhists undertake to lead a noble life according to the teaching by making daily affirmations to observe the eight Precepts. However, on special days, notably new moon and full moon days, they observe additional disciplines to train themselves to practice morality, simplicity and humility.

The Eight Precepts are:

* Not to kill
* Not to steal
* Not to engage in improper sexual activity
* Not to indulge in wrong speech
* Not to take intoxicating drinks and drugs
* To abstain from taking food at unreasonable times
* To refrain from sensual pleasures such as dancing, singing and self-adornment
* To refrain from using high and luxurious seats in order to practice humility.

Devotees are expected to listen to talks given by monks. On this day monks will recite verses uttered by the Buddha twenty-five centuries ago, to invoke peace and happiness for the Government and the people. Buddhists are reminded to live in harmony with people of other faiths and to respect the beliefs of other people as the Buddha had taught.


Bringing happiness to othersCelebrating Vesak also means making special efforts to bring happiness to the unfortunate like the aged, the handicapped and the sick. To this day, Buddhists will distribute gifts in cash and kind to various charitable homes throughout the country. Vesak is also a time for great joy and happiness, expressed not by pandering to one’s appetites but by concentrating on useful activities such as decorating and illuminating temples, painting and creating exquisite scenes from the life of the Buddha for public dissemination. Devout Buddhists also vie with one another to provide refreshments and vegetarian food to devotees who visit the temple to pay homage to the Blessed One.


Paying homage to the Buddha
Tradition ascribes to the Buddha himself instruction on how to pay him homage. Just before he died, he saw his faithful attendant Ananda, weeping. The Buddha advised him not to weep, but to understand the universal law that all compounded things (including even his own body) must disintegrate. He advised everyone not to cry over the disintegration of the physical body but to regard his teachings (The Dhamma) as their teacher from then on, because only the Dhamma truth is eternal and not subject to the law of change. He also stressed that the way to pay homage to him was not merely by offering flowers, incense, and lights, but by truly and sincerely striving to follow his teachings. This is how devotees are expected to celebrate Vesak: to use the opportunity to reiterate their determination to lead noble lives, to develop their minds, to practise loving-kindness and to bring peace and harmony to humanity.

Related holidays
A similar holiday, called Hanamatsuri or "Flower Festival", is celebrated in Japan on April 8. However, Hanamatusuri commemorates only the Buddha's birth. In Hong Kong, Macau and South Korea, the 8th day of the fourth moon in the Chinese calendar is a public holiday, as the "Buddha's Birthday".
--- KatoeyNewsNetwork

[ProfessorOokami]

sorry there should only be 1 extra moon [not 2 extra moons as stated earlier] to get 2 numerically similar moons

[Calculation error....me not so calculative mah ]

[hornyinjb]

Originally Posted by jjmyarea

Whoever who 12 join tcss is best PM me. I have data record of all the interested bros who given me their hp no and I can mass sms them the detail. PM me and I will add yours to the record.

Thank you.

Just PMed you my contact no. Waiting for the MASS sms.

[ProfessorOokami]

Kateoy News Network has diversified into information superhighway by establishing a "Kateoypedia" to explain all the nitty-gritty things that you all wanted to know but were afraid to ask your parents

[KatoeyLover69]

Originally Posted by ProfessorOokami

sorry there should only be 1 extra moon [not 2 extra moons as stated earlier] to get 2 numerically similar moons

[Calculation error....me not so calculative mah

I hope that you were not half-drunk when you posted the earlier info ...... or a case of the small head over-ruling the big head ?

[KatoeyLover69]

Originally Posted by hornyinjb

Just PMed you my contact no. Waiting for the MASS sms.

I hope that Bro jjmyarea don't con us by organising a Mass Wedding on TCSS Day !

[hornyinjb]

Originally Posted by KatoeyLover69

I hope that Bro jjmyarea don't con us by organising a Mass Wedding on TCSS Day !

unless, of course, somebody knows where he lives... so cannot con us

[jjmyarea]

U all want mass wedding with who???? The WL???
If u all got the kungfu and ask the WL 2 marry uall. And she said YES!!!
I dun mind holding a mass wedding 4 the concerned!

[KatoeyLover69]

Originally Posted by jjmyarea

U all want mass wedding with who???? The WL???
If u all got the kungfu and ask the WL 2 marry uall. And she said YES!!!
I dun mind holding a mass wedding 4 the concerned!

Great idea to hold a Mass Wedding for ALL the bachelor JB Samsters !

You're prepared to sponsor the cost of the Mass Wedding ???

[jjmyarea]

Originally Posted by KatoeyLover69

You're prepared to sponsor the cost of the Mass Wedding ???

As a good bro, I m prepared 2 arrange the logistic and arrangement for the bros concerned. But the concept 2 get married and to get lay (cheonging) is the same mah.

U enjoyed u paid 4 yourself. Just like paying for ye own gal mah. KNN u not going 2 share ye wife wif me is it? So y the hell am i supposed 2 sponsor?

Rulez is the same; U got money u cheong, no money PCC. U got money u get married, no money stayed bachelor n PCC. Same Muahahaha....

[Cheeco]

Originally Posted by ProfessorOokami

where each lunar cycle is about 29 days, thus in a year it will total 336 days which is less than the solar calendar's total of 365.25 days, by 29 days.

In my humble opinion and as far as i can remembered, the lunar calendar is around 11 days short of the Gregorian calendar per year, meanings that it totalled to around 354 days per year. In order to match the Gregorian calender, the lunar calendar will add an intercalary month (閏月 rùnyuè) in every 2-3 years. This cycle will only be completed in 19 years. For those who celebrate their birthday according to the Lunar calendar, we will find that our Lunar Calendar and Gregorian Calender birthday will fall on the same day when we are 19, 38, 57, 76 years old.

[ProfessorOokami]

Originally Posted by Cheeco

In my humble opinion and as far as i can remembered, the lunar calendar is around 11 days short of the Gregorian calendar per year, meanings that it totalled to around 354 days per year. In order to match the Gregorian calender, the lunar calendar will add an intercalary month (閏月 rùnyuè) in every 2-3 years. This cycle will only be completed in 19 years. For those who celebrate their birthday according to the Lunar calendar, we will find that our Lunar Calendar and Gregorian Calender birthday will fall on the same day when we are 19, 38, 57, 76 years old.

Yes, your humble opinion is correct - TQ for the updates.

[jjmyarea]

JUNE TCSS ANNOUNCEMENT-REMINDER

TCSS ONE
DATE: 16TH JUNE 2007 (SATURDAY)
TIME: 6.30PM
PLACE: NY HOTEL LOBBY

TCSS TWO
DATE: 22TH JUNE 2007 (FRIDAY)
TIME: 6.30PM
PLACE: WILL SMS OUT DETAIL 4-5 DAYS B4 TCSS

Interested bros pls pm contact no 2 me. Or for tcss on 16th June can oso pm 2 Bro KatoeyLover69.

[BruDDerHooD]

what is TCSS ... :P

what to do ... new to the word in samster forum ... all i can read out and predict what it mean.. but TCSS .... hmmm..... really hard too ... think out the meaning .... :P