This is a meritorious opportunity of a lifetime. This merit will nourish you in this life as well as the next with good health, good wealth, and a long life. In addition, you will be able to dedicate your merit to the dearly departed.Translated by Surin Chaturapit

ALMSGIVING FOR 1,000,000 MONKS IN BANGKOK CELEBRATING 2600 YEARS OF THE LORD BUDDHA’S ENLIGHTENMENT

Almsgiving for 1,000,000 Monks in seventy-seven of the provinces in Thailand, a project initiated by Phrathepyanmahamuni (Luang Por Dhammajayo) in honor of the Lord Buddha, was organized to provide help and support to monks, government employees, soldiers, police officers, and Buddhists in the four troubled southern provinces of Thailand, as well as to victims of natural disasters throughout the country. The projects were organized during early 2008 in collaboration with monastic communities, Buddhists organizations, and public and private organizations. The goal was to organize alms offering events to cover every part of Thailand. During the past four years, 450 almsgiving events have been performed throughout Thailand and nearly 900,000 monks have participated. There are only 100,000 more monks needed to complete our goal of 1,000,000 monks. The year 2012 marks the 2,600th anniversary of the Lord Buddha’s enlightenment. To celebrate this occasion, the organizers of the Almsgiving for 1,000,000 Monks Projects, City of Bangkok, National Office of Buddhism, National Police Office, World Fellowship of Buddhist Youth, United Union of Thailand, Buddhist networks, and various support organizations from both public and the private sectors, will organize six almsgiving events in Bangkok during the month of March. Each of these events will have over 10,000 participating monks and novice monks, and will bring the total to more than 100,000. This will complete our goal of 1,000,000 monks and novice monks. An almsgiving ceremony with more than 10,000 participating monks and novice monks per event has never taken place before in the history of Thailand. For an event of this magnitude to happen, three factors must be present. There must be organizers with strong faith in Buddhism, at least 10,000 monks and novice monks need to participate, and a great number of laypeople must come to show support. Wise people considered that, even to have just one monk walk past their home to receive alms daily was significant. We, on the other hand, are blessed with tens of thousands of monks, who act as fields of merit for our alms. We should consider ourselves quite fortunate. If we participate in all six days of almsgiving, it is like accumulating merit with over 100,000 monks. This is a meritorious opportunity of a lifetime. This merit will nourish you in this life as well as the next with good health, good wealth, and a long life. In addition, you will be able to dedicate your merit to the dearly departed.

ALMSGIVING SCHEDULE

(Starts at 6 a.m.)

• March 10, 2012 Almsgiving to 12,600 monks at Saphan Mai, Yingcharoen Market (Tel. 083-540-4959, 085-120-7127)
• March 11, 2012 Almsgiving to 12,600 monks at Yaek Kaset-Rajayothin (Tel. 02-275-2927, 081-550-8206)
• March 17, 2012 Almsgiving to 12,600 monks at Lad Prao-Saphan Kwai (Tel. 082-565-4000, 081-349-8462)
• March 18, 2012 Almsgiving to 22,600 monks at Pratunam-Central World (Tel. 089-459-0777, 081-401-7572,083-540-66201,081-632-8048)
• March 24, 2012 Almsgiving to 30,000 monks at Yaowaraj-Charoenkrung (Tel. 089-679-8899, 081-398-5132)
• March 25, 2012 Almsgiving to 22,600 monks at Wongwienyai (Tel. 085-909-0577, 086-883-1414)

For information about Almsgiving routes, please call 02-831-1000, or go online at www.dmc.tv