One may wonder
as to why the offerings made at the time of Vassana rains
retreat bring more merits. The reason why Katina offering takes the pride
of place has to be assessed from the point of view of conditions
which prevailed in India in the sixth century, B.C.Before the
common era the Sangha were those who had abandoned the house hold
life to the homeless life who had to get about their four-fold
requisites, alms, robes, shelter and medicine.
The intensity of
the monsoon rains made their life extremely difficult.There were no
proper roads and also there were uncleared large forest tracks.
At times rains compelled monks to remain indoors and at times they
were deprived of food apart from other requisites.
Hence offerings
made during Vassana assumed a greater significance and verily
greater merits.
The origin of
the Katina - Cheevara is related in Mahavagga. When the Buddha was
residing at Savatti about 30 monks left Pava in Kosala with the
intention of observing Vas with the Buddha. Because
of heavy rains they were unable to reach Savatti and were forced
to stay at Saketa a few leagues away where they observed Vas.
Pavarana
After concluding
the rain retreat at Saketa they resumed their journey to Savatti to
pay obeisance to the Buddha.
By the time they
met the Buddha all the monks were fully franked to the skin,
their robes were soaked with rainwater and also covered with mud.
The Buddha felt
very sympathetic towards these monks who were shivering with
cold and realised that if they had an extra robe they could have
washed the robes they were clad in.
So the Buddha
bought in a rule that a monk who had observed Vas and finished
Pavarana could possess another robe in addition to the set of three
prescribed earlier ‘Vassam Vutthanam Bhikkunam Katinam.”
In the Mahavagga
Pali it describes about the procedures for an Uposatha meeting
the assembly of Sangha on every Full Moon day,and on the 14th
or 15th day of lunar month when Patimokkha, a summary of disciplinary
rules is recited. Then there are rules to be observed in
Vassana for the rains retreat as well as those for the formal ceremony of
Pavarana the conclusion of rains retreat, in which a Bhikku invites
criticism from his brethren suspected about his conduct.There are also
rules concerning sick Bhikkhus, the use of leather foot-wear and
furniture, materials for robes and those concerning
medicine and
food. A separate section deals with the Katina ceremonies where annual
offering of robes takes place.
In the time
before the evolution of Katina robe, a monk was entitled only to one set
of robes consisting three different robes because through
insufficient experience the Buddha’s instruction was three robes that were
sufficient to keep off the cold. (Ticivaram; Digunam Sangha tim,
Ekacciyam, Uttara-Sangham, Ekacciyam - Antara Vasakanti.
Generally what we call, Depata Sivura, Tanipata Sivura,and Andanaya.
These robes were made out of pieces of cloth thrown away in the
cemeteries in which corpses were wrapped in, or out of cloth picked up
from bathing spots. Mahavagga has mentioned 23
places from
where such discarded cloths could be obtained. Stitched in an orderly
manner washed and dyed as robes, these were called Pansakula -
civara. This word Pansakula persists and is currently used to connote
different meanings. Its original meaning perhaps is buried under the
corpses of those days.
Today the
offering of the Katina robe occupies as the most important event in a
Vas-Pinkama. In most of the temples ‘Dayakas’ devotees have to wait in
a waiting list to get this remarkably good opportunity to offer a
Katina robe. Katina robe is something exceptional because it can
be offered only once a year to only one monk who has observed Was in
one ‘Sima’ temple.
A Katina robe is
usually offered as a ‘Kada’ a cloth to be cut according to
required measurements, stitched and dyed on the same day. Majority of our
devotees nowadays offer a saffron colour cloth so that dyeing
is avoided.
On the day of
the Pavarana, conclusion of the Vas retreat the devotees offer the
Katina-Kada in the morning and then the Bhikkhus who have observed
Vas with them in that particular temple consent to give it to the most
deserving Bhikkhu. By evening recipient monk has towear it and
deliver the “Katinanisansa-Bana” a sermon on the benefits of holding a
Katina-Pinkama.
It is said that
anyone who adds even one single stitch in the process of stitching
this robe would enjoy the splendour of “chakravarti” universal monarch and be
blessed with all the treasures a mortal could ever wish for in
this world. Venerable Nagita who was an Arahat described in the
presence of the Buddha the merits he acquired in the Previous births
by offering Katina-robes and Katina Dana. For incalculable birth he was
born in this world into very wealthy families or
in the six
heavens. For 18 aeons he enjoyed heavenly bliss and thirty four times he
was born as ‘Sakra,’ the king of gods. In Nagitapadana
Ven. Nagita describes about the blessings gained by offering Katina
robes and Katina-Dana thus: “If one is to give all types of
offerings, for a hundred years continuously the merits of accruing from
such an alms-giving is only about 1/16th of the merit of one single
Katina Dana.”
“Again he says
that even if 84,000 Viharas are built, a mountain of silver is
offered or a stupa of gold is constructed the merits of one Katina-Dana
supersedes all that. The Buddha Himself has praised the Katina-Dana as
the foremost of all alms.” Sanghassa-Dinnam Katinam Aggam,
Buddhena Vannitam.”
Those who offer
four-fold requisites would never experience torture in the hells. A
person who has offered robes is born in this world will have a
noble birth, can be a prestigious leader, loved equally well by gods and men.
All these merits contribute towards the realization of Nirvana.
Offering of
Atapirikara
Of the eight
items included in the Atapirikara the first three being robes. Offering
of robes gives the offerer a golden coloured body, he or she will live
with majesty and receive clothing of various sorts.“Pati Puja”
offering of belts gives concentration, retinue, helps to live without fear and
doubt and make others abide by his decisions.By offering ‘Patra’
begging bowls one would get the bliss of using jewels, gold,
pearls and gems and be blessed with food, clothing and
shelter. Our who
offers razors will be an invincible leader with onepointedness of mind. He will
have endurance and possesses great wisdom to uproot
all defilements. He will never face accidents or dangers and will
receive honour and be devoted to Dhamma.It is said that
by offering needles one gets, the fortune to dispel all doubts and have
wisdom to understand and realize subtle meanings.The eighth item ‘Perahan
Kada’ is the strainer which would bless the offerer with
healthy long life and never be subjected to dangers from robbers,
enemies, poison or lethal weapons.
By offering beds
one would not be born in a hell for 94 aeons, be blessed with all
treasures like a universal monarch. Offering of tables and chairs would
make the offerer born in noble families and earn fame, respect,
and popularity. Bestowal of arm chairs would bring the bliss of
enjoying the attendance of wife, children, and servants and also luxury
vehicles.
Donating,
pillows and mattresses one could obtain comfortable luxury items,
Donation of cup-boards, large boxes, would bring protection,fame, praise,
long-lasting treasures and not prone to mishaps.By offering
walking sticks would result in having many sons, not be subjected to any
mental agony and everything that he or she touches will turn into
gold.
If an umbrella
is offered one would not suffer from intense heat or cold and would
possess a clean mind and a body, while offering incense burners
would give great majesty. If one donates brooms,ekel-brooms,
dusters, rugs, carpets etc. he or she will be blessed with servants.
“Kap-Ruk Puja.”
wish conferring tree, up-to-date this puja is performed by planting a
huge branch of a tree in a box of sand in the morning of the
Katina-Dana. devotees hang all kinds of offerings on this tree and
keep the heavy items near its base, Kap-Ruk Puja gives every imaginable
luxurious items that one could ever wish for and It is believed
that in the Tusita Heaven there is a ‘Sura-Tura’, wish conferring tree
from which those in heavenly abodes could obtain from it anything
they desire. Perhaps this idea may have inspired this puja, that if
you hang or keep on this tree that the temple requires one
will have
heavenly bliss, No one can dispute over the merits accruing from the
offering of the Katina robe and Katina Dana, also supplying the four-fold
requisites of the Sangha, during the vas season. These Virtues are extolled by
all the Buddhas as stable, solid, and unshakeable
merits as
evinced by the pithy sayings of venerable Nagita in the Nagitapadana.
This being the ‘Vas’ season which comes only once a year it is an
opportune that those Buddhists who believe in a here after realize
that death comes unobtrusively and instead of devoting all their time
to collect wealth, fame, and popularity it is judicious to accumulate
something solid and substantial to take to the other side by devoting at
least a bit out of their income to Katina-Dana, Sila, and Bhavana
lessening their ego-centredness.
Source:http://www.lakehouse.lk/budusarana/2006/11/05/Budu17.pdf
Proposed Sanga Hall 
