Luang Pu Suwat Memorial Day

Sunday, August 30, 2026

LUANG PU SUWAT (FOUNDER/FORMER ABBOT) MEMORIAL DAY

Born on August 29, 1919, Luang Pu Suwat ordained at the age of 20 and became a student of Luang Pu Funn Acaro two or three years later. He also studied briefly with Luang Pu Mun. Following Luang Pu Funn’s death in 1977, Luang Pu Suwat stayed on at the monastery to supervise his teacher’s royal funeral and the construction of a monument and museum in Luang Pu Funn’s honor. In the 1980’s Ajaan Suwat came to the United States, where he established four monasteries, including Buddhist Temple of America in Ontario, CA and Metta Forest Monastery in San Diego County, CA. He returned to Thailand in 1996, and passed away in Buriram on April 5, 2002 after a long illness.

In remembering Luang Pu Suwat, the temple will hold a special memorial event on Sunday, August 28, 2016.

END OF RAINS RETREAT (VASSA)

THE ROYAL KATHINA CEREMONY

The kathina is a ceremony in which donors present cloth and other requisites to the monks who have spent the Rains Retreat together without break. As it may be held only between the full moon dates in October and November, and only once a year in any given monastery, it is considered a very special opportunity for donors to join in and develop the virtue of generosity together.

In the time of the Buddha, the last month of the rainy season (October/November) was the time when monks would prepare their requisites for the upcoming eight-month period when they could wander and meditate freely in the forest. In particular, this was the time when they would patch their old robes or sew new ones if the old ones were beyond repair. Lay supporters thus took the opportunity to provide the monks with cloth at this time, and the Buddha established the custom of the kathina, in which donors would present cloth to a community of monks as a whole. The monks would then make the cloth into a robe within that day and present it to one of their members whose robes were old and worn, or who was deserving in any other way.

NEW YEAR’S EVE – CHANTING OF METTA

A special evening chanting to welcome the new year. It starts after the daily evening chants, usually around 8 p.m.

NEW YEAR’S DAY CELEBRATION