By Dr Khin Maung Nyunt (Maha Saddhamma Jotika dhaja, Sithu)

“Old man bent and double, Don’t die so soon, To watch again the Pwe (fes tivals) at next Tazaungmon full moon.”

The above Myanmar nursery rhyme bespeaks that Tazaungmon, the 8th month of the Myanmar calendar, has many festi vals. Coinciding with November, Tazaungmon is the first month of the cold season in Myanmar, which covers a four-month period – Tazaungmon (November), Nattaw (December), Pyatho (Jan uary) and Tabodwe (February). It is also the first month of the open season, in that rain has entirely passed out, and the Tazaungmon sky is cloudless and clear blue. The northeast wind passing through the icy lands of the north turns itself into a chill breeze as it enters Myanmar. It is this pleasant weather that favours the holding of many Pwes (festivals) in Tazaungmon.

‘Bjeihsa’ (Vrischika, Scorpio) as Tazaungmon is called in Myanmar astrology, it has scorpion as its zodiacal sign. The cold wind and the morning dew of Tazaung mon nourish a particular creeper species called in the Myanmar Language “Kha We” (angular luffa plant). Kha We grows wild or is grown in the gardens for its shoots and fruits which make nice vegetables for Myanmar dishes. Its flowers are soft golden yellow, full of delicate pollens producing light fragrance. The countryside in Tazaungmon is adorned with Kha We flowers, which Myanmar people traditionally regard as the flower of Tazaungmon month. At midnight in the dark blue firma ment appears the asterism Kyat tika in conjunction with the moon.

Festivals traditionally held in Tazaungmon may be classi fied into Pre-Buddhist, Buddhist, and Post-Buddha types. As this month has pleasant weather with a clear blue sky and all heavenly bodies are visible at night, Myanmar people of Pre-Buddhist time held the festival of constellations and planets, known as ‘Netkhat Thabin’. Before Buddhism came to Myanmar, the people worshipped natural phenomena. Heavenly bodies were believed to exercise their influence upon human life and career. They were thus pro pitiated for the favour. According to Myanmar astrology, there are 27 constellations, all of which appear on the full moon night of Tazaungmon. They are (1) Asavani (2) Barani (3) Kyattika (4) Rohani (5) Migasi (6) Bhadra (7) Punnap husshu (8) Phussha (9) Assalissa (10) Magha (11) Pyubbaparagunni (12 )Uttaraparagunni (13) Hassada (14) Cittra (15) Swadi (16) Visakha (17) Anurada (18) Jettha (19) Mula (20) Pruppasan (21) Uttarasan (22) Sarawun (23) Dhanasiddha (24) Sattabhissha (25) Pyuppabad rapaik (26) Uttarabadrapaik and (27) Revati. It is believed that each constellation is guarded by a deva. On the full moon night of Tazaung mon, a feast was held at which fruits, flowers, juice, honey, milk, rice cake and incense were offered to the heavenly bodies, followed by illuminations of light, musical and dance entertainment and all kinds of celebrations.

The name ‘ Tazaungmon’ for this month, as some scholars think, is derived from the festi val of constellations and planets. “Tazaung” means illumination by oil lamp and “Mon” means to embellish. So Tazaungmon is the month in which “Netkhat Thabin” is embellished by lights.

In Ommadanti Jataka, the celebration of Netkhat Thabin was mentioned as a state festi val held on the full moon night of Tazaungmon. Ommadanti was an extremely beautiful girl born to a wealthy noble family. Everyone praised her beauty and said that she was worthy to be a queen. When King Thiwi of Arihtapura Kingdom heard of her, he sent his wise brahmans to her to see if she had the queenly qualities. At the dinner given in their honour, the brahmans saw Ommadanti and they were so bewitched by her beauty that they made a mess of everything at the dinner. 

Disturbed by their ill manners, Ommadanti ordered her servants to throw the boors out of her house. Ashamed and humiliated, the brahmans reported to the king that the lady was unworthy to be a queen. The king believed their report. Ommadanti was married to the king’s general Abiparaka. Although Ommadanti was faithful and devoted to her husband she could never forgive and forget the slight the king had given her. With a feminine pride, she harboured vengeance upon the king.

On the full moon night of Tazaungmon, the whole Capital was illuminated to celebrate the royal Netkhat Thabin. Prepara tions were made for the pageant of the king. The general was put in charge of the king’s security. Before he went on his duty, the general told his wife Ommadanti not to come out and show herself when the royal coach passed by their house, for he knew that her beauty would harm the king. But Ommadanti had made up her mind to turn the king mad by her charm ing beauty. When the royal coach came up in front of her house, she made her appearance at the open window, and with a captivating smile, she threw fragrant flowers at the king who looked up to get a glimpse of the feminine idol in perfect beauty. She immediately shut the window leaving the king in a state of extreme desire and love mania. The king cut short his city tour and returned to the pal ace where he shut himself in his chamber refusing to hold the daily audience but suffering alone. The general knew at once what had happened to the king. The general went to the king to tell him that he had consulted the guardian god of the Banyan Tree whose oracle told him that the king was infatuated with Ommadanti. Then the gen eral magnanimously offered Om madanti to the king. The king felt ashamed and repented because his evil desire was known to the tree god and his trusted general. He was brought back to his senses and he recovered from love mania. He ruled his kingdom justly till his old age.

The Ommadanti Jataka is the favourite story that is played at the Tazaungmon festival. It befits the occasion and its plot and charac ters appeal to the Myanmar youths and adults. 

However, with the introduc tion of Buddhism into Myanmar, and its prevalence among the people, the Tazaungmon festival assumed Buddhist character. Al though lights were illuminated and a variety of fun-making was done, the festival of Netkhat Thabin was held no more. Its place was tak en by Kahtein festival. The word ‘Kahtein’ is derived from a Pali word ‘kathina’ meaning firm or du rable. Monks who receive Kahtein robe and monks who express their appreciation at the offering and receiving of Kahtein robe by ut tering ‘Sadhu’ (well-done) three times, gain five durable merits. 

The five durable merits are the privileges of enjoying the relaxation of certain rules of Vinaya (Priestly Disciplines) governing the monks such as:

(1) monks can go out to thehouse of the donor who invites them for offering food, without informing the other monk nearby, even if the donor has inadvertently used improper language in inviting.

(2) monks who have resolvedto practise the Ti-civara austerity (possessing a robe of three garments only) are permitted to go out without carrying the resolved robe with them.

(3) robes received can be worn by monks without perform ing certain religious procedures.

(4) even when an invitationfor food offering comes in an improper manner, at least four monks and above can accept it. 

(5) monks of the monastery where Kahtein robes are offered for the Sangha can wear these robes. The donor of Kahtein robe attains the following merits: -

(1) there shall be no dangeror disturbance wherever the donor travels;

(2) the donor will have plenty of good and healthy food. He will never suffer from food poison; 

(3) the donor’s property is safe from destruction, robbery, or theft; 

(4) the donor will recover the long-forgotten property; 

(5) the donor will get wealthwithout much difficulty; and 

(6) the donor will have a goodlook.

There is no restriction re garding the offering of robes to the monks. Donors can offer robes, one-piece or the whole set to any monk at any time. But regarding the Kahtein robe, there is a set period and strict rules governing the Kahtein robe, the donor and recipient of Kahtein robe. From the first waning moon day of Thad ingyut (October) to the full moon day of Tazaungmon (November) is the period allowed for the offer ing of Kahtein robe to the monks. The donor and the recipient must observe this time limit. One of the three pieces of the robe is offered as a Kahtein robe. The donor must have a good and sincere intention and must donate Kahtein robe out of his voluntary will. The donor offers Kahtein robe, not to an indi vidual monk or monastery but the Sangha (all members of the Bud dhist Order) as a whole. Monks must never request directly or in directly anyone, even parents or relatives to donate robes to them. According to Vinaya, if monks are in need of robes and there is no donation of the robe, they must collect discarded clothes, wash them clean, dye them with bark, piece and sew them together to wear as a robe. Recipients of the Kahtein robe are selected in ac cordance with the rules regarding the Kahtein robe. Not any monk and not all monks are eligible to re ceive Kahtein robe. The deserving recipients are those who have: 

(TO BE CONTINUED)