Wat Phra Dhammakaya celebrated Magha Puja Day 2025 and 55th foundation anniversary of Wat Phra Dhammakaya by lighting over 100,000 lanterns and presenting 42th Path of Progress Contest & 18th World-PEC trophies. Over 31 international Buddhist organizations enthusiastically attended this event.
On 12 February 2025, Venerable Phrakrusamu Sanitwong Wuttiwangso, director of Communication Department, Wat Phra Dhammakaya, said that Magha Puja Day 2025 was on the full moon day of the third lunar month, marking the 55th foundation anniversary of Wat Phra Dhammakaya. The temple organized meritorious activities, for example, the almsgiving to over 1,000 monks in the early morning and mass meditation & lunch offering to monastic community in the late morning at Dhammakaya Assembly Hall.
The afternoon session was the presentation ceremony of 23 trophies of 42th Path of Progress Contest, followed by the presentation of 20 trophies of 18th World-PEC to schools and Buddhist organizations within Thailand and from abroad. There were representatives from government & private sectors and educational institutions to bring and/or present the trophies to students at Dhammakaya Assembly Hall. The evening session was the lighting of over 100,000 lanterns in honor of the Buddha at the grounds of Maha Dhammakaya Cetiya, followed by the celebration of achieving 7,117,001,250 rounds of Dhammacakka chanting in honor of the Triple Gem at the Meditation Square.
In this event, there were over 2,000 representatives of many Buddhist organizations from different countries, for example, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, India, Nepal, Malaysia, Indonesia, Myanmar, Cambodia, Vietnam, Lao, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, China, Hong Kong, Italy, Switzerland, England, Hungary, German, France, Denmark, Brazil, USA, Canada, Mexico, Columbia, Chile, Netherlands and Saudi Arabia.
“Magha Puja Day means (1) the worship on the full moon day of the third lunar month on (2) occasion that the Lord Buddha delivered a sermon called “Ovada Patimokkha” for the first time including goals, principles and methodologies to access the essence of Buddhism to (3) 1,250 Arahants or the enlightened monks, who came to see Lord Buddha without any prior arrangement at Veḷuvana near Rājagaha (present Rajgir in northern India) and (4) all Arahants were ordained by the Lord Buddha. These four factors caused Cāturaṅgasannipāta Day or Fourfold Assembly Day. The main principles of “Ovada Patimokkha” are 1 Abstaining from all misdeeds. 2.Doing only good deeds. 3.Purifying one’s mind by practicing meditation. They are the guidelines for laypeople to live their life peacefully.”, added Venerable Phrakrusamu Sanitwong.
