Āsāḷha Pūjā and Start of the Rains-Retreat 2025
Sun 13 Jul
|Skiptvet buddhistkloster
We warmly invite everyone to Skiptvet Buddhist Monastery on Sunday, the 13th of July, to celebrate Āsāḷha Pūjā, which marks the beginning of the rains retreat (vassa).
Time & Location
13 Jul 2025, 10:00 – 19:00
Skiptvet buddhistkloster, Lundsveien 196, 1816 Skiptvet, Norway
About the event
Āsāḷha Pūjā and Start of the Rains-Retreat 2025
We warmly invite everyone to Skiptvet Buddhist Monastery on Sunday, the 13th of July, to celebrate Āsāḷha Pūjā, which marks the beginning of the rains retreat (vassa).
The rains-retreat is a three-month period during which Buddhist monks and nuns stay put in the monastery or area where they chose to spend the vassa. It is often a time of increased practice and learning, as monastic communities remain stable during that period.
On this day, we will also commemorate the Buddha’s first sermon, the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta, delivered in Sarnath near Varanasi about 2,500 years ago. This first discourse set in motion the teaching and spread of the Dhamma, the Buddha’s path to awakening and freedom from suffering, which continues to guide practitioners to this day.
10:00 – All gather in the dāna sāla (main house)
10.30 – Rice Pindapat (alms-round)