The “ Tian Punssa” , the candle of the Buddhism.
Tian Punsa is well known and common in Thailand as well as the Buddhism in South East Asia. It could be seen in the Rainy season. The word “ Tian” means the candle in English. “ Punsa” actually manes the year. However it also means the 3 months in the Rainy season that the Buddhist monks would stay and practice in the temple for 3 months as well.
Tian Punsa or the candles would be offered to the Buddhist temples by the local people. According to the story, there are 2 reasons that make people prefer to offer the Tian Punsa to the temple.
- Anuruttha Dhera, the Lord Buddha follower is the wisdom one who offer the candle light to the Lord Buddha, so that people believe that the candles light represent the wisdom.
- One lady in Sawatthee, in India had gone to the temple and there is no light. She had offered the candle to light in the temple for the monk and the local people to read and learn the Dhama. When she passed away, she became an angle who shining with light as the candle.
The Tian Punsa is somethings that present life. It is about the Dhama puzzle or the Buddhist Riddle. Why I say like that. It is because the Buddhist compares the life as the candle. It is not only glory, bright and shining, but also teach us to live wisely. We are born and we are all equal. Life doesn’t mean long life. Life is short s a candle. Once we are born, we are the candles. The light has lit and go on. We are growing up and shining in our own ways. Until the last day that the candle goes dim and light gone forever. The things people could remember us is only good or bad. Be as the candle that always gives light and showing the ways for other. This is the meaning of offering the candles.
However as it is now become part of the Buddhist Thai traditional, people now in the Khao Punsa ( Buddhist Lent, we could buy the candles from the shops or in the super markets. But in some areas, we could also make one by ourselves. The wax would be collected and donate from the villagers and the locals, melting and put inside the candle moles. After we have the candles, it depends on that we prefer the plain one or we could also carve in the beautiful design. Most of the designs could be the Lord Buddha story, Gods and Angles or Mythical animals. It could also a parade to carry the candles to the temples. These could show us not only the beautiful wax candles but also we could see how unite of the locals to take part of the ceremony as well.
If you prefer to see this kind of the ceremony, you could visit Thailand during end of June or July when the ceremony take place. Telling the story in words could be something that hard to explain unless you see it with your own eyes.
Welcome to Thailand.