ASIATODAY.ID, JAKARTA – As many as 500 prospective monks (samanera) from 5 countries namely Indonesia, Thailand, Russia, Belgium and Australia took part in the Pabbajja Samanera which took place from 17 to 28 December 2023 at the Borobudur Temple Tourist Park complex, Magelang, Central Java.
This activity, which was initiated by the Indonesian Mahanikaya Buddhist Religious Council (MBMI), is a form of character building training for prospective monks and Buddhists as a whole.
This activity is also to promote universal moral and spiritual values so that it can become a beacon of peace for the entire nation.
PT Aviasi Wisata Indonesia (Persero) or InJourney and its subsidiary PT Taman Wisata Candi Borobudur, Prambanan and Ratu Boko (TWC), fully support this activity.
In a written statement received on Sunday, December 24 2023, the Main Director of PT Taman Wisata Candi Borobudur, Prambanan and Ratu Boko Febrina Intan in Yogyakarta said, through Pabbajja Samanera, it is hoped that they can participate in efforts to preserve and promote Borobudur Temple as a World Cultural Heritage and Destination Super Priority Tourism.
This destination has universal value as well as being an attraction for domestic and foreign tourists, so that in the end it can help society improve its economy.
During the 10 days of Pabbajja Samanera Borobudur 2023, various series of activities were carried out, such as hair cutting ceremonies, Pabbajja Samanera ordination ceremonies, Pindapatta, Candle Light Sangha Dana, and Lantern Flights. This series closes with the Thudong procession. Thudong is a ritual journey for monks on foot.
The Thudong ritual at Pabbajja Samanera is carried out over a distance of around 13 kilometers, which passes through four temples in Magelang Regency, namely Ngawen Temple in Muntilan District, Mendut Temple in Mungkid District, and Pawon Temple and ends at Borobudur Temple.
On that occasion, Agus Jaya as General Chair of MBMI, revealed that this series of Pabbajja Samanera activities opened up the widest possible opportunities for the entire Buddhist community of the world to be able to practice virtue, so that as this activity continues, it is hoped that in the future it will become an option for people to come and fulfill their commitment to implementing the practice their respective virtues even as participants. (AT Network)
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