Asalha Bucha

Dhamma Day
by Anthony Flanagan,

Dhamma (or Asalha) Day is one of Theravada Buddhism's most important festivals. It celebrates the Buddha's teachings, which were first given to the world shortly after his enlightenment. This first sermon is often referred to as 'Setting into Motion the Wheel of Dhamma'. In this context the word dhamma means teaching or doctrine which is encapsulated for Buddhists in the four noble truths.

Four Noble Truths

These represent the bedrock of Buddhist thought and practice. In them the Buddha explains that the world is a place of suffering and dissatisfaction (dukkha) and that this suffering is caused by craving (tanha).


He goes on to explain that there is a 'state' beyond suffering and craving he terms nibbana - which is synonymous with enlightenment - and that this can be attained to by following the eightfold path. Whatever differences there may be between various schools and traditions of Buddhism, the four noble truths remain at the core, sold and firm.

This first sermon was not delivered to fervent multitudes hungry for the Buddha's message. On the contrary, there were only five people present, his former associates whom he had abandoned when he realized that extreme mortification was not conducive to winning enlightenment. As the Buddha approached them, they were no doubt cynical, thinking that he had abandoned the quest for sensual pleasure. However, it soon became apparent that the Buddha was different in some way and they were quickly convinced that he had found true enlightenment, the ascetic named Kondanna in particular.

The Rainy Season

In early Buddhism, the time around what has now become Dhamma Day - the eight lunar month in the traditional Indian calendar - marked the beginning of the rainy season. At this point, the Buddha and his monks and nuns would suspend their itinerant lifestyle for a period of three months. They would retire to a monastery until the monsoon season was over. This was a time for further meditation and reflection. At the end of this, they would resume their wandering, passing on the Buddha's teachings to all who were interested.

The Essence

Along with Buddha Day, Dhamma Day celebrates the very essence of what Buddhism is about. It also celebrates the day on which the compassionate Buddha, at a specific time and a specific place, brought to the world a simple but nonetheless incredible teaching that would offer an explanation of the nature of existence and a means of bringing suffering to an end.