On 22nd October 2021, Santussako Hermitage successfully completed its first Kathina ceremony with all traditional Kathina customs. May the merits accrued from this auspicious Kathina robe offering be shared with all donors, supporters, and well-wishers of Santussako. May they always be blessed with an abundance of happiness and peace in this life and hereafter life… Special thanks to Datin Rosalind Lee and Sis Cindy Choo and other dedicated Santussako committee members for facilitating and coordinating Malaysian Devotees with Santussako Hermitage in Sri Lanka.
Great Meritorious Results of Offerings During the Vassana Period and Kathina Day
a. offering of Kathina robe is considered of the greatest meritorious activities by the Buddha;
b. whatever else offered on Kathina day, the same merit could be accrued to the donors;
c. one of the stanzas chanted during Kathina glorifies the greatness of merit from performing Kathina, “Even this solid earth, or a solid rock or a piece of diamond could tremble, shake or break at times but the merit obtained by offering Kathina robe could not be nullified by anything until one achieves the ultimate goal of Nibbana”. That is why it is called Kathina (unshakable).
d. In the Theragatha Atthakatha, a disciple named Arahant Nagitha recalled the glorious benefits of paying respect and having offered Kathina robe to the Maha Sangha. By the time of Padumuttara Buddha, he was a young man name Narada. Due to these meritorious deeds, he was never born in lower planes of existence (like spirit world or animal realm) and for the last 30 aeons of kalpa, he had been born in higher or blissful realms like divine planes or human world. The merit thus obtained was very helpful to him to realize the ultimate truth.
e. However, even the merit of offering Kathina cannot help a person who committed the 5 heinous crimes from suffering the consequences of the act – committing of patricide, matricide, murder of an arahat, wounding of a Buddha or casing schism in the Sangha. For minor bad deeds, the positive power of offering Kathina could reduce or impeach their negative effects. Furthermore, one could be blessed with happiness, long and healthy life, good complexion, physical strength and wisdom in one’s wandering in samasara until the ultimate goal Nibbana is achieved.
