Chaturmasya

Chaturmasya literally means "four months", derived from the Sanskrit chatur (चतुर्), "four", and māsa (मासः), "month". ==Hinduism==

Literature Chaturmasya begins on the eleventh day of the Hindu lunar month of Ashadha or Devashayani Ekadashi. This is celebrated as the day that the deity Vishnu enters a yogic sleep (yoga nidra) on his serpent, Shesha, for a period of four months and wakes up on Prabodhini Ekadashi. According to the boon, Bali requested Vamana or Vishnu to live with him in Patala. Vishnu obliged which worried all of the deities, including the goddess Lakshmi (Vishnu's consort). Lakshmi then devised a plan which only allowed Vishnu to live with Bali for a certain duration. This duration is also known as Chaturmasya or the period that Vishnu "sleeps" while visiting King Bali. Followers of the Shaivism sect recall the story of the churning of the ocean of milk. The story is recalls how Shiva saved creation by drinking poison called "halahala" which emerged from the ocean while it was being churned by the asuras (demons) and devas (demigods). The poison was held at his throat to prevent it from spreading to the rest of the body, thus turning it blue. Instead it is seen as a suitable time for householders to have an annual renewal of faith by listening to discourses on dharma, and by meditation and vrata (self-control). Penance, austerities, religious observances, recital of mantras, bathing in holy rivers, performing sacrifices, and charity are prescribed. Fasts and purity during this period help maintain health, for which there is likely a scientific rationale, disease spreading more readily with the onset of monsoon. The sanyasis or ascetics observe Chaturmasya for four fortnights, beginning on full moon day of the month of Ashadha, also known as Guru Purnima or Vyas Purnima, and ending on full moon day of the month of Bhadrapada. Sanyasis are supposed to halt at one place during this period. Celebrations Major celebrations within this period include: • Guru Purnima • Krishna Janmashtami • Onam • Raksha Bandhan • Ganesh Chaturthi • Navaratri (Dasahra – Durga Puja – Vijayadashami) • Diwali • Champa Shashthi (Margashirsha bright 6th ) - Per custom in Maharashtra, Chaturmasya ends on this day. ==Jainism==

In Jainism this practice is collectively known as Varshayog and is prescribed for Jain monasticism. Wandering monks such as mendicants and ascetics in Jainism, believe that during the rainy season, countless bugs, insects and tiny creatures that cannot be seen in the naked eye take birth massively. Therefore, these monks reduce the amount of harm they do to other creatures so they opt to stay in a single place for the four months to incur minimal harm to other lives. These monks, who generally do not stay in one place for long(59 nights for females, 29 nights for males), observe their annual 'Rains Retreat' during this period, by living in one place during the entire period amidst lay people, observing a vow of silence (mauna), meditation, fasting and other austerities, and also giving religious discourses to the local public. During the four-month rainy-season period, when the mendicants must stay in one place, the chief sadhu of every group gives a daily sermon (pravacana, vyakhyana), attended mostly by women and older, retired men, but on special days by most of the lay congregation. During their eight months of travel, the sadhus give sermons whenever requested, most often when they come to a new village or town in their travels. One of the most important Jain festivals, Paryushana, falls during the beginning of this period, which concludes with Forgiveness Day, Kshamavani Diwas, wherein lay people and disciples say Micchami Dukkadam and ask forgiveness from each other. Amongst Jain merchants, there is a tradition of inviting monks to their respective cities during Chaturmasya to give religious instruction. In Jainism, the third part of the classical Jain text Kalpa Sutra, written by Bhadrabahu I in the 4th century BCE, deals with rules for ascetics and laws during the four months (chaturmas) of the rainy season, when ascetics temporarily abandon their wandering life and settle down amidst the laity. This is the time when the festival of Paryushan is celebrated and the Kalpasutra is traditionally recited. ==Buddhism==

Gautama Buddha stayed at the royal garden of King Bimbisara of Rajgir, whom he had recently converted, for the period of Chaturmasya and gave sermons: this practice is followed by monks to this day. Another reason for ascetics to stay in one place during the rainy season is that the tropical climate produces a large number of insects, which would be trampled by travelling monks. Vassa is varsha-vas i.e. three-month annual stay observed by Theravada monks. It begins with Asalha Puja. At the end of Bassa, during Kathina, new robes are donated by the laity to the monks. Kathina is a Buddhist festival which comes at the end of Vassa, the three-month rainy season retreat for Theravada Buddhists in Bangladesh (known as Kaṭhina Cībar Dān), Myanmar, Thailand, India, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, and Singapore. The season during which a monastery may hold Kathina is one month long, beginning after the full moon of the eleventh month in the Lunar calendar (usually October). ==Notes==