On May 29, 2018 (the fifteenth day of the fourth month of the Chinese calendar), the Vassa, also known as the three-month Monastic Summer Retreat, or Rains Retreat, traditionally observed by Buddhist monks during the monsoon rains, concluded at 6:00 a.m., as the Sangha of Lingyin Temple performed the traditional ceremony at the Mahavira Hall. According to the Buddhist tradition, the Vassa lasts three months, starting on the fifteenth day of the fourth month of the Chinese lunar calendar and ending on the fifteenth day of the seventh month. Buddhist monks should remain in one place, typically a monastery or temple, and dedicate the Vassa to intensive meditation.
During the Vassa, the Lingyin Sangha recite and chant the mahā-vaipulya-buddhâvataṃsaka-sūtra (Chinese pinyin: Huayan Jing) every day so as to pray for longevity and auspicious blessings for the livin and relief from the suffering of rebirth in the western pure land for the dead.
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