LAO BUDDHIST TEMPLE IN AUSTRALIA

BOUN PRAVADE

You have been granted entry to take a journey and travel to beautiful Laos and experience the Lao culture. And the unforgettable festival called Boun Pravade. Learn about the Lao brief history, of Wat Lao Minnesota and the country of Laos. What it means to be a Buddhist in America. Where is the country of Laos? What is the daily life of the Monks? How Buddhism influences the Lao culture a Lao customs and much more topic such as witness monk enlightenment ceremony.  More info>>>

By Dr Thongrith Phoumirath

The soukhouane is the key cultural word that connotes and denotes the attitude, the thinking and worldview of the Lao people.  To many Lao, it is the true maker of the Lao identity: every Lao person, regardless of gender, must and will have a soukhouane at one stage or another of his or her life.    The performance of the soukhouane evokes the history, the mythology and cosmology that have existed since the halcyons days of our ancestors.  It helps to bring about spontaneous memory of long-held tradition, of happy times and good omens for the future.  Furthermore, it speaks of the joys of the present and mundane occurrence like feasting and celebrating the auspicious occasions or to strengthen oneself in time of crisis.  The soukhouane has become for the Lao a mechanism through which the Lao maintain links with and represent the past: maintaining and continuing their identity and tradition.  More info>>>

FESTIVALS IN FEBRUARY

According to our traditions these are festivals we celebrate in February annually.  They are:-

Wat Phu Champassak Festival - world famous temple - Lao Heritage site & World Heritage site in southern province of Champasak. Video I / Video II

That Sikhottabong Festival - Khammoune province | Song by Tukta

Maka Puja Celebration

Here are some pictures from Wat Buddhalavarn Forest Monastery.  This temple situates about 10 minutes from the fastest growing area in Australia, city of Campbelltown.  It sits on 55 acres of land mass.  The new Simm is shaping up before our eyes.  Large Buddha status is also on the way from as far as Thailand & will be housed under this stunning Lao designed Simm.  Laotians have been living in Australia since 1975.  Majority are Buddhist.  There are no going back from here for our new generations and this is home.  Temple is a holy place for worshiping built by our generous & hard working refugee generations.  This has been the results from many years of generous contributions in every ways and hard fought by our elders. They do what they can.   Come supporting our community and help out what you can.  Visit our temple >>>>

PIMAY LAOS

You are invited to Lao ultimate party known as Pimay Laos – Lao New Year.  This three days event fall on the 13th, 14th and 15th of April of every calendar year.  As April is hot in Laos so it is refreshing to be doused with water that we also consider as cleansing or purifying element. We use water or performed water to cleanse Buddha images, after they offer alms to the monks and sprinkle of each other during our New Year festival. We believe that with our body clean and our spirit purified we can look forward to a Happy, Peaceful and Prosperous New Year.  More <<video>> and song check >>>>>