Novitiation ceremony: MoCRD held 1st collective novitiation ceremony

The collective novitiation ceremony organized by the Ministry of Cooperatives and Rural Development for the first time was held at Thiri Gandama ThapyaeAye MoeGoke Vipassana monastery on 7th May with the attendance of the members of State Council and spouses, Union Minister for Cooperatives and Rural Development U Hla Moe and wife Daw Kyi Kyi May, Union Ministers and their spouses and invited guests.

On May 6, the collective novitiation procession was set off from the Ministry, reached the Uppadasanti pagoda and paid homage the pagoda in clockwise. Next, the members of Sangha in Thiri Gandama ThapyaeAye MoeGoke Vipassana monastery were offered day meals and hosted the guests with luncheon.

Afterward, the rituals of novitiation ceremony were performed and the preceptor Sayadaw U Gandamala put the novices-to-be into the order of Buddhist order novices and the procedures were performed to raise the monks-to-be into the order of Buddhist monk in the ordination hall.

The congregation led by the Union Minister and wife observed five precepts administered by the presiding Sayadaw of Thiri Gandama ThapyaeAye MoeGoke Vipassana monastery, took the Paritta Suttas, listened to the sermon given by the Sayadaw, offered offertories to the members of Sangha and shared the merits gained.

As the token of successful achievement of the first novitiation ceremony organized by the Ministry of Cooperatives and Rural Development, the leaders led by the union minister and wife tossed the banknotes to the audience. Then, the members of the Sangha were offered the ‘Soon’ (the Day Meal). The Ministry of Cooperatives and Rural Development put 10 novices, 79 monks and 19 nuns into the order of Buddha Sasana, it’s reported.