LBCN

ຕັກບາດ ບຸນຫໍ່ເຂົ້າປະດັບດີນ - Boun Horkao Padapdinh
2025-08-16 08:00 - 14:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | OR
On the 14th day of the waning moon of the ninth month of the Buddhist calendar, all Laotians annually celebrate the feast of Ho Khao Padabdine, the “Day of the Dead”. That day, the Buddhist make a donation to the death, in the form of food delivered to them symbolically through the monks …
Ho Khao Padapdine means to packets of rice and place them on the floor.
According to the precepts of Buddha, the Buddhist Lent is the good time to refrain from bad deeds. Buddhist should apply the Dharma: the respect of the five commandments of the Buddha, meditation and alms. It is also time to complete the agricultural work, as transplanting of paddy.
To celebrate the Boun Khao Padabdine Ho, the Buddhist are preparing offerings composed of Tomh Khao, Khao Nom Neb (cakes made with rice), fruits and other kind of foods that will be offered to monks. These religious activities are intended to honor the dead and the spirits.
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ຕັກບາດ ບຸນເຂົ້າພັນສາ - Boun Kaophansa
2025-07-05 08:00 - 14:00 | OR
Buddhist Lent is a period of three lunar months during the rainy season when monks are required to remain in one particular place or Wat (temple). Monks and novices have to swear themselves to live in the same place. They can’t stay in the other places overnight. During this period, monks are practicing meditation more than usual. Every full moon day, monks have to gather in one temple to recite “Phadhimoka” or 227 rules of monk. Khao Phansa Day is on the first day after the full moon of the eighth lunar month and marks the beginning of the three-month rainy season.
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ຕັກບາດຜ້າປ່າສາມັກຄີ - Boun Phapa Samaki
2025-06-21 08:00 - 14:00 | OR

ບຸນເຖຣາພິເສກ ສົມໂພດພຣະ - Boun Somphodphra
2025-05-24 08:00 - 2025-05-25 14:00 | OR

ບຸນພຣະເຫວດ - Boun Phravet
2025-05-10 08:00 - 14:00 | OR
Boun Phravet
Boun Pavet or Boun Phravet or Boun Phra Vetsandon, is the Lao religious holiday that celebrates the parable of Prince Vessantara, the last pre-incarnation of the Buddha. The parable speaks of absolute charity.
“Once upon a time, in a kingdom called Sivirattha there reigned a king named Sanjaya and his wife Phusati. They lived in a beautiful palace in the city of Jetuttara. In time, Phutsadi, standing in a magnificent orchard of sala trees and holding firmly to a branch, gave birth to a beautiful little prince, and they named him Vessantara. Prince Vessantara was born at the same moment as a beautiful white elephant named Peccaya, which had the ability to bring rain. When Prince Vessantara reached the age of sixteen, he was strong and handsome, and was married to a beautiful Princess named Maddi. In time, they had two children: a son named Jali and a daughter named Kanhajina.
Prince Vessantara wanted to attain perfection, and to achieve that he knew that he needed to donate all his worldly possessions to others (super karma points). At the retirement of his father, Vessantara became king. It wasn’t long before eight Brahmins (upper class in the religious hierarchy) appeared from the rival state of Kalinga, which had experienced seven years of drought. They asked to have the white elephant Peccaya so that it could bring them rain instead. And so, seeking to attain perfection, Prince Vessantara gave them the elephant, and the eight Brahmins went away chuckling. Naturally, the people of Sivirattha were angry at the loss of their precious and beloved white, rain-bringing elephant, and they petitioned King Sanjaya to return to the throne, and to send Prince Vessantara into religious exile. And so this was done, although not before Prince Vessantara had held a goodbye alms-giving and distributed vast wealth to all who asked. It wasn’t long before Prince Vessantara had achieved his goal of absolute charity, including giving away everything he held precious, including his wife and children. And god, so moved by the extraordinary acts of charity, restored to Prince Vessantara, all that he had given away, including their beloved white elephant Peccaya. And as promised, upon his death, now King Vessantara was promoted to Lord Buddha”.
The festival of Boun Phravet is celebrated by acts of charity between the community and the temple, between families and their ancestors.

ຕັກບາດ ບຸນປີໃໝ່ - Lao New Year
2025-04-05 08:00 - 15:00 | OR
Sabaidi Pi Mai (Lao for) Happy New Year
The Spring festival is celebrated in April per the lunar calendar. It is expressed in the theme of Water Festival, which involves;

Water is for purification and the essence of life, a symbolic spiritual cleansing, for emotional self in preparation for a renewal. The gentle sprinkling of fragrant water over the Buddha statues and over family members and friends is a gesture of well-wishing, respect and an affirmation.
Baci ceremony is a mixed ritual of Brahmanism, Animism and Buddhism as a spiritual event. It has been a common practice in Laos and was prevalent in the region even before Buddhism made inroads into the country. The custom is linked to the ancient belief of the human psyche considered as kwan, spirits or soul. It’s intended to establish a social and family bond, to maintain balance and harmony in the community.
People gather at a community center, the Buddhist temple, for prayers, meditation and alms offering in dedication to the spirit of loved ones and ancestors.
A parade of Nang Sangkhan, girls emulate seven daughters of the Deva named Kabinlaphom —Hindu mythical figure who lost his head in the betting bid on guessing the correct answer to the question about human sites of daily “RASY” (soul). He lost the bid for not naming the sites correctly. So his decapitated head was preserved and bestowed on a sacred place. Every year on this occasion, It had to be blessed with a cleansing ceremony to prevent drought and bad omen for the community. The seven girls symbolize the seven days of the week.

On this auspicious occasion, it is an honor to share in a sanctification ceremony according to Lao tradition. The ritual is done in its original format just as it has been practiced in Laos over the millennium, signifying a substantiation of cultural preservation aimed to engage, educate and encourage our younger generation to carry on as part of their cultural identity. This is also to enhance the sense of belonging and unity, to express love and respect for one another.
The essence of Lao cultural values is focused on facilitating the spiritual communion and emotional bonding among family, friends and acquaintances. It is a public form of affirmation and reassurance of inclusiveness as an integral part of the local Lao community. Bless you all from the Board of LBCN_2025.
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ຕັກບາດບຸນອຸທິດ -The festival of dedication
2025-03-15 09:00 - 13:00 | OR
The festival of dedication

ຂື້ນ 8 ຄ່ຳ ເດືອນ 4
2025-03-06 | WAT XAO PHOUT LAO OF LBCN, 17676 SE Foster Rd., Gresham, OR, 97080, United States
