Āsālha Puṇṇamī Pūjā Kathā

The Blessed One to whom we have gone for refuge,
who is our Teacher, and in whose Dhamma we delight,
Is a Worthy One, Rightly Self-awakened.
Through his compassion and sympathy for living beings,
compassionately desiring their welfare,
he first set the unexcelled Wheel of Dhamma in motion on
the full moon night of the month of Asalha,
in the Deer Refuge at the
Meeting Place of the Seers near Varanasi,
and proclaimed the Four
Noble Truths to the Group of Five Monks

At that time, the leader of the Group of Five Monks — <Venerable
Añña-Kondañña —
having listened to the Blessed One's teaching,
gained the vision of Dhamma that,
"Whatever is subject to
origination is all subject to cessation."
Having asked for ordination,
he gained the Come-Bhikkhu
ordination in the Blessed One's very presence,
and so became the
world's first noble disciple in the Blessed One's doctrine and
discipline.
And at that time the Gem of the Sangha first appeared in the world,
making the Triple Gem — the Gem of the Buddha,
the Gem of the
Dhamma, and the Gem of the Sangha — complete.

Now, on this full moon day of Asalha
— recognized as the date of
the Blessed One's setting the Wheel of Dhamma in motion,
the date
of the arising of the Community of the Noble Disciples,
and of the
completion of the Triple Gem
— we have gathered together in this
place.

We take these offerings
— candles, incense, and so forth
— and make our bodies a vessel for them.
Reflecting on the Blessed One's virtues as they actually are,
we will
circumambulate this image shelter [stupa] three times,
paying
homage to him with the offerings we hold.
Although the Blessed One long ago attained total liberation,
he is still discernible through our remembrance of his perceivable virtues.
May he accept the offerings we hold,
for the sake of our long-term welfare and happiness.