In short: Pavāraṇā is the day the three-month Rains Retreat (Vassa) ends, on the full moon of the eleventh lunar month: around 26 October in 2026 (dates can differ by a day between countries). Monks invite one another to point out their faults, following the Buddha's own example in SN 8.7. In the month after, lay people offer robe cloth to monasteries in the Kathina ceremony.
The Buddha's invitation
On a full-moon sabbath at the end of the retreat, the Buddha sat in the open with five hundred monks, all silent. Then he spoke:
"Come now, monks, I invite you all: Is there anything I've done by way of body or speech that you would criticize?"
SN 8.7
The teacher asks his students to criticize him first. Sāriputta replies that there is nothing to criticize, and then makes the same invitation in turn. That is the heart of Pavāraṇā: each person opens themselves to honest feedback, so the community can begin the new season clean.
Read the full guide
The Rains Retreat in brief
- When: three lunar months, from the day after Āsāḷha Pūjā (July) to Pavāraṇā (October).
- What: monks stay in one monastery for the rainy season and deepen study and meditation.
- Lay people: many keep extra precepts, visit the temple on Uposatha days or give up a habit for the three months. In Southeast Asia the end of the retreat is known as Ok Phansa.
Kathina: the robe offering
In the month after Pavāraṇā, lay communities offer cloth for robes to monasteries where monks completed the retreat. It is one of the most joyful merit-making ceremonies of the year, often with a procession and a shared meal. (See making merit.)
How to take part, wherever you are
- Your own Pavāraṇā: ask someone you trust, "Is there anything I've done that you'd like me to know about?" Then just listen. (More: how to handle criticism and praise.)
- Visit a temple on the full moon or join a Kathina ceremony. Most welcome visitors. (How to visit a Buddhist temple)
- Give something: food, a donation, or time to someone who needs it.
- Keep the precepts for the day: the five precepts or the eight precepts.
Try it
On the full moon, begin the day with a 3-minute morning practice: open Practice. For all the holy days of the year, see Buddhist holidays 2027.
Questions people ask
When does the Buddhist Rains Retreat end in 2026?
The Rains Retreat (Vassa) ends on Pavāraṇā day, the full moon of the eleventh lunar month, which falls around 26 October 2026. Exact dates can differ by a day between countries and calendars, so check with your local temple.
What is Pavāraṇā?
The ceremony that closes the Rains Retreat, when each monk invites the others to point out any fault they have seen, heard or suspected. In SN 8.7 the Buddha himself asks his monks: 'Is there anything I've done by way of body or speech that you would criticize?'
What is Kathina?
In the month after the Rains Retreat, lay people offer cloth for robes to monasteries whose monks completed the retreat. It is one of the biggest merit-making ceremonies of the Theravāda year.