Nawam Poya falls on 9 February 2009 (exact times are given below). The Poya is complemented by a Penumbral Lunar Eclipse. The eclipse is not that interesting as it is a penumbral eclipse. A shadow casted by the Sun usually has two regions: umbra and penumbra. The umbra is the dark region where no light falls and the penumbra is the grey area where some light falls due to various phenomena. During the Nawam Poya eclipse, the Moon is in Earth's penumbra. Astronomers are predicting some color changes during the eclipse.

නවම්‌ පෝයට චන්‌ද්රග්රහණයක්‌! ප.ව. 6.09 සිට රාත්රී 10.08 තෙක්‌ මෙම චන්‌ද්රග්රහණය දැක බලාගන්‌න පුලුවන්‌. කැමරාවක්‌ තියනචනම්‌ පින්‌තූර ගන්‌න. මෙම ග්රහණයදී චන්‌ද්රයා පෘථිවියේ උපච්ඡායාවේ පිහිටන නිසා වර්‌න විපර්‌යාස දැක බලාගන්‌න පුලුවන්‌. චන්‌ද්රයා වෙනදාට වඩා අදුරුයි. නවම්‌ පෝය ගැන යධමිනි ගුනවර්‌ධනයන්‌ විසින් ලියන ලද ලිපියක්‌ පහත තියනව.

Sinhala Translation

penumbra - උපච්ඡායාව; ඡායාප්‍රාන්තය කියලත් කියනව - අානන්‌දවර්‌ධනයන්‌ගෙන්‌

Schedule

• Full moon starts at: 20:19 Local Time (14:49 UT)^2,3
• For Colombo Sri Lanka: Eclipse visible from: 18:09 Local Time⁴
• For Colombo Sri Lanka: Eclipse visible until: 22:08 Local Time⁴
• For other parts of the world please follow the link to NASA's Lunar Eclipse Explorer below

Navam (Navum) Poya

By Yadamini Gunawardena

Reflecting from our write-up for Duruthu Poya, we learn that the visibility at different times (or positions) of the Moon in its Orbit, around the Earth together with Earth’s around the Sun, changes and accordingly it is observed by creatures living on Planet Green. This difference is observed in many unique ways by different cultures across the globe. But there’s an absolute harmony on Full Moon Day as they all consider it as the climax of each cycle. As for Buddhists it is not only important because of the historical aspect, but also due to its practice.

Explaining the Buddha’s character, Narada Maha thero says, "Iron will, profound wisdom, universal love, unbounded compassion, selfless service, greatest renunciation, perfect purity, unique pragmatic life, exemplary methods employed to propagate the teaching and success has compelled over one-fifth of the population of the world today to regard the Buddha as the supreme teacher” . For forty-five years the Buddha taught and worked for good and happiness of all beings-human and other, and passed away on the full moon day of Vesak, leaving to his disciples the doctrine and discipline (or precepts) as their only teacher. Therefore, just as much as the doctrine, the discipline is of great importance and this fact alone is clearly reflected in Buddha’s life.

To understand the essentiality of observing precepts let us read what Prof. AGS Kariyawasm wrote “The religious observance days are called poya days. The Sinhala term poya is derived from the Pali and Sanskrit form uposatha (from upa + vas: to fast) primarily signifying "fast day." Fasting on this day was a pre-Buddhist practice among the religious sects of ancient India. While the monks use the monthly moonless day (called amavaka in Sinhala) and the full-moon day for their confessional ritual and communal recitation of the code of discipline (Patimokkha), the lay devotees observe the day by visiting temples for worship and also by taking upon themselves the observance of the Eight Precepts”. So the lay community observes Five Precepts on most days and Eight Precepts on fullmoon days. This explains the key role of discipline in the practice of Buddhism. But how is it connected with Navam (or February) Poya?

Well, it was on a Navam Poya day the Buddha for the first time enacted a code of discipline for the Bikkus, which is since considered as the fundamental ethical precept. Ever since, precepts for both Bikku and Lay community came into being and this helped to foster and protect the fundamental practice of Buddha’s teachings.

This Poya is also important for the reason of Sariputta and Moggalana entering the Order of the Sangha. They would later be appointed by Buddha’s as his chief disciples.

Later, some 2552 years ago, on the Navam Poya day, Buddha made it known that the Great Passing away of himself will come in three months on the immediate Vesak Poya day.

Finally, while Nawam Poya day is significant to all Buddhists across the world, it is specially observed by those residing in Colombo. This year for the 30th occasion the Grandeur Nawam Perahera (pageant or procession) will parade in pride in the City of Colombo on the late evening of the Navam Poya day. It is organized by the Gangarama Temple, the Temple of the Hair Relics of the Buddha.

May this light up the rightful path!

Links & References

1. Wikipedia: February 2009 lunar eclipse
2. John Walker - Lunar Perigee and Apogee Calculator
3. NASA: Moon Phases: 2001-2025
4. NASA: Lunar Eclipse Explorer (Asia)
5. NASA: Lunar Eclipse Explorer
6. NASA: Eclipses During 2009