old-path-white-clouds-thich-nhat-hanh

Chapter Fifty-Six
Full Awareness of Breathing
Sometimes the Buddha or one of his senior disciples gave a Dharma talk at the bhikkhunis’ monastery. Once a month, the bhikkhunis also
attended Dharma discourses at Jetavana or Eastern Park. One year, thanks to a suggestion made by Venerable Sariputta, the Buddha
extended the retreat season an extra month. Sariputta knew that by extending the retreat one month, many bhikkhus and bhikkhunis from
distant centers would be able to travel to Savatthi for direct teaching from the Buddha after they had concluded the retreats at their own
centers. And indeed, many came. Lay patrons Sudatta, Visakha, and Mallika used all the means at their disposal to provide food and
dwelling for nearly three thousand monks and nuns. The Pavarana ceremony, held at the end of each rainy-season retreat, fell on the full
moon day of the month of Kattika that year, rather than Assayuja.
When the full moon day of Kattika arrived, kumudi flowers were blossoming everywhere. Because the kumudi, a white lotus, always
blossomed at the same time each year, the full moon day of Kattika was called Kumudi Day. That evening the Buddha and his three
thousand disciples sat beneath the radiant full moon. The delicate fragrance of lotus flowers drifted up from the lake. The bhikkhus and
bhikkhunis sat silently as the Buddha looked out over the community, and praised them for their diligence. The Bud-dha used this special
occasion to deliver the Sutra on the Full Awareness of Breathing.
That evening under the full moon, the Buddha delivered the Sutra on the Full Awareness of Breathing to 3,000 disciples.