pattaya127 Posted June 1, 2003 Report Share Posted June 1, 2003 Around the Songkran days, my GF village near Korat had a big fair, as the monks were getting donations to finish building the temple. Most interesting and fun day, 12 of us came from Pattaya, and we even had a buddha statue being made, with the cast being filled with melt iron mixed with some gold. Of course, everyone told me I should be everywhere where the action was happening thru-out the day, And i sure wanted it too. Apparently, even the patriarch of Thailand (buddhist sangha) showed up, but i think it was just a farce, though i am sure i was the only one thinking it. The Old man came with a fleet of mercedes and SUV, tons of military around him, body guards with stern face. we had to kneel waiting for him to go thru the ranks of the village folks gathered, with some guy preceding him making sure all heads were held really low, scolding and warning those who raised it up too high. as the P passed, everyone was giving 20 bahts to his assistant and keeping 20 to himself ( it means Buddha does not want you to become poor because of him, sort of). The whole day had all kind of Buddhist dignitaries showing up, but also nuns from far away. Obviously, money donations were as much the order of the day as the presence of the monks collecting it. Nothing to do with Buddhism, IMO (Thai Buddhism is just another institutionalized religion ), but culturally fascinating. PS:I take a pix of everything in Thailand, but that big guy with his stick in hand really seemed serious about having us lowering our heads. not my country, so in Rome, do as the romans. So there is no way i could take a pix of the star of the day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
khunsanuk Posted June 1, 2003 Report Share Posted June 1, 2003 Hi, "we had to kneel waiting for him to go thru the ranks of the village folks gathered, with some guy preceding him making sure all heads were held really low, scolding and warning those who raised it up too high." This would seriously piss me off. Don't they realize that respect is earned, not forced upon. Sanuk! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pattaya127 Posted June 1, 2003 Author Report Share Posted June 1, 2003 Don't they realize that respect is earned, not forced upon. ----------------------------- well, it's the patriarch of Thailand. To you and me, we still want to see what's the fuss about him, but to these village folks, he is the highest Buddhist authority in the land, and does them great honor to visit. So, yes, they were agitated, were not used to the protocol, and that tall farang amongst them (moi!) as well. Hey, I couda been back at home, working 9 to 5, like million others, but I was on the other side of the world, in a little village, in my beloved Issan, and that defines super-cool for me. Only I never stop thinking about things and people, as you know . hence another thread..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
khunsanuk Posted June 1, 2003 Report Share Posted June 1, 2003 Hi, "he is the highest Buddhist authority in the land, and does them great honor to visit." Yes, but that does not give him the right to employe men with sticks to keep people's heads down. By doing so he demotes himself to a common thug in my eyes, and I bet this goes againsts everything Buddhism is supposed to stand for. Sanuk! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pattaya127 Posted June 1, 2003 Author Report Share Posted June 1, 2003 the stick was not used. or to point at people in the far ranks. Well, it's a hierarchal society, and even an old monk head is not going to change that. To be respected in LOS does not mean you deserve it, but definitely it's due to you. Of course, we farangs fortunately by-pass all that nonsense, but thai village folks, they're stuck with it. As I said, it evokes responses and thoughts from you and me, but i don't think anyone thai there would have the faintest idea why we have something to say about it. BTW, he stayed no more than 10 minutes. The day was really fun, in the evening we went to a likay show, of course the actors had to make fun of the lone farang in the crowd, but how could they know i'm about as much at home as anyone else, in this village. So much i don't need to be with my GF to visit the family. Now, she is really stuck with me..... and me with her. Shiiiit! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 5, 2003 Report Share Posted June 5, 2003 >>>and I bet this goes againsts everything Buddhism is supposed to stand for.<<< there are a lot of strange things happening now in the name of buddhism. luang por khun since years said publically that killing drugdealers would not draw bad karma to the person who kills him. another monk constantly on TV now says more or less the same thing while praising at the same time the present government. but what do i know? i guess i have not read the small print in the precept on taking life... it is rather clear to most thais that organised buddhism is in a serious crises, all the scandals (and many more which never make it into the press), the squabbling over the new sangha bill etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 5, 2003 Report Share Posted June 5, 2003 >>>Of course, we farangs fortunately by-pass all that nonsense, but thai village folks, they're stuck with it. As I said, it evokes responses and thoughts from you and me, but i don't think anyone thai there would have the faintest idea why we have something to say about it.<<< some of the most animated discussions here revolve around the sorry state of the sangha (right after the ones about the present government). i would break some boardrules if i would repeat some of the stuff i have overheard thais saying about that subject. what we farangs here on the board talk about is tame in comparism... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pattaya127 Posted June 5, 2003 Author Report Share Posted June 5, 2003 what we farangs here on the board talk about is tame in comparism... -------------------------------------- Still, I think the fervor for Buddhist rituals is most conspicuous/sincere in the villages. people there, may be cringing at the state of their religion, in its institutionalized settings, but they still do revere the Buddha when showing respect to a monk, more than to the monk himself. This is the greatness of Buddhism, it is ultimately, or foremost, an individual religion, because the goal is truly individual and one's karma is not decided by some God or Higher-than-thou whatnot who would decide what you did bad and good. All up to you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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