Guest Posted August 22, 2002 Report Share Posted August 22, 2002 >>No. Born falang, stay falang. If you value a relationship with a Thai, take the time to educate them about your value system, then demonstrate fidelity to it by your words and deeds<<< Yes if the Thai lives in your country, No if you live in his. I always believe that a foreigner should adopt to his host country, not the other way around as you seem to imply. Of course, that doesn't mean that you may learn from each other, and good friends are likely to make some adaptations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pattaya127 Posted August 22, 2002 Author Report Share Posted August 22, 2002 Most Thai's think farang are 'jai rawn' ----------------------------- the most extreme cases of Jay rawn i've been witness to involved thais. Either a food stall mama was shouting at the one next to her for something, my Gfs went beserk with the movable objects at hand, market saleswomen get pissed off because you won't buy, etc... I believe in the west, we erupt more often, sweat it off, then it's behind us. In Asia, people keep a lot inside because of face, but then when it's got to come out, blind fury (even murder i concur) takes over and most often is uncontrollable. It takes a lot of work to calm down an irate thai (would i try?), more so than a farang, even a drunk one. Well, the malays penned the word: amok. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 22, 2002 Report Share Posted August 22, 2002 >the most extreme cases of Jay rawn i've been witness to involved thais. < that is for me the main reason to make efforts to keep my temper calm (not easy at times... ). the extremes to which people here can go in a case of anger can be frightening, and i am not really up to knife fights and gun fights. i don't even like fistfights, but i could handle that, i have beaten up people before, and have been beaten up, no lasting damage. but the weapons which are generally used here in confrontations are way too risky for me. things can get out of hand easily. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThaiHome Posted August 22, 2002 Report Share Posted August 22, 2002 "No. Born falang, stay falang. If you value a relationship with a Thai, take the time to educate them about your value system, then demonstrate fidelity to it by your words and deeds. " Works for me. Anything else is acknowledging a broken system. TH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mentors Posted August 22, 2002 Report Share Posted August 22, 2002 I just knew someone would say it! --------------------------------------- Yes me too, haha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 22, 2002 Report Share Posted August 22, 2002 Can you tell us a some " I bashed em up " stories please! I love a good story.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 22, 2002 Report Share Posted August 22, 2002 the "i got bashed up" stories are in my case more amusing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BkkShaggy Posted August 23, 2002 Report Share Posted August 23, 2002 "I read somewhere that the concept of face is a Buddhist concept," I am a Theravada Buddist and I have not heard of such a teaching. Maybe from other sects? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brink15 Posted August 23, 2002 Report Share Posted August 23, 2002 BkkShaggy, Re-read my post in its entirety. If you notice I also said that when I speak with monks regarding these sorts of beliefs, they laugh and say this not part of the Buddha's teaching. Now let's take a look at the dichotomy between what the average Thai believes, including many monks, and the real teachings of Buddha. Where in the Dhammapada, Lalitavistara, or any other Buddhist texts does it talk about amulets of protection, blessing automobiles, monks choosing lucky numbers, etc? It doesn't, but these things do exist. How many times have I seen a monk looking through an astrology book to find an auspicious day to open a store or have a wedding? None of this is pure Buddhist doctrine. It is based on the intermingling of other belief systems with Buddhism. Many beliefs carry over from Animism, Brahmanism, Hinduism, etc. In reality the Theravada Buddhism most Thais understand is a bastardization of Buddha's true teachings. I think I remember one of the last things Buddha told the disciples was not to build any idols in his image as he was not a god. Of course this was not followed and so today most Thais worship images that were not his intent. I could go on for the next hour but it would get tedious. Sufficed to say that the reason Rama IV started the Thammayut sect was as a reaction to what he perceived as a corruption of Buddha's teachings and the monastic lifestyle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BkkShaggy Posted August 23, 2002 Report Share Posted August 23, 2002 "Re-read my post in its entirety. " Sorry, I missed it. What you discribe is exactly what I have observed and learned from Thai society. Buddha image was first build in the reign of King Ashoka whom influenced by the Roman ( how they loved building statue !) Thais incorporated their earlier belief before into Buddism. This includes superstition, ghosts, and the things you have pointed out. What many monks are doing I think it is to suit the people belief. It's a shame. It has become comercialised too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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