Thai Monks behaving badly?

[Guest]

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Anyone care to translate here? G/f says monks cooking human bodies. Not the first time. Happened couple of years ago, also. Can anyone read here as to why they are doing? Looks like having a good time. ::

 

HT

[Pescator]

Hi HT,

 

Can`t believe they are actually grinning while poking around at boiled human body parts.

 

I recall the episode you are referring to. But contrary to this, the victims involved at that time were not adults, but babies/kids.

There did that to produce a powerful potion. Not sure what it was supposed to do and neither do I care.

What I on the other hand do care about is that the people involved in such a despicable act get what they deserve.

 

Cheers

Hua Nguu

[Guest]

it is an integral part for buddhist monks to familiarise themselves with death, to lose fear of death. since ancient times buddhist monks have meditated sitting on rotting human corpses (originated in hindu tantric rites). this practice is in thailand outlawed nowadays, but still very common.

i have seen many times in certain rituals here where graveyards are cleaned, where rotting corpses are stripped off their flesh by merit seekers, monks being present for exactly that reason. wandering around the mounts of rotting flesh, mingling about people cutting up the corpses.

it just shows a very different realtionship in buddhism towards death, then in todays cleaned up versions of popular christianity. once upon the time also in christianity there were very intersting deathcults.

[Guest]

>>>What I on the other hand do care about is that the people involved in such a despicable act get what they deserve.<<<

 

 

sorry, but this is neither despicable nor even illegal. on the contrary - act such as these are seen as one of the highest forms to gain merit within the thai buddhist context.

and as to baby corpses - the gumarn thong cult here sees mummified babycorpses as the vessel that contains the powerful spirit of gumarn thong, a rather naughty, but essentially beneficial baby spirit. what is seen as questionable is to keep the corpses for too long for magical purposes. generally the corpses get a buddhist funeral after a certain period.

mummified adult corpses are called "ajarn thong".

 

been a few times at graveyards when gumarn thong were found. you cannot imagine the incredible joy, the utmost respect merit seekers gave to those corpses.

 

it is just a different, and IMHO a very healthy, attitude towards death.

[Guest]

Hi,

 

There were other pics on another Thai website, which was closed down by Thai authorities, right away. That one showed 'before cooking'' dismemberment, but there was too much blood shown. ::

 

I talk with tirak every night, during which we have a 'Thai news' session. I get this stuff every day. Last week was kid cooking his brother in back-yard BBQ, while parents where out shopping. ::

 

I get the craziest stories from her. Decided to post this one, as don't usually get pics to back it up. They will post on late night TV in Thailand, but rarely makes it to the internet, is would seem. The Thai Authority are quick to remove most negative stories from Thai websites.

 

HT

[Guest]

Hi Fly,

 

So these were corpses they were cooking? And not unwilling participants (i.e. murdered victims, killed for this ritual)?

 

And do you know the reason behind the 'cooking'? Is broth used for something?

 

HT

[Guest]

corpses, either donated to the temple by followers after their death, or unclaimed dead. very common.

you can see skeletons, or mummies, or otherwise preserved corpses in many temples which were most of the times donated by their owners when still alive.

most notable is there the museum in the AIDS temple in lopburi, where you have numerous copses on exhibition, together with pictures when still alive and healthy. it conveyes a somewhat gruesome, but very powerful message.

 

deathcults in thailand are amazing, absolutely fascinating, mindblowing at times. there is a lot more to this place than it appears at first - just dig a little...

[Pescator]

Hi FlyW,

 

Thanks for your input.

 

When using the words a despicable act I was referring to the babies who I believe were murdered and subsequently boilt.

Either way I am sorry I don`t think there is anything remotely "very healthy, attitude towards death" about boiling babies` bodies regardless of the reasons for that.

And as far as I recall the reaction to this incident in the thai media was one of horror and disgust.

So was my missus` by the way.

 

You are referring to mumified corpses mumified by natural processes, right?

I am referring to the practise of deliberately boiling human bodies for religious/animist reasons.

 

 

gumarn thong

 

I am familiar with this spirit, recently read a post on the NG soc.culture.thai on that subject, I`ll try to dig it up.

 

I appreciate that some thai people have a very different and more laidback attitude towards death than do I.

But boiling babies and transforming the remains into a potion, well.... That does it for me. I have only one word for that: Despicable.

 

Cheers

Hua Nguu

[Guest]

the potion you mention is called "nam man pai", and is part of black magic here. this potion is taken from corpses by slowly bioling a candle under the chin, and capturing the evaporating liquid.

 

the bioling of complete corpses, or bodyparts, is a preparation for the funeral (or preservation). in the collective funeral given to unclaimed corpses (and almost all stillborn babies, or babies which dies just after birth, here go to those graveyards.

in those funerals only the bones are used. they are stored until the funeral collectively and then burned in a ceremony. the flesh is not used.

 

and as regards to disgust, i can only relay to you the feelings of the paticipants of those festivals, people from all walks of life here, from the laborer to the highpowered businessman - and they are feelings of joy and elation.

most thai people are very aware of those things, and often, if you know about it, display different sort of emotions and opinions. i guess you know that people here can under circumstances display two completely opposing opinions depending on the occasion and the conversation partner about the same thing without seeing any discrepancy in it.

 

for example when people get to know that i have been participating in those festivals, they generally show extreme curiosity mixed with fear, and a bit of wonderous admiration.

if i would be inclined so - i could pull LOTS of birds with the simple fact that i have been there.

[Pescator]

Hi FlyW,

 

Wow, you certainly know your stuff. ::

 

I was just reading the article about gumman thong and the Nam Man Prai:

 

 

Apparently it is On the ancient Thai belief, Phi Tai Tong Klom is also a good source for producing the opposite-sex attractive oil, NAM MAN PRAI (Nam Man = oil, Prai= female ghost). The master who wants to produce this oil needs to

activate the corpse rising from the grave, and then use the candle flame heating under the corpse's chin, the derivative dropping-down liquid is the best quality opposite-sex attractive oil

 

Full Article:

 

Archive SCT

 

I can`t help wondering why the particular incident I was referring to was all over the newspapers if everybody was "experiencing feelings of joy and elation."

Usually joy and elation don`t make frontpage news.

It was definitely a horror story, but I cannot recall the exact circumstances. Mayby I can dig something up.

 

However, it seems that I have to accept the fact that there are some obscure aspects of thai culture - read morbid death cult - that I don`t find very attractive to say the least.

 

if i would be inclined so - i could pull LOTS of birds with the simple fact that i have been there.

 

Wow, mayby I should catch up on my reading on this subject because I am sure as Hell not gonna go there

 

Cheers

Hua Nguu