(Joseph) After my nap I had time to think about the Buddhist experience here. I was overwhelmed by the idolatry and ritual that the Thai form of Buddhism has taken. This is in stark contrast to my studies of it through mindfulness training. I have been following the concept of Buddhism that felt that it was an inward experience of viewing the world without judging, and experiencing everything as just happenings - not good or bad. Here Buddhism is like on steroids with pomp and glitter to the extreme. The monks have 227 commandments they must follow. People buy offerings everywhere. There is holy water, hold scripts, lotteries, and trinkets for Buddha everywhere. Our guide here tells us that people do these rituals so that they will closer to god and that it is like a lottery and if you perform these things reincarnation will be much better. I have never even encountered the concept of reincarnation in my studies, and very little or no reference to God. Everywhere here the Buddha is an image of adornment and very sacred. My studies have Buddha resisting any such treatment. His enlightenment came from the realization that there is no self and we are all part of the whole. The elimination of the self or ego is the path to enlightenment and relief from suffering. I am finding it hard to reconcile what I have learned to what I see here.
And why are there so many Buddhist monks? Today it was explained to us by our excellent guide, Noi. She says that 95% of the Thai people are Buddhist and that becoming a monk has many benefits and is easy to do. This most important one is that it allows your parents to go to heaven. It also is a path to better education and greater statue in society. To become a monk you must be 20 years old and need to follow the path of the monks including adhering to the 227 commandments that include not touching women. You can only eat twice a day; once before sun up and then again before noon. A monk does not prepare his own food but it is provided by the general population. The monks wander the streets and people come out and give them food in plastic bags, They take it back to the temple or shrine and will pray for the needs or desire of the person who gave them food. The food is thought to nourish their ancestors in heaven. Monks are expected to meditate or pray for the rest of the day.
You don't need to be a monk long, some as short as two weeks, but that can really help in life and particularly one's ancestors and parents. Noi says that situations like when you are on a bad path, don't have a job, you have disgraced your family, done wrong things, the life of a monk is a big attraction. Or if you win the lottery and have been the recipient of good fortune, it is also a way to give thanks.
We see monks on the streets early in teh morning with their saffron robes. This form of buddhism seems to be heavily influenced by Hinduism. In many of the properties we see the spirit houses, small shrines adorned with Buddha statues and surrounded by adornments. Apparently Thais believe that vacent lots are possessed by spirits and that when you build on them, one should provide houses for the spirits. They are everywhere.
No comments:
Post a Comment