Cure for Alcoholism, Deja Vu - All Over Again

Yogi Berra, a famous baseball player, former Yankees Manager as well as a former New York Mets Manager but not noted for his elocution, once said "This seems like deja vu - all over again"

So it was for Duang and I today. Although I wrote about a local "cure" for alcoholism at the end of last August, I am writing on the subject once again. This time I was better prepared to photograph and observe what was happening.

Duang's oldest brother was married in November to a local widow here in Isaan. Like Duang's youngest brother and so many other men in Isaan he has a drinking problem. Unlike her youngest brother he has not done anything about it until today.

Duang's youngest brother took the pilgrimage in late June to see the "No 1 Buddha" to get cured of his problem. I am pleased to report that to this day he is clean and sober. The village drunk of Tahsang Village took the cure earlier last year and he remains sober today as he has everyday since he made his pilgrimage south to take the cure. Duang's Uncle and one of her 92 cousins also have refrained from drinking since they visited the Monk. It may be a coincidence or not but I believe in miracles. Believing in miracles allows me to accept, at times, what can not be rationalized or fully explained. A single visit to a simple Monk curing alcoholism?

People in the United States spend 30 days at a time in special hospitals and centers attempting to cure their alcohol addiction at a cost of thousands of dollars - often to quickly relapse. The cost to the people who take the cure from the Monk is a donation in an envelope that they offer to the Wat. The individual decides how much to offer.

Not everything is the same. Today I drove to the Wat. Duang's son remained in school for the day. When she called the Monk yesterday to make an appointment, he indicated that today was the best day, Apparently several local people had died and he would be busy on Friday as well as over the weekend. I am now fairly comfortable driving so I agreed to drive down to the Wat - 100 miles south of Udonthani.

We picked up Duang's brother and his wife outside of Kumphawapi and headed south. I can not write where we went. It's not a secret. I just don't know. We used the back roads - paved two lane country roads, dirt roads through cane fields and rice paddies. There were many twists, turns, and a couple times we crossed a major road. We had to slow down four times for cattle or water buffaloes on or along the road. Every small village that we drove through had several dogs lying in the road - reluctant to get out of the way. I would not say that they were trying to play chicken with our truck because there were plenty of chickens around and they never came close to being hit. Unlike the other day when I drove back from Duang's daughter's home, there were no elephants walking along the country road.

The sugar cane harvest is still in process. The roads are filled with vehicles of all types, shapes and sizes hauling long lengths of sugar cane. You might wonder why I didn't write "trucks of all shapes and sizes". That would be appropriate for an American harvest. But this is Thailand!

There were conventional diesel trucks with single or double trailers stacked at least 15 high with stacked cane. There are no overpasses or flyovers in the country so height considerations are irrelevant except to avoid flipping over on tight curves.

Sharing the road with conventional trucks were "Tuk-Tuk" trucks heavy laden with cane. These open cabbed vehicles are powered by small yard tractor sized diesel engines that make a "Tuk Tuk" sound as they putt putt down the road. The cane is carefully stacked so that a roof is created over the top of the driver. The drivers all wear balaclavas and straw hats as they S-L-O-W-L-Y make their way along the road.

In addition to "trucks" carrying cut cane, there are motorbikes with side cars hauling sugar cane. They go even slower than the Tuk Tuk trucks.

Today we even saw one man going down the road with a bundle of sugar cane balanced on his shoulder as he steered his motorbike with one hand.

We went by one elderly lady along the road that had a push handcart. She was not "hauling" cane but she was picking up scraps of cane off the road that had fallen off of other "vehicles".

The smaller vehicles were headed to one of several weigh stations that we passed. At the weigh station the cane was offloaded from smaller vehicles and stored for loading by cranes or front end loaders on to the double trailers for shipment to refineries.

In addition to all the sugar cane moving around, the cassava harvest has started.

It was all very confusing. Three times we had to stop and ask for directions. Eventually we arrived at the correct Wat around 11:30 AM.

We entered the Wat, and waited our turn. I went to the corner and prepared my camera and flash. With our second visit to the Wat, I wanted to be able to take better photographs of a ritual that I am so impressed with.

Duang's brother went up to the Monk went it was his turn. The Monk recognized me from the previous visit (I guess that he doesn't get many foreigner visitors). He motioned me forward and invited me to take photographs of the process. I was thrilled.

Duang's brother paid his respects to the Monk, received some counselling, and had his name written by the Monk in a large ledger. The Monk then gave him a blessing and tied a cotton string around his wrist in sort of a Bai Saii ritual.

Together they walked behind the Monk's reception platform to the base of the large Buddha statue in the Wat. Duang's brother was carrying a saucer sized plate upon which he had his offering envelope, some flowers, three yellow candles, and leaves. He knelt before the statue, prayed with the Monk's hand on his head. After completing his prayers, he left his offering at the base of the statue. The Monk then walked over to a small blue plastic ice cooler and dipped a medium sized bowl into the container to fill the bowl with the pre-prepared liquid.

The Monk then stood over Duang's kneeling brother and placed his hand on her brother's head. The Monk said some chants as he assisted her brother to drink all of the watery liquid.

The Monk graciously allowed me to document this process for two other men. Upon completing the ritual for the second man, the Monk took his lunch break and we headed back on our 100 mile journey to Udonthani.

We only had to turn around three times to find our way back home! Like his younger brother in June, Duang's brother was sick as a dog several times on the way back. Amazingly as it may seem, he was sick starting at the same times, same places, and same ways as his brother. Fortunately we were aware and prepared so it was not a problem for US.

My very good friend in America, who is a pharmacist, discussed my last blog about the cure with me. It turns out that there are herbs and plants that can provide this type of reaction and aversion to alcohol. I know that aversion therapy is a focal point of treatment in the USA but the mystery or miracle to me remains how one 5 minute treatment seems to work so well here in Thailand with this Monk.

The Monk's name is Patco Pahdit Villhit Yapon. He apparently is a celebrity and appears on his own television program once a week. His Wat I believe is called Janwat Maha Salacom and is located in Baan Pon, Tambon Pon Tong Amphur Siangyun. I have his business card but it is written in Thai. Writing to him is probably more difficult than driving to him!

Again I am honored and feel privileged to be able to witness, photograph, and document an aspect of Thai life that is unique.

It is one of my goals in photography to share these aspects of world culture with others. My friend in America rightfully pointed out that the secret of photography is not simply the technical aspects but being there in the first place to take the shot and recognizing the shot.

I have been fortunate to be in so many places at the right times with such gracious people for my photographs.