Casting A Naga

We have been back from our one month trip to Connecticut for two weeks now and life is returning to normal for us.  "Normal" does not necessarily mean routine but rather means the type of life that we enjoy.  For Duang it means being able to practise her faith more completely and conveniently.  For me it means being able to take advantage of the many opportunities here to photograph the details of Isaan culture.

On Thursday, July 28th my 67th birthday, Duang went to the local market to buy some of her foods.  At the market, she learned of a special event that was happening later in the morning - the casting of a Naga statue at a nearby Wat.

Throughout Northeast Thailand and Lao People's Democratic Republic, concrete statues of Naga can be found at Wats often as handrails leading up to worship halls, as guardians at the gates to the grounds, or guardians at the entrance to worship halls and sometimes as part of a water or fountain feature of the Wat.  Nagas are associated with the underwater world which the nearby Mekong River is closely associated with.

Naga is a mythological deity that takes the form a a very great snake.  Nagas are found in the traditions and legends of Hinduism as well as in Buddhism.  I have written before about the amalgamation of Animist, Hindu and Buddhist beliefs and traditions here in Isaan.  The area was once Animist before Hindu and then Buddhist believers arrived.  Today in Isaan traditions and beliefs from all three remain a very strong part of not only the culture but of individual daily life.

A long time ago, during one of Buddha's many reincarnations, this time as a toad, the rain god (King of the Sky), Phaya Tan  (Taen) was angry with the people and animals. Buddha ( Phaya Khang Khok)'s, sermons were drawing people and creatures from earth and sky away from the King of the Sky.  He decided to punish them by withholding the necessary life giving and sustaining rains.  After seven years, seven months, and seven days of drought, the surviving people along with the animals got together and consulted with Buddha.  After much deliberations, they decided that Phaya Nak (Naga), the giant snake, would lead them in war against the rain god, Phaya Tan.  Phaya Tan defeated the giant snake and his troops.  After eventually overcoming Phaya Tan, Buddha rewarded  Phaya Nak (Naga) for his loyalty as well as service with the honor of being guardians.

There is also another Buddhist legend involving nagas or snakes.  Today, young men who are participating in the ritual of becoming a novice Monk, after renouncing their worldly goods, are considered to be a "naga".

When Buddha was walking around preaching and teaching his disciples, Naga The Serpent King (Phaya Nak) took on human form, asked to become a Monk, and followed Buddha around listening to the sermons.

One day the naga fell asleep and reverted back to his snake form. Buddha told him that he could not be a Monk because he was not of this world - only humans could be a Monk. The naga agreed to leave the Sanga (religious community of Monks) but requested a favor. He asked Buddha that all young men who are about to be ordained as Monks be called "nagas". Buddha agreed.

To prevent a recurrence of this incident, all young men as part of their ordination are asked if they are human. Phaya Nak, despite leaving the monkhood, continued his devotion to Buddha and is often depicted in art as the seven headed cobra shielding Buddha from the rain.

After checking out the sight, Duang returned home to see if I was interested.  Naturally I was enthused at such an opportunity.  I grabbed my camera gear and we set  off accompanied by our daughter-in-law and 22 month old grandson, Pope.

A short distance from our home along a route that included two dirt single lane paths, we ended up at the sight of the Wat.  This Wat is very rustic and primitive.  The Monk's quarters are very basic - bamboo, wood, and thatched huts.  The worship hall is a small building of similar construction.

The complex is a work in progress.  A large statue of Buddha in the "Calling The Earth to Witness" pose had been recently been set upon a newly poured concrete block to still be completely backfilled.  In this pose which defines the moment when Buddha became enlightened, Buddha is seated cross-legged with his left hand placed in his lap with the palm facing upwards, the right hand placed on his right knee with the fingers pointing down toward the Earth and the palm facing Buddha.

Upon arrival, we went to the building which serves as the worship hall.  Inside some women were busy making pahn sii kwan, decorative centerpieces used in special rituals.  Pahn are made from flowers, floral buds, and banana leaves and are a special handicraft of the ethnic Lao people of Thailand and Lao.

Pope Helping Out to Make A Pahn Sii Kwan

After a while we went outside to where the Naga was to be cast.  Sahts were placed upon the compacted moist ground for people to sit before a small shrine constructed for the day's ritual.

Monks Preparing Cement to Cast a Naga

I then became aware that I would have the honor of pouring the first three buckets of cement for the statue.  Was the honor because it was my birthday?  Apparently not - the Monk did not know that it was my birthday until the next day.  Was it because I was a foreigner, a falang?  Yes!  The land was once a horse farm frequented by foreigners and the husband of the landowner was a foreigner.  Giving me the honor was considered good Karma for the place apparently.

Pope Places Some Coins In The Naga Form

After I had poured three buckets of cement - symbolic of the three gems of Buddhism - one for Buddha, one for the teachings of Buddha, and the last one for the Sangha (Buddhist religious community), people and Monks took their turn pouring cement into the metal formwork for the Naga.  Pope did not participate in pouring cement but did place some coins into the wet cement.  When columns are set for Wat buildings and statues are cast coins are placed in the concrete for good luck.

Coins were not the only objects placed inside of the Naga.  After the lower portion of the Naga had been poured, the top sections of the formwork were attached.  Just before the formwork was closed up with the last panel, the Abbott placed a special object inside of the void to be filled with cement.  An intricate handcrafted Naga made from woven banana leaves and some type of organic fibers was unfurled and placed into the still wet cement of the lower base.  The Naga might not have a heart but it would have a spirit and perhaps a soul.

Setting the Last Formwork Panel

With the final panel installed, the pouring of  cement recommenced and was quickly completed.

With the last bucket of cement poured, we said good bye to everyone and left the Wat with the Abbott making final adjustments to the formwork for the Naga's tongue.

We returned to our home satisfied and pleased; Duang satisfied and pleased at participating in as well as pleased with the merit that she earned for this special event.  I was satisfied and pleased at having the opportunity to experience as well as documenting a unique cultural ritual.

Songkran 2016 (2559 BE) - Bone Washing

We are now past this year's Songkran Festival.  The festival is traditional Thai New Years marked by the passing of the sun into Aires.  In Thailand the astrological calculations are no longer used to determine the start of Songkran. The official Songkran Holiday here in Thailand is April 13 to 15. If any of the official days are a weekend, the day or days are added on to the end of the official period.


That is what is supposed to be but there is the way that things are.  Many places celebrate the holiday for 6 or 7 days no matter what.  Thasang Village, this year celebrated from April 12th to the 16th with Songpoo Day, which has always been before Songkran, being celebrated tomorrow - 21 April. Just to add to the confusion some places celebrate at slightly different times - such as Pattaya concluding their celebration 1, 2, or 3 days after Bangkok.


There is some method to what may appear to be madness either figuratively or literally.  Staggering the local celebration dates allows people, especially those from Isaan and work in the Bangkok or Phuket areas, to celebrate with friends that they work with and still be able to return to their homes to celebrate with family.  Besides it allows a great party to continue even longer.


Songkran is a time when people are expected to return to their villages to pay respect to their elders - living and deceased.  It is a time of family reunions, family parties, celebrations with friends, and religious merit making to go along with merriment in general.  Songkran here in Thailand is like the combining of Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, and the Super Bowl into one grand celebration in America.


The joy and festivities of Songkran often leads to tragedy.  Newspapers keep a tally of what is labelled Songkrans 7 "Dangerous Days".  Thailand's roads are the second most dangerous in the world and even more so during Songkran. 


Songkran also has a more somber and sober side.  It is during Songkran that Theravada Buddhist families will wash the bones of their ancestors.


During Songkran, Thai people demonstrate care, concern and respect for elders by pouring cool water and placing scented powder on elderly people.  Mid-April is the hottest time of the year and the end of the dry season here in Thailand.  Traditionally the people poured cool water on elderly people to help them deal with the heat.  The tradition is still practiced but the rowdy street parties and roving water wars along public thoroughfare's get the most attention nowadays.


Every Songkran people pour water over Buddha statues in homes and in Wats to clean, cool, as well as to show respect. The grounds of the temples are also cleaned up as well as residential property.  At many Wats there are festivals to raise funds for the maintenance of the temple and related property.  During the Songkran Festival families will remove the bones of ancestors to wash them and then return them to their resting places inside of the family Tat.

Everywhere where you drive about Isaan you will see places with colorful and sometimes gaudy concrete structures can be purchased.  Many of them are "Spirit Houses" but many are Tats.  Tats are elaborate structures on temple grounds in which bones are stored.

As family members die, they are cremated, and some of their bone fragments are retrieved by the Monks.  The Monks store the fragments and bury the remaining fragments and ashes on the Wat grounds.  After the family has constructed a Tat, the retained fragments are interned in a special ritual to place them in the Tat.

We arrived at Duang's Aunt's house on the morning of the 15th around 8:00 A.M..  The bone washing ritual was scheduled to be performed before the daily ritual of offering food to the Monks.  Bone washing rituals can be performed at other locations beside the Wat.  Duang's family, this year, opted to have the ritual in the home of the matriarch of the family.

Sahts were placed on the floor for the Monks, family members, and for the trays used in washing the bones.  Two containers of specially prepared water to be used in the ritual.  Duang's Aunt prepared the water by filling the containers with water and the adding flowers and scented powder to the water.

Serving Tray with Ghoats Containing Bone Fragments

A decorative porcelain or decorative metal urn, ghoat, containing the bone fragments was placed on an ordinary metal serving tray along with a metal drinking cup, as well as a bunch of sprigs from a daugkuhn shrub from the grounds of the Wat.  Another decorative metal serving tray was prepared with small portions of food offerings, two yellow birthday type wax candles, two sprigs of jasmine buds for the spirit of the ancestors. 

Washing Bones

The Brahman supervised and lead the family in the ritual.  Water was drawn out of the large container with the metal drinking cup.  The sprigs of daugkuhn shrub were then dipped into the metal cup and withdrawn to sprinkle the scented water over the bone fragments contained in the ghoat.

After the Monks had sprinkled the bones, the tray was placed in front of the immediate family.  Each family member repeated the water sprinkling.  When they had completed. other family members and others came up to the tray and sprinkled water.  The ritual was not limited to adults.  Children here in Isaan are taught manners and religion at a very young age.  These little girls were no exception. 

Our grandson, Pope 19 months old participated despite being ill.

Part of the ritual which was conducted by the Monks, involved chanting while candles dripped wax into a metal container of holy water and some metal coins placed at the bottom. The candles are traditional offerings and the dripping of the wax into water conveys the merit of the offering to the water which is a major vehicle in Theravada Buddhism for conveying merit between people of this world and the spirits of other worlds.  The coins are offerings to the spirits for use on their journeys.

Making Food Offerings to the Spirits

Food Offerings to Spirits Presented to Abbott

The focus of the ritual then became the offering of food to the spirits of the deceased family members.

As the ritual continued, a sii sein was unfurled to connect the food offerings, the Monks and the bone fragments together. The sii sein, a cotton string or sometimes several cotton strings are used in Buddhist as well as Animist rituals.  The strings are tied on the wrists of people in the Bai Sii Ritual, several strings are wrapped around the steering columns of motor vehicles for good luck, and in a funeral processions a thick sii sein connects the Monks who are leading the procession back to the coffin with family members and friends in between holding on to the sii sein as they walk.  At the Wat during the most part of the ritual, the coffin is connected by a sii sein from the crematorium across to the sala where  much of the ritual is being conducted.  As the Monks chanted, family members placed food offerings to the spirits of their deceased family members on a tray supported by a woven basket like structure.

After everyone, who wanted to, had sprinkled or poured water on the bone fragments, Duang's Aunt placed her hand over the open top of the ghoat and shook it several times to agitate the fragments and water.  She then allowed the water to slowly drain into the metal serving tray.  She then repeated the process.  After the second time she removed the bone fragments and held them in one hand while she drained the water from the ghoat into the tray. After inspecting each fragment and brushing off any sand like particles into the metal tray, she returned the fragments to the ghoat.  The top was placed on the ghoat.


The food offerings for the spirit are brought to the two senior Monks who pour water over the offering to symbolize the transfer of merit to the spirit from the family.

Offerings are then made to the Monks in the name of the departed person.  Special bundles had been prepared the day before the Monks.  Items such as tooth paste, tooth brush, hand soap, laundry detergent, toilet paper, and other toiletries had been placed in three of the bundles each contained in plastic shopping bags.  One bundle, the fourth one for the Abbott, was wrapped in a special plain white cotton cloth with sii sein binding at the top.  This bundle contained new items such as pants, eye-glasses, watch, belt, socks, shoes, wallet, underwear, and shirt for the spirits.


After the ritual, the Monk will give the offered personal items to local people who are in need.

Paper Strips With Names of the Deceased Ancestors Are Burned

After paper strips, each of which had a name of a deceased family member written on it, were burned, the Abbott of the "inside Wat" got up and with the assistance of a family male member sprinkled water from the bowl that contained the coins and wax drippings using a bundle of coarse reeds.  The act of sprinkling the water transfers merit to the assembled family members.


As the Abbott, whom I have nicknamed "Rocketman", start about the room sprinkling holy water on people, I grabbed my camera and moved to the far reaches of the room.  I have been there and had it done before!  Rocketman started smiling and the family started laughing ... there was no escape and I was in Rocketman's sights!  As he approached me, I placed my camera behind me as far as I could reach.  Rocketman gently sprinkled me without getting any water on the camera - thankfully.  As I lowered my head in a gesture of respect, he then tapped me on the top of my head three times with fully loaded brush strokes of water.  As well as soaking my hair with water much to everyone's amusement, the three taps were also significant in that they symbolize the three Gems of Buddhism - Buddha, the Teachings of Buddha, and the Sanga (Buddhist religious community).  No doubt that as a foreigner and a Christian, Rocketman must have believed that I needed additional merit for my journey to liberation.


My merit for the day was not over with the triple tap.  One of the other Monks that always gives me heads-ups for photographing rituals, stopped by me on his way out.  He grabbed one of the metal cups and had one of the male family members fill it with water from washing the bones.  He gestured to me that he wanted me to pour it over my head.  I aim to please, most of the time, so my head got doused once again.


It was a memorable day ... paying respect to the ancestors, being with family, and having some laughs.

A Monk's Cremation

Wan Tong Veeboonkul

Buddhists do not believe in a permanent and fixed reality.  To them everything in this world is subject to change as well as alteration.  Impermanence and change are truths in our existence according to Buddhism.

In Buddhism, impermanence is described in four phrases:

Whatever is stored up is bound to run out.

Whatever rises up is bound to fall down.

Whatever come together is bound to fall apart.

Whatever is born is impermanent and is bound to die.

Everyday, if we look or choose to be aware there are examples as well as affirmations of the four phrases regarding impermanence.  However, it is the death of someone that we know that strongly drives into our reality the truth of the fourth phrase  "Whatever is born is impermanent and is bound to die".

A week ago, one of Duang's cousins died.  Wan Tong Veeboonkul was 72 years old.  We last saw him at a funeral in Thasang Village on October 14th.

Wan Tong Veeboonkul - far right side of this photo

Wan Tong had been a Theravada Buddhist Monk for five years.  He had become a Monk after the death of his wife.  As is very common her in Thailand, many men after the death of their wife and their children leaving to start their own families, will "take refuge" in the Triple Gem (Three Jewels) of Buddhism - the Buddha, the Dharma (the teachings of Buddha), and the Sangha (the Buddhist religious community of Monks and Nuns).

Duang's cousin had four daughters and one son who lived near him in Ban Nong Daeng near Duang's home village in Nongwa Subdistrict.

He had not been feeling well for a while - Duang said that his insides were no good.  Last week he went out for a walk and had a heart attack.  Typically when someone dies of natural causes they are cremated three days after their death.  In cases of violent deaths such as accidents or suicides, the person is cremated sooner because the spirits are unsettled by the death - in those cases the body is cremated one or two days later.  However Duang's cousin was a Monk which is an entirely different protocol.

Monks are considered and treated as a higher class of people than typical people here in Thailand.  Their social status is due to Monks being closer to liberation ("Enlightenment") than average people or even wealthy people.

I have attended over 15 funerals in six years, however this was the first cremation ritual for a monk.  To paraphrase an expression that Duang often uses when I point out something in America or Thailand that Is different from each other - "Funeral for Buddha (Monk) not same for other people"

The first difference is that a Monk is not cremated until 7 days after his death.  Secondly whereas all the cremations that I have attended were around 1:00 PM, the cremation for Monks does not start until after sundown.  Our sunset now is around 5:30 PM so yesterday's ritual did not start until 7:00 P.M. The ritual for the Monk lasted two hours whereas typical cremations that I have attended lasted around one hour.

The ritual for laypeople starts at their home with a procession to the local Wat for the final aspects of the ritual.  The Monk was kept at the Wat where he lived.

Entrance to Wat Udom Nong Daeng

Oh - the biggest difference was Monks are cremated on a funeral pyre on the Wat's grounds and not in the Wat's crematory furnace.  When I arrived yesterday afternoon for the evenings ritual, the Monk was already positioned on top of the funeral pyre.

Funeral Pyre for Wan Tong Veeboonkul

A small ornate pavilion had been erected around the funeral pyre. The pavilion was constructed from four concrete piles placed in the ground to serve as support columns.  The concrete columns served as support elements for horizontal bamboo members that in turn served as attachment points for long thin bamboo members to form a dome above the funeral pyre.

The dome framework was covered with a fine white fabric that very well could have been mosquito netting. The base of the dome was circled by a ring of  homemade ornate consumable panels - thin Styrofoam boards covered with a solid colored foil with an overlay of a different colored foil cut by hand into intricate designs.  I have watched this type of decoration being produced before but on a much smaller scale for "spirit houses" (basahts) used in Tambon Nong Roy Wan parties (Bone Party).

Ornate thin colored cloth panels, reminiscent of delicate summer curtains from my youth in New England were suspended from the dome ring and gathered at their end near the ground to form triangles along the circumference of the funeral pyre.  There was a low wall type structure created from horizontal bamboo poles and fabric covered thin Styrofoam panels.  Two openings at opposite ends of the structure allowed access to the pyre.  Leaning up against the outside  four low walls were many funeral memorial placards readily available for all funerals.  The placards often contain clocks, fans, giant ornamental watches, and sometimes kitchen utensils along with artificial flowers, garlands and custom printed banners of best wishes for the deceased along with the name of the donor.

Underneath the dome, a refrigerated coffin was resting upon a bed of logs.  The bed of logs was comprised of two layers of 9" to 12" diameter hardwood logs perpendicular to each other.  Inside of the refrigerated coffin was the typical consumable coffin containing the corpse.

Outside of the entrance closest to the pavilions where people sat to view the ritual where tables with talisman called daughans that would be placed on top of the consumable coffin by mourners before coconut water is poured on the corpse by Monks, dignitaries and family members.  Men remove the daugchans from the lid of the consumable coffin and place them inside of the coffin before the pouring of the coconut water.

Mourners Carrying Monk Robes Offerings Three Times Clockwise Around Pyre

A very important aspect of the ritual is to earn merit for one-self as well as for the spirit of the deceased person.  Merit is typically earned at funerals by offering robes to the Monks by dignitaries and immediate family members. The people earn merit for themselves and the deceased person by carrying the robe up to the coffin and placing the robe on a ordinary metal serving platter on the coffin at the entrance to the furnace.  The Senior Monk accepts the first offering followed by Monks in descending seniority until all the robes are distributed.  Typically at funerals there are 2 to 5 offerings made.  For the ritual associated with the Monk's cremation, ordinary laypeople made a cash offering in a collection box at one of the tables off to the side of the pyre.  They then took a packaged robe and carefully carried it three times clockwise around the pyre.  It seemed to me that unlike a typical funeral there was no announcing of who gave what for cash offerings.  Unlike typical funerals, poor people who could not offer cash did not offer small bags of rice.  It appeared to me that you offered what you could at this ritual and you got to walk around with the robe.  After people completed their circumambulation of the pyre, the robes were returned to the white cloth covered folding table to be used by other mourners.

At most cremation rituals there are 6 to 14 Monks in attendance.  However for the ritual involving a Monk there was about 34 Monks participating.

At 7:00 PM the ritual commenced.  The start was initiated by the ringing of a bell - sounded like the ringing of a steam locomotive bell.

A senior education official did the "Master of Ceremony" duty - announcing and keeping things organized in accordance to the supervision of another one of Duang's cousins - an Abbott at another local Wat.  Both the education official and Duang's cousin are common participants at the local funerals.

The Start of the Ritual - School Official Shows Sign of Respect for the Deceased

A big difference in this ritual as opposed to a typical funeral was the offering of robes to the Monks.  Besides the sheer number of robes that were offered, there was a different way to offer them.  A dignitary or family member would be called, go up to the table of robes, take a robe on a gold colored pressed metal ornate raided bowl, and carry it to the area just inside of the pyre area.  Once the person had place the bowl with the robe on a table next to the coffin. a Monk would walk barefoot about 20 meters from their pavilion to accept the offering.  Each Monk said a chant before accepting the offering.

As part of the ritual. laymen removed the refrigerated coffin from the pyre and set it off to the side.

After the coconut water had been poured over the corpse and the daugchans placed inside of the consumable coffin, laymen punctured the bottom of the coffin to drain away the liquids in the coffin and to facilitate the cremation of the corpse.  They then placed additional long logs that had been stored off to the side of the funeral structure.  The logs were placed to form a large and dense teepee around the consumable coffin. The pyre was then doused with naphtha rather than the typical diesel fuel to start the fire.

As a Monk entered the funeral structure with a candle and started the pyre fire, fireworks were launched into the black sky.  Typically three are launched to scare away any malevolent spirits that might interfere with the release of the deceased person's spirit.  For the Monk's ritual there were several fireworks shot into the sky - it was difficult to count because each firework had several secondary explosions once it got up to elevation.  I was busy taking photos but I would estimate roughly 24 explosions and colorful bursts.

Like all funeral rituals, the symbolism of turning away from the materialism of this world, candies and foiled wrapped coins were tossed to the eagerly awaiting crowd - especially the children.

The cremation ritual last night took two hours to complete.  Typical funeral rituals take one hour once the coffin arrives at the local Wat.

Whatever is born is impermanent and is bound to die.

Feeding the Spirits - Wan Kao Saht 2558 (2015)



A Villager Makes Food Offering At the Base of A Tat for the Spirit of a Departed Relative

Sunday was a special day in Isaan.  September 27 2015, 2558 BE, was Wan Kao Saht.  It is the Mid-Autumn Festival or Moon Festival.  For Westerners it is the "Harvest Moon".

On this special merit making is performed in offering food to the Phii (ghosts).  People also earn merit through offering a special treat called "Kao Tawtek" to their local Monks.  Kao Tawtek is a mixture of freshly popped rice, caramel, peanuts, shredded coconut and millet.  It is made in backyards, front yards, and side yards throughout Isaan just prior to Wan Kao Saht - typically in huge woks over wood fires. It is also traditional for older people to give gifts of Kao Tawtek and money to children.

Like many things here in Thailand, Wan Kao Saht seems to be adapted and amalgamated from other cultures. The Chinese celebrate a Hungry Ghost Festival and "Ghost Day" around the same time.  In Vietnam, the second biggest holiday with an emphasis and focus on children is celebrated at this time of the year.

I drove out to Tahsang Village, my wife's home village, early this morning to be able to participate in the daily merit making ritual of offering food to the Monks.  Although I left early in the morning, I was not as early as Duang.  She left our home at 6:00 A.M. to prepare for the ritual at the Wat outside of the village.  I drove through the bright green rice paddies, "high as an elephant's eye" sugar cane fields, and muddy fields lying in fallow, before I arrived at the "Outside" Wat (Wat Pha That Nong Mat).

On Wan Kao Saht, in addition to earning personal merit, the participants earn merit for the spirits of their dead relatives.  In the Lao Loum culture, as well as other Southeast Asia cultures, the people have to take care of the spirits of their family as well as other ghosts.  Spirits need merit in death as well in life to assist them in their journey to enlightenment.  Merit is the basis for determining what form and status a person will be reincarnated as.

Typical Daily Ritual of Making Food Offerings to the Monks

The villagers, in addition to the normal offerings of food for the Monks, had brought baskets of special foods wrapped in banana leaves.  The baskets were carefully placed on the floor of the incomplete Viharn (several years under construction but it does have a tile floor now) next to a concrete column.  A sai sin (sacred cotton string) was placed across the tops of the baskets.  The sai sin ran up the column, across the Viharn and ran down a second column near where the Monks sat slightly above the villagers.  The sai sin terminated in a ball placed on a plate at the side of the Wat's senior Monk.  The sai sin connects this world to other worlds, the laypeople to the Monks and conveys the merit making to the deceased people.

Baskets of Food Offerings for the Phii (Spirits)

Many of the women were dressed in white uniforms like the attire that Duang wears just about every night when she conducts her ritual upstairs in our home where my roll top desk has been converted into a shrine.  The women, including Duang's mother, were participating in a women's retreat at the Wat.  They spent the remainder of the day and most of the night reading and studying the scriptures and receiving lectures from the Monks.

In Buddhist Rituals, You Can Smile and Even Talk If You Want To

The offering of food to the Monks was a typical daily ritual with one exception, while the Monks ate their one meal of the day, the women in the white costumes along with a couple of Brahmans chanted in Pali for most of the time.

At the end of the ritual, the villagers gathered up their baskets and went outside.  The villagers scattered throughout the Wat grounds selecting specific trees to stop at.  My mother-in-law and several other women selected a large bohdi tree (Ficus religiosa).  She squatted down next to the exposed roots of the sacred tree.  It is considered sacred because it is said that Buddha sat under bohdi trees while meditating.  Yai Puh, Grandmother Puh, laid out food for the spirits of deceased family members.  The food was placed upon banana leaves and consisted of peeled fruits, sticky rice, chili sauces, dried fish, and other typical Isaan foods.  Off to the side was a banana leaf with betel-nut chewing items.  After the foods were laid out, water was poured over them as the family members said things along the lines of "You come down now to eat.  Good for you.  I miss you.  You look after family.  Good luck for you.  You go back up to Buddha. 



The offerings to the spirits also included two lit yellow candles and two sprigs of "dogkhut" - I suspect Thai jasmine buds.  When offerings are made to the Buddha, three of each item are offered - one for Buddha, one for the teachings of Buddha (Dhamma), and one for the Buddhist religious community (Sanga).  For spirits the offerings are in pairs.



After the family spirits had been offered food and drink, the people hung filled thin banana leaf packets in the trees throughout the grounds.  The banana packets contained food offerings to the other spirits.

Placing Banana Leaf Packets of Food for Phii

Duang and some other women, made food offerings to the spirits of relatives whose bones are kept in highly decorated steeple or spire shaped structures called "Tats".  Tats are reliquaries for bone chips of departed ancestors.  More affluent villagers have a free standing tat and those less affluent will often have a niche inside of the block walls that surround Wats.

Food Offerings At A Family Tat

Duang Making Food Offering to Her Father's Spirit

After a while, perhaps ten minutes, one of the men rang the Wat large bell three times signifying that the spirits had completed eating.  The small banana leaf packets were quickly removed from the trees and returned to the family baskets.  The packets will later be placed in the sugar cane fields, rice paddies, and other lands to feed the spirits (ghosts)  that inhabit them.  In return for feeding the hungry ghosts, the people ask that the spirits watch over the land and its crops bringing success as well as good luck to the owners.

Offerings to the Ghosts

The villagers returned to the Viharn to have a community meal with the food leftover from the offerings to the Monks.  There is always too much food offered to the Monks and since they are allowed to take only what they can eat that morning for their one meal of the day there are always "leftovers". The food, that the Monks have not taken, is eaten by the laypeople in a community meal in the Viharn after the Monks have left.

We returned to our home for a relaxing afternoon.  In the late afternoon, Duang offered food and drink outside our home to the spirits of our land.  After dinner she put on her religious attire and performed her nightly ritual which lasts about one hour.

Life goes on here in Isaan measured in part by the seasons of the crops and the cycle of religious events.  Whether it is the seasons of the crops, the cycle of religious events, or personal life milestones, life here always is interesting and is often "enlightening".

Memorial Day - But Different

Ruesi In Front of New Chedi At Wat Pa Khao Suan Kwang

June 1st was a sort of Memorial Day here in Thailand as well as many other countries in which Theravada Buddhism is dominate.  The day was a special day not related to soldiers or the sacrifices of soldiers in wars for their country.  The day was a special day to pay homage to three milestones in the life of Lord Buddha.

There are three holy days for Theravada Buddhists.  Unlike Catholic "Holy Days of Obligation" when people are obligated to attend Mass and behave a certain way for the day, Buddhist Holy Days are special days, public holidays in some countries, where the people show their devotion and earn extra merit in their journey to enlightenment.

The three special days are denoted by the word "Bucha" which means "pay homage".  The days are Makha Bucha, Asaraha Bucha, and Visakha Bucha.

This year Visakha Bucha fell on 1 June.  The date varies each year in synch with the lunar cycle - it is the full moon of the Indian lunar month of Wisaka.  Indian? Yes, Buddhism started in India or rather what is called India today.  Buddha was a crown prince of the Kingdom of Sakyas.

"Visakha"?  "Wisaka"?  "Wisakha"? Further manifestations of the common Thai expression "Same Same but different."  One of the issues with living in Thailand is the many variations in spelling for Thai words that have been converted to the Latin alphabet.  In the case of these three words there is the added complication that the word was originally an Indian word.  No matter the case they all refer to the same day.

Crown Prince Siddharta Gautama, who became Lord Buddha, was born, became enlightened 35 years later and died at the age of 80 - all on the same day of the year.  All three anniversaries are celebrated on Visakha Bucha.

Devotees Attending Late Morning Ritual

Visakha Bucha is a full day of celebration and ritual.  People dress in white for the day which starts with the daily merit making of offering food to the Monks, parties and parades often take up the day and during the evening at many locations there are candlelight processions of devotees.

During the evening, the devotees carry a lighted candle, three smoldering Joss (incense) sticks, and a Lotus bud.  In homage to the three gems of Buddhism - Buddha, The Teachings of Buddha, and the Sanga (Buddhist religious community), the devotees will walk three times clockwise around the shrine of the location.

After the procession there are often religious lectures as during the day.

Wat Pa Khao Suan Kwang was having another special ritual for the day involving the new chedi on the grounds.  Construction of the chedi, also known as a stupa, has progressed well since our last visit.  Although not 100% completed, the structure has been painted gold and the scaffolding had been removed.  Later I walked onside at the grade level and discovered that the tile floor was almost completed.

Ruesi Lights Candles For Ritual

The Ruesi and Tapatakao who performed the consecration ritual previously were present to conduct the new ritual.  Several Monks, including the young Monk from Tahsang Village were seated on cushions placed upon a rough wood raised platform underneath a large awning located in a small shaded area off to the side of the chedi.

Some of the many Pahn (Pha Kwan) 

Once again there were several tables set up as an altar or shrine for the ritual.  However the altar or shrine was much larger and grander than during the consecration.  In particular there were more, larger, and much more intricate pha kwan (pahn).

Peelawat and Duang Making Offerings

Off to the side of the main shrine there was another shrine consisting of many Buddha statues - 8 of them, one for each day of the week, each with a unique posture associated with that day. 8?  Aren't there 7 days to the week?  True, however in Buddhism there are two Buddha postures associated with Wednesday - one for AM and another one for PM.  In front of each of the statues, all 8 of them, were symbolic Monk's bowls.  The bowls were smaller than actual Monk's bowls, highly polished rather the the dull finish of real bowls, and gold colored rather than the steel grey color of real Monk's bowls.  The small bowls are for offerings of coins from people to help support the maintenance of the temple.

From one of the women that we met during our last visit to the Wat, we learned that the purpose of the day's special ritual was to call down the angels and spirits to come down from the heavens to pprotect the people from bad luck, misfortune, and evil ... especially evil spirits.

I learned that there were 16 levels of "heaven" in Buddhism - 16 planes of heavenly beings outside of the "sense world".  There actually 31 planes of existence in Buddhism - 1 is the plane of humans.  There are four planes of deprivation - sort of like hell - if there was such a place in Buddhism.  The other planes are for concepts that I do not understand ... yet

No matter, the Ruesi with the assistance of the tapatakao performed a ritual in conjunction with all the offerings on the shrine or altar to beseech the angels and heavenly spirits to come down to help the people and to occupy the chedi.  Throughout the ritual, devotees raised their heads and shielded their eyes glazing up at the Sun.  During my last visit, I was told that when the spirits and angels come you can see changes in the light and manifestations of them across the Sun.  Again as I have written a few times before, I do not necessarily believe but I strive to accurately share what I am told or see - with no judgements.

Shrine with Offerings of Burning Joss Sticks, Food, Flowers, Pahn, and Fanta (Pineapple, Orange & Banana Flavor)

Many of the devotees used their cellphones and small digital cameras to photograph the Sun - more specifically the area of the sky near the Sun (directly photographing the Sun would damage their cameras as well as their eyes).  One person commented that with my camera (a full frame Nikon digital SLR) I should get some good photos of the spirits.  I was not so optimistic nor was it my intention to try.

Part way through the ritual, for some unknown reason, I entered the chedi.  I entered at the ground level - the first of three levels. No doubt the three level being in recognition of the Three Gems of Buddhism.  The first level had a ceramic tile floor not much different than you can find in a typical home.  There was no access to the floors above the ground floor.  However in the center of the room there was a hole in the ceiling.  The hole was directly aligned with another hole in the ceiling of the second level as well as the ceiling of the third level which through a small diameter tower ended up beneath the "eye of the Naga" which had been installed during the chedi consecration.

I thought that it might be interesting to take a photograph of the sky directly up and through the "eye of the Naga"  To ensure that I got the proper orientation as well as alignment, I laid down on the tile floor to take the shot.  It did not see all that special to me, so after three more shots I moved on to other things of interest.

After the ritual concluded, Duang spoke with the Ruesi about our up-coming trip to America.  He ended up giving her a blessing for a safe and happy trip.  We have a division of labor in regards to our travels.  I do the planning, and making the arrangements.  Duang tends to the spiritual aspects.  It works out well.

That evening at the Wat there was going to be an ordination of some Buddhist Nuns.  It sounded like a great opportunity and experience.  However it had already been a long day, another very hot day, and our grandson had school the next day so we decided to head home.

In the past week I have been busy editing and post processing photos from several days.  I eventually got around to doing most of the photos from Wisakha Bucha day.  I shared the results with Duang as I do with all my shoots.  She is always very complimentary and supportive.  However there was one photo that she was particularly excited about - the photo taken inside the chedi up through the "eye of the Naga"

Where I, from my perspective and experience, saw some reflection and refraction of sunlight through a glass ball, Duang saw manifestation of the arrival of angels and spirits from the levels of "heaven"

We all make our own reality based upon our individual perspectives and experiences.  Who is to say that anyone person's reality is more real or superior than another's?  

What I do know is that life in "Allen's World" is much more interesting knowing and sharing in other's "reality"  Just as there are many roads as well as paths to a destination, and many ways to accomplish a task or goal, there are many different beliefs.  These are all aspects that make life interesting.