What Becomes of Cremains In Isaan

In a person's life there are many questions, some that will never be answered.  They say that there is no such thing as a stupid or even a silly question.  However, some questions have more importance and significance than others.

Fifty-one years ago, in 1965, Jimmy Ruffin, in his hit song "What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted?" wondered about what happened to people who experience a common condition for people of all ages, backgrounds, economic status, and cultures.  I don't know if he ever got an answer or if there is even an answer to what becomes of the broken hearted.  I do know that from the lyrics of the song, he had the proper attitude and an adequate coping mechanism - "I know I've got to find some piece of mind, I'll be searching everywhere, Just to find someone to care"

Here in Isaan, I have attended 18 funeral rituals.  Up until the last funeral ritual, September 10th, my personal experience ceased with the smoke rising from the cremation furnace with all attendees departing the Wat for the family home for some more drinking and eating. It has often crossed my mind as to "What happens to the cremains of the beloved departed?"

Bone Washing Ritual

My next involvement or experience with the departed or more specifically the remains of the departed, was at Songkran when the family would gather together to wash the bones of the dead.  During the bone washing ritual, small bone fragments that are stored in a small container called a ghoat are rinsed with water in a special ritual.

The amount of bones retained by the family is a small amount and does not contain ashes from the cremation of the body.  I knew that the cremation process had to produce more bone fragments than were stored in the ghoats and definitely a significant amount of ash.  I asked Duang about it and she had told me that the other bone fragments and ash were buried on the Wat grounds.

It was not until two weeks ago, that I got to experience as Paul Harvey used to say "the rest of the story"

With the exception of Monks, the bodies of people are typically cremated around 2 or 3 PM.  The next morning starting at 7:00AM the cremains are retrieved by the Monks often with involvement by family members.

Following Duang's advise, I got up at 3:30 AM and arrived at the Wat inside of Thasang Village around 5:00 AM - before the Monks had woken up.  I arrived so early that even the Wat dogs had not woken up yet!  It was pitch black outside so I had to very cautiously walk across the mud from my truck to the concrete landing of the stairs leading up to the bot (ordination hall).  After awhile the Wat dogs woke and sensed my presence.  They were not pleased at all and aggressively let me know as well as the nearby villagers.  Wat dogs do not have a reputation as  bad as their cousins - junkyard dogs but they can be intimidating.  I hurriedly opened the metal gate across the stairway, quickly shut the gate behind me and ascended the stairs to the bot.  From my safe perch on the porch of the bot, I looked down upon the gang of Wat dogs and gave them the evil eye as the sky lightened up in the east with the rising sun obscured by heavy threatening cloud cover.

Around 6:00 AM the Monks arose and upon reassuring the Wat dogs that all was alright in this world, peace and calm returned to the Wat.  I vacated my sanctuary in the bot and joined the Monks at ground level around the crematorium.  I learned that the ritual would commence at 7:00 AM.

Duang arrived with a car full of people - the Monk and her friends from the Wat near our home.  She was shortly joined by her son, daughter and their families as well as family members and friends.

The ritual started with the Abbot of the Wat opening the doors of the furnace and checking things out.  Everything was apparently in good order, so he instructed Duang's son to proceed.  Duang's son used a long metal handled hoe to push the ash and remains through the grating of the heavy metal cremation bed down through the furnace to a couple sheets of recycled corrugated metal at the base of the furnace.

With the help of his sister's boyfriend, Duang's son pulled the cremation carriage out from the interior of the furnace.  With stiff handcrafted brooms and under the supervision of the Abbbott, they brushed ash and dust from the carriage onto the floor of the furnace and then down the natural draft duct to the corrugated metal below.  Ash and dust wafted into the air forcing the young men to occasionally back off to catch their breadths and clear their throats.

Luang Tong Points Out Some Missed Ash

With the carriage and topside of the furnace acceptably clean, the young men and Monks descended the stairs of the furnace, walked around to the base at the backside of the furnace.

Duang's son pulled the sheets of corrugated metal covered with his father's remains from underneath the furnace through the natural draft opening at the back of the furnace.

Using some large freshly fashioned chopsticks cut from some nearby bamboo, the Monks sifted through the ash and still glowing embers of the funeral pyre to recover bone fragments.  Once the Monks had selected and set aside the largest fragments, family and friends took up positions around the corrugated metal to complete the search for bone fragments.

Family Recovering Bone Fragments From Cremains

The recovered bone fragments were placed off to the side on top of a recycled piece of the fine plastic mesh that is placed upon the ground to recover rice kernels during the threshing process.  There were not that many bone fragments and they were all rather small - under 5 to 6 inches long.  Readily identifiable fragments were vertebrae, ulna, radius, ribs, a very small skull patch and a ball joint from a knee, elbow, or ankle.  The collected bones and mesh were formed into a ball and dipped 5 times into a plastic bucket of water.  The five dips signify the moral code of five precepts that Buddhist laypeople take:

     Refrain from harming living things
     Refrain from taking what is not given
     Refrain from sexual misconduct
     Refrain from lying and gossip
     Refrain from taking intoxicating substances

After the bones had been washed they were carefully and reverently placed inside of an ordinary plain clay pot and covered with a white muslin cloth secured with a sacred string (sai sin) wrapped three times around the neck of the pot - three times being symbolic of the three gems of Buddhism - "Buddha", "the Teachings of Buddha", and the Buddhist Religious Community (Sanga).

The pot of bones were then taken and presented to the Monks who were seated in a single line on sahts placed upon the ground off to the side of the assembled family. The bones were presented by an uncle who besides having been a Monk earlier in his life also received additional special training making him a "tapakhao"  Started with the Abbott of the Wat, and then the visiting Monk, Luang Tong, each of the Monks poured water into the pot containing the bones. The act of pouring water in this case was not to cleanse the bones before them.  The act of pouring the water was the act of transference of merit to the departed spirit.

After the last Monk had poured water on the bones, a Brahman performed an offering ritual to the Monks.

The clay pot containing the bone fragments as well as water from the Monks was brought to the area where the family was seated on sahts placed on the ground.  The water was decanted from the clay pot into another container.  A woman selected specific fragments from the pot for placement in a ghoat next to the pot and eventual interment in a tat on the Wat grounds.



Selecting Fragments To Be Stored in the Ghoat

 At this point, the family placed many small yellow candles amongst the ashes and embers remaining on the recycled corrugated metal sheets.  The offering plate from the just concluded ritual with the Monks was also placed on the metal sheets.

Duang's son and some other male family members went off to the edge of the Wat grounds behind the furnace and dug a small hole in the area where deceased people's last possessions are burned as part of the cremation ritual.  The clay pot with bone fragments was placed into the hole followed by the ashes and embers from the metal sheets.  The contents of the offering plate were then placed into the hole followed by the pouring of drinking water from a plastic bottle.  The hole was then filled with dirt.  The ritual was over.

A mystery of the Universe had not been solved but for me, my question of what becomes of cremains here in Isaan had been answered.  As for Jimmy Ruffin's question of what becomes of the broken hearted ... I have been there and done that.  The answer is their life moves on, their life changes, and if they are fortunate, they do find someone who cares along with peace of mind.

A Boy's Day In Isaan

Peelawat Gets His Hair Removed

The passage of time here in rural Northeast Thailand is marked by the seasonal rhythm of the land - the wet Monsoon season which we are now in, the dry season, rice planting, rice harvesting, cassava planting, cassava harvesting, sugar cane planting along with sugar cane harvesting, peanut cultivation, and corn cultivation.  The passage of time is punctuated by the many religious events and celebrations.

A person's life here is a journey of personal milestones - starting with birth, commencing pre-school at 3 years of age, graduating from pre-school, commencing elementary school, becoming married, and so on.

Last Saturday, 10 September 2016, was a busy day of milestones - the cremation of Duang's ex-husband and the first time that Peelawat, out seven year old grandson became a Monk.

Duang had been married for 20 years to her first husband and had two children with him.  I met her after she had been divorced for 5 years.  I had met her ex-husband under rather odd circumstances - he had driven a car from Bangkok to Pattaya with Duang's children to bring Duang and I  to Bangkok and back to our home so that I could buy gold as part of our marriage ritual.  I did not know who he was until late in the afternoon when I got Duang off to the side and asked her who he was.  She replied "He father, my daughter and my son"  I was shocked.

He attended our wedding in the village and it turned out that one of Duang's best friends was his current wife. He told Duang that he could see that we loved each other and that he would not cause any problems for us.  He kept his word and I have been grateful.

I had seen him several times over the past 10 years with the last time being three years ago when I hired him to be our driver when we flew down to Bangkok for a vacation.  Over the time we had developed a respect for each other.

Two months ago, he was diagnosed with cancer of the liver and spine.  The end came fast for him but not without suffering.  He had been living in the Bangkok area away from his son and other relatives.  Duang's son decided to bring his father up here to Isaan for the cremation and interment of his bones.  Duang joined her son, daughter, and several family members driving down to Bangkok and then immediately back to Thasang Village for the cremation ritual.

The cremation ritual was conducted on Saturday.  It is traditional and expected here that upon the death of a close family member, some male relatives have their heads shorn and  their eyebrows shaved on the morning of the cremation.  After having their heads shorn, often shaved, the males go to the Wat where the cremation ritual will take place.  At the Wat, they are interviewed by the Abbot, don the saffron Monk robe, take some vows, and become Monks for the day.  After they have a meal of food offered by the family of the deceased person, the Monks of the Wat and the new Monks go to the home where the body lies inside of a refrigerated coffin.

I have attended many funerals here in Isaan, many more than I had attended in my previous 61 years in America.  I remember being sheltered as a child from attending funerals.  It was not until I was 17 or 18 years old that I attended a funeral.  Such is not the case here in Isaan.  At the earliest age and more importantly, throughout childhood, children attend and participate in funerals.

Children attend and participate in funerals as full members of the family or community.

I am often reminded of a wonderful quote from National Geographic contributor, Wade Davis, a renowned Canadian Anthropologist.  In his documentary series, "Light At the End of the World" concerning the Buddhist attitude towards death ... "The Buddhists spend all their lies getting ready for a moment that we spend most of our lives pretending does not exist, which is the moment of our death".

In Isaan, death is a milestone of life which is familiar to and accepted by all people from a very early age.  The conclusion of this life, which for many has been very difficult, presents the hope as well as the opportunity for a better as well as easier life in the future - another step towards eventual liberation - enlightenment.

With the death of his grandfather, Peelawat, our 7.5 year old grandson, would mark a major milestone of his young life - he would become a Monk for the cremation ritual.

Peelawat Takes A Seat

Around 9:30 AM the morning of his grandfather's cremation, Peelawat took a seat in front of his great-grandmother's house where he lives.  It was his turn to have his hair removed and then his eyebrows shaved.  His turn had been determined by age ... older male relatives went first in accordance with their age.

Peelawat sat very patiently an stoically as an uncle from the village removed his hair with some electric clippers.  The uncle was also assisted by Duang who took a turn with the shears,

In a short time, Peelawat's hair was all gone.  At most of the funerals that I have attended here in Isaan the head was also shaved but for this ritual the heads were not shaved.  However the eyebrows were shaved with Duang's oldest brother doing the job just off to the side of the hair removal station.

Just like the relatives before him, Peelawat sat down in another plastic chair for his uncle to shave off his eyebrows using a straight razor - one razor for all but a freshly purchased razor from the little market at the end of the street.

Peelawat Has His Eyebrows Removed

After the last young boy had his eyebrows removed, the Monks "to be" walked the short distance to the Wat inside of Thasang Village. In quiet orderly fashion, they climbed the stairs to enter the Bot (ubosoth - ordination hall).

Once inside the Bot, all the men and boys lined up and knelt in single file to pay their respects to the Abbot of the Wat - the Monk that I have nicknamed "Rocket Man".  He then interviewed them to ensure that they were humans - "of this world" and not Nagas.

Peelawat Reverently Holds His Robe

The men and boys were then presented with Monk robes by the Abbot.  The Monk robe was actually comprised of several individual articles of clothing - Angsa - a vest that hangs over the left shoulder leaving the right shoulder exposed.  Peelawat, after removing his shirt, put his on incorrectly but "Rocket Man" corrected him and then assisted Peelawat with getting dressed completely and properly.  The older men who had been Monks before tended to themselves.  Another male relative helped the two other young boys.  I was of no help to Peelawat so "Rocket Man"'s help was much needed and appreciated.

Peelawat Gets Help With Sabong

The second article of the Monk's robe was a sarong called Sabong.  It is a simple sarong ut very important because it is the article of clothing that is worn 24 hours a day.  After putting on the Sabong, Peelawat like all the others. modestly removed his pants from underneath the sarong.

The sabong is held in place by a wide and thick cotton belt called a Prakod.

The last article comprising the robe is the Jeeworn (Mantle Robe) the outer cloak like wrapping that you often see Monks adjusting.  When a Monk is at his temple, his Jeeworn covers his body except for the right shoulder.  When the Monk leaves his Wat, his Jeeworn must cover his entire body.  The Jeeworn has no straps, buttons, velcro, or zippers so it must be folded, wrapped and tucked to be worn properly.

Peelawat Awaits His Jeeworn

After everyone was dressed, they participated in a short ritual that made them Monks.  They then sat down to have a meal.  One of Duang's female cousins made offerings of food to the Monks - taking care now to not touch the boys as well as men since they were now Monks.

Monks Have Their Meal

I was surprised at how much Peelawat ate.  He was the last one to leave the bot!  He eats well when he is at our house but he often does not eat that much at home.  At home he is often preoccupied with playing futball (soccer) or riding bicycles with friends.  At the Wat there were no distractions - the Monks ate in silence.  There were no soccer balls, televisions, smart phones, or bicycles in sight.

After Peelawat had finished eating around 11:00 AM, I returned to the house where Duang and everyone were occupied. One hour and a half later, all the Monks arrived at the house.  There was a 20 minute ritual lead by the chanting Monks.  Upon completion of the 20 minute ritual, the coffin and deadman's personal possessions were removed from the house in placed in two pick-up trucks for the short drive back to the Wat.

Outside of the house, a funeral procession formed up.  The procession was lead by the oldest Monk of the Wat followed by the 6 family member Monks.  A sacred cord, sai siin, was carried by the Monks with the other end of the cord attached to the refrigerated coffin located on the back of a following pick-up truck.

Immediately behind the Monks, close family members walked in front of the truck bearing the coffin.  They also held on to the sai siin.  One of the family members, a brother, carried a basket filled with freshly puffed rice.  As the procession marched along the village street towards the Wat, He threw handfuls of the puffed rice along the route - offerings to the local spirits.

The second pick-up truck carrying the possessions and tributes to the deceased person followed behind the first truck.  Extended-family members, and friends marched alongside and behind the second truck.

The Monks, truck with the coffin and close family members circled around the crematory furnace 3 times counter-clockwise while the other members of the procession broke ranks and settled down in the sala or covered pavilion for the remainder of the ritual.

The refrigerated coffin was offloaded from the pickup truck and placed in front of the furnace structure.  It was opened and the consumable coffin containing the body was removed to be carried up the stairs for placement on steel sawhorses at the doors to the furnace.  The personal possessions were offloaded from the second truck and placed in a pile off to the side and behind the furnace structure to be burned.

There was an extended ritual conducted inside the sala which is located next to the crematorium.  The ritual involved making offerings to the Monks and offerings to the spirit of the deceased man.  For part of the offering, the sacred cord, sai sin was strung out and held by the Monks thereby connecting the Monks, Buddha statue of the Sala and the coffin at the door to the crematorium furnace.  Peelawat did his part and held on to the sai sin as if he had done the ritual many times before.

The ritual then focused at the coffin located at the doors to the furnace.  Offerings were placed on top of the coffin and then the senior Monks climbed the stairs one by one to accept the offerings as presented by senior members of the family or dignitaries at the funeral.

Bamboo and paper mementos, called daugmaichan, were placed upon a tray placed on top of the closed coffin by everyone.  Attendees walked up the steps of the Wat's crematorium to the coffin that was placed upon two metal sawhorses at the doors to the furnace.  They carried with them small paper and bamboo objects called "Daugmaichan", good luck tokens that they had taken from a large bowl placed on a table at the foot of the stairs, and placed them in metal trays on top of the coffin. They first "wai", slightly bowing the head as the hands in the praying position are raised to the forehead, and then placed their daugmaichan on the pile building up in the trays.  The wai is the Thai expression of respect that people use to greet each other or to say goodbye.  Some people will knock three times on the side of the coffin in a final farewell gesture.  Other people will call out in controlled voices words to the effect "Good luck to you, I will miss you, I hope to see you again soon."  The scene is always dignified and touching.Upon completion of the placing of the mementos, it was time for the body to have coconut water poured on it.

The Monks climbed the stairs to pour coconut water on the corpse.  The senior Monks were first in line to pour the coconut water followed by the family Monks for the day.  Peelawat had never performed this ritual before.  With guidance and encouragement from the Monks, Peelawat did just fine - not showing any fear or being shy,

After the funeral, Peelawat's time as a monk was over.  He returned to his home to resume his life as a 7 year old.  His aunt asked him if she could borrow some money from him.  He had received roughly $9 USD (280 baht) from offerings during the funeral ritual.  His aunt was teasing and joking with him about having some money.  Peelawat explained to her that he could not give her any money because he had given it all to his great-grandmother so that she could give it to him each day for school.  Peelawat "needs" 20 baht ($0.60 USD) each day to buy lunch and snacks at school.  His plan is to use his funds from being a Monk to buy some of his lunches and snacks.

It had been quite a busy day for Peelawat.  He had successfully achieved one of his life milestones - being a Monk for the funeral of his grandfather.  Peelawat is quickly evolving into a responsible young man - a young man that we are so proud of.

Magical Tattoo - Sak Yant In Thasang Village



Monk With Magical Tattoos - Wat Pha That Nong Mat

Being married to Duang, a devout Theravada Buddhist, gives me many opportunities to experience and document many unique cultural and religious events, rituals, and ceremonies.

Many of the unique opportunities are and have been associated with the "outside" Wat of Thasang Village - her home village.  Duang and her immediate family favor Wat Pha That Nong Mat which is just outside of her village nestled amongst the agricultural fields and wetlands as well as seasonal waters of Nong Mat.

The Abbott of Wat Pha That Nong Mat is a late twenty or early thirties year old friend of Duang's son.  Ajahn Ott, besides being a regular Monk, had studied under the famous Monk, Luang Pho Poen at Wat Bang Phra.  At Wat Bang Phra, Ajahn Ott learned the powers and skills of the magical tattoos - Sak Yant.  He now performs special rituals related to Sak Yant, Korb Siarn Khru, and the occult.

I knew that Ajahn Ott was able to tattoo people with magical tattoos.  He had told my wife that when he was going to tattoo someone, he would let me know so that I could observe and photograph the process.

The "magical tattoos" are actually "sak yant" - Yantra tattooing.  Sak yants have a long and mystical history dating back over 2,000 years ago.  Sak yant tattooing is an ancient tradition of Thailand, Cambodia, Lao People's Democratic Republic and parts of Myanmar (Burma).  Today the tradition is largely restricted to Thailand.

 

Yantra originated in India.  Yantra are symbols and geometric arrangements that are used in Eastern mysticism to focus on spiritual concepts and to balance the mind.  Wearing, creating, and concentrating on yantra was believed in Indian religions to provide spiritual benefits.  In India the yantras were typically created on cloth.

 

Thai Yant (Sak Yant) Flag Hung In Our Living Room

The use of Yantras printed on cloth is still popular today in Thailand.  Yantra flags are hung in homes and vehicles to bring good luck and fortune.  They are especially popular for posting in businesses to bring success.  We have two Yantra flags in our home - one in our living room and a second one hung above the entrance door to our bed room.  The cloths are blessed by the Monks of each specific Wat that distributes them. The cloths are believed by Theravada Buddhists to protect from evil spirits, provide good health and ensure safety for the residents of the home where they are displayed.

 

Some Yants are small - similar to soccer club pendants, and are hung from motor vehicle rear view mirrors to afford protection from accidents.  We do not have one but we do have a small plastic disk - a sort of medallion with yantric symbols on it.

 

Yantra Cloth Above the Door To Our Bedroom

 

However it was the Khmer culture that adapted the yantras into tattoos.  During the Khmer Empire period, the warriors were covered from head to toe with yantric tattoos incorporating ancient Sanskrit script.  It was believed that the power of the Yantric tattoos protected the warriors - arrows and knives were unable to penetrate their skin.  Ok - you might be wondering why if the warriors were invincible, why are we all not talking Khmer today.  Although the Sak Yant tattoos are very powerful, there are rules that the bearers must follow to maintain the powers and the tattoos have to be re-energized periodically.  Apparently the Khmer warriors did not follow the rules faithfully or kept their tattoos energized.

 

Ajahn Ott Creates a Sak Yant On A Monk As 2 Year Old, Pope, Obseves

Today, Yantra designs for tattoos contain Animist, Hindu and Buddhist symbols.  It is yet another example of the Thai people incorporating rather than getting rid of beliefs and practices of previous religious systems into their current system.

Sak Yants are created using the "mae sak", originally a bamboo needle, but today it is a long metal pointed rod.  A trained Monk or a lay Sak Yant master uses the slotted metal pointed rod to apply special ink beneath the skin to create the selected design. The rod more closely resembles a knitting needle than any needle that I assumed would be used to create a tattoo.  After he has finished tattooing the person, the Monk or the Ajahn recites a prayer and blows twice onto the new tattoo to energize it.

Today in Thailand, many Monks, military men, Policemen, and gangsters have Sak Yants on their skin.  Many tourists also get "magical tattoos" in more of a right of passage than a belief or commitment to the heritage of the tattoo.


Yesterday, Duang and I had gone out to Wat Phra That Nong Mat to participate in a special ritual - the casting of a Naga in front of the shrine for Ruesi on the Wat's grounds.  It turned out to be quite a busy day at the Wat - the daily ritual of offering food to the Monks, the ritual for casting the Naga statue, the actual casting of the statue out of concrete, a surprise ritual called "Kahn Ha Kahn Phet", village women making handicraft brooms out of palm fronds, and ... Ajahn Ott creating two Sak Yants on the back of one of the Wat's younger Monks.

Ajahn Ott Accepting Offering for Sak Yant Tattoo

Soon after setting up my gear inside the small Ruesi shrine, I was joined by the young Monk to be tattooed and Ajahn Ott.  The young Monk made the traditional offering prior to the start of the tattoo process.

After removing his cover, the young Monk presented his back to Ajahn Ott .  Ajahn Ott used a long metal rod much like a knitting needle to apply ink dots beneath the skin.  He worked diligently, patiently and quickly to add two Yant Gao Yord tattoos on each side of an existing Yant Gao Yord.

Yant Gao Yord is the  most sacred of Buddhist tattoos. The nine vertical lines of the tattoo represent the nine peaks of Mount Meru, the home of Brahma and other Deities. Nine Buddhas are represented by three ovals with each Buddha granting special powers or protection.  Beneath the spires are a series  of small boxes - magic squares.  Inside the squares are symbols for individual powers and protections that are provided.  Some of the powers and protections include good luck and fortune, improvement of your fate and destiny, protection from accidents and violence, protection from black magic, power and control over people, as well as invincibility.  Beneath the spired configuration is a kataa - magic spell.

Upon completing the tattoos, Ajahn Ott quietly recited a kata, magic spell, to energize the tattoos.

Reciting a Kataa to Energize the Tattoos

Upon completion of energizing the tattoos, the young Monk paid his respects and returned outside to the other Monks and laypeople working on the components for the Naga statue,

I look forward to more opportunities to witness and document the unique process of creating magical tattoos.

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.