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.

Life and Death - USA and Thailand



An Old Man Walking In Tahsang Village

In America the Federal budget disagreements continue with outrageous allegations being hurled by both sides making the possibility of compromise all that more remote.  It appears to me that the art of civil debate and social discourse has been lost to and in favor of the cheap alternatives of character assassination and the instant gratification of labeling your opponent.

Besides the strategy of "winning" an argument by out shouting those who disagree with you, the standard procedure seems to be sticking a nefarious label on those who disagree with you; with the objective being to completely discredit your opponent and diminish any of the facts that they contribute to the discussion.

Egged on by the media, the participants in our government do not seek and identify those areas where they agree or can compromise.  Rather they seek to focus on the areas where they disagree with each other and how they occupy a much higher moral ground than their opponents.  Establishing class or a racial basis to defend your position and to attack your opponent's positon seems to earn bonus points in the tawdry game being played out across this land.

A big component of US public spending is related to health care.  Medicare and the implementation of Obamacare have significant impact upon the quality of services to patients as well as the costs to taxpayers.  There has been some and undoubtedly there will be much more argument regarding the scope and costs related to these programs.

One of the great promises of the Internet, especially sites like Facebook, is the ability and opportunity for people of varying backgrounds and experiences to exchange information.  Through Facebook I am well aware that having left the USA to work and live in other countries I have developed very different views than most of the people that I grew up with.  That is OK and does not mean that they are "bad" or that I am "bad".  We just disagree - there is nothing wrong with that.  It is just a natural phenomenon of people reacting, experiencing unique lives and adapting to different environments.  Ideally we would all benefit from sharing and considering the diverse perspectives.

I am fortunate that I have friends on the Internet that I can disagree with.  The important thing is that we can communicate why we disagree and in the ensuing discussion provide information with which we can each reconsider our individual positions.  Most importantly, so far, we have been able to still respect each other. 

Recently on Facebook there was a posting of an article from the AARP which called on people to contact their representatives to vote "No" on Rep Paul Ryan's budget which according to them would "effectively end Medicare as we know it and put the health of millions of older Americans at risk."

Someone responded to the posting by stating "Along with Medicare cuts, Medicaid benefits will be denied long term nursing home care for seniors.  Middle class families as well as low income families rely on Medicaid to help them afford nursing home care for their parents ..."

I felt compelled to respond and posed the following question.  "Whatever happened to taking care of your family rather than putting them in homes?  It works in Thailand.  It used to work here."

A friend of mine pointed out the following life expectancies for Thai and American people - Thai Male - 71.4 years versus US Male - 76.08 years; Thai female - 76.08 years versus 81.5 years for US female.  My friend also made the comment that this is what happened with taking care of your family, they die earlier.

Personally I was surprised at how little difference there is in the life expectancies between Thailand and the USA.  Those of you who follow this blog may have read several entries that I have written on health care in Thailand.  In Thailand you can have world class health care if you know where to go and you are able to pay for it.  In general the sophistication of health care for the average Thai is not comparable to that available to the average American.  Facetiously I also remarked that I did not know the extent that Thai driving practices had on the lower life expectancies in Thailand.

I have written about seeing a local doctor and paying $13 for the office visit and medication that was dispensed.  Thirteen US dollars for a doctor visit and prescriptions is extremely cheap for most Americans however it is a burden for the vast majority of people in Isaan.  The ousted former Prime Minister of Thailand, Sinirat Thaksin, instituted a national health care program in Thailand for poor people.  Poor people register and receive a card from the government.  The card allows the person to pay a fee of 30 baht ($1.20 USD) for medicine.  However the program is limited only to payments for medicine and does not cover procedures, doctors, or hospitalization.  This program is one of the reasons that he remains popular with the poor people of Northeast Thailand; but that is a whole different story that I am not writing about today nor do I choose to write about.  Just as I do not appreciate foreigners telling me what we should do in our country, I will not be a foreigner telling people what they should do in their country - it just makes life easier and more pleasant for everyone.

I have been told and I have heard people tell my parents that they are very lucky to have a son like me and a daughter-in-law like Duang who will travel 8,000 miles to care for them.  It is very nice to receive such compliments but for Duang like all other children in Thailand these are very strange statements.  In Thailand children are expected and accept the responsibility to care for their older relatives in their advanced years.  Typically it is the youngest daughter who bears the responsibility but extenuating circumstances can change that.  Some grandchildren or even nieces or nephews will care for an elderly relative.  It is ingrained in the Lao Loum culture to care for the elderly.  It is the way that America cared for its elderly in the past.  It was a duty and a responsibility of the younger generations - a social compact that for many today no longer exists.

My parents often apologize for "messing up" my and Duang's life.  I tell them and I really mean it that we prefer to not be here but it is our duty as well as responsibility to take care of them.  They need us and we are capable of helping them.  We are able to ensure that they can remain in their home where they are most comfortable.  Putting them in a nursing home at this time would not improve the quality of their life in any way. As to "messing up our life" - this is our life.  Living back in the USA and taking care of my parents is not necessarily the life that we planned but it is the life that we have.  It is the life that we have to deal with as best we can.  It is a life that we still enjoy.

In the exchange over Facebook, another friend wrote "In Thailand I suspect there's a basic respect for the elderly, rather than a basic fear of being elderly that seems to permeate the stay-young-forever society we have." I very much agree with that statement.  In addition to the fear of being elderly, I believe that in America, the elderly are considered somewhat of an embarrassment and I suspect that for some people they are too painful reminders of the fate that awaits all of us.  In our materialistic society there is not much value in being old. Other than medical care we are not great consumers of goods and services.  We also do not pay a high amount of income taxes or contribute to payroll deductions such as Unemployment Insurance, Social Security Hospitalization Insurance, or Social Security Old Age programs.  To the contary we are consumers of the government entitlement programs.

In Isaan caring for elderly has religious conotations.  A person earns merit in the Buddhist religion by caring for those who can not care for themselves.  Earning merit in this lifetime assists a person to return in a higher status in their next life.

No matter the case of how we consider the old, the fact remains that:

Funeral Rites In Isaan

We will all die some day of something.

The only speculation exists is how we will die and when we will die.

When I contemplate life and death issues, be it in Isaan or the USA, 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" regarding the Buddhist attitude towards death ... "The Buddhists spend all their lives 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 opportunity for a better and easier life in the future - another step towards eventual enlightenment.

As I witness the pain and suffering of people in the USA as they artificially struggle to delay the inevitable, I have pause to contemplate the best way to live and die.

In Isaan, death comes quicker and sooner due to a lack of money and facilities. Yes the expectancies show that; roughly five years sooner than in the USA.

However as I shared with my Facebook friends, in Thailand it is not about how long that you live; it is about how you live which really matters.

At what point should we allow ourselves or others to let go and conclude the suffering?

If a person wants to spend their money in a futile attempt to attain immortality, it is none of my business.  However if public funds, my tax dollars, are going to be spent in this quixotic quest to avoid death then I am involved by default.

There were allegations last year regarding Obamacare establishing "Death Panels".  I do not want a panel of bureaucrats determining what procedures and medicines that I will receive.  I want the freedom to determine what the extent of my healthcare will be even if it means that I may not receive certain procedures because I can not afford them.  However the practical determination of how public funds are to be spent is entirely justified and in my opinion - expected and a duty.

However if public funds are to be used to finance anyone's health care, I think that it is entirely reasonable to have limits upon procedures and medications dependent upon one's circumstances.  What may be deemed appropriate to save the life of a 35 year old person may not be calculated to be appropriate for a 90 year old person. To me it does not make financial sense to pay $93,000 for a new drug treatment regimen for prostate cancer that extends the life expectancy of a man by 4 months versus chemotherapy which extends it by 2 months.


Is it the best use of Medicare or other public funds to pay for colonoscopy examinations of 87 year old people? 

Discussing who should receive what treatments is repulsive, distasteful and best left to the people directly involved - the patient and the physician.  However when the treatments are paid for by public funds, that discussion needs to take place in a more public forum and especially from the perspective of what is best for the overall collective good.  It is dirty and nasty to boil a person's future down to actuary tables and calculated value, but this is what we invite when we subbrogate our freedom of health choices to the government.

People die 5 years younger in Thailand than in the USA but at what cost do Americans live those five extra years.  More importantly, what is the quality of those five extra years that Americans live?

We are all going to die of something some day; there is no denying or escaping this fate.

I would rather die earlier and be happy at the time of my death than to live longer and either be miserable or suffer for the additional years. 

How you choose to live out your final years is up to you ... until, in my opinion,  your choices are paid for with public funds.  At that time your choices no longer become strictly yours.

As I was taught - You can have anything that you want as long as YOU can pay for it.  When you expect others to pay your bills, you give up a great deal of your freedom.

A true indication of how mature and sophisticated a society we are will be demonstrated in how the issues of personal freedoms, personal responsibilities, social responsibities, ethics, morality, accountability and common sense are resolved in regards to health care in America.



Two Souls Departing In Isaan



Two Funerals and An Excorcism

One Body Being Cremated In Furnace, Another Body Being Cremated On Open Pyre

Now that the Christmas and New Years holidays are over, it is time to try to get caught up on my blog entries.  I also have a backlog of photographs to review, edit, and post.  There is no doubt in my mind that January will be another busy month.

December 22nd was a very busy day for us.  We were going to the village next to Tahsang Village, Nongdaeng Village, to attend the funeral for one of Duang's cousins.  He was 47 years old and was one of the five people in the village who had died during the past week.  The village has about 200 people.  Needless to say the villagers were rather perplexed.  Duang's Aunt told her that Phii (spirits) were responsible for the deaths.  There are many Phii in this world, or rather in the Animist world that is still a large part of the Isaan experience, some of the Phii are good and some Phii are bad.  Apparently the worst Phii are "Phii Ling" (Monkey Spirits).  Monkey Spirits make people sick and cause them to die.  The Monkey Spirits have a desire for blood and will enter the body through the throat to get at the blood.

Villagers Starting to Arrive at Wat for Exorcism

The people of Nondaeng Village were not going to put up with the infestation of Monkey Spirits that were causing such havoc in their village.  On the Wednesday morning, 22 December, they planned to hunt down and capture the Phii Ling for a second day so that they could properly destroy them.  In addition to attending the funeral, we were invited to attend the ritual, which I will refer to as an exorcism, to witness as well as document the event.  Family members around the villages are very familiar with me and my desire to photograph and learn about their life.  Whenever they are having an event or going to be doing some type of different work, they call Duang to let us know.

Besides being polite in inviting us to the exorcism I suspect that there was also an ulterior motive in getting me to attend the ritual.  The night before the ritual, Duang told me to be sure to wear my Buddhist amulets as protection during our visit to Nongdaeng Village.  She then assured me that her small amulet that she wears everyday was powerful enough to protect her.  As we were preparing to leave our home the morning, she double checked to ensure that I was packing - protection.  Although Phii are afraid of falang (foreigners) Duang wanted to be double sure that I would not have any problems.

A Relative Makes An Offering In Front of the Coffin Inside the Home

Upon arrival at Nongdaeng Village we went to Duang's cousin's home.  Like all the other funerals that we have attended here in Isaan, the body remains in the home for the three day ritual prior to cremation.  The body is placed inside of a disposal coffin which is stored inside of a rented portable refrigerated coffin.  Just as in Western Christian funerals, flowers and a photograph of the deceased person are displayed around the coffin.  In front of the coffin candles and Joss sticks are burned as offerings.

As guests arrive for the final funeral ritual, they present offerings at the entrance to the home.  Money is given to the family and is used to support the family as well as to be used as offerings to the Monks.  The name of each donor and the amount of money that they donate is recorded in a paper tablet.  The information is shared with the Monk after the body has been cremated in order that the donors receive their proper merit.   The family determines how much of the money is offered to the Monks.  Typically it is around 50%.  Since the amount of money offered to the Monks or used to buy offerings such as robes, candles, towels, and Monk Gift Packs determines how much merit is earned for the deceased as well as for the family there are pressures to not be stingy in the amount allocated for the Monks.  We knew that the family was poor we also donated two cases of soft drinks and two cases of drinking water for the funeral ritual.  Some people are too poor to make offerings of money so they make an offering of rice from their larder.  The individual offerings of rice, some as little as 1 kilogram, are combined into a large 55 kilogram sack or sacks.  Just as with monetary donations, the family will keep some of the rice and offer the remainder to the Monks at the local Wat.  The Monks sell the rice for below market price to poor people or give the rice to the poor people who are unable to pay for rice.  There is no state welfare here in Isaan.  The needs of individuals are met by either the family, neighbors, or the Sanga (Buddhist Clergy).

Lan Sai (Grandson) Peelawat, 22 months old and Yai (Grandmother) Duang During Funeral Ritual - She is Praying, He is Eating Dragon Fruit

The family feeds guests and supplies them with soft drinks as well as drinking water.  The female members of the family and neighbors set up an outdoor kitchen to prepare the funeral food.  Young women and older girls typically serve the guests upon their arrival.  At the appointed time, the Monks who have been seated inside the home up against an exterior wall will participate in a formal ritual.  The ritual is actually initiated and lead by a Shaman.  The Shaman will commence the chanting and supervise the connection of the coffin to the assembled Monks with a cotton string similar to butcher's string.  The connection of the deceased through the string to the Monks is an important aspect of the funeral ritual as well as other rituals such as weddings, and Baii Sii ceremonies.  This is an Animist concept that has been absorbed into the Buddhist rituals.

Yong Boys Have Their Head and Eyebrows Shaved to Participate in Relative's Funeral

Another unique aspect of the Lao Loum funeral rituals here in Isaan is the incorporation of children of all ages.  Sons, Nephews, and Grandsons will have their head and eyebrows shaved prior to wearing Monks robes for the funeral ritual.  For the three day period of the funeral ritual the boys will be Monks and participate in the rituals.  The youngest boys that I have seen as Monks during a funeral were around 7 or 8 years old.  Younger children, both boys and girls are brought to funerals with no efforts made to shield them from any aspects of the ritual including the final viewing of the body before cremation.  Just as in the case of births, weddings, and ordinations, children are witness to another milestone in Lao Loum life - death.  Here in Isaan death is a life event that is not hidden out of sight.  There are no morticians or mortuaries.  All preparations and ritual are conducted by family, friends, and neighbors with the assistance of the Buddhist clergy.  The rituals are conducted with a great deal of dignity and respect.

Duang sent me off to the Wat while the ritual was being performed at the home.  I went to the Wat and found about 1/2 of the villagers arriving with bamboo switches in their hand.  They gathered around the Wat grounds until a young Monk lead them out into the village.  The scene sort of reminded me of the original film version of Frankenstein when the villagers set off to find him carrying torches and pitchforks.  Since it was a bright and sunny December Isaan morning there was no need for torches.  The villagers were carrying their long bamboo sticks to scare up the Phii Ling.

The people were very pleased to have me join them perhaps as additional protection since Phii do not like foreigners.  Many times over here in Isaan as well as other areas of Southeast Asia I find myself in situations or experience things that I do not fully understand or quite often do not necessarily believe in myself.  However I do not view it as my responsibility to judge or to validate what I either witness or what I am told.  I believe that my obligation and responsibility is to report accurately what I have seen, experienced, and have been told.  I leave it to the individual reader to form their own opinions and to make their own judgements if they are so inclined.  Having reiterated this position that I have set out in previous blogs, I will now write about the exorcism.

Nongdaeng Village Monk

The villagers gathered around the Monk and set about the narrow paved village streets in search of the Monkey Spirits.  The Monk carried a very old wood carved sword that he often used to point out things and show the direction for the crowd to go.  The crowd was in a peculiar mood that I would best describe as bordering on a somewhat nervously cautious enthusiasm.  The ritual was definitely a social bonding event.  I could see that people were happy to be out and about with their family and neighbors.  Although the villagers were in good spirits they also seemed a little nervous which made their perceived enthusiasm to more bravado than confidence.  It appeared to me that the people really believed that their problem and misfortune was caused by evil spirits and that in dealing with the supernatural they were tempting fate.

An Evil Spirit Is Trapped Against the Floor

One of the young men attending to the Monk carried a large woven bamboo basket.  The basket was filled with a coarse red gravel type material along with a good sized wood phallus.  Some of the villagers as well as the Monk would grab handfuls of the gravel material and throw it up on the roofs of houses and rice storage structures.  The gravel would strike the corrugated metal roofs with a sharp clap followed by the tinkling sound of several small stones rolling down and eventually off of the hot tin roof.  I did not see any cats on the hot tin roofs but there were apparently plenty of monkey spirits on the hot tin roofs.  I did not see any of the evil spirits but the villagers did.  When they did spot an evil spirit, they would give out a whoop and a holler.  Two young men would rush to the location.  Each rather large young man carried a short and stout bamboo stick that was connected to the other stick with several strands of thick cotton string.  Working together, the two young men would pin the evil spirit to the ground or floor awaiting other members of the team to take the next step.  As quickly as a spirit was pinned down, other men arrived with a piece of square cotton cloth that had writing on it, an elastic band, and half of an empty plastic soft drink bottle.  The cotton cloth which Duang told me said something like "Monkey Spirits Go Away" was used to move the pinned spirit into the plastic container and then in conjunction with the elastic band contain the spirit in the bottle.  The bottle was then placed in a very large plastic bag containing all the other captured evil spirits.

While the men were dealing with the captured spirit, the remainder of the villagers were busy searching for other spirits and rousting them out of their hiding places.  The people used the bamboo sticks to beat on trees, roofs of houses, walls and roofs of rice storage sheds, tree trunks, and any other possible hiding places.  Pieces of wood, plastic, or metal were uplifted to seek evil spirits.  In about 30 minutes many of the bamboo sticks had flayed ends from the exertions of the villagers to roust the spirits.


A Captured Evil Spirit is Placed Into a Container

Lead by the Monk, we entered several homes.  The downstairs and the upstairs were checked for Monkey Spirits.  Cupboards and clothes cabinets were opened and struck with bamboo sticks to force the spirits into the open.  Blankets and bedding were overturned in the search for hiding spirits. Escaping spirits were quickly captured and contained all under the watchful eye of the Monk.  I accompanied the capture crew but did not see any of the spirits.  After awhile Duang joined us in the quest for the Monkey Spirits.  She was impressed with how many evil spirits had been captured.  She said that she thought that there could be one thousand Phii in the village.

Another Phii Has Been Captured

Since I had not seen any Phii even though I had close up photographs of their capture, I asked Duang if she had seen any Phii.  She replied that she had seen some of them.  I asked her once again a little while later and she confirmed that she had seen them.  I had reached the limit of my comfort level in regards to the subject.  I had confirmed that she had seen them and to me any further questioning would not be polite.  I guess seeing the Monkey Spirits is akin to seeing the face of Jesus in a grilled cheese sandwich or in the bark of a tree - you have to be a true believer to begin with and have the faith.  Perhaps my inability to see the Phii lay in their fear of falang.  Perhaps out of fear of me they would not reveal themselves to me or my camera.  Although this mystery will most likely never be solved or answered it does not qualify as a mystery of the universe.  It is just one of those mysteries of Isaan that I can only report and never solve.  It is an aspect of living here in Isaan that makes life so interesting.

Besides the attendant with the basket of gravel, there was another man with a basket of eggs.  Occasionally the Monk or one of the villagers would take an egg and smash it on the road or against a building.  According to Duang, Phii do not like eggs which is something that I can relate to.  However the Phii are also attracted to the smashed eggs.  Apparently the smashed eggs are like blood to the Phii.  The Monk and villagers used the eggs to lure some of the Phii out of hiding so that they could be captured.

The villagers, Duang and I spent almost two hours scouring the village for evil spirits; literally and figuratively leaving no stone unturned in our quest to rid the village of the Monkey Spirits.  I got into the "spirit" of the occasion by removing the cover of a well to help look for the spirits.  I figured that if I were an evil spirit I would hide in a well.  Perhaps I had seen too many movies where people hid in wells from the Japanese, Nazis, and Apaches.  Perhaps I would not make a very good evil spirit; we did not find any Monkey Spirits in the well that day although the villagers appreciated my idea and effort to assist them.

The crowd ended up at a home at the edge of the village (isn't it ironic that the evil house is always at the edge of town and never in the center of town?).  The hunters went into the home but for some inexplicable reason I did not accompany them inside.  I should have.  From outside we could hear a big fight break out from inside the home.  There was the ubiquitous crack of bamboo striking the structural columns and beams of the home followed by the frantic thuds of heavy barefoot steps of the hunters either chasing or fleeing something.  There was the sounds of a big struggle accompanied by beastly sounds.  There were unearthly growls and grunts.  After a while the spirit hunters exited the house in triumph.  They had captured the big Monkey Spirit, Monkey Spirit Number One - the leader of the Evil Spirits.  With the capture of the Monkey Spirit Leader, our work that day was done.  The villagers invited me back to the village for the next morning when the last bit of work would be completed - taking all the plastic bottles containing the Monkey Spirits to the Wat and incinerating them in a big fire.

I hoped to attend the last part of the ritual but our priority for the next morning was to visit the Amphur (County) Office in Kumphawapi to obtain some final documents needed for Duang's Immigration Interview at the American Consulate in Bangkok on 27 December.  As it turned out we missed the burning of the spirits.  We got a call from a relative in the village asking where we were and Duang explained.  By the time we got out to the village, the deed was done.

The village exorcism was a unique experience for me and needless to say it was the first time that I had witnessed such a ritual.  I found the ritual and experience to be extremely interesting.  Although I try not to make judgements in such matters I do feel free to make observations.

Nongdaeng Village was a community under going some stress with the deaths of five inhabitants within a week.  Village life in Isaan is not a detached or impersonal activity.  Most of your neighbors in an Isaan village are your relatives.  If your neighbors are not your relatives, they are people that you see and speak with everyday.  There is a very strong sense of community in an Isaan village with neighbors working side by side in the local fields, worshipping at the same local Wat, celebrating life events together, raising the village children, and often sharing food together.  Much of a villager's time is spent outdoors where they interact with each other.  A death in the village affects everyone and is not a detached event removed from your daily life.  Five deaths in a village is disturbing.

The villagers needed answers as to why there had been five deaths in such a short period of time.  Just like people in other societies they had a desire to rationalize what they could not understand.  The Lao Loum people of Isaan, especially in the outlying villages, are not highly educated especially the people 35 years and older.  Whereas we in America would rely upon science to explain the deaths, science is not an option for the subsistence farmers of Isaan.  Their faith for answers to the unexplained is in their religion.  Their religion, although extensively Buddhist, retains a great number of Animist beliefs and rituals.  It is these beliefs and rituals that give the community a sense of comfort, a sense of control and power in its daily affairs.

During the ritual of ridding the village of Monkey Spirits, I saw a community strengthening its bonds.  People were working together and uniting for the common good of all.  The villagers were confronting a challenge to their their normal way of life and taking united action to return their life to a perceived normality.  In the process of ridding the village of the evil spirits, they were strengthening the social and religious bonds that hold their community together.  Although the rationale and methods may be subject to debate, in my opinion there is not debating the merits of results from their chosen ritual.  The community was strengthened and comforted through the ritual.

A Novice Monk Ignites the Diesel Soaked Body and Charcoal With Joss Sticks

Duang and I walked over to the Wat where the final part of the funeral ritual for her cousin were being conducted.  As Duang sat underneath the large shade trees of the Wat with the other women, I wandered about taking photographs.  During Buddhist rituals here in Isaan, women and men sit in separate areas.  Children will sit with the women.  Since I don't understand much of what is going on I sit with Duang in the women's section so that she can explain to me.  Because I am a foreigner and the Lao Loum people are polite, it is tolerated if not accepted.

Taking photographs during a funeral is a widely practiced activity here in Isaan.  At first I was a little taken back by people motioning me to come forward to take better and much closer shots of all aspects of the funeral ritual.  I have gotten accustomed to the practice now and eagerly but respectfully join the others taking photographs.

While taking photographs of the ritual for Duang's cousin at the opening to the furnace, I started speaking to a man who was her cousin's best friend.  He was supervising the activities prior to placing the coffin into the furnace.  He told me that there would be a second funeral after Duang's cousin and invited me to attend.  After the conclusion of Duang's cousin's funeral he brought Duang and I over to the family associated with the next funeral.  In no time at all we felt like part of the community if not family.  We were offered seats, food, and drink.  People asked about where I was from and if funerals in America were like theirs.  I prophetically told them that funerals were nothing like this in America.  I told them that a stranger would never dare to photograph a funeral in America.  What I did not realize as I spoke was that this funeral was going to be unlike any public funeral in America!

Procession From the Home to the Village Wat.  Man sprinkles Puffed Rice ahead of the Procession

The second man to be cremated that day was an older man.  He was a blind man who played music at the market in Kumphawapi to support his family.  He had five children and three wives.  Polygamy is against the law in Thailand but some old habits are hard to break or get rid of.  You can only be legally, as in registered with the government, married to one person at a time.  However many men in Isaan have more than one wife with non-registered wives referred to as "Mia Noi" (Little Wife).

Money Offerings

As smoke rose from the Wat's Crematorium for Duang's cousin, the coffin for the blind musician was brought to the Wat.  As is typical for these funerals, and I have written previously in other blogs about Isaan funerals, the coffin was placed on a pickup truck and lead by a procession of Monks from the deceased person's home to the local Wat.  The Monks, some of them sons, grandsons, and nephews held on to a long cotton string that went back to the coffin.  A man with a basket sprinkled puffed rice on the street and pathway ahead of the funeral cortege.

I was a little confused as to how there could be two funeral rituals on the same afternoon at the local Wat.  One body was already in the crematorium and I expected that the furnace would be occupied for at least four hours.  How were they going to take care of the second body?

Years ago there was a television commercial in America about a now defunct investment firm, "Smith and Barney".  The hook line of the ad was "Smith and Barney, We make money the old fashioned way - we earn it".  How were they going to cremate the second body?  A la "Smith and Barney", they were going to cremate the body the old fashioned way - they were going to have a funeral pyre.  I was about to witness a funeral ritual unlike any that I am aware of back in the USA.

Funeral Pyre Commences to Burn

The coffin containing the blind musician's remains was placed beside the crematorium next to a bamboo structure that was built over a large pile of firewood.  The bamboo structure was comprised of four very long freshly cut green bamboo poles that were lashed together to form a sort of pyramid or tepee.  Horizontal bamboo sticks were lashed to the vertical members to give the structure shape as well as stability.  All bamboo members were decorated with colorful Mylar reflective wrappings or colorful Mylar fringe.


In the Name of the Deceased an Offering of a Robe is made to the Abbott

The funeral ritual was fairly typical.  Off to the side underneath a open walled structure, 14 Monks sat facing the Shaman who lead the ritual and the man's immediate family and closest friends.  Out side of the open walled structure and off to one side were rows of chairs with female attendees and children.  Off to the other side of the structure were rows of male attendees.  In front of the male attendees there were two stuffed couches and cocktail tables were honored guests and esteemed officials such as Village Headman, Subdistrict, and District Officials sat.

After the chanting, a commentator who is a local school official dressed in a Boy Scout uniform performed as the MC.  I had seen him at other funerals before performing the same roll.  He spoke about the deceased person, their life, the merits of the deceased, and wished the deceased good luck in his journey and eventual new life.  The MC then started to announce the names of honored guests, esteemed officials, and close family members.  As their name was announced the people walked up to the MC and were given an envelope by a family member.  The envelope contained a money offering.

The person took the envelope and walked over to the coffin.  They gave a Wai (Thai and Lao gesture of respect) to the coffin and appeared to say some words before respectfully placing the envelope on a tray on top of the closed coffin.  The people were participating in a merit making ritual for the deceased as well as for themselves.  They were offering the money to the deceased who through a family member would offer the money to the Monks.  The deceased would earn merit through the act of offering the money and the esteemed officials, honored guests, and close family members would through their participation in the ritual.  The greatest offerings such as Monk's robe were reserved for the highest officials to make.  Once the offerings are removed from the coffin and offered to the Monks, the cover is removed from the coffin.  It is at this time that family and close friends come to the coffin to pour coconut water over the body of the deceased person.  Green coconuts are prepared just prior to the removal of the coffin lid.  The coconut water is poured over the entire body directly from the coconut.  Other people pour scented water on the body from bamboo tubes or as was the case at this funeral from plastic cups.

A Blind Man Pours Scented Water On His Friend

For me the most touching part of this funeral ritual was when the musician's blind friends were lead up to his coffin to participate in the ritual and to make their good byes to their friend.  They were assisted with dignity as well as compassion by the other attendees.  Throughout the ritual I did not see any crying, outbursts of emotion, or hearing any sobbing.  This has been the case at all Buddhist funerals that I have attended here in Isaan.

The Buddhist attitude towards death is best expressed by Wade Davis, a renowned Canadian Anthropologist and contributor to National Geographic documentaries, in his documentary series "Light At the End of the World" ... "The Buddhists spend all their lives 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 from a very early age. The conclusion of this life, which for many has been very difficult, presents the hope as well as opportunity for a better and easier life in the future - another step towards enlightenment.  As I witness the pain and suffering of people in the West as they artificially struggle to delay the inevitable, I have pause to contemplate the best way to live and die.  Here in Isaan, death comes quicker due to a lack of money and facilities.  At what point should we allow ourselves or others to let go and conclude the suffering?

Some of the attendees placed coins on the body in the coffin.  After the body is cremated, the coins will be retrieved and kept in homes or placed in a tube to be worn around the neck as "Good Luck" items or Talisman.  Many Lao Loum people wear a tube attached to a cord around their neck containing a relic such as a tooth from their deceased parent.

After the final goodbyes were completed, the heavy comforter was removed from the coffin and placed to the side of the funeral pyre.  The coffin was drained of the coconut water and scented water.  Some Joss (incense) sticks were scattered atop of the body, the body was doused with diesel fuel, the lid placed over the coffin and the coffin was placed atop of the firewood.  Men then gathered up the large an long pieces of firewood laying on the ground at the side of the pyre.  The long logs were carefully placed vertically all along the sides of the coffin to form a tepee over it.  The logs were doused with diesel fuel and set ablaze.  The comforter, funeral decorations, and the man's possessions were added to the rapidly consuming flames.  Just as the fire was ignited, a man set off fireworks near by.  The fireworks that I refer to as "Whizzers" are a ring that spin off like a Frisbee leaving a cork screw contrail of smoke and a whizzing sound high up into the air prior to exploding in three loud bangs.  These fireworks or similar fireworks are set off to scare away any evil spirits that may be about ready to grab the deceased person's spirit as it rises on its journey.

Firework Is launched At Start of the Cremation

The brother of the deceased man removed his shirt as a concession to the hot flames of the funeral pyre .  He would tend to the fire until everything was totally consumed.  This was but another manifestation of the people caring for each other and taking care of business.  It was time for Duang and I to return to our home in Udonthani.  The unique smell of burning diesel and the corpse, sort of like a heavy and sweet fabric softener scent remained with me the rest of the day - on my clothing, in my hair and in my nose.  The snap, pop, sizzle and crackle of the funeral pyre was a little disconcerting to me but for the villagers it was nothing out of the ordinary.  When I asked about some of the loud sounds a young woman nonchalantly indicated through pantomime that it was the organs of the body reacting to the fire; such is the reality of life as well as death here in Isaan.

It had been quite a busy day - Two funerals and an Exorcism.  For me it had been quite an educational experience as well as an opportunity to experience some unique aspects of Lao Loum culture here in Isaan - a very good day indeed.


In the Light of the Late Afternoon Sun, Villagers Exit the Wat Grounds



Forest Cemetery - Laos - Still Day #3

27 January, Wednesday, although a rest day for us on this journey turned out to be a busy as well as a productive day for us. Besides our visit to the Lanten village of Baan Soptud, the Khmu village of Sopsim, and the Tai Dam (Black Tai) village of Ban Pasak, we or more accurately I visited a Tai Dam forest cemetery.

On our way back to the Boat Landing Guest House and Restaurant we stopped at a forest cemetery between Ban Mai and Ban Pasak, another Black Tai village.

When Tai Dam people die, they are buried in the forest beneath small raised houses. The houses are about five feet above the ground. They are miniature replicas of actual homes complete with porches, porch railings, windows, and either a corrugated metal or wood shingle roof. The houses are about 6 feet long, 3 feet wide, and 3 feet high. They are located inside of individual plots of land in the forest. The plots are about 12 feet wide by about 20 feet long with a narrow drainage ditch around the perimeter. A fence constructed of woven strips of bamboo surrounded the plot very similar to the homes in the nearby village. The fence as well as much of the houses were succumbing to the ravages of the forest environment. The fences were falling down, Vegetation was attacking the structures. Rain and sun were bleaching and breaking down the house walls and roof. Inside the houses, outside the houses were items that the deceased would need in the afterlife - baskets, bamboo stool, fishing nets, plates, cups, candles, articles of clothing, and some decorative items. There were remnants of offerings around the houses.

The cemetery that I visited had two of these miniature houses. I had read about these forest cemeteries and wanted to see one up close. This burial practice is not related to Buddhism but originate with the Animist beliefs of the Tai Dam. Many of these beliefs are retained by Lao Loum people in Isaan. The strong belief in "Pii" ghosts or spirits was sufficient motivation for Duang to remain in the taxi truck parked on the edge of the road alongside the forest.

The burial houses that I visited were located about 300 feet inside of a heavily forested area bordering the dirt road. The forest, considered to be a sacred forest by the Tai Dam people, separated some plots of rice that had been harvested back in late November. The forest floor was covered with many varieties of small plants. Sunlight form the late afternoon sun was filtered and diffused by several species of tall trees. Vines ascended from the forest floor high up into the tree canopy. There were a couple of large spider webs with small spiders on them along the narrow trail to the houses. I did not see any snakes despite looking - looking very carefully. I really did not want to find any so I was not disappointed. I did find some large red ants scurrying up and down a hanging vine in the center of the very narrow footpath. Based upon my unpleasant experience with red ants in Isaan a year ago (blog entitled - "Ants In Their Fish, Ants In My Pants"), I gave them wide berth, preferring to risk an encounter with an unknown snake than repeat with known red ants.

At the end of each of the burial plots, there was a sort of tombstone. Both of the stones were rather weathered and rapidly advancing into a decayed state. One of the stones had a photograph of a man attached to its surface reminiscent of the tombstones that I saw being carved in Hanoi where an actual photograph is incorporated into the stone. Burial sites are marked to indicate the sex of the deceased. A single flag flown from a tall pole signifies a man's grave. A circle of flags signifies a woman's grave. At one site I found the remnants of a very tall bamboo mast with attached flag that had collapsed the ground. At the other site I found what appeared to be several flags with poles laying on the forest floor. I was curious to investigate further but out of reverence I did not. I am fairly certain that there was one male and one female grave. On one the end of one of the houses, some one appears to have written the birth and death date of the deceased. It had been less than two years since the burial.





Now that I look back, my decision to risk an encounter with an unknown snake rather than the known red ants was consistent with decisions in my former career. Once in preparing to do a project in California, I learned that the Site Manager was hiring a person that a former client, years ago, had requested that we remove from the job, which we should have done without their direction. I reminded the boss of that incident and he responded that he knew this person and was familiar with his performance (lack of performance?). I said that rather than repeat a mistake, I would rather go to the bus station and hire someone new. I believed that I could pick some one there and obtain better performance than rehiring the "familiar" person. In the end the familiar person performed poorly and the Site manager had to explain and apologize to the client why there were 2 surplus 30 inch valves. The familiar person had needed one valve but had ended up requisitioning three valves over the course of the 3 month job. It is so important to take responsibility for the direction of our life. I made a conscious decision to avoid the ants at the risk of the unknown. The unknown is not always to be feared or avoided. Embracing and exploring the unknown as well as the unfamiliar leads to education and enlightenment. This trip like so many other trips taught me a great deal about cultures, people, and about myself - a journey into the unknown, - the unfamiliar but so rewarding.