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.

Gone too soon - An Isaan Funeral

The Wat's Cremation Furnace

Last week, we attended the cremation ritual for a family member from the village next to Duang's home village of Tahsang Village.

In the six years that we have lived in Isaan, we have attended twelve other funerals.  All the previous funerals shared a get deal of similarities in circumstances and differed only in minor aspects of the ritual.

http://www.hale-worldphotography.blogspot.com/2009/04/dying-in-isaan-buddhist-funeral.html

http://www.hale-worldphotography.blogspot.com/2009/10/isaan-funeral-24-october-2009-2552.html

http://www.hale-worldphotography.blogspot.com/2009/12/death-in-isaan-another-lao-loum-funeral.html

http://www.hale-worldphotography.blogspot.com/2010/02/another-isaan-funeral-same-same-but.html

http://www.hale-worldphotography.blogspot.com/2011/01/two-funerals-and-excorcism.html

http://hale-worldphotography.blogspot.com/2012/10/scenes-from-lao-loum-funeral.html

http://hale-worldphotography.blogspot.com/2012/10/another-lao-loum-funeral-here-in-isaan.html

http://hale-worldphotography.blogspot.com/2012/10/death-be-not-private-lao-loum-experience.html

http://hale-worldphotography.blogspot.com/2013/02/yet-another-lao-loum-funeral.html

http://hale-worldphotography.blogspot.com/2013/09/same-same-but-different.html

http://hale-worldphotography.blogspot.com/2013/11/dying-in-isaan-end-of-days.html

http://hale-worldphotography.blogspot.com/2013/11/dying-in-isaan-end-of-days-part-2.html

http://hale-worldphotography.blogspot.com/2013/12/another-ethnic-lao-cremation.html

http://hale-worldphotography.blogspot.com/2014/02/i-have-now-caught-up-with-editing-and.html

In the previous twelve funerals the people had all died of natural causes and were relatively elderly people.

Last week's funeral ritual was different in that involved a 25 year old man who had died violently - a victim of his own sadness.  He went missing in the morning and was not discovered until 5:00 PM that evening on the grounds of the local elementary school hanging from one of the many large trees located at the school.

"Allen's World" or perhaps more correctly, the world that I now live in is a very spiritual world.  The local people are albeit Theravada Buddhists, their life is dominated and to a great extent influenced by Animist beliefs.  The perceived need to appease, placate, respect, and honor spirits over thousands of years has resulted in a culture, tradition, rituals, and practices that I find extremely interesting.

Typically the body remains inside the family home for three or four days and is cremated on either the fourth of fifth day.  The longer period is usually for very old people who have died and many people want to pay their respects.  People earn merit by being involved in the funeral ritual of people however there is more merit to be earned associated with the death of a very old person.  Of course this is contingent upon the person not dying in a violent manner.  If a person has died violently they are cremated as quickly as possible - typically the next day or two days later.

Violent death is believed to disrupt and agitate the 32 spirits that people believe reside within people.  As such, the spirits create problems, haunt people, and can even kill people.  Because of this belief , the body of someone who has died violently is not kept in the family home awaiting cremation.  Victims of violence are kept at the local Wat for the entire funeral ritual period.  Apparently the grounds of the Wat, are inhabited by good pii (spirits) which keep the evil pii at bay.

Besides the body reposing at the local Wat, the food preparation, cooking, and serving meals took place at the Wat rather than at the home which is the normal practice.

I brought my camera gear to the cremation ritual but I was not sure that I would be taking photographs.  The previous funerals that I have photographed were monolithic ethnic Lao funerals.  In the case of last week's funeral, there was a foreign Step-Father.  Although I know him, I was not certain of his attitude towards photography of such a personal event.  My uncertainty and reservations were quickly abated when upon paying my respects to him he asked me to take photographs and provide him with an album of the photographs.  He then asked for a specific shot that I had not considered taking due to the circumstances of the death.  I agreed to both requests.

People here in Isaan have no issues with taking photographs at a funeral or taking photographs of the open coffin.  People are shocked when I tell them, I would never consider taking photographs at an immediate family member's funeral let alone a second cousin's or friend's funeral back in the United States.  Here in Isaan there are no taboos or issues with photographing funerals.  In fact with the increased popularity of tablets and cell phones, more and more people are joining me.

Woman Paying Respects

The refrigerated coffin was placed in one the pavilions located a short distance from the cremation furnace on the Wat's grounds.  The coffin was covered and surrounded by many fresh floral arrangements.  Three cloth bundles containing material goods such as soap, matches, drinking cup, flashlight etc  offerings for the Monks were located on top of the refrigerated coffin.  Multiple strands of flashing lights, just like Christmas tree lights, were strung over the coffin.  In front of the ornately decorated coffin there three large bowls.  One bowl, the ubiquitous ornate pressed metal type used in all rituals, was for people to drop their envelope containing a cash offering.  A second bowl, a thick ceramic bowl filled with sand, was available for people to place their single smoldering incense stick (Joss stick) after paying their respects.  The third bowl contained a large lit yellow candle surrounded by more incense sticks.

To the sides and above the coffin were several large special offerings.  The special offerings are called "pualeet".  Pualeet are large cardboard squares and rectangles roughly 48 inches and 60 inches covered with clear plastic wrap.  Inside of the pualeet are offerings such as cushions for Monks to sit on, clocks, towels, toiletries, flashlights and other items useful for Monks.  The interior of the pualeet is also tastefully decorated with artificial flowers, sequins, and graphic elements.  All pualeets have a custom banner printed across them identifying the donors and a short message.  The messages are printed and placed on a backing while you wait at shops that specialize in funeral accessories.

Pualeet - Containing offering of a Monk's Cushion and Carry-Bag

Off to the side and in front of the coffin was a common metal serving tray upon which several dishes of small servings of various foods were placed along with a glass of drink .  There was also a kong kao (woven container) filled with sticky rice next to an opened bottle of ice tea drink.  These were the food offerings to the spirit of the young man.

One framed photograph of the young man had been placed on top of the coffin and another framed photograph was placed next to the coffin.  In anticipation of death, many people will have a professional photograph taken and framed for the specific purpose of being used in the funeral ritual.  My father-in-law had his ready for his death last November and my mother-in-law has hers ready for her day.  If a person does not have a professional portrait, the family has the photograph on the person's National Identity Card reproduced and enlarged into a roughly 14"x20" framed photograph to be displayed on a stand next to the coffin and at the foot of the stairs going up to the furnace later on in the ritual.

Some people who come to pay their final respects make an offering of rice rather than money.  Typically the offering is roughly one quart of rice.  A family member takes the plastic bags of rice and dumps them into a 55 KG sack off to the side of the coffin.  The large sack or sacks of rice are offered to the Monks who will give it to people in need throughout the year.

A Grandmother Mourns

A merit making ritual was performed with the Monks at the pavilion where the coffin had been located since the day of the death. 

Weathered Hands Praying

Upon completion of that ritual there was a procession lead by the Monks to the sala that was next to the cremation furnace.  The procession was lead by the Monks holding on to the sai sin (cotton string) that was connected to the coffin.  To the side of the Monks, a man sprinkled popped rice from a woven basket along the processions path - the popped rice was offerings to the spirits along the way.  Immediate family walked behind the Monks with each person holding on to the sai sin.  Other family members followed behind with friends and neighbors behind them and around the coffin.  Many of the people were carrying clothing, personal items, and bedding of the decease person that would be consumed in an open fire next to the cremation furnace.

 After circling  the cremation furnace three times in a counter-clockwise rotation, the simple ordinary consumable closed coffin containing the body was carried up the stairs of the cremation furnace and placed on a bed of lump charcoal located on top of a very heavy wheeled cart at the doors to the furnace.

Monks Leading the Procession

The pualeet were placed at the foot of the stairs leading up to the furnace doors.  The Monks go to the sala and sit down on the raised platform designated for their esteemed position.  Depending upon their relationship or personal choice, the people either sit on the floor of the sala or sit in plastic chairs underneath temporary awning erected specifically for the ceremony.  Government officials and representatives typically sit in the front row of the pavilion closest to the cremation furnace.

Food Offering Placed By Mother at the Head of the Coffin

Part of the merit making ritual at the sala involves making monetary offerings to the Monks in the name of the deceased person.  Typically it involves people being called in accordance to relationship to the deceased and then by social ranking i.e. government officials to go in front of the crowd to collect an envelope of money from the family.  They then walk over to the cremation furnace, walk up the stairs to the closed coffin, wai (bowing motion of the head towards hands raised in praying posture - Thai sign of respect), place the envelope on a tray, wai once again, and go down the stairs to the side of the coffin.  Upon completion of the offerings, the tray is removed and eventually given to the Monks.

Father Making Offering to Local School

During this funeral, the family chose to make offerings to the local elementary school and to the local government for the benefit of the villagers rather than making a big deal about the offerings to the Monks.

Monks Paying Final Respects

After the Abbott (Sr. Monk - Duang's cousin) had accepted offerings from top of the coffin and paid his last respects, people followed lead by the other Monks to say farewell and place good luck totems, daugchan, atop the closed coffin.

Duang Wishes the Spirit Good Luck and Farewell - for now

Schoolgirls In Uniform

For the next step of the ritual, the daugchan were collected and gathered on metal trays.  The top of the coffin was removed.  The daugchan were placed inside of the coffin covering the body.  One of the Monks stood beside the open coffin as if inspecting the situation and supervised the cutting of the bindings around the wrists, knees, and ankles of the body.  He then was the first person to pour coconut water from a freshly tapped coconut over the face and entire length of the body.  The other Monks followed in pouring coconut water on the body.  Family members followed the Monks and the other people who chose to.  Some of the people ended up pouring water out of plastic bottles on the body.

After the last person had paid their final respects, men rolled the body on its side to place halves of coconut shells underneath it.  They also used a heavy cane knife to cut slots in the bottom of the coffin to drain the water.  Diesel fuel was then sprinkled over the charcoal and inside of the coffin

Several men strained to roll the heavy metal cart bearing the coffin into the furnace.  The heavy furnace doors were closed and dogged off.  A small portal in the door was opened and one of the Monks set the charcoal ablaze using a burning daugchan inserted through the portal.

As the fire commenced to blaze inside of the furnace, three large fireworks were set off in succession to drive off any spirits in the area as the smoke billowed from the chimney.  At the same time, handfuls of foil wrapped 1 and 2 Baht coins along with small pieces of packaged candy were thrown from the top of the furnace stairs to the very anxious and enthusiastic throng (all ages) waiting below.  The throwing of the coins and candy signifies the leaving behind the material goods of this world.  It is also considered to be good luck to get the coins and candy for the people waiting.

A while back, I told Duangchan that I would commit suicide rather than endure prolonged suffering or an unacceptable quality of life as well as being a burden to others.  Duang jumped me and told me that I would do no such thing.  She said that I could not kill myself and that she would take care of me.  If she could not take care of me, her son and our grandchildren would take care of me.  I am not sure that she convinced me but I did see how opposed she was to it.

With this suicide, I revisited the subject once again with her.  I noticed and was aware of the people's fear and concern related to "bad pii" (evil spirits) along with the different aspects of the funeral ritual because of the suicide.  However I did not detect any judgmental bias for the man who ended his life.

Buddhism is considered one of the worlds great religions but unlike the other religions it does not have any commandments - any "don't do ...or ..."  Rather Buddhism is more of a philosophy with recommendations on how to achieve a goal of enlightenment (liberation) but it is up to the individual to decide what path they choose to take.  This makes Buddhism a rather "tolerant" religion.  I asked Duang about how people felt about the young man killing himself.  Were they angry?  was he going to "Hell" or not achieve enlightenment for what he did?  She said that people were sad that he was gone.  In talking more with her, I confirmed people's attitude was basically this - "Suicide is not recommended. However, the young man wanted to do it and did it but it was not good for him or his family.  It was up to him.  It will make it longer for him to achieve enlightenment"

Having experienced the devastation on the family, friends, and community that one person's suicide made, I am more inclined not to put my family, friends and community through it.  There are consequences to our actions, I saw some of the consequences of suicide last week and I did not like it.  This was another manifestation of the axiom "There are the ways are supposed to be and then there is the way that they actually are"  It isn't just what you do... do to yourself but what it does to others ... others that you love.

2 March 2014 Theravada Buddhist Funeral Ritual

A new gallery on my personal photography website is now available for viewing

This 17 photograph gallery is created from selected photographs that I took at a Theravada Buddhist funeral out in the countryside earlier this month.

http://www.hale-worldphotography.com/Other/2-March-2014-Buddhist-Funeral/38126809_89DVf6

Baan Mat Funeral

I have now caught up with editing and post processing all of my photographs to date.  The front sidewalk across our property has been pressure washed to remove 5 years of accumulated diesel soot and assorted molds to reveal  uniform grey concrete surfaces.  Several house repair and maintenance tasks have been completed so now is the time to catch up on some blog writing.

At the end of January, Luang Paw Pohm Likit, the Forest Monk, called Duang to inform her that one of the women that we knew at the Ban Mat Wat had died.

We had first met the woman in October when we started going out to visit Luang Paw Pohm Likit.  She lived in the near by village of Baan Mat.  Everyday she went out to the forest to bring offerings of food to Luang Paw Pohm Likit and participate in the merit making along with the other lay people.  She was 76 years old with two sons and two daughters.  She radiated a certain dignity and appearance that belied her age in a region where people age quickly due to the hardships of day to day living.  It was readily apparent that she had a "good heart", a nice person.  She was one of the people who had come to visit me in the Kumphawapi Hospital when it was actually my father-in-law who was in the hospital.  Upon realizing the miscommunication, she and the others stopped by our home to visit me on the way back to their village.  We had not been out to Baan Mat due to all our responsibilities regarding Duang's father's death and then one week later the death of his sister-in-law, Duang's aunt.  The woman from Baan Mat had been sick for a week in the hospital before dying.

We had to take an alternative route through Baan Mat to get out to where Luang Paw Pohm Likit stays.  The woman's home was on the direct route - the one lane, narrow concrete lane through the  village leading to the dirt  roads going out into the fields and forest.  As is typical for funerals, weddings, house warmings, Tambon Roy Wan, and Monk Ordinations, the family had set up pavilions, canvas canopies, in the street.  Beneath the pavilions, guests sat in plastic chairs at wood tables eating and drinking.

Duang and I were transporting the Forest Monk for the funeral ritual.  Luang Paw Pohm Likit has a very humble Wat without any crematorium for funeral rituals.  The deceased woman was going to be transported to a nearby village that had a very large Buddhist school as well as all the other facilities of a fully developed Wat.

Luang Paw Pohm Likit sat in the front of the truck with me while Duang sat in the back.  The seating arrangement which is expected practice here serves two purposes.  The first is to show respect to monks because they are considered to be a higher status than lay people.  Being a Monk places a man further along the path of enlightenment than ordinary lay people.  The second purpose is to help ensure that a Monk does not have contact with a woman.  A Monk is not allowed to touch a woman.  When a woman makes an offering to a Monk, she either makes it through a male next to her, drops it into the Monk's bowl, or places it on a cloth that the Monk has placed in front of himself.  Once the woman has placed the offering on the cloth, the Monk pulls the cloth to him thus completing the offering and signifying acceptance of the offering without risk of contact.

After paying our respects to the family and to the woman at her home, the three of us drove to the nearby Wat for the funeral ritual. This was the fourteenth funeral that I have attended here in Isaan in roughly five years.  There are many common elements to the funerals but each one has unique variations and subtleties to distinguish them apart.

All the funerals have been Theravada Buddhist rituals, both Dhammayuttika Nikaya and Maha Nikaya sects.  The Dhammayuttika Nikaya sect is the smaller sect, younger sect, and more conservative sect of Theravada Buddhism here in Thailand.  However as far as I can see the rituals are the same as the much older Maha Nikaya sect.  The difference is not in what they believe but how the Monks practice their faith.  The conservative Dhammayuttika Monks eat only one meal a day whereas the Maha Monks are allowed two meals a day.  My observation has been that the Dhammayuttika Monks wear the darker brown robes whereas the other sect robe's are the brighter saffron or orange robes.

Removing the Coffin From Refrigerated Casket

As was the case for Duang's father's funeral ritual, both Dhammayuttika Nikaya and Maha Nikaya Monks participated in the the funeral ritual for the woman from Baan Mat. For the funeral at the end of January, a big difference was the number of Monks involved in the ritual.  There were 23 Monks in attendance, which far exceeded any other funeral that I have attended.  Typical funerals have 6 or 9 Monks attending.

Typically a major portion of the funeral ritual is performed in a sala - an open pavilion on the Wat grounds - corrugated metal roof, 4 foot high walls - if any at all, tiled floor, raised area for Monks to sit on mats, and a shrine in the corner at the same level as the Monks.  For this funeral, the ritual was performed in a large, very large assembly area for the school students.  The area was so large that I was confused exactly where to go.  Some of the lay people sat on the floor out of the view of where the Monks were - their view blocked by portable school bulletin boards containing announcements, student art, and lessons.  As is always the case here when I look confused, the people smiled and pointed for me to go to the front directly in front of the platform where the more senior monks were located.  Luang Paw Pohm Likit welcomed me and reassured me.  He speaks some English so he gave me some pointers on what to take photographs of.  I consider myself to be fortunate to live amongst such tolerant and friendly people.

A Grandson During the Funeral Ritual

In taking photographs of recurring events, such as funerals, I strive to explore a different aspect or focus on some unique individuals in an attempt to avoid taking the same photograph over and over along time.  I often start off to an event with some specific approach in mind.  Quite often that planned approach is abandoned for the opportunities that present themselves at a particular event.  One of those opportunities is documented in the above photo.  It is a photograph of a Novice Monk.  It is a photograph of a grandson making merit for a deceased grandparent. It is a photograph of mourning.  I have literally hundreds of those types of photographs, so why take this one?  The uniqueness of this photograph is the juxtaposition of the young Novice Monk's robe and the glass of Orange Fanta.

I have never read it any where nor have I been told that it is necessary or required to make offerings of Orange Fanta Soda to Monks but it seems every time that I witness offerings to Monks it includes Orange Fanta.  On the other hand when making offerings to the spirits of the home, garden, or land, Duang and many others offer only Fanta Strawberry Soda.  I have yet to see Fanta Strawberry or Grape Soda offered to Monks.

Monks Accepting Offerings

This funeral was different in that there were many offerings of robes, blankets and towels to the Monks.  Rather than placing the offerings on top of the closed coffin and offering them one by one to individual Monks, the offerings were placed on a series of stepped tables in front of the coffin. In groups determined by apparent seniority the Monks went up the stairs to the coffin and individually accepted an offering.  This seems very strange and goes against every thing that I have read about being a Monk but it is what I observed.  I even just refreshed my memory and verified my memory's accuracy by reviewing my observations this evening with Duangchan.  She confirmed what I saw and did not see was accurate.  I guess this but another example of "There are the ways that things are supposed to be and then there is the way that they actually are"

The Abbott Taps Farewell On the Coffin Three Times With A Daugchan

One typical element of this funeral was the number of children in attendance.  here in Isaan children are not sheltered from death or the funeral ritual.  I have attended a funeral where the local elementary school was let out of school to attend along with their teachers the funeral for a villager.  Children get excited over the throwing of coins wrapped in colorful foil paper along with candy that is tossed to the crowd from the steps of the crematorium just as the coffin is rolled into the furnace - a gesture of giving up of all of this life's and world's goods by the spirit.

Children are allowed to run, play and be joyful as long as they are not doing it in the sala.  The children can always found in the space between the sala and the crematorium eagerly and energetically biding their time for the money toss.  The presence of a foreigner at this funeral taking photographs did nothing to dampen the children's enthusiasm.  I had met the children earlier at the woman's home.  They tentatively tried their rudimentary English skills on me and I was all too willing to try my even less rudimentary Thai skills on them.  We quickly found common ground and bonded over talking about animals.  I knew the names of some animals in Thai from watching Nat Geo Animal Planet on television with our grandson, Peelawat.  Recently we had watched a program about lions, "sinto", and I had developed a pantomime of a sinto turning its head as it was making a huge yawn.  The children loved it - much more so than my impersonation of a "tau" - turtle.

It was not long after I relocated from my position in the sala in front of the Monks that I was reunited with the children.  I took some photographs of them which I willingly shared with them.  Seeing themselves in a digital photograph only encouraged the children to be more creative in their posing.  The ultimate pose that they created was a reenactment of  a the sinto.  It was a fun way to pass the time.  Rather than getting upset with the children or with me for encouraging them, people inside the sala pointed out approvingly to Duang what was going on.  They told her that I had a "good heart" and that I was good with children.

Our day at the funeral ended with us driving off with Luang Paw Pohm Likit not into the sunset but away from the wisps of smoke that commence to flow from the stack of the crematorium.

It had been a good day.  It was good to help the Forest Monk and even better to pay our respects to a nice woman.  Here in Isaan with the openness of funeral rituals and the involvement of so many friends, family, and neighbors there is quick closure to the death experience.

Another Ethnic Lao Cremation

Preparing Offerings for Spirit and Monks

Duang's father was cremated on Friday, 22 November, three days after he had died.  I arrived at the family home in Tahsang Village around 9:00 A.M. to find organized mayhem.

Just as it had been commencing with the death watch on Tuesday, several elderly women were seated on sahts placed on the ceramic tiled floor of the home off to one side of the large room sharing the space with the refrigerated coffin containing the body.  Each woman had a small bamboo woven basket that was filled with several white plastic containers of various sizes each with screw on lids.  The baskets also contained several plastic bags crinkled and somewhat soiled from being used and recycled several times.  The containers and bags contained tobacco, chemical lime, slices of dry areca nut, slices of tender areca nut, betel leaves, "galap nuat" ( Thai or Lao version of Vaseline), often a knife that shows it has been used greatly as well often, and sometimes small mortar/pestle combinations typically made from brass.

The betel-nut chewers spend their time in heavy and often loud animated conversations undoubtedly gossip.  I have often noted that there are no secrets here in Isaan and the extended funeral ritual is optimum for sharing information or extracting information to share later with others.

The elderly women besides chewing betel-nut and gossiping provide an important service for the funeral ritual.  They make many of the offerings that are offered to the Monks, the spirits. and articles to be used in the various parts of the ritual.  Every time that the Monks come to the home to participate in the merit making, each Monk is offered a small plate, dessert plate sized, with offerings of four cigarettes, two plant leaves and /or sprigs of flower blossoms, one birthday cake sized yellow candle, and two rolled up betel leaves, some tender areca nut slices and some dry areca nut pieces.

One night the women prepared lotus blossoms for the ritual,  folding the exterior leaves in towards the center to form a quasi-flower.

On the morning of the cremation, the women were busy preparing the sections of  what I call and best describe as "cotton butcher's string" sii sein that will be used to connect the coffin placed on a pickup truck bed to the contingent of Monks leading the cortege in the procession to the local Wat for cremation.  They busied themselves straightening out the loops of many hunks of string and connecting them together without knots by looping the loops together.

That morning they were also occupied making offerings of an incense (joss sticks), a yellow, a little larger than birthday cake sized, candle, and a sprig of flower buds; all bound together with threads of the sii sein rope wrapped three times around and knotted.

Young Girls Manning the Dish Washing Station

Outside all the activities associated with the feeding and providing refreshments continued for the fourth day.  Once again everyone seem to intuitively know their duties and responsibilities.  Trays of food were carried from the outdoor kitchen to the front yard, more accurately - the two canopies that had been erected in the street in front of the family home.  Guests were quickly seated by a member of the family, given food, provided with drinking water, soft drinks, beer and ice cubes.  Care was taken to ensure that there was always plenty of ice in the buckets at each table.  The tables were just as quickly cleaned after the people had finished eating.  The tables were wiped and prepared for another set of guests who were arriving continually.

The first part of the cremation ritual commenced around 9:30 A.M.  Duang's two brothers and two cousins had their heads and eyebrows shaved in preparation to become Monks for cremation ritual.  I had discussed it previously with Duang about doing the same but she said that I did not need to do it.  She wanted me to take photographs instead.

Duang Uses Electric Clippers On Her Oldest Brother as His Wife Watches

The shaving of the heads and eyebrows is an involved process with several steps.  Just as preparing a male to be ordained as Monk, the person sits in a chair shirtless either holding a large banana leaf or next to someone holding the leaf.  One by one people come forward to cut a piece of hair from his head using scissors and the place the shorn lock into the banana leaf.  The hierarchy for cutting the locks is headed up by the parents, spouse, grand-parents, siblings, esteemed guests followed by all others.  The locks are bundled up in the banana leaf and then buried in the yard.

Electric clippers are then used to cut the hair down to the scalp. For this part of the process a cape is placed on the male.  Use of the clippers is limited to those who actually know how to use them,  Duang had attended beauty school and has a certificate, so she was kept busy that morning.

The last part of the ritual is to actually shave the head and eyebrows.  This was accomplished using disposable straight razors - single edged razor blade with an attached handle - sort of like a long scalpel.  This task is left to a trust and experienced male relative or friend.  The head is rinsed and powdered.  The newly shaved men and boy then walked over to the "inside" Wat to be interviewed by the Abbot to ensure that they are of this world and not nagas.  They then make some vows and are given Monk robes to wear for the day.  They return to the family home with the other Monks from the Wat for the food offering ritual at 11:00 A.M.

Duang, Under the Watch of her Mother, Counts the Money from Tambon Nongwha

The Official Presentation of Tambon Funds to Duang's Mother

After the head shaving a new aspect of the funeral ritual takes place.  In Isaan when some one dies, 100 baht ($3 USD) is collected from every household in the sub district that they live in.  Duang's parents live in Tambon Nongwha which has 11 villages.  At every funeral, several representatives from the Tambon arrive at the home on the day of cremation.  After paying their respects to the deceased person, they sit off to the side of the coffin with members of the family to present the money collected from the households, count the money, recount the money, and count the money once again.  The designated representative from the family signs a ledger that I refer to as "The Book of the Dead" signifying the amount and acknowledging the receipt of the funds.  Just as with weddings and ordinations, monetary offerings are a great display - and a very public display.  At every funeral that I have attended people wanted photographs of the transaction.

Duang Signs "The Book of the Dead"

A short while later, representatives of the life insurance company showed up to payout the proceeds of the policy on Duang's father's life.  The amount of proceeds varies with the policy, Duang's father had a 6,320 Baht pay out ($216 USD) whereas his sister-in-law had a 96,000 baht ($3,200 USD) pay out.  Again there was a big and public display of counting and accepting the proceeds.

Duang Ties One of Three Shroud Covered Offerings for the Monks

The betel-nut chewing ladies also created three bundles of offerings for the Monks.  These offerings of toiletries and other sundries were wrapped up in shrouds like the material used to cover the corpse.  The tops of the bundles were secured with a great deal of attention and effort with sii sein cords.  Duang as the representative of the family was responsible to finish the bundling.  These bundles remained on the floor next to the coffin and when the coffin was removed from the home, they were placed on top.  They remained on top of the consumable coffin at the entrance to the crematorium until they were removed and presented to the Monks as part of the ritual.

Duang Preparing Popped Rice for the Funeral Cortege

Every Theravada Buddhist funeral that I have attended here in Isaan, has had a man walking ahead but off to the side of the vehicle bearing the body.  The man carries either a woven basket or plastic bucket containing popped rice.  Periodically the man spreads handfuls of the popped rice along the funeral cortege route to the Wat as well along the circumambulations of the crematorium.  The sprinkled rice is offered as nourishment to the spirit of the deceased person as well as the spirits along the route.  As part of the preparations for the cremation of her father, Duang as well as her sister, mother, and sister-in-laws had to cook rice grain over a charcoal fire to produce the popped rice.

Even a seemingly mundane task as cooking rice has significant ritual significance when associated with a funeral.  To cook the rice Duang used a freshly cut and prepared banana stalk to stir the grain while steadying herself with a siem, a narrow metal shovel-like tool used in working the rice paddies.  The symbolism is to show the deceased person that the family can take care of themselves and to offer up the work to the spirit.

Duang's Two Brothers

At 10:30 A.M. the local Brahman priest lead the lay people in a ritual to make offerings to the spirit of Duang's father.

The Monks arrived at the home around 1:00 P.M.  Another merit making ritual was performed that lasted about 15 minutes.  Upon completion of the ritual, Duang's father's personal belongings were gathered up and placed in the back of a pick up truck along with the funeral memorials.  The refrigerated coffin was then wheeled out of the house and lifted on to the back of another pick up truck.  As the coffin exited the home, three bursts of firecrackers were set off to scare away any bad spirits that were in the area,

Duang Waits for the Monks to Form Up In Front of Her

The funeral cortege formed up in front of the home lead by the Monks holding on to the sii sein that connected them back to the coffin.  Duang folded off to side carrying a framed photograph of her father.  Behind the Monks, but also holding on to the sii sein as they slowly walked through the village to the "inside" Wat were family members and dignitaries.  More family member, neighbors, and friends walked along both sides of the vehicle transporting the body.

The cortege enter the Wat grounds and circled the crematorium three times counter clockwise.  The body in a consumable coffin was removed from the refrigerated coffin and placed upon steel sawhorses at the door to the furnace.  The laypeople went to one of three places - the covered area in front of the crematorium, the steps of the Bot or in the Sala where the funeral ritual would actually take place.

Duang's Oldest Brother Inside of Sala

Things went rather smoothly but not without some laughter.  A big part of the Theravada Buddhist funeral ritual here in Isaan is calling out people's names to participate directly in the ritual.  When your name is called, you walk over the the steps of the crematorium where you are given an envelope containing a cash offering.  You then walk up the steps to the entrance of the furnace where the coffin is located.  You reverently pay your respects to the deceased person and place the envelope on a metal tray on top of the coffin.  I was up at the coffin taking photographs of the people making the offerings when I heard "Duangchan Veeboonkul", my wife's maiden name.  I thought that it was a little odd using her maiden name.  I waited.  We all waited.  I waited some more.  We all waited some more.  Nothing was happening.  It seemed like an eternity when some of the old ladies started cackling at Duang.  People all started laughing.  Realizing that this was a humorous event, I yelled out in Thai that it was "Duangchan Hale, not Duangchan Veeboonkul" and shook my fist.  Duang hurried to the steps to get her envelope - laughing and embarrassed at the same time - much to every one's amusement.  We have been officially married for five years so she is not accustomed to being called "Veeboonkul".

When the cover of the consumable coffin was removed for the pouring of water and placing of "daugchan", good luck charms, on the body, I was somewhat relieved to see Duang's father in the same position and expression as when I had declared him dead.  I was sure that he was dead but it was the first time that I had done that.  I did notice that there was quite a bit of condensation on his skin when the coffin was opened.  I had not seen that before.  Later, this week, I found out that the family had left the refrigerated coffin on for too long. That will be the subject of a future blog.

The Monks Are the First To Pour Coconut Water On the Body

The Monks were the first to pour coconut water on the body after supervising the cutting of the bindings on the body and the opening up of the shroud.  After they returned to the Sala, family members climbed the steps to pay their respects and pour the coconut water on the corpse.

Duang's Mother Says Good Bye and Wishes Her Husband Good Luck

Duang Pours Water On Her Father As Her Son Collects Daugchan

After everyone had paid their respects and placed a good luck charm, daugchan, the cushion, saht, and shroud were removed from the coffin and placed in the pile with Duang's father's personal items to be burned  on the ground next to the crematorium.  The corpse was rolled on its side so that split coconuts could be placed underneath the body.  I suspect that elevating the corpse above the base of the coffin facilitates the cremation process.  Using heavy cane knives, men made slits in the bottom of the coffin to drain it.

The consumable coffin was lifted by several men as the heavy metal charcoal filled carriage was pulled out from inside of the furnace.  As the consumable coffin was being lowered on to the charcoal bed, a man emptied two Lao Lao (375 ml) glass bottles containing hydrocarbon on the charcoal bed.  Once set in the proper place, the body inside of the consumable coffin was doused with another bottle of flammable fluid.  The carriage was rolled back into the furnace, the heavy metal doors closed and dogged off.  The senior Monk, "Rocketman", then placed a lit daugchan through the ignition portal to set the corpse ablaze.

As the charcoal was ignited, three large fireworks were launched into the air causing large bangs.  Again the fireworks are intended to scare away any bad spirits in the area as Duang's father's spirit commences its journey.



The Last Food Offered to Duang's Father's Spirit Is Buried By a Nephew

One of Duang's cousins took the tray of food that had been offered as nourishment to her father's spirit and buried it on the wat grounds using a siem.

Other family members set the pile of her father's possessions on fire but not before one of Duang's aunts first intervened and removed some articles of clothing as well as his portable radio.

The cremation ritual was over around 3:00 P.M.  I prepared to return to our home in Udonthani.  Duang would remain in the village with her family.  The cremation was over but as hucksters so often scream on late night television "But wait, there's more!"

After a person is cremated in Isaan, there is another ritual held called "Tamboon Roi Wan" or "Bone Party.  This ritual theoretically is held 100 days after the cremation.  In reality it is often held when the family has the financial resources to afford the event - an all day and all night eating, drinking, merit making and entertainment ritual.  When I say that some of the best parties that I have attended here have been funerals I am referring to these "Bone Party"

When he knew that he would be dead soon, Duang's father asked her to take care of him now rather than waiting 100 days or even longer for his Bone Party.  To comply with her father's wish, Duang planned his Bone Party for Sunday, two days after his cremation.

Looking Back At the "Inside" Wat