Yet Another Lao Loum Funeral

Monk Pours Coconut Water On the Corpse

In early January of this year, we attended the funeral for another family member, one of Duang's uncles from Tahsang Village.

Poopaw Veeboonkul was 60 years old.  He died three days after slipping in the shower and hitting his head.  He was unable to speak his entire life which made communications difficult for him. He did not let his nephew know about the accident until his internal bleeding due to injuries was too great and too late for the hospital to save him.  A life long bachelor he tended to and raised water buffalo.

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Gambling, other than the National Lottery, is illegal in Thailand.  But just as so many things are not always what they seem to be or even what they are supposed to be, gambling does exist and sometimes you do not have to look very hard to find it.  Typically in the small villages that dot the countryside in Isaan, you will find gambling going on where there is a funeral.  I thought that this might be due to a belief that "It is an ill wind that blows no good" in other words ... someone's misfortune in dying is counteracted by someone else's good fortune in a game of chance.  You know - the eastern philosophy of the ying and yang or achieving some balance in the Universe.  Well the reasoning for gambling at a funeral is not so altruistic.  According to my Lao Loum wife who has been to a great deal more of these funerals than me and speaks both Thai and Lao much better than me, the reason for gambling is to ensure that more people come to the funeral ritual.

Apparently the more people that participate or at least attend the funeral, the greater merit that is earned for the deceased person's spirit.  Wether people participate in the ritual or just gamble, they make an offering to the family of money or rice.  The offerings are than made to the Monks in the name of the donor as well as the deceased person.  In an Isaan take on the theme of the film  "Field of Dreams", rather than "Build it and they will come" the belief is "Have gambling, and even more of them will come". In deference to the Lao Loum mores, the police tolerate this gambling to a point.  Once the body starts to be cremated, it is sort of "all bets are off" and the police will stop any gambling and arrest all participants.

For this funeral, the gambling was across the village street at relatives' homes.  Yes, there was so many people wanting to gamble that there were actually two games of chance going on.  The people were playing a dice game called "Hai Low".  The game uses a vinyl cloth that resembles the betting table for a roulette wheel in a casino.  The people place their cash bets on the numbers, combinations, and permutations indicated on the cloth - just like playing roulette.  Three dice are placed on a plate, covered with the cover of a fartip (woven container for storing cooked sticky rice), shook or stirred, and the cover removed to reveal the dice.

While I was off taking photographs, Duang played for a while.  She ended up winning 1,000 Baht, about $30 USD and was smart as well as disciplined enough to quit.  Her aunt who usually runs a game at funerals, ended up losing 50,000 Baht, approximately $1,666 USD for the day.  At the end of the day I went looking for her.  When I found her I told her that I had heard that she was giving away money and I was wondering where my money was. We all enjoyed a good laugh - winning or losing everyone always seems to be able to laugh.

Procession Walking Through the Streets of Tahsang Village

Around 1:00 P.M., which is typical time, a procession lead by Monks traveled from the man's home to the Wat located inside of Tahsang Village. The procession circled the crematorium three times before the coffin was removed from the refrigerated coffin and placed on steel sawhorses in front of the door to the furnace.

Puffed Rice Is Spread On the Ground to Feed the Spirits

It was a very quiet day in the village up until midway through the funeral ritual.  The funeral was on a school day but it ended up being a half-day of classes.  One of the teachers attended the funeral along with her classes.  Her classes are made up of all my little friends from the village.  They immediately saw that I was taking photographs and wanted to get in on the action.  Of course I was all too willing to accommodate them much to the amusement of the other adults.  These are all children from poor families and I like to share with them some of the outside world as well as introducing them to some of the today's technology.  They get such enjoyment out of seeing themselves in a digital photograph that I can not say no to them or dissuade them.

Some of My Tahsang Village Friends

Wat Crematorium In Tahsang Village

It may seem strange to many readers that elementary classes would attend a funeral but here in Isaan children are not shielded from death.  They are taught from a very early age, as in in one year old, to show respect to older people.  Around the village, I am referred to as "Tahallen" (Grandfather Allen).  By having the class attend the funeral the children show their respect for one of their neighbors and also it reinforces the realization that life is temporary.

The Monk Whom I Nicknamed "Rocketman"  Supervising the Ritual

The ritual was supervised by the head Monk of the Wat inside of the village.  I have nicknamed him "Rocketman".  The first time that I saw him back in 2008, he was supervising the construction of homemade rockets at the Wat.

 http://www.hale-worldphotography.blogspot.com/2009/01/31-august-2008-prapheni-bun-bang-fai.html

He definitely knew a thing or two about building the gunpowder packed PVC pipe rockets and more importantly you could easily see that he really enjoyed it. Later in the day he was at the competition in another village far from Tahsang where the rockets were being fired off into the sky.

A Relative Pours Coconut Water Over the Corpse

Cleansing and Refreshing the Spirit

After people had poured coconut water and ordinary water on the remains of the man, the strings that had bound his hands and legs together were cut using a cane knife.

Cutting the Ties That Bind

A unique aspect of this funeral ritual involved coconuts.  All the funerals that I have attended here in Isaan utilized green coconuts.  The green coconuts do not have a husk and are cut at their top to allow their watery contents to be poured out on the corpse.  However at this funeral, the coconut shells of mature coconuts were also used.  These are the hard half shells of the coconuts that are typically sold in supermarkets in Europe, Canada, and the USA.  One of the man's relatives used a coconut half shell to touch various parts of the corpse.  When he was completed, the corpse was rolled over and the half shell as well as two others were placed beneath the buttocks and legs of the body.

Pouring Hydrocarbon On Charcoal Bed

The saht and comfortor that were in the disposable coffin were removed and placed in a pile off to the side of the crematorium.  The heavy cane knife that was used to cut the bindings on the hand and feet was used to cut drain holes in the disposable coffin.  While this was going on, a man poured hydrocarbon, I suspect naphtha on the charcoal bed of a heavy rolling metal carriage that had been pulled out of the crematorium furnace.  The disposable coffin was then filled with the good luck pieces that mourners had placed on top of the coffin.  The lid was placed on top of the coffin and it was placed on the rolling carriage.  The carriage was then pushed into the furnace.  The heavy door to the furnace was closed and a Monk ignited the charcoal bed using some burning good luck totems.

As the first wisps of smoke exited the chimney of the crematorium, three large fireworks were fired in succession into the air to scare away any bad spirits that might be in the area intending to interfere with the release of the man's spirit for its journey.  Off to the side of the crematorium, a man reverently buried the food and drink that had been placed upon the coffin as an offering to the man's spirit while the man's belonging burned.

After consulting with a person who knew about such matters, we walked directly to Duang's mother's home. Duang was concerned that if we did not first go back to the man's former home, the newly released spirit would follow us to her parent's house.  The man told her that it was OK to go directly to her parents.

Another day in the cycle of life in Isaan came to a close.

An Exorcism In Isaan

Theravada Buddhist Monk Performing An Exorcism

When I wrote about the relocation of the spirit houses at our home, I mentioned that my wife was dealing with some family issues.  One of the family issues is her daughter.  Duang's daughter is involved with a married man who is also involved with four other women while his wife is serving time in jail.  His wife will be released from jail in a month and Duang's daughter knows that her boyfriend will not leave his wife.  Despite knowing this, Duang's daughter is madly in love with this man.  She fears the heartache and heartbreak that are coming her way. When she does not see him, she hurts inside her head and inside of her body.  When she is with him she is very happy. She is obsessed with this man and suspects perhaps that she is possessed by this man.

Possessed by someone?  In Isaan and perhaps Thailand in general there is a belief that people can make other people love them when there is no reason, justification, or wisdom to do so.  I was first made aware of this back in March 2007 when by circumstance we attended a celebration of a Mon wedding in Samut Songkhran.  I ended up dancing with some of the women and while dancing I had strange twitches as well as tingling in my hand.  At first Duang said that it was good because it was a religious dance and I was being effected.  However when her friend told her that Mon people knew how to get people to leave the people they love to love them instead, Duang became very cautious as well as defensive.  She warned me not to eat or drink anything that the women may offer me.  Supposedly, the people have you eat or drink something in which they have put a bad spirit in beforehand.

Just as I wrote recently about how you will read that Buddhist Monks are not supposed to sing, if you research on the Internet, you will find that except for Tibetan Buddhists, Buddhists do not believe or practice exorcisms.  There is a dichotomy in life.  There is the way life is supposed to be and the way that it actually is, which quite often is very different.

Just as it is virtually impossible to define or describe universally in any detailed level what an American or any other nationality is, let alone what they may believe, so it is difficult to define what Buddhists believe and even more so what heir practices are.  There is a large gap between what are theoretical believes and local practices and applications.  As you read more and believe that you understand better, you realize how many exceptions there are to what you have read or originally believed that you understand.    This can cause a great deal of confusion or frustration, but it can lead to a better appreciation for the richness and complexity of what you are studying or experiencing.

Once again I do not profess to be an expert on Buddhism, but can only reassure you that I am accurately recording what I have witnessed with some explanation coming from my wife.

The other day at a funeral that I did not attend, one of Duang's aunts told her that she has two daughters just like Duang's daughter and how a certain Monk had rid them of the bad spirits that were the source of their bad and self destructive behavior.  When Duang discussed that option with her daughter, her daughter agreed to go.

Yesterday we drove out to Tahsang Village to pick up Duang's aunt who knew where the Wat was and Duang's daughter.  We drove out to Huai Koeng Village.  It turned out that the Monk is another of Duang's relatives.  He is known as the second best Monk in the area for expelling bad spirits from people.  I did not realize at the time but the young Monk that lead the exorcism of Nongdaeng Village in December 2010 is considered the best Monk for performing exorcisms.  I asked how long he had been a Monk and through Duang I learned that he had been a Monk for 16 years.

Two Funerals and An Exorcism

The ritual started with what appeared to be an informal interview during which the Monk wrote down information such as her age, her birth date, and where she lived. From Duang he determined what the issues were. he confirmed with Duang's daughter what the issues were. With the formalities completed, the Monk had Duang's aunt go off to the local market to buy some eggs.  Shortly she returned with a bottle of Pepsi for me and 7 fresh eggs.  The eggs were part of the ensuing ritual.  Eggs are very important in some rituals in Isaan.  I had to eat a hard boiled egg as part of our marriage ritual.  Eggs were smashed on the ground during the exorcism of Nongdaeng Village.

What followed was a fairly typical merit making ritual, except for the use of the eggs and a metal sword. A pressed metal bowl contained Baii Sii Kwan made from banana leaves, a cotton string (disaisein) connected Duang's daughter a bucket  of water, the raw eggs, the sword, an offering plate and the Monk.

The Monk did a great deal of chanting and blowing air upon the eggs as if he was preparing them for something.

Two burning yellow candles where placed over the bucket of water while the ritual was being performed.  The pattern(s) that the wax drippings from the candles make in the water of the bucket indicates the internal state of the person and is an indicator of the future for the person.  In the case of Duang's daughter the dripping candle (one of the candles had fallen into the bucket about 3/4 the way through this portion of the exorcism) had created a spiral design on the water's surface - I was told that this was not a good sign.

After the completion of this ritual, Duang's daughter changed into a "pahtoon" (Lao clothing - wrap around cloth from the arm pits to just above the ankles).  We congregated outside where she sat before the Monk.  As he chanted, he poured cold water over her several times.

Monk Sprays Water With His Mouth, One of Three Times

As part of the cleansing ritual the Monk filled his mouth with water and quite forcibly sprayed Duang's daughter with a fine mist three separate times..

Monk Blows Upon the Head, One of Three Times

As she was drip drying in the bright sunlight, while chanting the Monk blew air upon Duang's daughter's head three times.  Duang's daughter then went into the bathroom and changed into dry clothing.

A beautiful saht (woven reed mat) was placed on the landing outside of the door to the sala.  Duang's daughter laid down on the mat.  The Monk knelt beside her.  He had her loosen her blouse and pull her blouse up to expose the back of her neck and lower back.  Monks are not allowed to touch women or to become aroused by women so we were threading on dangerous ground here.  I could have written we were on "thin ice" here but even now in "cold season" the low temperatures are 60F at night so there is no possibility of any ice. to tread upon. To ensure that would not be any problems, Duang assisted the Monk by moving clothing as directed by the Monk and using a hand towel to cover exposed areas of flesh not involved in the exorcism ritual.

Starting with the back of the neck, the Monk rubbed an egg on various parts of the daughter's prostrate body.  The Monk's fingers never touched the daughter's body as he rubbed the egg on her body.  After he had finished rubbing her lower back, and upper back, the monk had her lay upon her back on the saht.

Monk Blows Air On Abdomen As You Uses A Bronze Sword and Egg for Exorcism

As she lay on her back, the Monk probed her stomach lightly with a heavy intricately embossed bronze sword called a "mitdap".  It appeared that the monk was using the mitdap to press and better expose sections of the abdomen for the egg .  Occasionally the Monk would interrupt his chanting to ask Duang's daughter where she was feeling discomfort.  I later found out that the Monk was forcing the bad spirit form inside the body to go into the egg.  As I had learned back at the exorcism of Nongdaeng Village, phii (ghosts, bad spirits) are attracted to and like to feed upon raw eggs.

Using the Mitdap and Egg To Capture Bad Spirit

Using A Knife To Rid Body of Bad Spirit

After using the egg on the body, the Monk used a small handcrafted knife, very similar to the ones that we purchased in Laos, to rhythmically tap the torso as he continued to chant.  When he had completed tapping the body with the small knife, the Monk had Duang's daughter sit up.  He then drew out some kind of design on her lower back using what appeared to be a glue stick and some oil (not motor oil).  Duang said that this was to prevent bad spirit from going back in.

The Monk then used the small handcrafted knife to scrape the daughter's back as he chanted.

When he completed this portion of the ritual, Duang, Duang's aunt and I went off to the side where the egg used in the exorcism was cracked open which revealed three small blood like specks in the egg white.  They were pointed out to me and I was told that these were from the bad spirits that had been removed from Duang's daughter.

We all returned inside of the sala where the Monk completed the exorcism by performing a traditional Bai Sii ritual - binding the 32 good spirits to the body by tying a cotton string around the wrist.  The entire exorcism had lasted 2 hours.

Last night, Duang talked to her mother in Tahsang Village and learned that her daughter has been a completely new person.  She had cleaned the upstairs, cleaned the downstairs, did the laundry and had not talked back to any one.  Duang told her mom that tomorrow would be a new day and would would see if she had really changed.

Today Duang learned that her daughter had gone off with her boyfriend once again - boosting my theory that  her aching is not from his absence but more likely from "withdrawal" not from any "food" that he maybe feeding her but from whatever she may be eating that he gives her.

Life is suffering and the issues that cause suffering in Isaan are the same issues that cause families and individuals to suffer all over this world.  Although the methods used to try to stop or prevent the suffering may be different from culture to culture they can not be effective on the people unless they are committed to making the necessary changes in their life. It is sad.  But it is true.  It has been true since man started exercising free will and will always be true.  But it does not stop us from trying our best and all we can do for others.

Here's Hoping That Third Time Is Really the Charm

Our Spirit Houses - Relocated Once Again

Here's hoping that the saying "Third time is the charm" or perhaps the saying "If you want a job done correctly the first time, hire a professional"  well maybe not "hire" in this case but rather "use the services of" is true.

When we moved into our home in Udonthani in September of 2008 there was a special ritual to install two spirit houses on our property.  Spirit houses (san phra phum) are shrines to the animist spirits. The houses are found throughout Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia. The spirit house is built like a miniature Buddhist temple mounted on a pillar or platform. They are meant to be the homes of the land spirits.

Spirit worship, referred to as "Animism", in Thailand goes back to the migration of the Thai people from northern Vietnam. Animism predated Buddhism in Thailand and Buddhism developed side by side with Animism in Thailand. The two religions are very intricately interwoven and many practices today in Buddhism are actually Animism beliefs and rituals.

The spirit houses are a shrine where offerings of food, fruit, flowers, candles, incense, water, soft drinks as well as whiskey are made.

The san phra phum provide a dwelling for the wandering guardian spirits for the buildings and areas of  land. The spirits can cause problems and suffering if they are not kept happy. There are spirit houses at homes, shopping centers, businesses, government buildings, factories, oil refineries - everywhere but at a Wat. The spirit houses are not part of Buddhism.

The spirits are kept happy by offering them gifts frequently. People believe that the spirits can influence coming events, grant wishes, and keep people healthy. I have seen the daily ritual of offering candles, incense, fruit and whiskey made at some Go-Go bars prior to opening for the night.

I wrote about the installation of our spirit houses in a previous blog back in September 2008.

http://hale-worldphotography.blogspot.com/2009/01/17-september-2008-spirit-houses.html

Everything seemed to going just fine until 2010.  In 2010, Duang's uncle, who had selected the location for our spirit houses and performed the ritual associated with installing them, became ill.  He was hospitalized and was eventually sent home when the doctors said that they could not do anything more for him.  In October 2010, another Shaman had told Duang and her relatives that the uncle would be dead within two weeks unless our Spirit Houses were relocated.  According to the Shaman, Duang's uncle was not fully qualified to do a spirit house installation ritual.  We went ahead and had the Shaman do a relocation ritual of our spirit houses.  He actually ended up leaving one in the original location in the front yard and moved one house to our side yard.

The relocation ritual was subject of a blog entry on October 29, 2010.  Amazingly Duang's uncle who had been sent home to die survived well into 2012.  We were fortunate to be able to visit him a few times upon our return to Thailand before he died this October

http://hale-worldphotography.blogspot.com/2010/10/having-answers-faith.html

Amazingly Duang's uncle who had been sent home to die survived well into 2012.  We were fortunate to be able to visit him a few times upon our return to Thailand before he died this October

Recently my wife has been dealing with a health issue along with family issues in addition to a number of funerals that we have been attending since our return from the USA.  Apparently in consultations with people, Duang became convinced that the problem was due to our spirit houses.  Even though the spirit houses had been relocated by a second Brahman, the spirits were still not happy which was manifested in the issues that Duang and her family were dealing with.

I do not get into metaphysical discussions with my wife regarding her beliefs.  I support her because those beliefs provide her comfort and a moral compass.  It is her heritage and her culture. Her devotion to those beliefs was part of what attracted me to her in the beginning. I am content to just know what her beliefs are.

Mass Transit In Isaan - 14 People in a Pick Up Truck

Duang made all the arrangements to have the Monk from the Wat outside of her home village to come to our home and preside over the relocation of the spirit houses.

Last Thursday, the Monk, his handler, Duang's mother, our grandson, Peelawat, and 10 grandmothers from Tahsang Village arrived at home in the early morning for the relocation ritual.  The grandmothers were a combination of aunts and friends.  Personally I suspect that they were Tahsang Village's answer to the "Red Hat Society".

Monks are not allowed to drive motor vehicles or to travel unaccompanied with women so each Wat has a layman who will assist Monks in these activities.

Under Peelawat's Watchful Eye, Women Prepare For Ritual

While the Monk determined what should be done with the spirit house, the women helped Duang to prepare for ritual and common meal for after the ritual.

Preparing Petals for the Ritual

Part of the preparation was to strip a bunch of chrysanthemums of their petals and place them on a religious pressed metal stand.  Other preparations include setting up plates and trays of bananas, oranges, grapes, coconut  and other fruits as offerings to the spirits.  Duang had also had me buy a box of beer, Leo, but that turned out to be an offering to the old ladies rather than to the spirits.

After the Monk had finished the ritual he came inside and ate his only meal of the day.  When he had selected his food to eat, I went upstairs to get a break from the animated conversation of the old women while they outside underneath our car port.  Later in the day, I thought that I would treat myself to a beer.  I was shocked to discover that the ladies had drank all the beer.  Perhaps that was the reason for the animated conversations.

Duang and Tey's Grandmother Prepare White Candles for the Ritual.

Besides having a Monk performing the spirit house ritual, this relocation involved me more greatly.  I had to stick some of the burning Joss sticks into the fruit offerings that Duang had placed before the spirit houses.  In previous rituals, I had only held on to three lit Joss Sticks.  Perhaps that is what was missing?  Maybe it was the white candles in addition to the yellow candles?  We also did not use chrysanthemum petals previously.

Duang Places Lit White Candles

The Monk Lights Joss Sticks

The relocation ritual concluded with Duang placing some long garlands over the relocated houses.

The morning went along well with the only "issue" being our grandson, Peelawat. starting to sing out a sort of snake charmer music that I hum to him when we play Muay Thai boxing.   The music is played when the boxers perform their "wai khru ram muay" but is definitely not appropriate to do when a Monk is chanting as part of a formal ritual.  His great grandmother quickly stopped him.

I am optimistic that having had a Monk perform the ritual, the spirits are happy now and the spirit houses can remain where they are now.

Duang is feeling more secure and confident now that the houses have been properly installed in the correct location - at the side of our yard.  She says that it will all be better for us and the family now.

As for me, I am wondering and perhaps I am somewhat confused.

In late September, I was contacted by a client in Europe who wanted to use 23 of my photographs in a public display.  We had agreed on pricing and I had sent a Limited Copyright License Agreement for use of the photographs along with an invoice.  In late October I contacted the client and informed them that the invoice had not been paid nor had they returned the conformed Limited Copyright Agreement for use of the photographs.  The client informed me that they would check with the public institution where the photographs would be displayed.  After almost two months of no word, I believed that there was no longer an interest.

The very night that the spirit houses were properly relocated, I received an email informing me that the project had been approved and the funds allocated.  By the end of the next day, I had received both the conformed LCLA and the license fee.  When I told Duang of the developments  Duang just knowingly smiled and said "Buddha take care, now"

This is not the first time that unexplained things, for me, but ordinary based upon Duang's faith and beliefs have happened.  I often joke that I have no hope if she decides to use her powers against me.

I have written that in my blogs that I write of what I have seen and experienced.  I do not try to proselytize.

I wrote earlier in this blog that I support Duang in her beliefs because those beliefs provide her comfort and a moral compass.  It could also be that after having witnessed and experienced several things with her  ... I am keeping my options open or at least keeping the spirits happy.

Death Be Not Private - A Lao Loum Experience

A Lao Loum Woman Mourns Her Brother's Death

John Donne in his poem, "Death Be Not Proud", wrote:

          "Death, be not proud, though some have called thee
           Mighty and dreadful, for thou are not so; ..."

Here in Northeast Thailand in the region called "Isaan" a similar attitude prevails and from my personal experiences I would add "Death Be Not Private"  In the Lao Loum culture most often a person will die surrounded by family and friends.  One certainty is that their funeral will be a large public event.

On Thursday I attended the third funeral ritual of this month.  One of Duang's uncles, her father's oldest brother, died at the age of 77. He was a special man. Paujon Veeboonkul (Wirboonkun - Thai names can have several English spellings) had performed our "wedding" http://hale-worldphotography.blogspot.com/2009/01/19-august-2008-isaan-weddings.html and also officiated at the blessing of our home http://hale-worldphotography.blogspot.com/2009/01/14-september-2008-isaan-house-warming.html  and http://hale-worldphotography.blogspot.com/2009/01/17-september-2008-spirit-houses.html

Kuhn Paujon Conducting Our Wedding Ritual

When he became ill two years ago, it was determined by another Brahman that the problem was due to Kuhn Paujon not being fully sanctioned to perform the spirit house installation,  http://hale-worldphotography.blogspot.com/2010/10/having-answers-faith.html. The spirits were upset with him.   At the time the Brahman priest stated that Duang's uncle would die within 2 weeks if the spirit houses were not relocated and properly dedicated.  Duang had the ritual performed and her uncle lived almost 2 years more to the day.  Again, as I have written several times before, I do not judge or proselytize; I merely share what I have observed and experienced.

Kuhn Paujon was a school teacher, a very respected profession amongst the Lao Loum people.  Teachers and Policemen are professions that are held in high regard by the people of Isaan.  These are uniformed positions that although not commonly attained can be attained by the children of the subsistence farmers of Isaan.  Duang's uncle's only son is a policeman and so are two of his grandsons - a source of pride for the family.

Kuhn Paujon besides teaching 14 year old students, was a Brahman priest.  He was familiar with the various religious rituals of the Buddhist, Hindu, and Animist faiths.  His knowledge and services were in constant use for weddings, births, sickness, house blessings, deaths, and all occasions where it was deemed necessary to placate the spirit world.  He had been a Monk for five years before he got married.  After ten years of marriage he had a son.

Duang's uncle was special in another way - he had two daughters.  One daughter was the child of villagers who were not financially able to raise the baby.  At birth, the parents signed papers for Kuhn Paujon and his wife to adopt the baby.  His other daughter is Duang's older sister.  When Duang was born, her family was too poor to raise two children.  Duang's uncle and his wife took in Duang's older sister and raised her as their own child.  Such is the way it is in Isaan, then and even today.

For this and many other reasons, Kuhn Paujon was highly respected and revered in the local community.  He spent the past two months in the hospital ding of what I suspect was colorectal cancer.  His bill for the hospital stay was 140,000 Baht ($4,666  USD).  In Thailand there is no national health coverage and her uncle did not have health insurance.  Family members, friends, and neighbors have contributed to help pay the bill.

While in the hospital, Kuhn Paujon was not alone.  Daily his personal needs were met by attentive family members. Part of the Lao Loum tradition is to have a death watch hopefully that at the time of passing the dying person will hear words of encouragement according to my wife along the lines of " OK, you go now.  Good luck to you.  You not go down down you go up.  Buddha take care of you  You not think too much.  You poor now.  Maybe you come back soon better maybe come back as King. Good Luck to you".  When he died, his body was transported back to his home in Nongdaeng Village to lie in state for three days.  Since Duang was so close to her uncle, she stayed at the village for the entire ritual.  I remained at home but attended the cremation ritual on Thursday.

So why am I writing once again about a Lao Loum funeral?  I am writing once again about a funeral here in Isaan because the ritual and experience here is neither private or an event to be dreaded.  This is very foreign to me and my American experience.  I am fond of quoting the Buddhist attitude towards death as 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"  he states "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.

I share these funeral ritual experiences to provide a perspective on the matter that is most likely not available to many of this blog's readers.  It is not a morbid curiosity or obsession that motivates me.  The blogs on the Lao Loum funeral ritual are documentation on the inevitability of death for all of us, how common and often that it occurs, and how other cultures deal with the event.

On the morning of the cremation, people arrived at the family home in Nongdaeng Village.  One of the first things that they do after giving wais (prayer type gestures of respect and greeting) to the tables of guests who are seated, drinking and eating is to go to a table next to the public address system.  Seated at the table next to a man that is performing a running commentary over the top of recorded ethnic music is a man with a ledger and pen.  Cash donations are given to the man who dutifully records the name of the contributor as well as the amount of cash donated.  The commentator uses the ledger to announce the arrival of the mourner as well as their cash donation.  The cash will be donated to the local Monks in the name of the deceased, the selected person who presents the donation, as well as the donor. Some people who do not have cash to donate will contribute sacks of sticky rice, the stable food for the Lao Loum people. These contributions are also recorded in the ledger and dutifully announced to the public.  The rice donations are made and kept in front and to the side of the coffin inside of the home.  Periodically the smaller sacks are consolidated  into a large 55 kg bag.  The rice is given to the local Wat in the name of the deceased and donor for the Monks to distribute as needed to very poor people. Costs for the food, drink, and other funeral expenses are paid from family savings, bank loans, family donations, friend donations, neighbor donations and insurance payments.

A Villager Places A Donation of Sticky Rice In Front of the Coffin

Funerals are grand social events in the Lao Loum culture.  It is an opportunity for people to get together and to be seen.  For most it seems to be also an opportunity to be heard. There is a great deal of social pressure to participate in the ritual.  One of the reasons that the cremation takes place three days after the death is to allow family and friends to arrive from distant locales.  The funerals, at times, are not silent and somber events.  There is a great deal of talk, at times even during the religious chanting.  There is typically a great deal of drinking - beer and Lao Lao (Lao version of moonshine whiskey).  Sometimes, but not at this funeral, there is also gambling. However the funerals are always dignified.

Mourners Inside of Kuhn Paujon's Home

Mourners typically wear black or dark clothing at a funeral with the exception of teachers who wear their khaki colored uniforms.  At this funeral there were some woman dressed in white.  We are approaching the end of Buddhist Lent.  During Buddhist Lent some females make special merit by wearing white while making merit and attending religious retreats at the Wat.  My wife did not attend a retreat but she wore white clothing each night while praying before bed.

The Abbott, Paujon's Brother, Recites Buddhist Scripture from a Buddhist Scripture Book

Approximately 350 people including government officials attended the cremation ritual. Children of all ages also attended and participated in the event. Funerals are not life events that children are sheltered from. Lao Loum funerals are rituals just as important and public as weddings, Monk ordinations, and celebrations of birth are for the individual as well as the community.  Funerals are reminders of the fate that awaits all of us.  Funerals are reminders to the Lao Loum of the circle of life and the quest for enlightenment.

Duang's Aunt Pours Water As Part of Merit Making Ritual for her Husband

Part of the standard Buddhist Merit Making ritual involves pouring of water while the Monks chant.  The pouring of the water is a method of transferring merit to the spirits of those who can not participate in the ritual.  After the ritual is completed the water is reverently poured slowly at the base of trees and plants that are around the Wat.  I usually can tell what tree to select because they are often marked with decorations indicating that a spirit dwells within the tree.

Led by Monks Holding Disaisin, Procession Departs the Home For the Wat

After a merit making ritual in the family home, the coffin was loaded upon a pickup truck and transported in a procession to the local Wat led by the Monks holding on to a cotton cord that was attached to the coffin.  A man walked at the head of the procession with the Monks sprinkling the ground with puffed rice carried in a woven basket.  He also stopped at times along the route to mark the journey with small flags.  The puffed rice is offered as nourishment to the local spirits - apparently a well fed ghost is a happy ghost and less likely to cause problems.  The flags are also an offering to the phii (ghosts) and I suspect denotes a demarcation between their territory and the space being used by the funeral procession.

Puffed Rice Is Offered to the Spirits As the Procession Circles the Crematorium

A cotton cord, called "disaisin" is carried by the Monks and is attached at the other end to the coffin. In the Animist world there are many spirits.  In each human there are 32 spirits that are necessary to keep a person healthy and happy.  An Animist ritual which is ubiquitous in the Lao Loum culture is the Baicii or Baisii.  In the Baisii ritual, pieces of cotton string are tied around a person's wrist to bind the 32 good spirits in their body thereby ensuring good luck, fortune, and good health.  For a large congregation of people the disaisin apparently serves a similar purpose - to connect this world with the spirit world.

Disaisin Connects Coffin to Nearby Sala for Part of Funeral

The procession circled the crematorium three times - symbolic for Buddha, The teachings of Buddha, and the Sanga (Buddhist religious community).  At the conclusion of the circumambulation, the inner coffin containing the corpse was removed from the refrigerated coffin, carried up the concrete stairs and placed upon metal sawhorses located in front of the door to the oven

Paujon's Nephew Escorts His Uncle's Coffin Around the Crematorium

The Sala is a covered open sided building where the Monks gather for merit making rituals.  They as always are seated above the congregation of people.  This is symbolic of the respect the people have for them and a demonstration of the higher status in this life that Monks have attained.

Some people are selected to present offerings such as Monk's robes.  These too are placed atop the closed coffin

Seated In the Sala, Monks Pass Daisaisin That Links Them to the Coffin

Off to the side of the Sala there is a commentator and public address system. Part of the ritual involves reciting a eulogy for the deceased. Another part of the ritual is to announce and call up esteemed guests, family members, and close friends. The selected people are each given a sealed envelope containing cash to be offered in their name and in the name of the deceased. The selected people, one by one climb the crematorium stairs, pay their respects and place the offering on the coffin.

Following Her Sister, Duang Makes An Offering to Her Uncle

After the selected people had gone up the crematorium stairs to present and place cash offerings on the coffin the tray of envelopes were removed and people were called out to take an envelope and place it in front of a Monk seated in the Sala as an offering in the name of the presenter as well as the deceased.

After the ritual of offering and accepting, all people picked up a totem called a "daugjen" from a table at the foot of the crematorium stairs.  Daugjens are small handicraft items that are constructed of bamboo and/or paper that symbolize good luck tokens for the spirit about to be released by the flames on its journey.

A Young Girl Prepares To Place A Daugjen On the Coffin

After Knocking Three Times, Some Final Words

In a poignant and respectful gesture, one of the mourners after placing a daugjen in a common metal tray atop the coffin, bent down at the side of the coffin, rapped three times on the coffin's side and quietly uttered some last words of farewell.


 

Daungchan Places A Daugjen On Her Uncle's Coffin

Headman of Tambon Siaw Places A Monk's Robe On the Coffin

 

Monks Accepting Robe Offerings

After the offering portion of the ritual was completed, the top of the coffin was removed to expose the corpse.  Starting with the Monks, followed by family members and then selected guests, coconut water was poured over the corpse.  The pouring of coconut water is the final cleansing of the body prior to cremation and to nourish the spirit for its upcoming release and journey.

A Novice Monk Prepares To Pour Coconut Water On the Corpse of His Grandfather

After pouring of the coconut water is completed, the saht (a woven reed mat) and or comforter that the body was laying on is removed and taken off to an area at the base of the crematorium to be burned with other personal possessions.  Holes are punched into the bottom of the coffin to drain the coconut water.  The coffin is then lifted and placed on to a wheeled metal carriage containing charcoal. doused with a hydrocarbon accelerant and wheeled into the crematorium oven.  As the flame starts to ignite the body, fireworks are launched into the air to scare off any bad spirits that may be hanging around the area.  The intent is to clear the way for the deceased person's spirit as it starts its journey.

At the same time that the funeral fire is starting and the fireworks are exploding, in an act of renouncing this world and its worldly possessions, family members throw wrapped hard candy and colorfully wrapped coins to the awaiting crowd consisting mainly of children.

Children Scramble to Gather Candy and Coins Tossed As a Demonstration for the Renunciation of Worldly Goods and Possessions

This was yet another funeral that I have witnessed.  But during this funeral I found myself internally celebrating and taking comfort in the ritual.  The familiarity of a ritual that has been practiced over 2,000 years seemed to provide a link to the past all the while of serving as a map to a future destination. Death seems to be more familiar and less frightening; something that I have just begun to experience but is taught from an early age in Isaan.  Like so many situations in life, fear and the lack of knowledge impart greater power than is justified by facts.

                   "Death, be not proud, though some have called thee
                    Mighty and dreadful, for thou are not so; ..."

As I have at every funeral here in Isaan, I walked away impressed with the dignity, respect, and compassion that the community had demonstrated  for one of their own.



Young Boy Watches the Smoke Ascending From Crematorium