Buddhism Experience

Giving alms

Our experience began at 6 AM, the time for the monks to walk the streets giving the people the opportunity for alms giving. This is a chance to give the monks fresh food - either that you have cooked yourself, fresh fruit, or food purchased from a vendor. By calling out "ni mone" the monk will stop and open his pot for you to put the food and then he gives you a blessing. The food will be their meal this morning, for in Thailand, the monks don't cook. They eat what is given both for themselves and any temple boys (the poor) who are being fed and educated at the temple, and finally the stray dogs left at the temple. (No dumb friends league needed here.)

After our own breakfast, we visited Wat Chedi Luang in time for their morning chanting at 8 AM. This is also a Buddhist University offering both Buddhist and secular subjects for those who want to be a monk. Training typically beings at age 12.

We had a monk present us with an overview of Buddhist philosophy. There are 2 branches of Buddhism: the Mahayana branch is practiced in China, Tibet, Mongolia, and Japan. It is a more liberal interpretation: for example you can become like Buddha, monks can marry and participate in sports, the religious texts are written in Chinese. The Theravada branch is practiced in Sri Lanka, and South East Asia. It is a more ancient, conservative form: the language is ancient Pali, priests can't marry or practice sports.

There are five basic beliefs: the 3 gems - Buddha, Dharma (teaching) and Sangha (the Buddhist discipline); karma - your present situation is based on your previous life; and rebirth - that you will be reborn as another living thing with no memory of your previous life.

All Buddhists must practice the 5 principles: abstain from killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, lies and intoxicants. A novice monk has 5 additional principles: no money, sleep on the floor, no marriage, no entertainment, and they only eat 2 meals to be eaten before noon. A monk has 227 principles and a female monk, 311. Most young men become novice monks once or twice in their lives: typically at puberty, and perhaps after graduation from school. They may be a monk for as little as a week, but typically several months.

Three times around the Chedi

Later that morning, we climbed the hill above the city to Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep. According to legend, holy relics were put on a howdah on the back of white elephant, which then wandered to the top of the mountain and dropped dead there. So this is where they built the temple. The present temple is from the 16th century and features a gold-plated Chedi. The entire temple area has been donated, everywhere there are name plates of the donor - from pillars to bells to statues to Buddhas. We observed people walking 3 times around the Chedi with a lotus flower and 3 incense sticks. In other places people were donating on money trees (metal trees in the temple) or blessing themselves with holy water. Many of the monuments had pictures or name plates indicated whose ashes were contained therein.

In the afternoon, we visited a bronze factory, hand making tableware and statues.The real surprise was an umbrella factory where they made the umbrellas out of mulberry paper with bamboo frames. But the highlight was the hand painting. For about $1.50 they would paint a T-shirt or backpack with beautiful designs.

Handpainting an umbrella

In the evening, we had a home hosted dinner. Our hostess was fairly well to-do, her husband runs a vegetable business in Bangkok. They had a beautiful home with ornate wood carvings everywhere. She had both an indoor and outdoor kitchen with modern appliances. Her nieces and nephew cooked us a great Thai meal. A highlight was the salad we fixed ourselves: first we crushed garlic and peppers. Then we crushed green beans and cashews. To this we added a 1/2 measure of fish oil, 1/2 measure of lime juice, and a full measure of sugar water. Then we mixed in the other vegetables and fruit: pineapple, tomato slices, apple chunks and shredded carrot. It made for a nice salad. The other group went to a different house, and they had quite a night. Their hostess was a dancer, so after dinner they learned to dance the traditional Thai dances.