Celebration At The Temple

[Totster]

Well .... I have just had 4 of the most interesting days ... even though i didn't fully understand what was going on...

It started on the 1st, with everyone in the village gathering at the temple, with money "trees" ( each house had made a money tree ) and also obtaining packs with the gold colour robes, and then singing and dancing around the village following a truck with a big black ball ( which is important i'm told ) to live isaan music played at deafening volume.

When we had danced around then whole village everyone then proceeded into the temple to pray and throw the packs of robes into a small pit under the black ball, I now discovered there were nine of these balls in total, one in the temple and eight around the outside of the temple. The money trees were also placed in another part of the temple grounds.

The next day started early, back to the temple again, obtained some robes, flowers, a pack containing school books and pencil, and nine small slithers of gold leaf. First we went into the temple and after praying, dropped the robes and school materials into the pit below the black ball. After this we took one of the slithers of gold leaf and stuck it to the ball, after being blessed by the monk we proceeded outside, and did the same by the other eight black balls, the only difference being is that we had a gong to strike three times, each one a different note.

This carried on for a few days, sometimes we would put small change into the pits below the balls and sometimes charms.

In addition to this we also had to put 1 baht into 100 pots for good luck and also some money into a pot which had the day we were born with, all good luck.

All the women took turns in the kitchens making food fo all who wanted it over these days, and they did a fantastic job.

On the last day everybody gathered at the temple one last time. They were all the to witness the balls being released into the pits, this was dome by taking an axe the rope that held them. As soon as this was done a mad rush took over, everyone wanted the rope that held the balls and also some of the masses of white string tied all over the temple wall, this I'm told is very good to have, my wife has some and is now proudly situated at the Buddha shrine in the house.

I'm told that a temple only does this once and I was very lucky to have the opportunity to be there. I just wish I understood it more.

Anyway it was a fantastic few days and to round it all off, a great big bloody stage was erected and some "superstars" came and sang for us everyone got absolutley plastered and then got a good bashing from the "police".

Can anyone give me a good explanation as to what I have been doing, I have asked my wife, but she cannot really explain it very well.

Cheers

Totster

[SEAtramp]

You have just participated in Tod Kratin.

[Anek18]

I am Thai Isaan but I had never seen blackball thing u're talking about either.. Usually we celebrate New Year.. by Tum Boin where u see trees with money, flowers, candles, and foods...

You gotta love Thai woman ..they are very traditional in doing their part like cooking etc..

Isaan people tend to get in the fight during concert, club, tek etc....it is very common

[Totster]

update...

It wasn't Tod Kratin as someone suggested.... it was actually called something like " Luuk remit"... don't know if I have said it correctly, but thats what it sounds like

See the pics

Totster

[Abandon]

Luuk Nimit is burying of the 'sima stones'.

Every temple has an official chapel which is a specially consecrated area where ordinations and other rites can be officially held. If you look around any inner chapel you will see the 8 markers where the 'nimits' have been buried marking the sima boundary. Sima is the consecrated area.

New 'temples' are not officially temples until they have this boundary marked out and the proper rites performed. Before that they are a Sam Nak Song - a Buddhist Centre. Occasionally what you think of as a proper temple will make this sima area and become a real temple. Occasionally a new sima is made, usually to increase the size. Otherwise it is done for a new temple being built.

There was a ban on new simas a few years ago in the economic crash, but they could still be done with permission from the ministry. Today you still need the permission from the Sangha Council and from the Buddhist Ministry and it is quite a big special event. Some country temples have been there for generations without the sima area - mostly because of the cost and complexity of marking out the area, but they are not officially 'temples' and cannot do ordinations etc...

Here's one link - googled " marking sima boundary "

http://www.buddhamind.info/leftside/actives/sima-bless.htm

Amaravati is a good example of an established 'temple' that was still not an official temple due to not having this boundary marked out with the planting of the nimits.

[Totster]

Pandit....Many thanks for that very informative reply and link.... I now better understand what it was all about....

totster

[sabaijai]

Just to clarify the terminology here, luuk nimit (ลูกนิมิต, literally 'marker balls') refers to the cannonball-like spheres placed underground, while bai sema (ใบเสมา, less commonly bai sima or ใบสีมา ) are the leaf-shaped markers of cement or stone that are planted on top and remain visible. Before the luuk nimit are buried consecration rituals are held in which goldleaf is applied and katha (Buddhist verses) are chanted.

The ceremony you observed is called ngaan fang luuk nimit - งานฝังลูกนิมิต - or Burying the Marker Balls Festival, and it can only be held once for any given wat.

At some wats extra luuk nimit are kept above ground in various auspicious formations.

[Abandon]

I think that technically the luk nimit is only the 9th one buried centrally, and not the ones surrounding the bot (chapel). I could be wrong there, but anyway I would assume that even most Thai's would not differentiate.

[sabaijai]

I think that technically the luk nimit is only the 9th one buried centrally, and not the ones surrounding the bot (chapel). I could be wrong there, but anyway I would assume that even most Thai's would not differentiate.

When I've come across the 'formations' I mentioned above, and asked about them, I was told they were all luuk nimit as were the balls beneath bai sema, not just the ninth one. If only the 9th one is 'luuk nimit', then what are the others called? I've only heard Thais refer to the balls as luuk nimit and the cement or stone slabs above ground as bai sema. I could have misunderstood or been misinformed, but for certain the slabs on top are called bai sema, not luuk nimit.

I have a neighbour who teaches Buddhist art & architecture at CMU and is a former monk and expert on all things related to wat construction and consecration, so will ask when next I see him.

[Abandon]

Interesting to see what he says Sabaijai. Below is an extract from the link I gave above which seems to echo what I heard one time about the 9th stone being the luk nimit.

In the Thai tradition the sima is not truely complete until a ninth stone - the 'luk nimit' - is interred in the 'heart' of the Temple. The placing of the boundary stones is largely a monastic ceremony whereas the luk nimit is of greater interest to the laity and the ceremony is often much more ornate.

But generally, like you, I have heard all 9 stones being referred to as the luk nimit.

[Totster]

Sorry to drag up an old topic but I have had the good fortune to attend one of these ceremonies again, so I thought I would post some pics.

totster

Edited December 28, 2011 by Totster

[camerata]

Thanks for the great photos. I have put gold leaf on a luk nimit but I've never attended the fang luk nimit ceremony. There is some old belief that if you attend 9 of these ceremonies you get a whole lot of merit.