Excess Superstition

[Maybole]

Passing alongside my house is a 1 metre deep irrigation chanel . With the Paw Luang's encouragement and the help of a neighbour, I have cleared it of about 20cm of silt over a 40 metre length. This week the chanel has now about 40cm water flowing through it. We also cleared the 30 or so metres between the chanel and my wall of all vegetation and spread the aforementioned silt on it. Neighbour and our family are now trying to grow vegetables there again with the encouragement of the Paw Luang.

Yesterday, my sister-in-law's pal, trying to fill a watering can, fell into the chanel. It was a simple case of her overreaching, but she got wet and muddy, so did I while helping her out.

Now we have to have a big ceremony to placate or drive away the malevolent spirit who is upset at our disturbance of its habitat and who PUSHED HER IN.

Logic fails me.

 

Edited September 28, 2018 by CharlieH
Title corrected

[bluesofa]

Uphill struggle I know, I can't but help directly laughing at them when this stuff comes.

I knew a ferang monk running a Thai temple in the UK who used to give the Thai & other Buddhists a hard time about this rubbish.

He told them outright it was nothing to do with Buddhism and to stop talking about it and believing it.

They weren't happy, but it shut them up though.

 

Probably more difficult here as the mumbo-jumbo is more ingrained in with the religion and accepted by the monks as well.

 

[mauGR1]

I am not superstitious, i heard it brings bad luck.

[MaksimMislavsky]

Had anyone ever fallen into the channel before you cleaned it?

Edited September 28, 2018 by MaksimMislavsky
formatting

[MaksimMislavsky]

18 minutes ago, bluesofa said:

He told them outright it was nothing to do with Buddhism and to stop talking about it and believing it.

Sure it has nothing to do with Buddhism, yet it doesn't run contrary to it in any respect whatsoever, either. It is so much older.

[zzaa09]

One's defined superstition is another's mysterious spirituality. 

 

Perspectives and interpretations will vary greatly, as there isn't an absolute for superior/inferior "logic". 

 

Intolerant reasoning could be a factor. 

[mauGR1]

13 minutes ago, zzaa09 said:

One's defined superstition is another's mysterious spirituality. 

 

Perspectives and interpretations will vary greatly, as there isn't an absolute for superior/inferior "logic". 

 

Intolerant reasoning could be a factor. 

There are many forces and energies in the nature , which are obviously invisible to the physical eyes.

To dismiss anything which we cannot see as "superstition" is not correct.

 

[Boon Mee]

 I'm not superstitious but a black cat ???? just crossed my trail! 

[mauGR1]

1 minute ago, Boon Mee said:

 I'm not superstitious but a black cat ???? just crossed my trail! 

Don't worry, but be warned !

[jesimps]

On 9/28/2018 at 9:43 PM, mauGR1 said:

There are many forces and energies in the nature , which are obviously invisible to the physical eyes.

To dismiss anything which we cannot see as "superstition" is not correct.

 

Nonsense! Show me one superstition to ever be PROVEN to be fact. I've yet to see proof of gods, ghosts, ghoulies etc. If any of were true, someone would have been able to furnish proof by now.

[mauGR1]

3 minutes ago, jesimps said:

Nonsense! Show me one superstition to ever be PROVEN to be fact. I've yet to see proof of gods, ghosts, ghoulies etc. If any of were true, someone would have been able to furnish proof by now.

If it could be proven, then it would not be a superstion.

Superstitions are a heritage of ancient tribal culture, make of it what you like.

[sensei]

Once, I was walking out of the dark driveway. I didn't see the black cat sleeping there and I accidentally stepped on it.  

Now, whenever the cat sees me, it runs away. Black cat thinks I am bad luck. 

[mauGR1]

4 minutes ago, sensei said:

Once, I was walking out of the dark driveway. I didn't see the black cat sleeping there and I accidentally stepped on it.  

Now, whenever the cat sees me, it runs away. Black cat thinks I am bad luck. 

Yes,  very good interpretation.

One day i was reverse parking the car, when suddenly a black cat cut the road on my back, i guess that means good luck.

[fxe1200]

With the right amulet around her neck, that accident never would have happened. Her fault.

[unamazedloso]

absolute insanity. my neighbours are alot like this. Not a brain between them and they think we're evil because we dont believe in bs.

Due to this we are outcasts. Its a good thing because I dont want in a crazy cult. Maybe they will start sacrificing people soon.

[Brunolem]

On 9/28/2018 at 9:43 PM, mauGR1 said:

There are many forces and energies in the nature , which are obviously invisible to the physical eyes.

To dismiss anything which we cannot see as "superstition" is not correct.

 

There are actually four forces in nature, obviously invisible because a force is not a "thing".

 

Yet, superstition has nothing to do with forces.

 

Superstition is linked to the belief in good and bad luck, leading to assume that performing a certain ritual can either bring good luck or keep bad luck at bay.

 

Superstition is like self-persuading...the superstitious person is convinced that without performing the ritual things would happen differently.

 

For example, many pro tennis players have superstitions and perform their rituals, such as avoiding to walk on a white line, often without anyone noticing.

 

Other sports figures need to wear a specific pair of shoes or shorts, or whatever.

 

Thais are not special in being superstitious...it is just that they make a much bigger affair of it, involving other people, generally including monks only too happy to collect a fee in exchange for performing the ritual.

[mauGR1]

3 minutes ago, Brunolem said:

There are actually four forces in nature, obviously invisible because a force is not a "thing".

 

Yet, superstition has nothing to do with forces.

 

Superstition is linked to the belief in good and bad luck, leading to assume that performing a certain ritual can either bring good luck or keep bad luck at bay.

 

Superstition is like self-persuading...the superstitious person is convinced that without performing the ritual things would happen differently.

 

For example, many pro tennis players have superstitions and perform their rituals, such as avoiding to walk on a white line, often without anyone noticing.

 

Other sports figures need to wear a specific pair of shoes or shorts, or whatever.

 

Thais are not special in being superstitious...it is just that they make a much bigger affair of it, involving other people, generally including monks only too happy to collect a fee in exchange for performing the ritual.

Thanks for the clarification, but suppose we talk about "feng shui", it's a real thing for so many people, the rest regard it as a superstition.

I say "thing" in a broad way.

[Brunolem]

25 minutes ago, mauGR1 said:

Thanks for the clarification, but suppose we talk about "feng shui", it's a real thing for so many people, the rest regard it as a superstition.

I say "thing" in a broad way.

I gave a quick look at feng shui, which is something much more sophisticated than basic supersition as described above.

 

One could say that feng shui is superstition at a population or civilization level, rather than individual level.

 

Such rituals were created long ago when there was barely any science...it was a way to answer mysterious questions, because people always need to be reassured one way or another.

 

Yet nowadays these practices are certainly more persistent in some parts of Africa or South East Asia where the average level of education remains quite low...one is unlikely to see a German bringing his car to a priest in order to keep potential accidents at bay...

 

[mauGR1]

2 minutes ago, Brunolem said:

I gave a quick look at feng shui, which is something much more sophisticated than basic supersition as described above.

 

One could say that feng shui is superstition at a population or civilization level, rather than individual level.

 

Such rituals were created long ago when there was barely any science...it was a way to answer mysterious questions, because people always need to be reassured one way or another.

 

Yet nowadays these practices are certainly more persistent in some parts of Africa or South East Asia where the average level of education remains quite low...one is unlikely to see a German bringing his car to a priest in order to keep potential accidents at bay...

 

Feng Shui is still popular for rich people in rich countries like Japan among others, and Western writers write and sell books about it.

Interesting stuff, not only for uneducated people.

[Lacessit]

I have golf superstitions. I believe I putt well when my fingernails are long. I believe my play from tee to green is much better when my fingernails are short.

I'll let everybody here know when I have a par round.

[Lucky mike]

Logic up there with maintenance and common sense !

[Carib]

It is sunday today, look what happens in most `developed` countries, lots of people go to special places and sing songs together, for the blessing of an imaginary friend. They perform rituals like sprinkling water on infants, because without having done that the child will never enter heaven. Are we so much better with our superstitions, are we not just as "dumb"?

It is just on a different scale, and we dress for the occasion when honouring our spirits. 

[Jorgendk]

You want proof that ghosts insists…. You have your proof right there!

It is a well-known fact that no Thai ewer do anything wrong.

Your sister-in-law's pal, is presumably Thai and therefor did nothing wrong.

If she fell in, she therefor have to have been pushed.

As there was nobody to be seen, she must have been pushed by a ghost

[mauGR1]

30 minutes ago, Carib said:

It is sunday today, look what happens in most `developed` countries, lots of people go to special places and sing songs together, for the blessing of an imaginary friend. They perform rituals like sprinkling water on infants, because without having done that the child will never enter heaven. Are we so much better with our superstitions, are we not just as "dumb"?

It is just on a different scale, and we dress for the occasion when honouring our spirits. 

True, one could almost argue that we are 'wired' to allow some room for irrational stuff into our thinking machines.

[bluesofa]

Years ago I had arguments with Thais about ghosts.

I laughed at them and said if they could show me a ghost first-hand I'd give them 50,000 Baht.

 

Someone said I should go to a temple  grounds at night, and I would see one. When I laughed and asked them to take me to a suitable temple, another person chimed in: "You're a ferang, so you can't see the ghosts!"

Difficult to argue with that face-saving logic.

 

Another person said, "That's easy. Sit alone in a room at midnight, peeling an apple in front of a mirror. You will see one then."

The girl didn't talk to me for days after I laughed at her.

 

[Enoon]

4 hours ago, unamazedloso said:

absolute insanity. my neighbours are alot like this. Not a brain between them and they think we're evil because we dont believe in bs.

Due to this we are outcasts. Its a good thing because I dont want in a crazy cult. Maybe they will start sacrificing people soon.

 

 

 

Edited September 30, 2018 by Enoon

[Lacessit]

My Thai GF has logic that makes sense, in a nutty kind of way. She won't go out in the dark by herself because she is scared of ghosts.

However, if I accompany her, she can go out. Because she knows I don't believe in ghosts, she thinks they will stay away when I am with her.

[1FinickyOne]

Some of your logic or lack probably fails them too. Thankfully they will not hold it against you. Just toss a little salt over your left shoulder and get on with it.

[1FinickyOne]

48 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

My Thai GF has logic that makes sense, in a nutty kind of way. She won't go out in the dark by herself because she is scared of ghosts.

However, if I accompany her, she can go out. Because she knows I don't believe in ghosts, she thinks they will stay away when I am with her.

And so far she has been correct. Keep up the good work. 

[GreasyFingers]

Superstitions. I want to build a small retaining wall down one side of the house. The logical place for it will be 2.5 metres from the house at the front and 2.0 metres at the rear of the house. No can do, will bring bad luck as the space narrows into the back yard. If the space widens, no problem.