Asean year begins with a blessing

By Phatarawadee Phataranawik

The Nation Weekend

 

Photo courtesy of Culture Ministry

 

With Thailand chairing Asean throughout 2019, the Culture Ministry is fostering unity among the bloc’s 10 members by bringing to Bangkok relics and statues of the Buddha from around Asia to be ritually blessed.

 

“Thailand is for the first time hosting this grand annual New Year blessing ceremony,” Kittiphan Phansuwan, director of the ministry’s Religious Affairs Department, told The Nation Weekend.

 

“This example of religious cooperation will kick off a series of networking activities among Asean members.”

 

Artefacts are being transported from Bhutan, Cambodia, China, Japan, Indonesia, India, Laos, Mongolia, Myanmar, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Vietnam, and will be blessed alongside Thai pieces in the ceremony.

 

“Among other sacred sites, they’re coming from the Thai temple in Bodhagaya, India, Sri Lanka’s Asgiri Maha Viharaya and Malwathu Maha Viharaya, Myanmar’s Taiktaw Monastery and Thailand’s Wat Phra Kaew,” Kittiphan said.

 

“The event begins on New Year’s Eve with more than 60 monks from Asean countries and hundreds from Thailand conducting prayers at Sanam Luang.”

 

The blessing ceremony itself will begin on Saturday afternoon with a colourful cultural parade involving some 100 participants. Workpoint Entertainment is assembling the troupe that will carry the holy artefacts and models of each country’s landmark temples from the Maha Jesada Bordin Pavilion on Rachadamnoen Klang Avenue to Sanam Luang.

 

 

The artefacts will be on view at Sanam Luang until Tuesday and then be moved to the National Museum until January 15.

 

The ceremony is one of a dozen cultural activities scheduled for Sanam Luang and temples and museums across the country. More than 30,000 temples in Thailand and 500 overseas will host prayers on New Year’s Eve. The ministry will also host New Year prayers at Wat Arun on New Year’s Eve.

 

The National Museum will separately display nine prominent Buddha statues for blessing from December 29 to January 27, matched by activities at its branches across the Kingdom. The museums will be open without admission charge Saturday through Wednesday.

 

 

“More and more people are attending New Year prayers in Thailand,” Kittiphan said. “Last year more than 20 million people – many of them young people – participated in events held at 30,000 temples around the Kingdom. We hope there will be even more this year.”

 

Disdain for crowds needn’t bar anyone from joining in. The ministry has a “New Year Prayer” application for mobile phones with which you can pray along with everyone else.

 

“The idea is to help reduce the number of accidents occurring during the festive season.”

 

 

The ministry will provide free transportation tomorrow through Tuesday for devotees wishing to make merit. Shuttle buses will operate each day from 8am to 6.30pm, going to and from Wat Pho, Wat Arun, Wat Rachaoros, Wat Rachapradit, Wat Benjamaborphit, Wat Bovornives, Wat Rachaborpit, Wat Suthat, Wat Phraramkao and Wat Wachirathamsathit.

 

Kittiphan said monks and religious officials from across Southeast Asia, gathered in Bangkok, would discuss plans for further cooperative events next year, including for the annual Asean summit.

 

“We’re beginning with cooperation among the mainly Buddhist countries because of our shared beliefs,” Kittiphan said. “But other Asean members where other religions predominate will be involved in the near feature.

 

“The aim is to highlight the diversity of Asean culture at various events throughout next year.”

 

Thailand will again host the annual international conference on Vishakha Bucha Day. The ministry is also planning a series of seminars and workshops for Asean members.

 

“We will focus on the young generation by hosting cultural camps where we can share our diversity,” Kittiphan said.

 

“Although we follow different religions, we can still live in harmony. “Every religion teaches its devotees to be good. We hope to use religion as a cultural tool to bring peace to our region.”

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30361310

 

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-12-29

That's reassuring.

1 hour ago, rooster59 said:

The ministry has a “New Year Prayer” application for mobile phones with which you can pray along with everyone else

Ha ha ha! Virtual religion, but nowhere near virtual reality.

Is buddha receptive to 4G? - That's the same buddha who told his followers not to pray to him, as he was not a deity and the prayers wouldn't be answered anyway - even by SMS.

1 hour ago, rooster59 said:

Every religion teaches its devotees to be good.

 

The problem is there aren't enough good devotees.

 

 

 

Edited December 29, 20187 yr by Darcula

1 hour ago, rooster59 said:

Disdain for crowds needn’t bar anyone from joining in. The ministry has a “New Year Prayer” application for mobile phones with which you can pray along with everyone else.

Hahahaha disdain for crowds .. 

But will roaming charges apply if you are outside Bud's manor .. 

1 hour ago, rooster59 said:

The ministry has a “New Year Prayer” application for mobile phones with which you can pray along with everyone else

Thailand 4.0. Praying into your mobile phone? Are they serious?

1 hour ago, rooster59 said:

The ministry has a “New Year Prayer” application for mobile phones with which you can pray along with everyone else.

 

Drive drunk to the Wat; pay off crooked cops en route; buy some useless amulet from a bogus monk; come home and begin cheating all those about you again.  Next week, repeat.

13 minutes ago, Justgrazing said:

 

Knowing the way the temples work here, trying to bleed cash out of the gullible, I think that logo should be "Prey now".

14 minutes ago, bluesofa said:

Knowing the way the temples work here, trying to bleed cash out of the gullible, I think that logo should be "Prey now".

Yea you'll get a txt off Bud' when you're down to you're last 20 bt of credit urging you to get a top up .. 

Anyway this ain't a new idea .. The Christian crew sussed the benefits of direct connection long ago .. 

" Jeysus is on the mainline just tell him what you waant " .. 

10 minutes ago, Justgrazing said:

Anyway this ain't a new idea .. The Christian crew sussed the benefits of direct connection long ago .. 

" Jeysus is on the mainline just tell him what you waant " .. 

That reminds me of an old joke about a Russian and an American having a discussion about religion and contacting deities.

The American claimed it was possible to contact contact god by phone.

The Russian agreed, and added it was also possible to contact satan, adding, "And from Russia it's only a local call anyway."

(My deliberate use of non-capitalisation for deities)

2 hours ago, rooster59 said:

“This example of religious cooperation will kick off a series of networking activities among Asean members.”

No, it might be presumptive, arrogant and diplomatic faux pax from the perspective of some of the other ASEAN Countries.

Who are the other ASEAN countries that would not share in predominant Buddhist & culture & traditions?

Islam-Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia

Catholic-Philippines

Christian & Islam-Singapore

For ASEAN unity Thailand should have chosen a secular ceremony or one that gives respect to all the faiths represented by ASEAN.

 

 

 

Good idea - let's start the new year with an exercise in magical thinking. ????‍♂️

1 hour ago, Srikcir said:

No, it might be presumptive, arrogant and diplomatic faux pax from the perspective of some of the other ASEAN Countries.

Who are the other ASEAN countries that would not share in predominant Buddhist & culture & traditions?

Islam-Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia

Catholic-Philippines

Christian & Islam-Singapore

For ASEAN unity Thailand should have chosen a secular ceremony or one that gives respect to all the faiths represented by ASEAN.

 

 

 

Allow me respectfully to correct you on Singapore’s religious makeup. Buddhist 33% Christian 18% Islam 14% rest Sikh etc. The island state has temples, churches and masjid practically close together. Religions can live harmoniously together and respectful of each other. Ultimately up to the government to drive that message and have fair religious laws. 

5 hours ago, rooster59 said:

Asean year begins with a blessing

That might help to make up for the curse that Prayuth is bound to bestow on Thailand's ASEAN chairmanship . . . if he's still around by next June, that is.

2 hours ago, Justgrazing said:

Anyway this ain't a new idea .. The Christian crew sussed the benefits of direct connection long ago .. 

" Jeysus is on the mainline just tell him what you waant " .. 

Love it! I've printed it out and got it pinned next to the loo, already. But what do you look up, if you haven't a clue what's wrong with you?

13 minutes ago, Eric Loh said:

Allow me respectfully to correct you on Singapore’s religious makeup. Buddhist 33% Christian 18% Islam 14% rest Sikh etc. The island state has temples, churches and masjid practically close together. Religions can live harmoniously together and respectful of each other. Ultimately up to the government to drive that message and have fair religious laws. 

and there you go thailand, learn from the masters of harmony