Advice On Rituals

[Kel]

I had a wonderful time in Chiang Mai with my Thai Girlfriend during Sonkran visiting a number of temples.

She is a devout Bhuddist and it made me feel good to attend varoius ceremonies with her.

I wonder if someone could let me know the significance of:

1) At one temple where services were outdoors ther was the burning of string (?Saisin?) and a number of people took pieces of "old" clothing.

2) At another my girl consulted with a monk and poured water from one vessel to another - as she poured she asked me to touch her on the elbow. The water was then poured on a pot plant close by.

3) At another the roof of the temple was covered in squres of string which then extended to the floor- the people wrapped the string around wrists and later wrapped or passed it over their heads.

All in all a very calming and peaceful experice.

Any information would be appreciated.

All the best

Kel

[Pink Mist]

I have asked similar questions before and unfortunately never recieved a reply, so maybe time to try again

The villiage I live in has three Wats in it, we have only been to one of them, on our wedding day, no monks came to the ceremony instead it was performed by a guy dressed in white, some sort of lay person I guess, the wedding pictures are in the gallery.

About 3 years ago we went to a Wat about 40k west of KhonKaen and was introduced to the Head Monk, we talked for a while, got both myself and Wifes birthdays, consulted a book, wrote a few numbers down for the lottery, put some gold on my forehead, tied some string and we were finished. I'm not really sure what it was about, just guessing it was to see if my wife and I would have a good life together.

Last year Wife informs me that the family is worried, they checked my stars (or something) and they were bad and needed fixing. OK so off we go to another Wat about 40k away on the way to Kalasin. So I am involved in this ceremony which involved drinking water that has had candle wax spilled in it, getting into a robe and getting water tipped over me, putting gold strips on Buddha statues (1 strip of gold for every year of my life) and some string tying.

Yesterday my Wife says she needs to get her stars checked, so off we go again, this time it's almost in the city. A slightly built woman is cutting and folding banana leaves we chat for a while then go into her house, it has lots of Buddha statues on one wall in tiers similar to a Wat, candles etc. She excuses herself and has a wash and returns wearing a red silk top and white trousers. She gets some candles burning and does some prayers, then spoke to my wife in possibly a different voice, not sure, but she spoke continously for about 15 mins, she looked at me a few times. The upshot is my Wifes stars are good, we are buying another house, and a few other things. She was called a Lang Soong, which I think translates to Medium.

Maybe someone can explain these ceremonies for me, it really has been bugging me for a while

[Abandon]

ok

Q2 of the OP - the water pouring represents the transference of merit - see the thread on merit making in this Buddhist forum for info on that. While it is Brahmic symbology, there is evidence that the Buddha also did this water pouring.

String tying is usually a way for all members to participate, being physically connected through the string. One end of the string will also go around the Buddha image, and to the water that is made into holy water by the chanting and offerings. Often the string is later cut into parts and tied about the wrist as a memento of the occasion. The string around the roof is a way of hooking it up so that it can easily be extended to the participants without getting in the way; the function is the physical connection. Same as holding someone's elbow when they do the water pouring (transference of merit to relatives and all world beings)

All the astrology stuff is not really Buddhist, but chinese astrology/numerism etc.. and so you need an expert in that to explain it. Many of the monks have trained (or not...) in astrology, and practise it in the temple. So far as I know this practise was frowned upon by the Buddha who recommended practising Dhamma (generosity, morality and meditation) as the best thing you can do. Though early Buddhism was tied closely to the lunar calendar - makking the 'Wan Phra' an 'auspicious' day. Again though the Buddha said Dhamma practise was auspicious, and did not engage in numerology or astrology.

The water you drank Bronco, was regular water put into the urn and attatched by the string to the Buddha image. The chanting and merit (again see earlier thread for explanation of Punna - merit) makes the water into 'holy water' and this can be drunk or put in the bath water, or sprinkled on the participants or house. A candle is burned over the water as the chanting takes place - hence the wax (they usually use real Bees wax candles for this)

You will need an astrology expert to explain the astrology stuff. And I have never really enquired as to the gold leaf pasting which goes on at all temples.

[Pink Mist]

thank you Pandit for that explanation, it's kinda what I figured but could never see how it fitted into the mainstream, it's so confusing at times

[Kel]

ok

Q2 of the OP - the water pouring represents the transference of merit - see the thread on merit making in this Buddhist forum for info on that. While it is Brahmic symbology, there is evidence that the Buddha also did this water pouring.

String tying is usually a way for all members to participate, being physically connected through the string. One end of the string will also go around the Buddha image, and to the water that is made into holy water by the chanting and offerings. Often the string is later cut into parts and tied about the wrist as a memento of the occasion. The string around the roof is a way of hooking it up so that it can easily be extended to the participants without getting in the way; the function is the physical connection. Same as holding someone's elbow when they do the water pouring (transference of merit to relatives and all world beings)

All the astrology stuff is not really Buddhist, but chinese astrology/numerism etc.. and so you need an expert in that to explain it. Many of the monks have trained (or not...) in astrology, and practise it in the temple. So far as I know this practise was frowned upon by the Buddha who recommended practising Dhamma (generosity, morality and meditation) as the best thing you can do. Though early Buddhism was tied closely to the lunar calendar - makking the 'Wan Phra' an 'auspicious' day. Again though the Buddha said Dhamma practise was auspicious, and did not engage in numerology or astrology.

The water you drank Bronco, was regular water put into the urn and attatched by the string to the Buddha image. The chanting and merit (again see earlier thread for explanation of Punna - merit) makes the water into 'holy water' and this can be drunk or put in the bath water, or sprinkled on the participants or house. A candle is burned over the water as the chanting takes place - hence the wax (they usually use real Bees wax candles for this)

You will need an astrology expert to explain the astrology stuff. And I have never really enquired as to the gold leaf pasting which goes on at all temples.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[Pink Mist]

another piece of the puzzle returns to my memory, the gold I was told to place on the statues where I had pain and would be fixed, which did actually happen, but I think the cortizone injections helped.

[Kel]

Sorry for the delay Guys,but thanks so much for the interesting responses.

All the best

Kel

[Curt]

Some rituals are designed to substance teachings.

Some rituals are simply Thai "Buddha magic".

Some temples create their own special magic.

Some temples have even become merit magic supermarkets.