had some blessed buddhist string bracelets attached to my wrist at a wedding.

wondering if its ok to remove them or?

heard from one that you are supposed to let them fall off naturally in their own time...

and from another that after 3 days it was ok to remove them...

advic on the traditionj, pls. thanks

It's your bracelet, up to you.

3 days is the norm to keep them on, and my wife favours untying them rather than cutting. One is normally left on the wrist to fall off naturally.

totster

Of course you can remove it whenever you feel is the right time. Unlike religions of the world, there are not really any "rules" in Buddhism, only suggestions. There are no negative consequences to removing a blessed string when your consciousness tells you to.

I cut mine off as soon as I get home.

three or four days is the norm. some thai's leave them on till the rot off. up to you. It's not Buddhism, it's a culture thing..

As some people do not even dare to cut them, now I understand that maybe it was an offense to deny them the right to tie these things around me :-)

Well i can tell you, that even when doing some truck driving & mechanical work in the UK, they don't rot off in 12 months.

Just make sure you give it a good wash with the shampoo when you wash your hair.

In this neck of the woods it is common practice to remove 2/3rds of them at your earliest convienience and the remainder after 3 days. How they are removed is up to the individual.

What a ridiculous argument.

Terrified about removing or not a string bracelet.

I wonder what would Buddha do.

Hold on ..I think I know.

Buddha has nothing to do with this, and in my opinion, he would have refused to get one tied around his wrist in the first place...

regarding post:

khaowong1

Posted 2010-03-07 22:36

three or four days is the norm. some thai's leave them on till the rot off. up to you. It's not Buddhism, it's a culture thing..

It is defenately NOT a "culture thing" as I still have one from my teachers, teacher in India, but this is a waymore personal thing and to me, much more of a reminder then anything else, certainly not some kind of amulet or something "bewitching" like it....and "yes" it might be taken off anytime, anyay, everything else belongs into the realm of superstition!

What a ridiculous argument.

Terrified about removing or not a string bracelet.

I wonder what would Buddha do.

Hold on ..I think I know.

Indeed you THINK you know

Wait til they fall off!

I cut mine off as soon as I get home.

Me, too. Have done so for 40 years. Not struck by lightning yet.

three or four days is the norm. some thai's leave them on till the rot off. up to you. It's not Buddhism, it's a culture thing..

Right on! incense, bracelets, flowers etc. are NOT about Buddhism but a cultural 'norm' and have no meaning apart from what you give them...

three or four days is the norm. some thai's leave them on till the rot off. up to you. It's not Buddhism, it's a culture thing..

Actually, I believe the white string attached to the wrist is more to do with Animism beliefs in Isaan than just culture. The string being tied to the wrist signifies the bonding of the good spirits of the village to that person for protection and good luck.

The string is first blessed while draped over a centre peice then taken off, passed around to those present to attach to the person or persons who are the focus of the ceremony and then others attending. The ceremonies can be a Bai Sii, which is performed when someone is sick, or going on a long journey and needs help/protection from the spirits. Another is the village wedding ceremony, this ceremony (from what i see) is very similar to the Bai Sii with some extras

totster

three or four days is the norm. some thai's leave them on till the rot off. up to you. It's not Buddhism, it's a culture thing..

Actually, I believe the white string attached to the wrist is more to do with Animism beliefs in Isaan than just culture. The string being tied to the wrist signifies the bonding of the good spirits of the village to that person for protection and good luck.

The string is first blessed while draped over a centre peice then taken off, passed around to those present to attach to the person or persons who are the focus of the ceremony and then others attending. The ceremonies can be a Bai Sii, which is performed when someone is sick, or going on a long journey and needs help/protection from the spirits. Another is the village wedding ceremony, this ceremony (from what i see) is very similar to the Bai Sii with some extras

totster

Hi

Hindus also use sacred threads, so that may be the origin. I still have one from August. My 4 year old daughter said hers fell off after two weeks as her hand got smaller!

Graham

It is merely a symbol. There is no curse, bad luck, or bad karma associated with the removal of a symbol. That reaches back into the realm of animism, and has little to do with spirituality. The blessing of the monk  has already been bestowed, and the bracelet is simply a reminder of that blessing. 

6 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

There is no curse, bad luck

But spookie how the thread resurrected itself after 10 years

I keep all the ones I was given on my first trip to LOS 20 years ago on a bookshelf at home. Next to the glass elephant box thingummy my darling gave me as a going away present 555 ...

Holy Buddha ... what are you thinking OP ?

 

Would you break a mirror purposely ?  Don't go down that road, as that string will protect you from evil.

 

Proof of ... first moved to Thailand, house built but 6 months to a year of living in, always a sense of evil about.

 

Had the 'house blessing' 9 Monk chanting away.  They strung string around the whole perimeter wall, 160 meters.

 

Sure enough, the evil couldn't take it, and slowly faded, till one day, the wife (1st Thai wife) simply left and never returned.  Heavenly Bliss.

 

So no, never take them off, let them fall off naturally.

A thread about string that resurrects every year or ten?  I think we are being strung along.  I hope he has untied it by now, no need to tie yourself in knots over a piece of string.

2010 thread revived..... Time to lock it IMHO.