I called my wife today and she gave me some upsetting news. We got married earlier this year and then went to her village for the Buddhist Ceremony. It was a wonderful experience, one which i shall never forget. There was a man from the village (not a monk) who led the chanting and the ceremony, to which the monks then followed. This man was a charming fellow, seemed extremely healthy for his age and led us through the whole ceremony but my wife told me that he died yesterday, quite suddenly. There will be a ceremony for him and my wife is on her way there now.

My question is, does this role that the man did for the village, have a name. I also, should imagine he had an Apprentice. Does that position have a name also.

I'm learning Thai at the moment and i think a trainee monk is à-nóo-tày-rá

MrBoJ

I thought a trainee monk was a NAIRN

I thought a trainee monk was a NAIRN

In the alphabet, it's Nor - Nen but that doesn't give you the full word does it. When i looked it up in the dictionary it said à-nóo-tày-rá , junior monk.

Do you know what the name of the man in the village is? I don't think it would be something like "The Village Elder" as there are lots who are older than he was.

Do you know what the name of the man in the village is? I don't think it would be something like "The Village Elder" as there are lots who are older than he was.

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Could be the "poo yai baan" (village mayor) but I could be wrong.

Poo yai Ban or Ober-dor ?

Quite often it's just a guy that happens to be good at "compering" weddings. The same guy does lots of them around here, he's sort of the caretaker of one of the local Wat"s. My wife's uncle does a few as well, but he a fair way away from us. It does'nt have to be a poo yai or oberbor but can be, usuually they are just older people that know the ceromeny really well and can use a mike.

Quite often it's just a guy that happens to be good at "compering" weddings. The same guy does lots of them around here, he's sort of the caretaker of one of the local Wat"s. My wife's uncle does a few as well, but he a fair way away from us. It does'nt have to be a poo yai or oberbor but can be, usuually they are just older people that know the ceromeny really well and can use a mike.

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The guy who "did" my wedding is kind of like the spiritual leader of the village, not Pooyaibaan or anything, but he sits at the front of the temple during the "service" and acts as a "go between" for the monks, does things like co-ordinate the food offerings etc.. He also does some chanting..

totster

Quite often it's just a guy that happens to be good at "compering" weddings. The same guy does lots of them around here, he's sort of the caretaker of one of the local Wat"s. My wife's uncle does a few as well, but he a fair way away from us. It does'nt have to be a poo yai or oberbor but can be, usuually they are just older people that know the ceromeny really well and can use a mike.

yep - you are right - anyone can take on this role. However there is usually one person who is good at it and has learned the particular chants required, often because they previously spent time as a monk. Pali chants written in Thai script are not the same as regular Thai - the vowels etc. work slightly differently. So many Thai's also have problems with it at first.

These people do not so much 'lead' the chanting, as much as 'request' the chanting (and the moral precepts) which is then recited by the monks. anuThera is the level of monks below the Mahathera, usually = 2nd and third monk etc ... The layperson who does the requesting is called the vayaa vacakorn according to my ordained friend, but he did not look 100% sure.

Thanks for your informative replies people.

It's interesting about the "requesting" of the chant to the Monks. One learns something new every day.

My question is, does this role that the man did for the village, have a name. I also, should imagine he had an Apprentice. Does that position have a name also.

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Interesting thought about who takes over. In our village we have one old guy who "mc-d" our engagement ceremony, the sao-ek ceremony for the house... I know there are other older citizens who know the rituals, but it is hard to see who will eventually take over his role when the time comes..

There's a name for this position in Thai, but it escapes me at the moment. In Laos and some parts of Isaan, this person is called maw phawn, 'wish doctor' (not witch doctor!) or 'blessing master'. He usually presides at funerals and bai see (tying of sacred strings around the wrist to bind vital spirits to one's psychic body, more or less) ceremonies. A similar position in central Thailand is maw phee, spirit master.

There is a man at our local wat who does what you are all describing and here they call him the ajarn wat...the wat teacher. My wife says that this man used to be a monk but it is not necessary to have been a monk to do his work...you just need to know alot about how the various things are to be done properly...things that are usually learned by monks but if someone wanted to spend the time learning how to do them and if people wanted that someone to perform the duties then that would be just fine. She also said she thinks that in different places in Thailand that the person is referred to by different titles.

the Sangha refers to that person as a vayaa vacakorn