Footprints Thai Style

[parksbanyon]

Most of us from christian countries have at some time or another read the "footprints" poem(?) You know the one, 2 sets of footprints then one "thats when I carried you".

This is the Thai version. A friend of mine passed recently and a Thai girl told me this "For the next 3 days your friends spirit will travel to every place he has ever been picking up his footprints. This way he completes this life, and in the next he will not be haunted by the foorprints of his old life. If you wish to say goodby light the joss sticks so he can find you and the house spirits will let him enter. Buy his favorite thing (in this case Asahi beer and a pack of Marlboro gold). It let me have a last smoke and a beer with him and allowed me to say goodby and vios con dio.

[hookedondhamma]

I think any advice that helps one grieve while staying composed is great.

I'll go and find that poem. Growing up in a bible-thumping area, I never came across it. But it sounds interesting.

[SimonD]

...For the next 3 days your friends spirit will travel to every place he has ever been picking up his footprints. This way he completes this life, and in the next he will not be haunted by the foorprints of his old life. If you wish to say goodby light the joss sticks so he can find you and the house spirits will let him enter...

I like that. I don't know why, but I do. Found it very touching.

My condolences to you for the loss of your friend.

Thank you for sharing it.

Edited September 15, 2012 by SimonD

[WilliaminBKK]

Very nice - I like it very much.

Here is the link to the other poem you mention http://www.footprints-inthe-sand.com/index.php?page=Poem/Poem.php

Thanks for sharing

[payak]

my thai friends say she is talking rubbish, one is a monk

[krisb]

my thai friends say she is talking rubbish, one is a monk

i dont understand?

[Sing_Sling]

my thai friends say she is talking rubbish, one is a monk

I'd prefer to listen to and do what she says than what a Thai monk has to say - or your Thai friends.

[payak]

my thai friends say she is talking rubbish, one is a monk

I'd prefer to listen to and do what she says than what a Thai monk has to say - or your Thai friends.

whatever turns you on, all i'm saying is they have never heard of this footprint thing, and they know thai customs.

was this being said as something she thought was nice to say, or did she say thai believe this.

because they dont believe this,particularly when they have never heard it,

i'm confused, is this a poem or her telling you this is what happens when you pass.

[SimonD]

my thai friends say she is talking rubbish, one is a monk

The OP has just lost a dear friend and you respond like this?

I doesn't matter whether it's true or not, it was a sweet and sensitive thing to say to someone in their time of grief.

[Rob8891]

my thai friends say she is talking rubbish, one is a monk

I would like to add that, on this occasion at least, you are an insensitive buffoon your post is rather ill-judged. Parksbanyon has lost a friend and someone showed a great deal of consideration and empathy.

May I add my condolences, pb.

[Scully]

my thai friends say she is talking rubbish, one is a monk

Could it be your friends are talking rubbish or have simply not heard this?

They sound like kind sensitive words for someone grieving and I don't think a devout monk would claim it to be rubbish if he knew the situation.

It sounds like you asked your friends and they hadn't heard of it, not claimed it was rubbish.

[Sing_Sling]

my thai friends say she is talking rubbish, one is a monk

I'd prefer to listen to and do what she says than what a Thai monk has to say - or your Thai friends.

whatever turns you on, all i'm saying is they have never heard of this footprint thing, and they know thai customs.

was this being said as something she thought was nice to say, or did she say thai believe this.

because they dont believe this,particularly when they have never heard it,

i'm confused, is this a poem or her telling you this is what happens when you pass.

Whatever turns me on? Lovely response. Almost as lovely as your response to someone who has just lost a friend. Oh, and I'm sure we are all in awe that you have a friend who is a monk , just to add more gravitas to your words.

Umm, I have two monk friends who say this is true

Edited September 17, 2012 by Sing_Sling

[conquent]

I so hope this is true.

[Sing_Sling]

my thai friends say she is talking rubbish, one is a monk

I'd prefer to listen to and do what she says than what a Thai monk has to say - or your Thai friends.

whatever turns you on, all i'm saying is they have never heard of this footprint thing, and they know thai customs.

was this being said as something she thought was nice to say, or did she say thai believe this.

because they dont believe this,particularly when they have never heard it,

i'm confused, is this a poem or her telling you this is what happens when you pass.

Re-count. I have asked ALL my Thai friends and seven of them are monks, two are abbots and one is a Jew.

They ALL contradict you and your friends and monks . . .

believe it, or not . . .

[pigeonjake]

footprints is a very beautiful poem,

and weather the thing is true or not if it gives comfert to the OP then that is good in my eyes,

but this is thai visa and you allways get one that thinks he knows it all,

im led to believe that the thais stay with the dead person for all the time they are at the temple becouse for the first 3 days they dont no they are dead, thats why the family stay with them so they arnt alone,

so that does some what tei in with what the OP said at the start,

any way you have my best wishes to you and your family,

jake