What do Thais think about when they wai, pray, kneel, or worship.

[kevvy]

no problems with it, my wife believes in it and I will go along with her as it is not an imposition plus it is part of the culture we that we have come to live in. There are a lot of thais that do it because they believe in buddha and his teachings, nothing wrong with that and I wai too because I think it is the right thing to do.

My feelings too

[marko kok prong]

Don't know about the thais but on the few occasions i have been to the temple i remember thinking 'jeez that old cruciate ligament damage in my knee is hurting like hell' also it went on a lot longer than the one hour i was told beforehand.

[transam]

Don't know about the thais but on the few occasions i have been to the temple i remember thinking 'jeez that old cruciate ligament damage in my knee is hurting like hell' also it went on a lot longer than the one hour i was told beforehand.

Yep, so I don't go anymore. Pointless just being part of the furniture............

[thailiketoo]

You guys need a Wat where they have chairs and serve a 100 item buffet lunch daily. Wat Marp Jon

Edited April 13, 2014 by thailiketoo

[JetsetBkk]

Nothing. That is the key to meditation. No, I'm not kidding.

http://drhyman.com/blog/2012/06/18/why-doing-nothing-is-the-key-to-happiness/

Nothing to do with meditation.

The Thai Forest Tradition is a tradition of Buddhist monasticism within Thai Theravada Buddhism. Practitioners inhabit remote wilderness and forest dwellings as spiritual practice training grounds. Maha Nikaya and Dhammayuttika Nikaya are the two major monastic orders in Thailand that have forest traditions. The Thai Forest Tradition originated in Thailand, primarily among the Lao-speaking community in Isan.

So, as I said, this topic is nothing to do with meditation.

[thailiketoo]

Nothing. That is the key to meditation. No, I'm not kidding.

http://drhyman.com/blog/2012/06/18/why-doing-nothing-is-the-key-to-happiness/

Nothing to do with meditation.

The Thai Forest Tradition is a tradition of Buddhist monasticism within Thai Theravada Buddhism. Practitioners inhabit remote wilderness and forest dwellings as spiritual practice training grounds. Maha Nikaya and Dhammayuttika Nikaya are the two major monastic orders in Thailand that have forest traditions. The Thai Forest Tradition originated in Thailand, primarily among the Lao-speaking community in Isan.

So, as I said, this topic is nothing to do with meditation.

Says who? You? You some kind of topic translator? The topic is

What do Thais think about when they wai, pray, kneel, or worship.

When the Monks worship they meditate.

[Showbags]

Meditate is supposed to be not thinking...so cannot be worshiping cos thats thinking, about worshiping....usually involving worshiping some imaginative thing to give them luck...to win the lottery...to get more money to go gambling with....so they can worship for more.

[thailiketoo]

Meditate is supposed to be not thinking...so cannot be worshiping cos thats thinking, about worshiping....usually involving worshiping some imaginative thing to give them luck...to win the lottery...to get more money to go gambling with....so they can worship for more.

Worship can be meditation or not depending on the religion.

noun: worship 1.

the feeling or expression of reverence and adoration for a deity.

When the children of Israel first entered the Promised Land, God instructed them, "Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night,

Do you really want me to quote the other many many times that meditation is mentioned in your bible?

Edited April 13, 2014 by thailiketoo

[Showbags]

You must have found somebody elses bible...not mine.

But I am leaving Thailand...to go meditate somewhere else.

[thailiketoo]

You must have found somebody elses bible...not mine.

But I am leaving Thailand...to go meditate somewhere else.

• Psalm 48:9 - "Within your temple, O God, we meditate on your unfailing love."
• Psalm 77:12 - "I will meditate on all your works and consider all your mighty deeds."
• Psalm 119:15 - "I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways."
• Psalm 119:97 - "Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long."
• Psalm 143:5 - "I remember the days of long ago; I meditate on all your works and consider what your hands have done."

[Showbags]

You must have found somebody elses bible...not mine.

But I am leaving Thailand...to go meditate somewhere else.

• Psalm 48:9 - "Within your temple, O God, we meditate on your unfailing love."
• Psalm 77:12 - "I will meditate on all your works and consider all your mighty deeds."
• Psalm 119:15 - "I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways."
• Psalm 119:97 - "Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long."
• Psalm 143:5 - "I remember the days of long ago; I meditate on all your works and consider what your hands have done."

I like to replace meditate with 'pee'.

[art vandelay]

is it time to tell him the buffalo is sick?

[thailiketoo]

You must have found somebody elses bible...not mine.

But I am leaving Thailand...to go meditate somewhere else.

• Psalm 48:9 - "Within your temple, O God, we meditate on your unfailing love."
• Psalm 77:12 - "I will meditate on all your works and consider all your mighty deeds."
• Psalm 119:15 - "I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways."
• Psalm 119:97 - "Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long."
• Psalm 143:5 - "I remember the days of long ago; I meditate on all your works and consider what your hands have done."

I like to replace meditate with 'pee'.

I have never mocked another man's religion. So I will not reply to you. I think anyone who would say what you have said is trash.

[Showbags]

^ and I'll prolly burn in hell...boo hoo hoo

[sirineou]

Ok so we had are fun with this, now let's look at the serious side of it.

This is my assessment, not sure if it is entirely correct.

I can't tell you what Thais pray for, or for that matter what any one other than me prays for, but since I know what I pray for, and that others are not that much different from me, I am willing to guess.

but before I do that, let's first look at Prayer and define it so that we are all talking about the same thing.

From reading some of the posts I get the feeling that some people think that prayer means the same thing to everyone, I can assure you that this is not true.

To a Christian who believes in a God with a personal involvement in peoples lives it might mean a way to communicate wishes to such god, and petition a favorable outcome.

To a Buddhist it might mean something entirely different.

I am an Atheist,

it does not mean I don't pray . For me it is a time of introspection where I meditate on a favorable outcome for my hopes and wishes , It is an attempt to focus and visualize,

much in the way that a baseball pitcher might briefly meditate and visualize a positive output on his pitch before he throws the ball.

I think That's how Thai people pray,

My wife prays every night, she is adorable with her head bowed, hair failing over her face. she looks like the angel in a post card.

She tells me she prays(expresses her strong hope and wish) that all our family is happy, healthy and wealthy

Who can argue with that?

Edited April 13, 2014 by sirineou

[sustento]

Meditate is supposed to be not thinking.

Meditation is supposed to be watching the thoughts go by and paying no attention to them. A bit different to not thinking.

[katana]

I once got talking to a Thai girl who had been kneeling and praying at the Erawan Shrine in Bangkok. Was curious as to what her wish was and it turned out she had been praying to win the lottery. So there you go.

[Datebayo]

''Please give me good luck to meet a gullible AND rich farang with a loose ATM card''

[Datebayo]

I once got talking to a Thai girl who had been kneeling and praying at the Erawan Shrine in Bangkok. Was curious as to what her wish was and it turned out she had been praying to win the lottery. So there you go.

''winning a lottery'' is code for catching a farang.

The erawan schrine is known for a temple of ''love''

Edited April 13, 2014 by Datebayo

[Borzandy]

when Thai wai, pray, kneel, or worship, they only think money

[tomyumchai]

im finding they wai less these years than they used to when i first rocked up to thailand. these days i mostly see it as theyre adjusting their clothing and putting the cash in their handbag......

[thailiketoo]

when Thai wai, pray, kneel, or worship, they only think money

Of the hundreds of meditation temples in Thailand, a few cater specifically for foreigners by holding meditation sessions and retreats in English. Novices as well as practised meditators are generally welcome at these wats, but absolute beginners might like to consider the regular retreats at Wat Suan Mokkh and Wat Khao Tham, which are conducted by supportive and experienced Thai and Western teachers and include talks and interviews on Buddhist teachings and practice. The meditation taught is mostly Vipassana, or “insight”, which emphasizes the minute observation of internal sensations; the other main technique you’ll come across is Samatha, which aims to calm the mind and develop concentration (these two techniques are not entirely separate, since you cannot have insight without some degree of concentration)

http://www.roughguides.com/destinations/asia/thailand/meditation-centres-retreats/

[infinity11]

'respect' one thai answered me with

and respect for 'Buddha'

[Alainpm]

Meditate is supposed to be not thinking...so cannot be worshiping cos thats thinking, about worshiping....usually involving worshiping some imaginative thing to give them luck...to win the lottery...to get more money to go gambling with....so they can worship for more.

Very well said, Showbags..

[Fullstop]

What do Thais think about when they wai, pray, kneel, or worship.

Ask a few.

[Ghostnigel]

You must have found somebody elses bible...not mine.

But I am leaving Thailand...to go meditate somewhere else.

Bye then....don't hurry back oz...

[Ghostnigel]

You must have found somebody elses bible...not mine.

But I am leaving Thailand...to go meditate somewhere else.

• Psalm 48:9 - "Within your temple, O God, we meditate on your unfailing love."
• Psalm 77:12 - "I will meditate on all your works and consider all your mighty deeds."
• Psalm 119:15 - "I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways."
• Psalm 119:97 - "Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long."
• Psalm 143:5 - "I remember the days of long ago; I meditate on all your works and consider what your hands have done."

I like to replace meditate with 'pee'.

The Bible will be remembered long after your demise...I can help you with that...!

[stickylies]

1. food

2. money

3. facebook

the three pillars of thainess.

[stickylies]

Meditate is supposed to be not thinking...so cannot be worshiping cos thats thinking, about worshiping....usually involving worshiping some imaginative thing to give them luck...to win the lottery...to get more money to go gambling with....so they can worship for more.

Very well said, Showbags..

thais refer to it as thangsamatee which basically means "to concentrate" and which is basically "contemplating" (about events, about the day, about the future, about family, about money, etc). genuine meditation amongst lay people is rare. the common alternative for thai men is a bottle of hongthong and naam soda.

[thailiketoo]

Meditate is supposed to be not thinking...so cannot be worshiping cos thats thinking, about worshiping....usually involving worshiping some imaginative thing to give them luck...to win the lottery...to get more money to go gambling with....so they can worship for more.

Very well said, Showbags..

thais refer to it as thangsamatee which basically means "to concentrate" and which is basically "contemplating" (about events, about the day, about the future, about family, about money, etc). genuine meditation amongst lay people is rare. the common alternative for thai men is a bottle of hongthong and naam soda.

The Thai people are very diverse. Your generalization only shows the people who wish to associate with you and are not typical of most Thai people.