Should I get a spirit house?

[swissie]

1 hour ago, Andrew Dwyer said:

What ?
No Jim Beam !!

This Jim Beam spirit only showed up on my birthdays and around cristmas. After my Ex-Wife left, he didn't show up anymore. I wonder why. A "rascal" spirit? One must be careful when it comes to choose spirits, living under the same roof.

Cheers.

[elgenon]

As far as I know Buddha does not reside in a spirit house, It is pretty amazing people don't care to learn about the culture of where they live. Yet criticism is freely offered.

 

My answer to the OP is- if you believe. If you don't, what's the difference?

[sipi]

About 10 years ago I bought one back from Phon Cheroen to rural Australia to use as a garden ornament (that was a feat in itself).

After glueing it back together it still sits on top of one of our aircon units where I dumped it "temporarily". Giving it a permanent home in the garden is still on my lust.

I only bought back the house not the pedestal. To this day, if you happen to drive through Phon Cheroen and see a lone red spirit house pedestal outside a shop, Sipi has the other half.

 

[bazza73]

17 hours ago, Gecko123 said:

Just to flesh this out in the credibility department, my father-in-law had a rep for being a pretty serious gangsta in his younger day. He had mellowed out by the time I arrived on the scene, but he was a strange dude until the end. He performed a banana shoot/incense burning/prayer ritual over one of the house pillons during construction. Later, I sometimes I wondered if maybe he was casting some kind of a spell (I don't think the guy liked me too much). Another time, my wife got jealous, and buried two voodoo-like dolls on the property which were supposed to ward off other females. Even though, I eventually found, uncovered and burned them, they remained unfound for a good five years. These incidents might help explain the basis of my heebee-jeebee concerns.

How's it going with warding off the females? You must be hansum man.

[sipi]

We had one of those house pillar ceremonies for our place in Thailand. A good excuse for a party. 

[Morch]

Thinking about it from another angle, depends where one lives. In a city (say, Bangkok), people pay less attention to what you do, your lifestyle choices and whatnot. Out in the countryside...somewhat different. If all houses on the village got spirit houses (many got two of them), and yours does not - it's not exactly "deviant" or anything, but might draw some attention. And of course, will serve as the default explanation for anything that goes wrong with regard to you and yours.

 

Having a spirit house, though, cant leave it unattended. That's somehow worse than not having one at all. But the level of attention varies, some treating it as daily chore, some don't.

 

I find the not garish ones visually pleasing as garden decoration.

[dick dasterdly]

I thought they were cute and attractive garden ornaments when I first came here, and thought about getting one once 'finally' settled.

 

Circumstances changed.... and after a while I vaguely wondered why the 30+  year old house I rent (from a Thai owner) didn't have a spirit house.  But having lived here a while had 'got over' the novelty, and so had no interest in buying one.  Presumably the Thai owner is equally sceptical when it comes to these superstitions!

 

Needless to say, I've had my fair share of good and bad luck whilst living here - despite the absence of a spirit house.

 

I'm pretty sure the previous renter died in the house (or whilst living here) - but no sign of ghosts or the like so far .

[Oxx]

1 hour ago, Morch said:

many got two of them

 

If one gets a house extension it's necessary to get a second spirit house.

 

 

37 minutes ago, dick dasterdly said:

Presumably the Thai owner is equally sceptical

 

Not necessarily sceptical, but some owners aren't willing to take on the big commitment that maintaining a spirit house entails.

[dick dasterdly]

7 minutes ago, Oxx said:

 

If one gets a house extension it's necessary to get a second spirit house.

 

 

 

Not necessarily sceptical, but some owners aren't willing to take on the big commitment that maintaining a spirit house entails.

The owner doesn't have to maintain any spirit house - maintaining the garden is down to me, in much the same way as cleaning the house is down to me.

 

Mind you, he's a doctor based in Bangkok - which probably explains his lack of superstition.

 

Edit - Although its always possible of course, that as the house was designed for 'farangs', he just didn't care whether spirits invaded the house to annoy said 'farangs' !

Edited May 14, 2017 by dick dasterdly

[Morch]

7 minutes ago, Oxx said:

 

If one gets a house extension it's necessary to get a second spirit house.

 

 

 

Not necessarily sceptical, but some owners aren't willing to take on the big commitment that maintaining a spirit house entails.

 

There are various "reasons" for having more than one spirit house: house extensions or new buildings on same land, past ownership of land unclear, old  spirit house hit by lightning, and a monk's prescription for whatever "bad luck". Or whatever.

[dick dasterdly]

Just now, Morch said:

 

There are various "reasons" for having more than one spirit house: house extensions or new buildings on same land, past ownership of land unclear, old  spirit house hit by lightning, and a monk's prescription for whatever "bad luck". Or whatever.

Yes, the gullible will always believe any tosh fed to them....

[Morch]

1 minute ago, dick dasterdly said:

Yes, the gullible will always believe any tosh fed to them....

That's one way of looking at it.

While not a religious or a superstitious person, these things help others to make sense of life. So long as it doesn't interfere with mine, or messes theirs too much, no problems. That said, spirit houses can get quite expensive...

[MW72]

Exhibit A is the spirit house that my GF's father had on the land before she built her house. Of course with a new house came the new spirit house (exhibit B). That spirit house has turned into 2 separate structures each with it's own offering table and the whole thing built on a tiled concrete plinth. The whole thing cost around 15K which to me, a non superstitious atheist is madness and way over the top but I spent 16K on a mountain bike which I hardly use and she thinks I'm mad. Bottom line is that we both have something we want and we are both happy. If you want one then buy one, IMHO it won't stop the spirits as the were never there to begin with but each to their own.

 

The dog loves the little bit of shade the spirit house provides so he is happy also 

[Gecko123]

23 minutes ago, MW72 said:

Exhibit A is the spirit house that my GF's father had on the land before she built her house. Of course with a new house came the new spirit house (exhibit B). That spirit house has turned into 2 separate structures each with it's own offering table and the whole thing built on a tiled concrete plinth. The whole thing cost around 15K which to me, a non superstitious atheist is madness and way over the top but I spent 16K on a mountain bike which I hardly use and she thinks I'm mad. Bottom line is that we both have something we want and we are both happy. If you want one then buy one, IMHO it won't stop the spirits as the were never there to begin with but each to their own.

 

The dog loves the little bit of shade the spirit house provides so he is happy also 

 

 

Nice pictures. Never seen such a lavish spread at a spirit house. I'm a little bit concerned about your dog. Have you ever had its sense of smell checked? Where I live, dogs would polish off those muu sam chan chops in record time. 

[luis888]

On 5/13/2017 at 10:37 AM, CharlieH said:

We have one, the wife wanted it, its her belief etc and I respect both her and her beliefs.

 

Personally , couldnt care less but  "up to her" .

We also have one and when the house was finished we had a small ceremony with 9 monks that came to bless our new home, and some family and my wife's friends. I don't see why I should interfere with local tradition, it's no skin off my nose and the wife is happy and feels safe. The cost was insignificant and everyone is happy. :-)

 

[Crossy]

We have one, whilst I don't believe in the mumbo-jumbo I wouldn't dream of having a home in Thailand without a spirit house (one never knows).

 

It keeps Wifey happy, she maintains it and feeds the spirits, I just drink the spirits (cue Basil Brush) Boom! Boom!

 

EDIT What the flip, I just missed being struck by lightning by a few feet metres kilometres light years. Has to be something I said, I believe, I believe!!!!

 

 

[cooked]

On 13/05/2017 at 4:43 PM, Gecko123 said:

Honest to God, not tongue in cheek. I have had strong suspicions that my house might be haunted as a direct result of not conforming to spirit house protocol. There have been really weird otherwise difficult to explain karma issues. Again, not tongue in cheek, not trolling, 100% sincere. I'm not prone to superstition, but I sometimes wonder if Thailand isn't in some vector where para normal "spirits" tend to linger longer than elsewhere.

Spirits flourish wherever there are people that believe in their existence. Spend a couple of days meditating in a mountain temple (bamboo hut) and see what happens to you. I have experienced some strange things and there is no doubt that shamanism is live and kicking here in Thailand. Many Buddhist monks spend their lives communicating with these phenomena and learning how to deal with it. Most Thais will have experienced stuff that sophisticated Farangs just scoff at, things that they have no idea about in their Pattaya fleshpots mocking the superstitious Thai peasant. It can go from divining lotto numbers to retrieving long lost family members.

Never mind, this is the world many of them live in and it's real for them.

[opalred]

i have been paying for cakes and food and candles everyday 

past 8yrears for wife and house has been a happiness place in all my life

so i say nothing 

if she is happy so am i

 

[StevieAus]

On 5/13/2017 at 6:44 PM, a6patch said:

Sometimes traditions are just traditions...social customs that don't need to have proof or solid belief behind them.  Lots of people make the motions around Christmas and Easter even though they wouldn't bet their life about the actual supernatural factual utility of such.  People live to cover their bases lol.

 

We didn't bother with a spirit house because the housing complex has a big one up front.  Having this or that figurine in the garden is ok, but the closer to an actual spirit house we were to get, the more faithful to the rites and traditions of maintaining it the woman would have wanted and...well...she didn't want to bother with that. 

 

And brother, I'm not sure I buy the "I'm not prone to superstition" bit, after reading about "buried two voodoo-like dolls on the property...ward off other females...I eventually found, uncovered and burned them...basis of my heebee-jeebee concerns".

 

From information in a book I am reading about hill tribe people in the areas around Chiang Mai and further north where we live it appears that Animism was widely practiced by these groups most of whom had fled from China

They believed that the spirits controlled everything in their lives good and bad

When the missionaries arrived in the 1950's they started converting them to Christianity which probably explains why you see Christian churches around the place. I cannot seem to find out though why it is practiced by the Thai Buddhists as it is not part of that belief

My Thai wife believes in so when the house was built along came the spirit house to which she regularly makes offerings

We built some apartments last year so of course a spirit had to be bought for that site

I just found it easier to go with the flow rather than mount an argument that I would never win

I don't think our spirits are up to speed with electrical issues as we have had problems with air conditioners ceiling fans and other appliances also the lawn mower has now developed big problems !!!!

[Langsuan Man]

The biggest mystery,  in my opinion about spirit houses,  is why are the always disposed of on the side of the road ?

[Oxx]

1 hour ago, StevieAus said:

I cannot seem to find out though why it is practiced by the Thai Buddhists as it is not part of that belief

 

Religions often syncretise older belief systems.  So, for example, early Christians adopted a pagan feast day for the date of Christmas.  Much of the Koran is a mash up of earlier Jewish and Christian scripture.  And Allah himself is a co-opted pagan moon good.  I suspect it's easier for a religion to spread if it's not openly opposed to older and cherished beliefs.

 

In the case of Buddhism, this syncretisation is perhaps most obvious in Burma where "nats" (animistic spirits) are widely worshipped in Buddhist temples.  King Anawrahta of Bagan (11th century)  tried to ban nat worship, and failed, so he formally incorporated nats into the local Buddhist tradition, making them subservient to Śakra (a Buddhist deity) and representing them worshipping the Lord Buddha.

[Oxx]

6 minutes ago, Langsuan Man said:

The biggest mystery,  in my opinion about spirit houses,  is why are the always disposed of on the side of the road ?

 

Not always.  However, they are disposed of in spiritually significant places.  The ones at the side of the road are usually under a Sacred Fig tree (Ficus Religiosa) growing there.

[elgordo38]

On 5/13/2017 at 4:08 PM, ThaiWai said:

This is tongue in cheek right?  Certainly as an adult you know there are no gods and magic and spirits?  Yeah this is a joke, has to be.  You had me going there for a minute.  555 good one!

Easy easy if the "spirit" moves him let him construct one. 

[thehelmsman]

On ‎5‎/‎13‎/‎2017 at 7:53 PM, elgenon said:

As far as I know Buddha does not reside in a spirit house, It is pretty amazing people don't care to learn about the culture of where they live. Yet criticism is freely offered.

 

My answer to the OP is- if you believe. If you don't, what's the difference?

I like to think he stops by occasionally.

[thehelmsman]

5 hours ago, Oxx said:

 

Not always.  However, they are disposed of in spiritually significant places.  The ones at the side of the road are usually under a Sacred Fig tree (Ficus Religiosa) growing there.

Don't forget to toot your horn.

[Gecko123]

Learned a few things about spirit houses on this thread. Thanks everybody. Whatever your spiritual beliefs, I agree local customs need to be respected.

[Andrew Dwyer]

I'm on the lookout for a house right now and if there isn't one I think a spirit house will be on the shopping list , maybe give me a bit of respect as " the only farang in the soi " and will keep 'er indoors happy on the spiritual side !!
Plus, I think they look pretty cool, a win , win situation ! [emoji4]

[ThaiWai]

On 5/15/2017 at 2:41 PM, elgordo38 said:

Easy easy if the "spirit" moves him let him construct one. 

If anyone moves into my house they either gotta clean the toilets or blow me (some do both).  That includes rainbow colored unicorns or ghosts or whatever.

[elgenon]

The Thai government is against foreigners using Buddha images as merely decoration. I wonder if the same is true about spirit houses. 

[marko kok prong]

My Dear Gecko,

   surely a drinks cabinet of some kind would be adequate to keep your spirits in .