First and last lessons about Buddhism

A major Buddha day when the bars are invariably closed.

From Pattaya City Expats Club

Makha Bucha day commemorates two separate events that occurred on the same date 45 years apart, during the Buddha's lifetime 2,500 years ago. The first event was the coming together of 1,250 monks from all locations and directions, to meet and be ordained by the Buddha. This event occurred seven months after the Buddha began his teachings.

The second event, which occurred 45 years later, was the Buddha delivering his teachings shortly before his death.

Both of these events occurred on the day of the full moon of the third lunar month, a month known in the Buddhist Pali language as 'Makha'. The 'Bucha', also a Pali word, means to venerate or to honor. Thus, Makha Bucha Day is for the veneration of Buddha and his teachings on the full moon day of the third lunar month.

The first event occurred nine months after the Buddha had been expounding his doctrine for only seven months. Of his 1,340 disciples, 1,250 of them came to the Buddha spontaneously, without communication from him – and at that meeting Buddha laid down the three main principles of his religion in the Patimokka, or the 'monk way', which document crystallizes the wisdom of all the Buddhas that came before him. These principles are:

1. Give up evil and refrain from sinning.
2. Cultivate good - and make merit
3. Cleanse one's mind.

The second event occurred on the same day forty-five years later. The Buddha foresaw that due to the state of his health, his attainment of Nirvana, or the escape from the cycle of rebirths, was approaching and would be within three months. On that day, he formulated and preached his Dhamma formulation for the responsibility of an individual or organization. These precepts state that a person or organization should:

1. Enjoy work or responsibility,
2. Be diligent in work,
3. Concentrate on the job while working,
4. Check all unfinished work thoroughly.

Celebrating Songkran

Thanks to jj, April 2007

Annually in mid-April, the sun and the earth align such that at high noon the sun is directly over Thailand. This also happens to coincide with the official beginning of the rainy season and the rice planting season. Hence, too, the closing of schools to allow all the children to lend a hand planting the rice. Except today, the children only seem to plant themselves in front of the TV or computer game console.

Culturally, there are a number of traditions associated with Songkran. One of them is a thorough cleaning of the house. Another is paying respect to the elders. Somewhere, between the two of these, the ‘throwing of water’ became part of the culture. If you are fortunate enough to accompany your Thai significant other to her ‘home’, you will likely see these events in their original and meaningful manner.

The entire village will gather at the customary place: the square, the village meeting room or temple. The elders of the village will be aligned in descending order of age and the entire village will pass in front of them showing their respect by gently pouring lustral water on their hands. The elders thank them by calling blessings down on those so offering this honor. Immediately following this ceremony, the villagers pour (not throw) water on each other and their Buddha – here too as a gesture of respect. Of course, this is just another excuse to eat so the ladies have arrayed all sorts of goodies for all to enjoy. The men then retire to get drunk, while the ladies clean up.

In the most traditional of places, a similar ceremony is held for the monks. At the very least, the monks are given their morning alms by just about everyone on the village on Songkran.
Thus Songkan is a very respectful, civil day of respect and fun.

Not so in the modern Thai urban centers; here it is has become more like civil war. In a complete reversal of Thai tradition and culture, it has lost all respect for anyone. The gentle Thai-ness of the pouring of lustral waters has given way to PVC cannons that can knock over a small child. Drunkenness will abound. Some of the ladies treat it more like a wet-t-shirt contest than a day of respect. Guys will use it as an opportunity to gape and grope the ladies. Hoses and water cannons are used to inundate innocent by-standers. Water is blasted through the open windows of busses on the street. All respect for people going to work, for their clothes or their possessions is forgotten.

Motorcyclists are the most vulnerable. With or without a helmet, having a few liters of water hit you in the face causes a natural reflex to close one’s eyes and swerve. Add the slippery wet streets to the mix and accidents abound. Luckily, most of these are but a minor inconvenience. Yet, the death toll will soar during this same period mostly due to drunken antics.

Once again (see Loy Kratong), modern Thais have found a way to take something gentle and beautiful and turn it into an excuse to maim and kill.

Suggestions for newcomers: Many farangs adopt a typhoon mentality for the week of Songkran. They lay in a supply of food and water (and abundant alcoholic beverages) and hunker down in front of the TV. Should you brave the storm and venture forth, it is highly advisable to place all items like your wallet, passport or any electronics in plastic bags. YOU WILL GET WET!

Although, Thailand is a country the approximate size of a postage stamp, some areas like Pattaya have decided that they can split an astrologic hair and determine that here the sun isn’t directly over head until a week after it happens in Bangkok – barely 150 kms away. So the majority of the civil warfare here will not occur until 19-20 APR. To make matters even worse, the entire city will be enveloped in grid lock as water-laden pick-up trucks full of fun-seeking teens will clog the streets. Do NOT plan to drive anywhere. You simply can’t move. Luckily, such mayhem subsides with the setting of the sun, so a visit to your favorite source of alcohol and groping is still in play.

Update: A Return to Civility

April 2 2007 by jj

Like many other ole farts, I chose to hunker down for 'water week', but I did venture as far as my favorite neighborhood bar to watch the festivities on the main soi near my home. I was amazed how civility abounded!

Revelers from 6-60 were lined up enjoying the day. And being quite civil about the process. Water was being arced over the road in the path of vehicles rather than aimed at their faces. Bowls, not buckets and water cannons, were the most common means of dispersing water. I nary saw a PVC cannon all day! Powder was respectfully layered on the old and young alike.

Motorcycles were being flagged down and the occupants dowsed and dusted not drenched. Pick-ups were exchange broadsides as they passed but the disinterested and street vendors were being spared.

A few hours later, those same pick-ups came lumbering back, riding a bit higher with ammunition and energy expended. Unlike Soi 7, nary a boob was flashed -- Oh darn!

All in all, it was more akin to the time-honored Thai day than the recent civil wars.
The revelers, young and old, will sleep well tonight.

The Astrology of Songkran

From the Bangkok Post, April 2008

If the Culture Ministry has its way, the next Songkran festival will not necessarily start on April 13.

Wattana Boonchab, an expert at the Culture Ministry, said the ministry is considering reviving a tradition in which Songkran Day is determined with the help of an ancient calendar that is common in most Southeast Asian countries, rather than fixing the date on April 13.

By tradition, Songkran Day is determined based on a suriya yatra sacred book which describes the passing of the sun.

Songkran is a Sanskrit word, meaning the passing of the sun from one zodiac to another. The passing happens every month, but the most important passage is in April when the sun leaves Pisces to enter Aries, which traditionally marks the beginning of the new year.

That Songkran is fixed on April 13 makes people forget the other two important days during the traditional new year. They are wan nao and wan thaloeng sok, which literally means celebration of the new year, on April 15 or April 16, Wattana said.

Nao, he said, means stay in Thai. In this sense, it specifically means the lapse of the sun passing: That's exactly the period when the sun is between the two zodiacs. Nao when pronounced by people in the North is a word that gives this particular date an inauspicious meaning. It sounds like the word for rotten so people usually skip this day if they are to hold an important event, to avoid bad luck.

But since we no longer recognise wan nao, we inadvertently conduct auspicious ceremonies on an inauspicious day. The revival of the tradition will help people know when to avoid this date,that is, a day between Songkran and wan thaloeng sok.

Wattana said wan thaloeng sok this year falls on April 15 and it will fall on April 16 for the next three years. In 2012, it falls again on April 15. Thereafter, thaloeng sok will be on April 16 for the next 80 years

Warning: Out of Hand

April 2008, from Pattaya Secrets

[My wife has a salon near the beer bars of sois 7 and 8].

Yesterday most people were playing Songkran in that area so she decided that she and her staff would join in. She came home about 8 p.m. and reported that she never wanted to play Songkran again.

She said that there were roving gangs of up to 10 drunken farangs – mainly Brits – who were abusive and very rough. The carried illegal power water guns, and buckets of ice. When they reached her shop they would physically grab her and her staff so that they couldn’t escape and blast them with water and ice.

If they tried to resist, they were subjected to profanities and abuse. She said that normally on that side of the street there would only be a trickle of farangs wandering along, but yesterday the road was full of farangs looking to make mayhem.

A 4 year old boy wasn’t spared. The more he cried the more they taunted him and soaked him. They had to put him inside the shop for his own safety.

My wife’s arms are covered in bruises where these louts had grabbed her.

 
Marking the birth, enlightenment and death of Buddha

A major Buddha day when the bars are invariably closed.

See full article from Wikipedia

Visakha Bucha is an annual holiday observed by practicing Buddhists. The exact date of Vesak varies according to the lunar calendar. It falls on a full moon

Sometimes informally called "Buddha's birthday," it actually encompasses the birth, enlightenment Nirvana, and passing (Parinirvana) of Buddha.

On Visakha Bucha day, devout Buddhists and followers alike are expected and requested to assemble in their various temples before dawn for the ceremonial, and honorable, hoisting of the Buddhist flag and the singing of hymns in praise of the holy triple gem: The Buddha, The Dharma (his teachings), and The Sangha (his disciples).

Devotees may bring simple offerings of flowers, candles and joss-sticks to lay at the feet of their teacher. These symbolic offerings are to remind followers that just as the beautiful flowers would wither away after a short while and the candles and joss-sticks would soon burn out, so too is life subject to decay and destruction.

Devotees are enjoined to make a special effort to refrain from killing of any kind. They are encouraged to partake of vegetarian food for the day.

Some devout Buddhists will wear a simple white dress and spend the whole day in temples with renewed determination to observe the observance of the Eight Precepts.

1. Not to kill
2. Not to steal
3. Not to engage in improper sexual activity
4. Not to indulge in wrong speech
5. Not to take intoxicating drinks and drugs
6. To abstain from taking food at unreasonable times
7. To refrain from sensual pleasures such as dancing, singing and self-adornment
8. To refrain from using high and luxurious seats in order to practice humility.

Devotees are expected to listen to talks given by monks. On this day monks will recite verses uttered by the Buddha twenty-five centuries ago, to invoke peace and happiness for the Government and the people. Buddhists are reminded to live in harmony with people of other faiths and to respect the beliefs of other people as the Buddha had taught.

 
Wan Chatramongkhol: Anniversary of the King's coronation

From Chiang Mai Mail

King Bhumibol Adulyadej ascended to the throne on June 9 but finished his studies in Europe before returning to Thailand for his coronation on 5th May 1950. He was crowned King during an elaborate and highly intricate ceremony that outshone all previous coronations in Thailand.

The annual remembrance of the coronation ceremony is currently a three day affair, starting with a ritual “tham bun” ceremony on May 3 to honour the King’s ancestors. Later on the first day, another ceremony is performed, whereby flags of honour are issued to distinguish various military units.

The following day, Buddhist ceremonies continue with chanting rituals, prayers and Brahman priests announcing the auspicious occasion forthcoming on May 5 itself. On that day, a national holiday, King Bhumibol Adulyadej conducts a merit-making ceremony, presenting offerings to Buddhist monks, and leading a “Wienthien” ceremony, walking three times around sacred grounds at the Temple of the Emerald Buddha.

On the same evening, the King conducts a further sacred ceremony; the changing of the yellow cloth on the Emerald Buddha, the guardian symbol protecting the Thai people, transferred from Thonburi to Wat Phra Kaew by Rama I.

 
Marking the first sermon given by Buddha

A major Buddha day when the bars are invariably closed.

From The Pattaya Mail

The Buddhist Holy Day of Asarnha Bucha falls on the 15th night of the full moon during the eighth month of the Buddhist Lunar calendar.

Asarnha Bucha Day is worshipped because of three important events occurring on the day. Called the Triple Gem (the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha).

Firstly the day commemorates the first sermon given by the Buddha, called the Dharmachakapavattama Sutta concerning the Four Noble Truths presented to the Buddha’s first five disciples. The sermon set in motion the Wheel of Dharma.

The sermon concluded that:

1. All things are a source of suffering from the constant cycle of birth, disease, old age and death.
2. Desire or the inability to obtain what one desires is the cause of suffering resulting from cause and effect.
3. Freedom from suffering can be obtained after the complete cessation of desire.
4. The last of the Four Noble Truths is the Middle Way, or the path between extremes of asceticism and indulgence leading to the eliminating of desire. The Eight-Fold Path consists of possessing the correct: Views, Resolve, Speech, Conduct, Livelihood, Effort, Mindfulness, and Meditation (or Concentration).

Secondly, the day is considered to be the birth of Buddhism, as the Buddha departed the location where he obtained his enlightenment two months earlier and then, coming to a forest area in the city of Pharansi, he showed favour to five ascetics who became his followers.

The third of the Triple Gems is the Sangha. On this same day, the first person listened to the Buddha’s sermon, realising the truths contained therein and becoming the first Buddhist monk. This created the Buddhist order “Sangha” and the day is also known as “Sangha Day”

 
Monks return to their home temple to contemplate the rainy season

A major Buddha day when the bars are invariably asked to close but some open anyway

From The Pattaya Mail

The day following Asarnha Bucha Day is called Khao Pansa or Buddhist Lent Day. This day falls on the first full moon of the Buddhist Lunar calendar during the eighth month of every year.

The term “Khao Pansa” can also translate to entering the months of the rainy season when monks return to the temple for the duration of the rains, usually to the temple where they were ordained. They stay there for approximately three months. The monks are not supposed to depart the temple, or stay overnight at any other location during the months of rain.

For those people having devout faith they may adhere to more of the Buddhist rules than usual (5 rules for lay people and 8 for more serious adherents). A typical sacrifice may be to give up alcohol (banned by one of the 5 rules)

The two main items presented to monks during Khao Pansa are the candles and garments worn by monks, specifically the bathing robe. The candles were essential in former times and needed for ceremonies, studying scriptures and performing various other functions. The candle offering has developed into a custom still followed.

 
End of the rainy season

A Buddha day that is neither a public holiday nor a day when bars are asked to close

See article from chiangmai-chiangrai.com

Awk Pansa means leaving the period of rain and normally falls on around early October till early November.

The occasion is to mark the end of Lord Buddha's retreat to heaven in the wet season, during which he preached to his mother. Upon his return to Earth, his followers presented Lord Buddha and his disciples with gifts of food. This event is celebrated today by the presentation of food and other gifts to the nation's monks as they emerge from their rainy season retreat in temples across the land. The monks prepare for this occasion by shaving their heads and eyebrows, and donning fresh robes before leaving their temples and travelling throughout the countryside.

Awk Pansa falls on the night of the full moon when Thai people will visit their local temple to pray and to pay respects to the sacred relics and structures within the temple grounds. Candles will be lit and placed outside homes and in temple compounds across the country. This is to mark the end of the rains that have brought sustenance to the land. This occasion comes on the eve of Tawd Gathin, a thirty-day period of merit-making for the people of Thailand.

The Royal Barge Procession

As keeper of the Buddhist faith in Thailand, His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej is, by custom, the first person to present new robes to the monks; presiding over a Gathin ceremony at a temple of royal rank, such as Wat Arun (the Temple of Dawn), or Wat Po in the capital, Bangkok.

The king will travel there aboard the Royal Barge accompanied by an impressive fleet of escort barges along the Chao Phraya River from the Grand Palace to Wat Arun, where he will present the new robes to the abbot. The Royal Barge Procession is a splendid affair, comprising as it does of more than fifty barges manned by some two thousand colourfully dressed crewmen; the bulk of whom man the oars of these ornate vessels.

Naga fireballs

The phenomenon known as the Naga fireballs, in which glowing egg-sized balls rise out of the Mekong river, is most often reported around the night of Wan Awk Pansa. A clear reason for the fireballs has yet to be determined.

 
The King of Siam

See article from en.wikipedia.org

Chulalongkorn (Rama V) was the fifth king of the Chakri dynasty of Thailand. He is regarded as one of the greatest kings of Siam, as he is also called by Thais as "The Great Beloved King".

King Chulalongkorn modernized the government by introducing a cabinet system, and the semi-feudal provincial administration was changed into a modern administration with provinces (changwat) and districts (amphoe) as it still is today. He declared amnesty for all political prisoners, and also gradually abolished slavery. This liberation is often misunderstood but was intended to weaken the power of the Bunnag, a noble family that strictly controlled the Chakri dynasty at the time. In addition, the liberation was intended to weaken regional governors and centralize the country.

Thailand's first railroad was opened in his reign in 1896 from Bangkok to Ayutthaya. It was during his reign that the western calendar replaced the traditional lunar calendar. In 1896 the British diplomat Alfred Mitchell-Innes took up a three-year appointment as Financial Advisor to the King, who also introduced the modern system of banknotes to Siam. Chulalongkorn also declared religious freedom, allowing Christianity and Islam to be practiced in the Buddhist country.

He was born on September 20, 1853 He ascended to the throne on October 1, 1868 and died on  October 23, 1910). The date of his death is commemorated as a national holiday.

 
Sovereign power ceded to the people of Siam

See article from en.wikipedia.org

On 24 June 1932, the People's Party, a coalition of civil servants, princes, and army officers, seized power from the King in a bloodless coup. A provisional constitution was sent to King Prajadhipok along with an ultimatum from Party leaders. On 26 June, the King met the Party leaders and refused to sign the charter. The next day, the King met the leaders again and signed the charter.

The People's Party leaders generally followed the British parliamentary structure for the temporary charter. However, there were key differences, particularly regarding the powers of the monarch.

The charter began by stating that sovereign power belongs to the people of Siam. Empowered to exercise power on behalf of the people were the People's Assembly.

The monarch was not held to be infallible. He had a limited degree of sovereign immunity: although he could not be prosecuted in an ordinary court of law, the Assembly could impeach and try him. The monarch did not have the right to grant pardons.

In practice, the People's Party made many concessions to the palace in putting together the new government.  Despite this, the charter provoked fierce resistance from the palace. The new government reduced the palace budget and passed a taxation law that burdened the Kingdom's largest landowners, who were mostly nobles.

In September 1932, a senior prince threatened the King's abdication if a permanent constitution did not grant the palace greater power.

The People's Party, facing an internal power struggle and opposition from the King, promulgated a permanent constitution in 10 December 1932 that gave the monarchy a significant increase in authority compared to the temporary charter. The day is currently celebrated as Constitution Day.

The constitution continued to state that sovereign power belonged to the people of Siam. However, unlike the temporary charter, the monarchy would now be the direct exerciser of that power, rather than the branches of government. This royal power would be exercised by and with the advise and consent of the People's Assembly, the State Council (the cabinet), and the Courts. However, the monarchy lacked any say in the composition of any of the branches of government and the royal veto could still be overruled. The monarchy was also made "sacred and inviolable", in contrast to the temporary charter.