Holiday karma
Merit-making holidays are all the rage for Thai Buddhists
The Buddhist concept of doing good deeds in order to accumulate good karma for oneself is called tam boon, or merit-making, and it’s serious business in Thailand. Thais believe tam boon helps bring good fortune and good health for this life and the next.
Locals get into full merit-making swing at temples on major Thai holidays like Songkran (Thai New Year, 13 to 15 April) and Khao Pansaa (Buddhist Lent, 27 June). Upon visiting the temples, devotees off er alms to the monks, giving items like homemade food, incense sticks and even money. Afterwards, monks lead prayer sessions before they conclude the service by blessing devotees with holy water.
Quite often you will find Thais arranging meritmaking travel plans with family and friends, to visit nine temples in various Thai cities. The number nine, or gao in Thai, is considered especially lucky as it sounds similar to the word for progress. Some famous temples that are often on merit-making tours are Bangkok’s Wat Pra Kaew, Wat Arun and the Erawan Shrine; Chiang Mai’s Wat Phathat Doi Suthep; and Wat Si Chum in Sukhothai.
For Thais, merit-making travel is not just a pilgrimage. “You can enjoy your time with other people in your group, especially if there are close friends who are travelling with you,” says Bangkok resident and regular merit-maker, Prayoon Chanchaisrisakul.
Non-Buddhists are more than welcome to participate. At temples, they can release birds or fish back into the wild. This is believed to bring positive karma in your direction – not to mention a warm fuzzy feeling. – Text by Tanya Sangpun Thamkruphat
EASTERN PHILOSOPHY
new year, new view
To start 2010 with an open mind why not learn more about the world’s fourth-largest belief system. Here are three ways to go beyond the temples:
1. At Wat Suan Mokkh’s 10-day silent meditation retreat, students learn the fundamentals of Buddhist teaching while cultivating a meditation practice. Courses start on the first day of each month, though most students show up a day early to secure a spot.
Located 640km south of Bangkok. Ampoe Chaiya, Surat Thani, Thailand, www.suanmokkh-idh.org
2. Visitors with less time can help express gratitude by taking part in the Buddhist practice of alms-giving, which is popular with tourists in Luang Prabang and Sukhothai. Show respect by leaving your camera behind so you can focus on spooning cooked rice into monks’ bowls as they make their daily procession through Alms collection is a common scene in any Buddhist community
the streets. On Visakha Puja Day (the birthday, death and enlightenment of Buddha, 28 May) give alms in the morning and return to the local wat, or temple, that night to observe a candlelit parade. The holiday is celebrated at temples throughout the region.
3. Travel-to-Teach (T2T) adds an additional element to learning about reaching nirvana – interaction. Programme participants study Buddhism, practise meditation and teach English to novices, monks or children at a nearby school. Visitors adhere to a typical monk’s lifestyle by taking part in daily routines such as collecting alms each morning.
Various locations in Nong Khai province, www.travel-to-teach.org – Text by Karryn Miller
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