tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8294641673064466372024-03-12T21:27:44.705-07:00Lord of SuvarnabhumiUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger31125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-829464167306446637.post-19785874941178571422009-08-18T04:28:00.000-07:002010-03-27T18:33:18.051-07:00A Buddhist Riddle: Sitting Buddha, Standing Buddha, Walking Buddha and Sleeping Buddha<div><strong>A Buddhist Riddle of the Four Brahmaviharas</strong><br /><br />While we are in the heart of Old Bangkok, we may need to adjust our mental frame as a humble Buddhist to appreciate the Sublime and Divine. Then the Sublime and Divine will manifest their omnipresence through the temples, the pagodas, the Buddha statues, the Buddhist teachings and all the other historical buildings. These physical structures will also reveal to us the high culture of Thai arts, as well as the layers of Heaven through religious symbols, faith and Buddhist riddles. From the outset, Bangkok, as its official name implies, was created by Lord Vishnu, who radiates his kindness equally toward the Celestial Beings and human beings.<br /><br />The Buddha does not refute the existence of the worlds of the lower beings, nor that of the worlds of the higher beings. But he focuses on the present, how one might reach a breakthrough of one's consciousness. This is the ultimate Heaven, the Nirvana where there is no self and only absolute tranquillity. Angels or Gods may still have emotions and desires. They dwell in different realms. And they still have to go through the cycle of birth and death. But the Buddha and those who follow his path to Nirvana have no emotion or desire, only the ever-present state of blissfulness. The Buddha sees a potential to realise a perfect soul in every human being.<br /><br />In the City of Celestial Beings, our mode of thought gives in to the Sublime and Divine. What is more Sublime and Divine than to have a mind-set of Brahma or to enter the realm of Brahma?<br /><br />But first we have to solve a Buddhist riddle of the Four Brahmaviharas.<br /><br />The Buddha employs Brahma as a metaphor in his teaching of the Four Brahmaviharas. Together with Vishnu and Shiva, Brahma forms the Trinity of the Hindu Gods. Two words combine to make Brahmavihara. As we already know, Brahma is the Hindu God of creation. Vihara means a building or a residence, generally a grand and imposing structure where the high priests perform religious rites or where the gods take their residence. To perfect the Four Brahmaviharas of Metta, Karuna, Mudita and Upekkha is to enter the realm of Brahma and to attain the Sublime and Divine.<br /><br />In Thailand, we can see Brahma Shrines almost everywhere because the Thais also worship Brahma, who renders peace and prosperity and fulfils our wishes and cures our traumas. Brahma Shrines are located in front of government offices, office buildings or condominiums. There are two most prominent Brahma Shrines in Bangkok, one at the Government House and the other at the Rajaprasong Intersection near the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel. The Thao Maha Phrom of the Erawan Shrine at the Rajaprasong Intersection, created in 1956, is the most well-known spirit house of all. Every day the Thais, as well as tourists mostly from Hong Kong and Singapore, flock the Erawan Shrine to worship the four-headed and eight-handed Brahma and his elephant Erawan with offerings, garlands of sweet-scented jasmine, roses and also wooden elephants. When the supplicants' wishes are answered, they pay a tribute to Thao Maha Phrom with a troupe of a ritual dance and traditional Thai music.<br /><br />In the early morning of March 21, 2006, a man with a record of mental illness smashed the Great Brahma statue to pieces with a hammer. He was later beaten to death by an angry mob. The incident shocked the Thai public, who could not have imagined that the Brahma shrine came under the attack. It was beyond any imaginable crimes, the most sinful act of all. "It's hard to believe it happened," said Viranya Aiemcharoen, who visited the shrine with her family in the morning after learning of the incident." My heart is filled with sorrow, so I came to pay respect to the gods again," she said. Members of her family often asked for blessings at the shrine and were devastated by the statue's destruction. Patsalin Sritan, a sales clerk, said she rushed to the shrine after a motorcycle taxi driver told her what had happened." I feel sorry for all Thais because the statue was much revered by Buddhists," she said. Garland vendor Pinkaew Pipat-asa witnessed people started arriving as early as 4 am to pay their tribute. She immediately phoned her friends then rushed to the scene. "I was shocked and my heart was broken ...I am a second-generation garland seller here, I've been here for about 40 years," she said.<br /><br />It was not until three months afterward that the Hindu God Thao Maha Phrom was restored. During which time there was much speculation about the motivation behind the destruction of the Erawan Shrine. One plausible theory was that the real culprit behind this black-magic act of terror would like to destroy Brahma and the Four Brahmaviharas governing the Sublime and Divine of Bangkok. The culprit hoped that if he could destroy the Four Brahmaviharas, the Thais at large would be falling to the lower worlds governed by the beasts. It would be more convenient to rule the Thais reduced to residing in the realms of Naraka or Hell under the disguised form of Democracy.<br /><br />Since Brahma has four faces and eight hands, each face comes to represent a virtue of the Four Brahmaviharas (Metta, Karuna, Mudita and Upekkha), while each hand signifies a virtue of Noble Eightfold Path (Right View, Right Intention, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness and Right Concentration). Those who possess or persevere through the virtues of the Four Brahmaviharas are considered perfect human beings. Those who practice the Noble Eightfold Path will ultimately find a way to end suffering. These virtues enshrined in the Buddha’s teachings can be achieved through meditation and daily practice. The barami, or reserve power, that is acquired through the constant practice and refining of these virtues will help us attain the Sublime and Divine.<br /><br />The Buddha holds that cultivation of the Four Brahmaviharas has the power to cause the practitioner to be re-born into a Brahma realm. Through the Four Brahamaviharas, we radiate our pure heart to all beings in all directions in the mental states of loving-kindness or benevolence (Metta), compassion (Karuna), sympathetic joy (Mudita), and, equanimity (Upekkha).<br /><br />Metta is the wish that all sentient beings, without any exception, be happy. The Thais make merit by pouring water into a vessel (tham boon kruat nam). While they pray during this merit making, they radiate metta not only to their family members but also to other fellow human beings and animals, who all share the same fate of the cycle of birth and death in this world.<br /><br />Karuna is the wish for all sentient beings to be free from suffering. The Thais sometimes free the birds and release the fish back into the water in a merit-making act of metta and karuna radiation. At Wat Rakhang, which is located on the bank of the Chao Phya River on the Thon Buri side of Bangkok, many Thais make merit by sending the birds kept in cages into the air and release the fish in plastic bags back into the river so that they may enjoy freedom again. The temple's ground is a no-killing zone. A big flock of pigeons finds protection within the temple's compound. The fish, which swim in the river in front of the temple's pier are also getting fed with food and bread from the well-wishers. There, human beings and animals are treated equally.<br /><br />Mudita is the wholesome attitude of rejoicing in the happiness and virtues of all sentient beings. When we don't feel jealous toward the success of some one but rejoices in his or her happiness or achievement, we are in the Mudita mode.<br /><br />Upekkha is a state of mind that does not to distinguish between friend, enemy or stranger, but regard every sentient being as equal. If we treat all other sentient beings as equal, we will get the respect from all.<br />These virtues of the Brahmavihara form the foundation of a perfect human being. We may enter the realm of Brahma without having to wait for the next life by simultaneously practising the virtues of Metta, Karuna, Mudita and Upekkha.<br /><br />The Buddhist riddle of the Four Brahmaviharas is also concealed in the Buddha statues in Bangkok and the nearby Nakhon Pathom. These Buddha statues communicate and are related to each other. We can detect the riddle of the Four Brahmaviharas, as exemplified through the Sitting Buddha, the Standing Buddha, the Walking Buddha and the Sleeping Buddha. Each Buddha statue represents one virtue of the Four Brahmaviharas.<br /><br />The Sitting Buddha or Phra Sri Sakayamuni at Wat Suthat represents the virtue of Metta. The Standing Buddha or Phra Sri Ariyametreya at Wat Indhravoraviharn illustrates the virtue of Karuna. The Walking Buddha or Phra Srisakayathosphol at Nakhon Pathom's Phuttamonthon manifests the virtue of Mudita. Finally, the Sleeping Buddha at Wat Pho exemplifies the virtue of Upekkha.<br /><br />These Buddha statues speak to each other. They reveal our past, present and future. They relate to us the past glory of Suvarnabhumi. They reflect the decadence and despair and hope of our present time. And they point to the future of a re-emerging Suvarnabhumi, a lost Heaven that could be regained. Only after we have come to terms with these Buddha images and fallen on your knees to pray before them, with a perfect heart of the Four Brahmaviharas, would we realise that the door to Heaven is wide open before our eyes.<br /><br />@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@<br /><br /><strong>The Sitting Buddha</strong><br />At Wat Suthat Thepwararam, a royal temple of the first grade, the Buddha statue Phra Sri Sakayamuni offers a striking image. You are overwhelmed at once by the statue's immense size and beauty. The aesthetics of Thai arts and the Buddhist ideals are inseparable. Beauty is defined by a combination of an appropriate size and proportion. And Phra Sri Sakayamuni is created with an appropriate size and proportion to become a perfect piece of art, a rendition of the force of Metta and an embodiment of the Four Brahmaviharas. The creation of this Buddha image reflects the Golden Age of the Sukhothai Kingdom, which marked one of the early cradles of the Suvarnabhumi civilisation.<br /><br />Wat Suthat is located at the centre of Old Bangkok on Bamrungmuang Road of Phra Nakhon District. In front of this temple stands the Giant Swing, a relic of Brahmanic ceremony. The Giant Swing is made of 20-metre tall red lacquered teak logs. In the ceremony, a group of men would push the swing until someone could snatch a bag of gold from a 15-metre bamboo pole with his teeth. Nearby are a Brahmin Shrine, the Dev Mandir Temple and the headquarters of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration.<br /><br />A narrow street in front of Wat Suthat leads to the broader Rajadamneon Klang Road, where the Democracy Monument stands frugally as a symbol of modernity. Yet most motorists driving around the circle of the Democracy Monument hardly draw any inspiration from what it stands for. The Democracy Monument, created after the 1932 Revolution that toppled Absolute Monarchy, looks more like a crumbling symbol of what has gone wrong with modern Thailand. Surrounding the Democracy Monument are buried arsenals, chained together in a circle as a curse against the true Thai ideals.<br /><br />The main Viharn of Wat Suthat houses Phra Sri Sakayamuni, while Phra Buddha Trilokachet is placed in the Ubosot (Ordinary Hall) and Phra Buddha Setthamuni in the Sala Kan Parien (Meeting Hall). When you cross the threshold of the main gate into the temple, you immediately enter the layers of Heaven, symbolised by both the Hindu and Buddhist ideals. Chinese and Thai arts also blend together in an order of conformity. Most important, you witness the Ayutthaya heritage in a recreation. The verandah around it was built in the style of Wat Mongkhon Bophit in Ayutthaya.<br /><br />The early Bangkok people called this temple as Wat Phra Yai or Wat Sao Ching Cha. King Yodfa named it as Wat Mahasuthawat, which means the temple endowed with the beauty of the Brahma Heaven. Later on King Mongkut, one of his grandsons, renamed this temple as Wat Suthatthepwararam. The new name also came with a heaven-like connotation from Hinduism. It means the Temple that resides on the Mount Meru, the central part of Heaven where Indra takes residence. For bronze horses, beautifully cast with polished surface, are located at each direction to represent the four continents surrounding Mount Meru. Wat Suthat, like all other temples in Bangkok, is a holy place, endowed with the highest Hindu and Buddhist ideals. This temple also represents a central corridor connected to the innermost part of the centre of Heaven situated at Wat Pho and the Temple of the Emerald Buddha.<br /><br />In 1807, King Yodfa commissioned the construction of Wat Suthat. King Lertla would help carved the door panels, which turned out to be a masterpiece. The carved doors are now being kept at the National Museum. But Wat Suthat would not be completed until 1847 during the reign of King Nangklao. A true nation builder, King Nangklao presided over the building and rennovation of most of the temples in Bangkok.<br /><br />King Yodfa was conscious of the glory of Ayutthaya "when the country was still prosperous". He would like to recreate Ayutthaya, both its spirit and its physical features, in the new capital he built. Reviving the morale of the Siamese through Buddhism was his most important task, which included building new temples, renovating the old ones and moving the Buddha images from the old capitals and major cities to keep them in Bangkok. During his reign, King Yodfa ended up having 1,248 Buddha images moved to the new capita for preservation. Of these, the three most important Buddha images of the land were the Emerald Buddha of the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, Phra Srisakayamuni of Wat Suthat and Phra Srisanphet, a standing Buddha image installed inside the grand pagoda Phra Maha Chedi Srisanpetchadayarn at Wat Pho.<br /><br />The new temple in the middle of Bangkok would be called Wat Phra Yai (Temple of the Big Buddha Image) because King Yodfa would like to model it after Wat Phanan Cherng of Ayutthaya. Located outside Ayutthaya's inner city on the riverbank in the south of the Old Capital, Wat Phanan Cherng was built probably in the year 1324 before the founding of Ayutthaya. The large Buddha image in the Vihara was called Phra Chao Phanan Cherng, whose name was later changed to Phra Puttha Trairatana Nayok. But the Ayutthaya people call this Buddha image simply as Luang Pho To. Most Thais also called Phra Sri Sakayamuni by a secular name of Luang Pho To.<br /><br />The origin of Phra Srisakaymuni was from the Vihara of Wat Mahathat, the ancient city of Sukhothai in the North of Thailand. Phra Mahathammaraja Lithai, King of the Sukhothai Dynasty (1347-1375) had Phra Sri Sakayamuni Buddha image cast. The work was finished in 1361. Wat Mahathat was one of the royal temples of the first grade within what is now the Sukhothai Historical Park. The temple was left to decay with time under the scorching heat of the sun and the humidity of the rain. Phra Sri Sakayamuni, the main Buddha image in the chapel, was also left neglected. The Sukhothai Empire lost its power after the rise of Ayutthaya.<br /><br />In 1808, King Yodfa commanded that Phra Phirenthep made a journey to Sukhothai to retrieve this Buddha image and bring it down to Bangkok. Phra Sri Sakayamuni was floated by raft through the Chao Phraya River before it disembarked at Tha Chang, a pier just outside the Grand Palace. Festivities followed for seven nights and seven days to celebrate the arrival of Phra Sri Sakayamuni, which would be transported via a sledge to the main vihara of the new temple.<br /><br />The Buddha image was carried in a huge raft, floating down the Chao Phya River until it reached Tha Chang, some dozen steps away from the Grand Palace. Phra Srisakayamuni was installed temporarily there for celebration for seven days and seven nights. King Yodfa had a very fragile health at that point. Still, with his bare-footed, the King led a procession to move the Buddha image from Tha Chang, a new pier just outside the Grand Palace, to the new temple. Apparently, the King was committing the last virtuous act of restoring the glory of Buddhism to his land. The founder of Bangkok, who spent most of his life on the battlefield, was a deeply religious man. He was navigating the last part of his life toward Enlightenment and Heaven. He died shortly after this grand celebration of Phra Srisakayamuni at the age of 72.<br /><br />Inside the Viharn where the Buddha image Phra Sri Sakyamuni is installed, there are murals portraying Thai Buddhist cosmology and scenes of the Himavanta forest with lotus ponds, Kinnara and Kinnari and their children. The Buddha image is seated at the centre of the Heaven.<br /><br />At about eight metres in height and six metres in width, Phra Sri Sakayamuni is one of the largest and oldest bronze-cast Buddha images in Thailand. The Buddha image is seated in a classic mediating posture after his victory over King Mara. The Buddha image is in a crossed-legged position, with the right hand placing on the right knee while the left hand resting below the navel, dwelling on the upper thigh in front of the abdomen, with the palm facing up. The base on which the Buddha image sits resembles lion's feet. Under this base the royal ashes of Rama VIII are kept.<br /><br />Indeed, Phra Sri Sakayamuni is styled after the Buddha's Subduing of the Mara. According to the Buddhist legend, the Mara King rode on elephant back ahead of a fierce army, trying to disrupt the Buddha's path to enlightenment. The appearance of the Mara King is a recurring theme of a fight between Good and Evil. The Lord Buddha called Vasundhara, or the Goddess of Earth, to witness this confrontation with the Mara King and his army. The Goddess of Earth said she would return to the Buddha the water he had poured on the earth in an act of making merit (tham boon kruad nam). Thus she began to wring water from her hair. All of a sudden, the water flowing from her hair became a mighty ocean, sweeping away the Mara King and his army to the ends of the earth and killing most of them. Frightened by this power, the Mara King fled in disgrace. The Lord Buddha's confrontation with the Mara King has deeply caught the imagination of Thai artists, inspiring them to create statues and paintings of the Buddha in the act of subduing the Mara King.<br />The Sitting Buddha communicates to us several profound meanings. When you wake up from a long sleep, the first thing you do is to sit up on your bed. This sitting allows us to clear the dizziness in our head and to prepare a sound mind for the day. If you assume a loving-kindness mode or Metta without holding on to your elusive self, you will be starting your good day with auspicises.<br /><br />Likewise, the Sitting Buddha assumes a mode of serenity and Metta, the first quality of the Four Brahmaviharas. The way his hands are posed signifies that they are empty. The Buddha image's hands are not holding to anything. They are in effect in a "letting go" posture. The Buddha has let it go. He does not hold on to anything. To him, all the things in the universe are subject to change. Nothing lasts forever.<br /><br />As you pray before Phra Sri Sakayamuni, with a lotus, a candle and three joss sticks to represent the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha, you feel that the image is radiating Metta to you. The image's eyes penetrate your mind. You are overwhelmed by this Metta force. You're already entering the realm of Brahma.<br /><br />Phra Sri Sakayamuni also looks into himself. He is in a meditation mode. The Buddha image looks inward, into his inner most self to realise that impermanence is the essence of this universe. The Buddha, or the Awakened One, attained enlightenment because he looked inward rather than outward. While meditating under a bodhi tree near the River Neranjana, the Buddha discovered the Four Noble Truths. He saw through the nature of suffering (Dukkha), the fundamental cause of all suffering (Samuddaya), the escape from suffering (Nirodha), and what effort a person can go to so that they themselves can attain emancipation (Marga).<br /><br />Once the Buddha became enlightened, he had the wisdom to understand thoroughly the world from within and the world from without. The Buddhist Heaven he led us to is a place of absolute tranquillity.<br /><br />As the name Phra Sri Sakayamuni implies, this Buddha image represents the historical Buddha, or Sithartha Gautama, who lived more than two thousand years ago. The Buddha was born into the royal Sakaya family. Since there are no photos or paintings of the Buddha, artists or artisans can only create the Buddha in their own images or imaginations. Phra Sri Sakayamuni has a facial look of a man who is and is not of this world. The part that belongs to this world must have reflected a common feature of one of the ancient persons of Suvarnabhumi, who was gentle and kind. Phra Sri Sakayamuni represents an ideal superman man of Suvarnabhumi, one who was noble, bold, religiously tolerant and having a Metta heart.<br /><br /><br />The Sukhothai artists achieved the high art of beauty through the creation of Phra Sri Sakayamuni, which could not be more perfect. The Buddha image also embodies the highest virtue of goodness because it represents the Buddha's Dharma teachings. Moreover, Phra Sri Sakayamuni also teaches us about absolute reality through his bare left hand, which does not hold on to anything because in absolute reality there is nothingness. In our life, we all aim to realise the highest ideals of beauty, virtue and truth. In Phra Sri Sakayamuni, we can realise these highest ideals of beauty, virtue and ultimate truth all at once.<br /><br />By placing Phra Sri Sakayamuni in Wat Phrayai in Bangkok, modelled after Wat Phanan Cherng, King Yodfa created a necessary link between the three kingdoms into an unbroken line. The Thon Buri Kingdom would represent a ring that ties the knot between Sukhothai and Ayutthaya Kingdoms with the Bangkok Kingdom. Without King Taksin the Great, who consolidated Siam after the fall of Ayutthaya in 1767, the Suvarnabhumi civilisation would have ceased to exist. King Yodfa took on from the Thonburi Kingdom to found the new capital and to restore the glory that was Ayutthaya. But he also consciously had a vision of Suvarnabhumi, through Sukhothai ideals, in his mind when he built Bangkok as the new capital. Wat Suthat would represent the glory of Sukhothai through Phra Sri Sakayamuni, the grandeur of Ayutthaya through the modelling of its spirit, and the celebration of the Bangkok Kingdom.<br /><br />The surrounding courtyard, a blend of Chinese and Thai arts so prevalent during the reign of King Nangklao, contains 156 Buddha images. A statue of King Rama VIII stands in one of the corners in front of the Vihara. On the door and windows panels there are pictures of guardians and divinities. At the lower terrace of the base there are Chinese pagodas, seven pagodas on each side making 28 of them to signify the 28 Buddhas born onto this earth. Buddhists believe in the reincarnation and a perfect being in the Buddha. Phra Sri Sakayamuni is one of a series of the Buddhas born into this world to lead human beings to salvation. He was the historical Buddha, or the Buddha that had flesh, blood and feeling like all of us. And he was the Awakened One, or the Enlightened One, who understood thoroughly the impermanent of the universe.<br /><br />The Sakayamuni Buddha’s teaching would only last 5,000 years before it goes into oblivion. We have already passed the middle of Buddhist era. After Sri Sakayamuni, a new Buddha will be born to lead us to redemption again. The next Buddha is called Maitreya.<br />Wat Suthat provides a platform for Sri Sakayamuni to pass on the candle of Dharma to the next Buddha, or Maitreya. For all of his Metta, Phra Sri Sakayamuni gives blessing of compassion for Maitreya, who waits for his turn to come down to this world to attain the complete enlightenment.<br /><br />Sakayamuni spoke about the Buddha of the Future, who would follow him as follows:<br /><br />"He will have a heavenly voice which reaches far; his skin will have a golden hue, a great splendour will radiate from his body, his chest will be broad, his limbs well developed, and his eyes will be like lotus petals. His body is eighty cubits high, and twenty cubits broad. He will have a retinue of 84,000 persons, whom he will instruct in the mantras. With this retinue he will one day go forth into the homeless life. A Dragon tree will then be the tree under which he will win enlightenment; its branches rise up to fifty leagues, and its foliage spreads far and wide over six Kos. Underneath it Maitreya, the best of men, will attain supreme enlightenment - there can be no doubt on that. And he will win his enlightenment the very same day that he has gone forth into the homeless life.<br /><br />“And then, a supreme sage, he will with a perfect voice preach the true dharma, which is auspicious and removes all ill, i.e. the fact of ill, the origination of ill, the transcending of ill, and the holy eightfold path which brings security and leads to Nirvana. He will explain the four Truths, because he has seen that generation, in faith, ready for them, and those who have listened to his Dharma will thereupon make progress in the religion. They will be assembled in a park full of beautiful flowers, and his assembly will extend over a hundred leagues. Under Maitreya's guidance, hundreds of thousands of living beings shall enter upon a religious life."<br /><br />Phra Srisakayamuni has witnessed it all. He saw the glory of Sukhothai 700 years ago and Suvarnabhumi as well as their decline. In the middle period represented by Ayutthaya, Phra Srisakyayamuni was completely forgotten. Now this Buddha image is about to make his move by passing on the legacy of Buddhism and the Middle Path principle to the next Buddha. The Standing Buddha of Phra Sri Ariyamaitreya at Wat Indhraviharn in Bangkok’s Bangkhunphrom area, which is a few kilometres a way from Wat Suthat, is about to take over as the next Buddha as a new chapter of Suvarnabhumi begins.<br />@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@<br /><br /><strong>The Standing Buddha<br /></strong>After paying a visit to the Sitting Buddha, you now set your sight at the Standing Buddha, which towers over Wat Intharaviharn in the northern part of Old Bangkok. You have already acquired a Metta blessing from Phra Sri Sakayamuni, the historical Buddha. You can't rest until you proceed to visit Phra Sri Ariyamaitreya, the Buddha of the Future. The Standing Buddha has been waiting for his turn and an appropriate timing to take over the great legacy of the Sitting Buddha.<br /><br />This gigantic Standing Buddha statue represents a virtue of Karuna or compassion of the Four Brahmaviharas. When you have Metta or loving-kindess in your heart, you also need to have the accompanying Karuna. Metta and Karuna are the two brotherly virtues that co-exist like your tongue and your teeth. Hence, after praying to Phra Sri Sakayamuni, it is necessary to move on to pay homage to Phra Sri Ariyamaitreya to experience the Sublime and the Divine.<br /><br />From Wat Suthat to Wat Intharaviharn, the distance is only a few kilometres away. By way of a tuk-tuk, which sprints its noisy way through the narrow Dinso Road, you arrive at the broader Rachadamnoen Klang Road, where the Democracy Monument serves as a landmark. You go half way around the monument and take the connected Prachathipatai (Democracy) Road before crossing a bridge over Khlong Banglamphoo, a canal that forms a borderline of the Ratanakosin Island in the inner Old Bangkok. Then you arrive at an intersection cut across by the Wisut Kasat (Pure Monarch) Road. Not many Thais are aware of this Prachathipatai Road, which starts obscurely from the Democracy Monument. After all, it is a strange meet between Prachathipatai and Wisut Kasat.<br /><br />Along the way, there are long lines of old shop houses, which appear to disconnect themselves from the modern business. You make a left turn at the intersection to enter the Wisut Kasat Road, above which is the Rama XIII Bridge. Soon you will be approaching another old area of Old Bangkok, called the Bangkhunphrom sub-district. You're still in the Phra Nakhon District, or the District of the Great Capital. On your right side before reaching Samsen Road, you will find Wat Intharaviharn, which looks as if it would like to conceal itself from the modern world. Many foreign tourists find this temple as one of their main attractions.<br /><br />At 32 metres in height and 11 metres in width, Phra Sri Ariyamaitreya is the world's largest standing Buddha statue with alms-bowl in hands. Both of the hands of the Standing Buddha are almost entirely concealed under the yellow saffron. You can see only the fingers of the left hand sneaking out of the yellow saffron to hold the black alms-bowl. As you stand in front of the Standing Buddha, you are overwhelmed by its imposing and gigantic structure and radiating compassion barami (accumulated power and dignity).<br /><br />The huge Standing Buddha has a solemn look, with a facial feature of a Thai. Unlike the more surreal Phra Sri Sakayamuni, Phra Sri Ariyamaitreya gives you a sense of realism in spite of its dominating size. Artistically, however, it no match to the Sitting Buddha because it was built in the later Rattanakosin period. But the two statues communicate to each other in a subtle way.<br /><br />Phra Sri Ariyamaitreya strikes a sharp contrast with Phra Srisakayamuni when it comes to posture. After sitting, your next natural posture is to stand. Standing gives you another chance to think through with samadhi (concentration) before you start your day by walking. If you have already formed Metta in your heart from your sitting posture, you should begin to develop Karuna as you rise from your bed to stand. Embracing the Metta and Karuna virtues will lead you half way to the realm of Brahma.<br /><br />You can feel that the statue looks almost like a living monk holding the alms-bowl and waiting to take delivery of the food from a merit-maker. But you also can look upon this Standing Buddha statue as waiting for his turn to arrive to this world and achieve the complete enlightenment before leading all of us to salvation. On the other hand, Phra Sri Ariyamaitreya also comes to represent the Triple Gem. For this standing Buddha image can be seen as a representation of the Buddha of the Future, the Dharma from his attaining the enlightenment and a monk in the Sangha, all of which are at once manifest.<br /><br />In 1867, during the reign of King Mongkut, Somdej Phra Buddhachan (To Phromarangsri of Wat Rakhang Kositharam) started the construction of the statue of the Standing Buddha, commonly called as "Luang Pho To". Then Somdej To (1788-1872) was 80 years old. Phra Sri Sakayamuni also has the same common name of Luang Pho To. The statue was built by crossing the logs alternating with structural steel. Unfortunately, Somdej Phra Buddhachan died in 1872 before he could see the completion of the statue. It was not until the reign of King Prajadhipok in 1927 that the Standing Buddha was completed.<br /><br />Although he lived through the five reigns from King Rama I to King Rama V, Somdej To attained the height of his fame during the time of King Rama IV. Somdej To was one of the greatest and most revered monks of the Rattanakosin period. Well-versed in the Buddhist texts and brilliant in his sermons, he commissioned the creation of Phra Somdej, which is now recognised as the crown jewel of Buddha amulets in the Kingdom. Each Phra Somdej -- the authentic one -- is now worth several million baht.<br /><br />Wat Intharavihan was built during the end of Ayutthaya period. Formerly, it was called "Wat Rai Phrik" (Temple of the Chili Garden). Then the Chinese were growing vegetable or chili gardens in that area. During the reign of King Yodfa, many members of the royal family of Laos, principally Chao Inthawong, and their entourage settled down in this Bangkhumphorm area. They were brought to Bangkok after King Yodfa's army subdued a rebellion in Vientiane. The area was then called Ban Laos. Chao Inthawong was the faithful Buddhist. He had Wat Rai Phrik rennovated and renamed it as "Wat Intharam". During the reign of King Rama VI, the temple's name was changed to "Wat Intharaviharn".<br />Somdej To spent his childhood at this temple when he entered monkhood as a novice. His parents would like him to become a supreme monk. He eventually became the Awakened One.<br /><br />Several years ago, Senator Chirmsak Pinthong held a lantern in broad daylight while he walked into the Senate chamber. He was sending out a subtle message after it emerged that the government had fallen into greed, hatred and ignorance by launching a widespread probe of the bank accounts of journalists, activists, bureaucrats and politicians. “I am holding the lantern to send out a message that our country is in a crisis when it comes to civil liberty. The lantern will provide the light in this Dark Age," Chirmsak said. "Somdej Phraphutthajarn used to hold a lantern when he met with the phuyai of the country during the daytime in order to signal that the country was facing big problems." The senator from Bangkok was known as one of the fiercest critics of the Thaksin government at that time.<br /><br />One day, Somdej To walked into the Grand Palace with a burning torch in his hand. It was broad daylight and the sun was shining above his shaved head. As soon as King Mongkut saw the abbot of Wat Rakhang, he immediately understood the subtle message. The two had achieved the same level of Buddhist enlightenment. King Mongkut said: "Khrua To, Nai Luang (the King) knows what you want to say to Nai Luang." Somdej To did not say anything. He doused the flame by pressing the torchlight against the wall of the Grand Palace. Then he walked out. At that time it was known that King Mongkut was distracted more by his worldly affairs. King Mongkut had high respect for Somdej To. The revered monk wanted to warn the King about his need to get back to the business of running his Kingdom. But Somdej To was reluctant to say so directly. So Somdej To used the torchlight to send his indirect warning. As a philosopher of the same rank with Somdej To, King Mongkut, who had been ordained as a monk for 26 years, quickly got the message. He said: "I know, I know."<br /><br />Another torchlight incident took place during the reign of King Chulalongkorn, or King Rama V. Then, Somdej Chaophya Borom Mahasrisuriya-wongse (Chuang Bunnag) was serving as Regent. As a leader of the influential Bunnag clan, he commanded the highest power in the Kingdom because King Chulalongkorn, who became king at the age of 15 in 1868, was too young to rule. There were rumours during that time of political transition that the Regent might want the throne for himself. After the death of King Mongkut, Somdej Chaophya Borom Mahasrisuriyawongse, who dominated the council of senior bureaucrats in the Siamese Court, picked the young Prince Chulalongkorn as the new king as requested by King Mongkut. Yet Somdej Chaophaya also did the unprecedented by appointing Prince Bovornvichaicharn, the heir to Second King Pinklao, as the Palace of the Front. King Pinklao was brother to King Mongkut and was known to the West as the Second King.<br /><br />The implication of the Palace of the Front appointment was that if anything should happen to King Chulalongkorn, who was then very ill and not expected to live much longer, Prince Bovornvichaicharn, who was the protege of the Regent, would become the next king. One day Somdej To proceeded to confront Somdej Chaophya at his residence. Again in broad daylight, he held a torch in his hand. The Regent asked about the purpose of his unusual visit. Somdej To got quickly straight to the point. He said he heard that a dark cloud was descending over the country because somebody was attempting to take over the Kingdom. "If it is true, then I would like to ask him for a bowl of merit," Somdej To said. Somdej Chaophya was dumbstruck for some seconds before the managed to assure the revered monk that as long as he lived he would not allow anybody to attempt to usurp the throne of King Chulalongkorn.<br /><br />During his time, Somdej To was believed to have created 84,000 Phra Somdej as a symbol for the continuity of the Buddhist religion. He also commissioned the creation of the famous Phra Somdej Ketchaiyo at Wat Ketchaiyo Woraviharn. The story of his torchlight is a classic, serving to remind Thais how to act with moral courage during a time when the country is facing a crisis.<br /><br />Phra Sri Ariyamaitreya that Somdej To built speaks to us about our future. The statue points to you the great expectation of an impending arrival of the Buddha of the Future and a return to the Golden Age of Suvarnabhumi. The Buddha image represents Maitreya, who is waiting for his turn to preside over another era succeeding the Sakayamuni Buddha Era. Our universe can afford to have only one Buddha at a time. Maitreya is a Bodhisattva, who will appear on earth to attain complete enlightenment and teach the pure Dharma. This land of Suvarnabhumi is waiting for Maitreya's return.<br /><br />Facing the east, Phra Sri Ariyamaitreya Buddha statue surges into the sky as if it were to reach out to the Dusita Heaven, where Maitreya the Buddha of the Future is residing. According to The Buddhist Scriptures, Maitreya is described as a person with extraordinary personality, size and statue. “His body is eighty cubits high, and twenty cubits broad." Cubit is an ancient linear unit based on the length of the forearm, from elbow to the tip of the middle finger, usually from 17 to 21 inches. Based on the sheer size alone, Phra Sri Ariyamaitreya indeed has the physical necessity of the Buddha of the Future.<br /><br />Maitreya is the fifth Buddha after Sakayamuni Buddha, whose teaching would last 5,000 years before going into oblivion. We have already passed the critical mid-point of the Buddhist era in 1957 or B.E. 2500 by more than five decades. Hence Maitreya would be born any time in the next 2,500 years in Suvarnabhumi, the Land of Buddhism.<br /><br />According to Buddhist cosmology, the world system would gradually decline after the passing of one Buddha and then gradually improve before the arrival of the next Buddha. We are now living at this critical mid-point juncture. Now we are seeing a fast degeneration of the world system, with the people becoming immoral with greed, hatred, and delusion and forgetting the Buddha's Dharma. Many people are also afraid that the world system would go through prolonged periods of famine, disease and continuous warfare. The catastrophe could plunge the people into complete despair and result in dead tolls in the millions. Only then would human beings realise that the roots of all the suffering arise from their greed, hatred and delusion. Many of them would go back to embrace the old Dharma values and realise all of their shortcomings. The conditions of the world would then improve. There upon Maitreya would appear to lead the people further to redemption. Then the people "will lose their doubts, and the torrents of their cravings will be cut off: free from all misery they will manage to cross the ocean of becoming; and, as a result of Maitreya's teachings, they will lead a holy life. No longer will they regard anything as their own, they will have no possession, no gold or silver, no home, no relatives! But they will lead the holy life of chastity under Maitreya's guidance. They will have torn the net of the passions, they will manage to enter into trances, and theirs will be an abundance of joy and happiness, for they will lead a holy life under Maitreya's guidance."<br /><br />Some people believe that Phra Sri Ariya Maitreya represents Somdej To himself, who built the Standing Budda as a memory of his childhood when as a novice he stood in front of Wat Intharaviharn and spent his formative years there. By commemorating his past, Somdej To was also predicting the future when the Buddha of the Future would be born again to lead the people out of the cycle of suffering. Somdej To had a clear vision of Suvarnabhumi.<br /><br />This is the secret of Suvarnabhumi, the holy golden land and the land of Dharma. It is a Thai version of a Utopian society.<br /><br />@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@<br /><br /><strong>The Walking Buddha<br /></strong>After visiting the Standing Buddha at Wat Intharaviharn, your next destination is Phutthamonthon, or Land of the Buddha. The Walking Buddha presides over the vast Phutthamonthon religious site. Phutthamonthon is a district attached to Nakhon Pathom, westward from Bangkok. And which is a better site to build the Land of the Buddha than Nakhon Pathom, literally the first city of Suvarnabhumi (nakhon means city; pathom means first). Nakhon Pathom was already an important centre during the Dvaravati Kingdom from the 6th century until the 11th century. The Phutthamonthon religious site is a version of the Buddhist Heaven in a reductive form.<br /><br />From Wat Inthraviharn you can take a cab, which needs to make a U-turn to get onto the Rama VIII Bridge. It is a beautiful cable bridge across the Chao Phya River. Most of the bridges across the Chao Phya River bear the names after the Rattanakosin Kings. And lo and behold, as you enter the main structure of the bridge, you can see an arch-like gate designed similar to a mould of a Buddha amulet of Phra Nangphaya. Phra Nangphaya from Pitsanulok is one of the five crown jewels of the Thai Buddha amulets. The other four are Phra Somdej Wat Rakhang from Bangkok, Phra Rod from Lamphun, Phra Phongsuphan from Suphan Buri and Phra Sumko from Kamphaengphet. If you have one of these Buddha amulets hanging around your neck, you are ready to face any vicissitudes in the world with mindfulness. As you pass through this auspicious gate, you feel that you have a full blessing from Phra Nangphaya for your journey into the holy Land of the Buddha. Your mind feels blissful.<br /><br />King Bhumibol Adulyadej laid the foundation for the construction of the Phutthamonthon religious site in 1957 to commemorate the 2500th year of the Buddhist Era. Two years before, Field Marshal Plaek Phibulsongkram, initiated this project. But it was not until 1978 that the construction, marred by financial shortfall, was finished.<br /><br />The year 1957 or B.E. 2500 marked was the mid-point of the Buddhist Era as Buddhism under Sakayamuni Buddha was prophesied to last 5,000 years. Afterward Maitreya, the Buddha of the Future, would be born into this world to attain a complete enlightenment, teach his Dharma before passing into Nirvana. Maitreya would create another Buddhist Era to succeed Sakayamuni Buddha. The Thais believe that Sakayamuni Buddha visited Suvarnabhumi in the ancient time and declared that Suvarnabhumi would become the Land of the Buddha. And Maitreya would be born in Suvarnabhumi, and no where else, when the time is ripe. The Buddha is believed to have created footprints, many of which are still not discovered, in Suvarnabhumi to symbolise his prophecy. In making his footprints, the Buddha radiated his spiritual power to turn hard stone into soft stone before printing his foot on it.<br /><br />The huge Walking Buddha image cast in bronze gold measuring 15.8 metres marks the centre of Phutthamonthon religious site. Phra Sri Sakayathospholyan was designed in 1955 by one of the most well-known artists in Thailand, the late Professor Silp Birasri. But it was not until 1981 that this Buddha image was actually cast. Modern Thai artists trace their knowledge and inspiration from Professor Silp, the Italian-born teacher and artist, who pioneered art studies at the Silapakorn University. At first Professor Silp carved out the structure of the Walking Buddha with a size of 2.14 metres. But to commemorate the mid-point of the Buddhist Era, the size of the Walking Buddha was later expanded to 2,500 krabiat. One krabiat, a Thai unit of measurement, equals 0.25. Therefore the size of the Walking Buddha was 7.5 times the original design. King Bhumibol Adulyadej named this Buddha statue as Phra Sri Sakayathosaphonlayan, which represents the historical Buddha.<br /><br />In the walking posture, Phra Sakayathospholyan raises his right foot in preparation to walk. A vast lotus seat is behind him. You can see his saffron flying as he has just risen from the lotus seat and is about to walk after his long sitting posture to attain enlightenment. There is another lotus below to greet the Buddha image's feet. The right hand of the Buddha image drops loosely to the side. The left hand is raised forward to the chest level. The Buddha image is striking in appearance. It has a beautiful face of a young Buddha, one who has just attained enlightenment.<br /><br />This image is reminiscent of the walking Buddha posture created in the Sukhothai period. The walking Buddha posture is known in Thai as "phra leela". Phra leela has a delicate walking posture, with elements of feminism in movement and in the curved shape of the body. Phra leela illustrates the height of Sukhothai’s artistic excellence. You can also see some of the famous phra leela Buddha images of Sukhothai at Wat Benjamabophit, the Marble Temple built by King Chulalongkorn, in Bangkok. You can sense that Phra Sri Sakayathospholyan and the phra leela Buddha images at Wat Benjamabophit are about to walk together to usher the grand tradition of Buddhism into a new age in Suvarnabhumi.<br /><br />After sitting and standing, our next mode of movement is to walk. The Walking Buddha signifies an action of a carrying on of the tradition of Buddhism so that this religion will last into the future. Otherwise, Buddhism will cease to prosper. The Walking Buddha of Buddhamonthon also represents Mudita, or sympathetic joy, which is the third virtue of the Four Brahmaviharas. In Mudita, you radiate your sympathetic joy to others with a selfless heart. You're happy when you see other people happy. You don't feel any craving for yourself, but you would like others to be happy. And when you walk, you create an action. In Buddhism, action, or deed, is most important, representing your karma. If you act with good deeds, you'll get good karma. If you act with bad deeds, you'll get bad karma. In other words, good deed leads to good result, while bad deed brings about bad result.<br /><br />In his paper, The Aesthetics of Buddhist Sculpture, which was read before the Siam Society in 1949, Professor Silp pointed out that there are two ways of appreciating the old art. You may look at it according to its antiquity. Or you may appreciate it according to its beauty. "In general, archaeologists and historians are enthusiastic about very old objects because they represent for them the human activity of the past, while for an artist the value of an old object lies in the extent to which it is the expression of true beauty. The artist judges from an aesthetic point of view, while the archaeologists and historians judge from scientific principles,” he argued. But the late Mom Chao Chand Chirayu Rajani, a literary giant of Thailand, adopted a non-iconographical approach. Instead of looking at a Buddha image from the outside, he proposed to look from the inside, both artistically and spiritually. Then we intuitively see the artistic beauty and feel the spiritual meaning of the Buddha image without any too much why and wherefore. (Mom Chao Chand Chirayu Rajani, “Thai Imageries of Suvarnabhumi”, Bangkok: Amarin Printing Group, 1987)<br /><br />Although Phra Srisakayathospholyan is a relatively new comer to the scene and its antiquity cannot be compared to the Sitting Buddha of Wat Suthat or the Standing Buddha of Wat Inthraviharn, this Buddha image is of no less importance in artistic and spiritual value. You only have to feel the Buddha image from the inside. On a Visakha Puja Day, the moon orbits around Phra Srisakayathospholyan as if this Buddha image were standing the centre of the universe.<br /><br />The Sukhothai artisans and artists found their inspiration from the Buddhist legend in creating the walking Buddha posture. During the Lent period, the Buddha once went to preach to his Mother in a heaven called Tavatsinsa or the Heaven of the Thirty-Three Devata. After the Lent, the Buddha returned to earth by descending the crystal ladder, flanked by the golden and silver ladders. The Lord Indra and Brahma followed him respectively. Montri Umavijani argued that this event had a great meaning for Buddhist art. "First of all, it was a the basis of the iconography of the Walking Buddha. Besides, it had a great effect on the attitude towards perspecitve in Thai Buddhist art. It is said that when the Buddha returned to earth, he made a miracle by 'opening all the worlds to view'. All the levels of heaven, all levels of Hell and all continents were, therefore, laid bare and equidistant to the eyes. This partly explains why the works of Thai artists before the advent of Western influence were always two-dimensional," he said.<br /><br />Each area of Buddhamonthon is equally one kilometre in length, representing each virtue of the Four Brahmaviharas. Each virtue in the Four Brahmaviharas is equally important to the others. But the Buddha also suggests that once you have perfected the virtues of the Four Brahmaviharas, you will also attain good conduct, sound concentration, shiny wisdom and full freedom of the mind.<br /><br />While the Buddha was staying at Bhanda, a few months before his passing away, he addressed a large community of monks about the four qualities needed to break away from the cycle of rebirth. "It is because of not understanding, not penetrating four qualities that you and I have run and wandered the round of rebirth in this way for such a long time. Which four? It is because of not understanding, not penegrating noble conduct...noble concentration...noble wisdom...noble freedom that you and I have run and wandered the round of rebirth in this way for such a long time. But once noble conduct is understood and penetrated, once noble concentration is understood and penetrated, once noble wisdom is understood and penetrated, once noble freedom is understood and penetrated, then craving for existence is cut off, the conductor of existence is destroyed, and no longer is there rebirth." (Rupert Gethin, Saying of the Buddha, Page 69.)<br /><br />The Walking Buddha at Phutthamonthon shows us that action, guided by good practice, concentration and wisdom, is the basis for all goodness. The Buddha image is also leading us by walking tirelessly toward the new age of Suvarnabhumi, where the Thais live happily with a bright face and act with selflessness.<br /><br />@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@<br /><br /><strong>The Sleeping Buddha<br /></strong>Our visit to Old Bangkok should start and end at Wat Phra Chetuphon, or Temple of the Reclining Buddha. It is here that the cycle begins and ends, only to begin and end again. The Thai Buddhists prefer to call this temple simply as Wat Pho. Most westerners know the Sleeping Buddha as the Reclining Buddha.<br /><br />We may approach the Sleeping Buddha in two ways. Sleeping is a state of serenity and an attainment of spiritual emancipation. Besides, one also has to sleep first in order to wake up to become the Awakened One, like the Buddha.<br /><br />The Sleeping Buddha thus represents equanimity or Upekkha, which is the final virtue of the Four Brahmaviharas. With Upekkha, we learn to accept gain and loss, praise and blame and success and failure with detachment. Detachment is a neutral state of the mind, which is not holding onto anything, big or small, significant or trivial.<br />After sitting, standing and walking all day, we have to sleep. Sleeping allows us to develop a tranquil state of mind. These four postures of Buddha image encompass our daily activity, which should all be governed by mindfulness. To be mindful is to become the master of oneself. To pay homage to the Sleeping Buddha at Wat Pho is to realise the virtue of Upekkha. What is more sublime or divine than to realise with our direct experience all the virtues of Metta, Karuna, Mudita and Upekkha as represented by the Sitting Buddha, the Standing Budda, the Walking Buddha and the Sleeping Buddha?<br /><br />Inside the chapel, the Sleeping Buddha stretches his long golden body to 46 metres in length and 15 metres in height. The craftsmanship of this Buddha image reflects the height of artistic excellence of the Rattanakosin period. The face turns northward to the Grand Palace, which locates across the Thai Wang Street. At Wat Pho, you arrived at one of the inner-most areas of the Bangkok Heaven. The image of the Sleeping Buddha was made of brick and cement and decorated with gold leaves and gum as adhesive.<br /><br />King Nangklao commissioned the construction of the Sleeping Buddha at Wat Pho. Then there was not any significant Buddha image in a sleeping posture in Bangkok. The Sleeping Buddha would be created to culminate his reign of nation building when Siam began to enjoy peace and prosperity. During that time, the Burmese were tied up to their domestic turmoil. At first, the Sleeping Buddha was built in the open air within Wat Pho's compound before the chapel was constructed to cover the whole statue.<br /><br />You are immediately awe-struck by the immense size of the Sleeping Buddha. So spectacular of the golden sight of the Reclining Buddha that your heart almost stops beating once you set your foot inside the chapel. You suddenly feel a sense of absolute serenity. The air inside the chapel is calm. In the Sleeping Buddha, you can witness once again a blending of the Thai art and the Buddhist ideal. The face of the Buddha image shows a serene state, fulfilled and detached from any worldly concerns.<br />The Reclining Buddha images are normally built with a large size. This can be traced back to a story of the life of the Buddha. The giant Asurindarahu would like to see the Buddha but hesitated to bow before him. While still lying down, the Buddha transformed himself to a larger size than the giant. He then proceeded to show the giants the realm of Heaven with heavenly figures all larger than the giant. After all this, Asurindarahu was subdued. And he paid due respect to the Buddha and left, hence the creation of posture of the Reclining Buddha image.<br />In the Sukhothai period, the Buddha image postures of sitting, standing, walking and sleeping were created with an aura of equanimity, perfection and holiness. They also served to highlight the height of Buddhism and the Golden Age of Suvarnabhumi. Sukhothai embraced Buddhism from Sri Lanka and also its arts. It also took in the artistic influence from the Khmer and Mon civilisations. The Buddha images from the ancient Sukhothai are most beautiful, as judged by the flames on top of the hair, the curled hair, the oval-shaped faces, the curved eyebrows, the downward gazes and gentle smiles, the broad shoulders and the small waists. The Buddha images of Sukhothai represent an ideal perception of a superman.<br /><br />The Buddha image at Wat Pho, called Phra Phutthasaiyat, sleeps on his right side, similar to the way lions sleep. According to the Pali context, there are four postures of sleeping. If you lay down on your left side to sleep, this posture reflects your obsession with sexual and other worldly desires. If you sleep normally with your whole back on the bed and your face up, you'll sleep like a peta, or a ghost, which dwells in the realm of Hell. This posture reflects your state of anxiety, with your unending desire for material wealth and assets. Your desires are never fulfilled. If you sleep on your right side, you sleep like a lion. This is the healthiest posture as you sleep with mindfulness. A lion normally sleeps in this posture with its right foot overlapping with the left foot. When it wakes up, it can look into the front or turn around to look at the back to watch out for any danger. Whenever the Buddha went to sleep, he would mediate and enter into the fourth level of the trance state. His body would sleep but his mind was always awake, like a candle that always burns.<br /><br />The best spot to watch the Reclining Buddha is at the image's feet. There you can see the image's body stretching out in full length, with the flame of the hair pointing to the roof. The footprints of the Reclining Buddha reflect many Buddhist symbols and riddles. They are adorned with 108 mother-of-pearl inlaid auspicious signs. The Lord's body had the 32 marks of a superman, and was endowed with the eighty subsidiary characteristics.<br /><br />It is most likely that the Reclining Buddha does not signify a normal sleeping posture but represents the Buddha's attaining nirvana. The story of the last day of the Buddha is very touching. When the Buddha, with his followers, arrived at the Kusinara, his final destination, he told the venerable Ananda, his assistant, to set up a bed for him. He laid down with his head pointing to the east. Then he laid down like a lion with full conscience, and mindful of his consciousness. The Buddha did not want to wake up again. He would be entering into the realm of nirvana.<br />Then the Buddha uttered his final words to his followers. He said: "Everything comes to an end, though it may last for an aeon. The hour of parting is bound to come in the end. Now I have done what I could do, both for myself and for others. To stay here would from now on be without any purpose. I have disciplined, in heaven and on earth, all those whom I have disciplined, and I have set them in the stream. Hereafter, this my Dharma, O monks, shall abide for generations and generations among living beings. Therefore, recognise the true nature of the living world, and do not be anxious; for separation cannot possibly be avoided. Recognise that all that lives is subject to this law; and strive from today-onwards that it shall be thus no more! When the light of gnosis has dispelled the darkness of ignorance, when all existence has been seen as without substance, peace ensures when life draws to an end, which seems to cure a long sickness at last. Everything, whether stationary or movable, is bound to perish in the end. Be ye therefore mindfull and vigilant! The time for my entry into Nirvana has now arrived! These are my last words!" (Edward Conze's Buddhist Scriptures: Page 62-63).<br /><br />In his last words to the community of monks, the Buddha emphasised mindfulness as his ultimate teaching before parting forever into the realm of absolute tranquillity. The Buddhist Scriptures from the Pali Nikayas (see Rupert Gethin," Saying of the Buddha, Oxford World's Classics) describes the process of the Buddha's arriving at parinirvana quite dramatically in transic term. After his last words, "the Blessed One entered the first absorption (trance). Emerging from that, he entered the second absorption. Emerging from that, he entered the third absorption. Emerging from that, he entered the fourth absorption. Emerging from that, he entered the sphere of infinity of space. Emerging from that, he entered the sphere of infinity of consciousness. Emerging from that, he entered the sphere of nothingness. Emerging from that, he entered the sphere of neither consciousness or unconsciousness. Emerging from that, he entered the cessation of conception and feeling."<br /><br />At that point, Phra Ananda announced to the community of monks that the Buddha had attained the final nirvana.<br /><br />But the Buddha reversed the process of his trance state again. "Then emerging from the cessation of conception and feeling, the Blessed One entered the sphere of neither consciousness nor unconsciousness. Emerging from that, he entered the sphere of nothingness. Emerging from that, he entered the sphere of infinity of consciousness. Emerging from that, he entered the sphere of infinity of space. Emerging from that, he entered the fourth absorption. Emerging from that, he entered the third absorption. Emerging from that, he entered the second absorption. Emerging from that, he entered the first absorption. Emerging from that, he entered the second absorption. Emerging from that, he entered the third absorption. Emerging from that, he entered the fourth absorption. Emerging from the fourth absorption, the Blessed One directly attained the final nibbana (nirvana)."<br /><br />When the Buddha, through meditation, achieved enlightenment at the age of 35, he could recollected his previous lives and his future lives. He then arrived at the ultimate understanding about the impermanence of this transient world, which formed the basis of his teaching of the Fourth Noble Truths. During his meditation, he arrived at the first level of trance state or absorption and discovered the first truth as consisting of suffering. At the second level of his trance state, the Buddha realised attachment as the origin of suffering, followed by the attainable cessation of suffering in the third level of trance state, and the path to the cessation of suffering in the fourth level of the trance state. The path to the cession of the suffering is exemplified in the Eightfold Path (right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfullness and right concentration.) Right view and right intention form the basis of our wisdom, while right speech, right action and right livelihood represent our good conduct and right effort, right mindfullness and right concentration are part of our concentration. Therein lies in the unity of the Buddhist teachings.<br /><br />Thereupon the Buddha had no wish to continue to go through the cycle of birth and death again. But before entering nirvana, he would preach his Dharma to the fellow human beings so that they, like him, might achieve the final salvation.<br /><br />Wat Pho is the second most important temple after the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, which is situated within the compound of the Grand Palace. It was an ancient temple built during the Ayutthaya period. King Yodfa had the temple renovated. Later on, Wat Pho would further assume a more important role when it became Siam's first open university, where the Thais could learn different kinds of discipline from medicine, traditional massage, astrology, Buddhism, literacy to arts.<br /><br />As King Yodfa had moved more than 1,248 Buddha images from all over the country to the new capital for preservation. Hundreds of these Buddha images, which witnessed the glory past of Suvarnabhumi, were placed inside Wat Pho. It is at Wat Pho that much of the legacy of old Suvarnabhumi has been well protected and preserved.<br /><br />Apart from the Reclining Buddha, the Four Great Pagodas of the four kings of the Rattanakosin period also bear witness to the grandeur of Old Bangkok. King Yodfa had the Phra Maha Chedi Srisanpetchadayarn built to install a standing Buddha image of Phra Srisanpetch. This Buddha image, which stands 16 metres, with a face of two metres in length and 1.5 metre in width. The Buddha image's breast is 5.5 metres in width. Cast more than 500 years ago, Phra Srisanpetch was almost burnt to the ground by the Burmese when they ransacked Ayutthaya in 1767. The Buddha image was established inside Wat Phra Srisanpet in Ayutthaya.<br />The Burmese pealed off some 3.432 metric tonnes of gold from Phra Srisanpet, leaving the Buddha image with a battered structure. King Yodfa would like this Buddha image to be re-cast, but the senior monks voiced their objection because they did not want to have the Buddha image burnt again. It would be quite inauspicious to do so. The King concurred and had Phra Srisanpetch, together with the Buddha's holy teeth, installed inside a new pagoda at Wat Pho instead.<br /><br />King Nangklao, the grandson of King Yodfa, had two pagodas erected beside the Srisanpetchadayarn pagoda. The pagoda, adorned with dark blue tiles on the right side of the founder's pagoda, was dedicated to his father King Lertla, while the pagoda decorated with yeallow glazed tiles was for the Third Reign himself. In the back of three pagoda stands Phra Chedi Sri Suriyothai, built by King Mongkut and modelled after the great pagoda at Suan Luang Sobsawan Temple in Ayutthaya. Having erected this pagoda, King Mongkut suggested that he and his three predecessors all saw each other. But he added: "In the future, all kings should not follow us in erecting a pagoda for each reign in the Chetuphon Temple."<br />The Four Great Pagodas of King Yodfa, King Lertla, King Nangklao and King Mongkut mark the early period of Old Bangkok, which forms an unbroken line of continuity from the ancient Suvarnabhumi. Paying homage to the Four Great Pagodas amounts to honouring and seeking blessing from the founding fathers of Bangkok, without whom Suvarnabhumi would not have been restored or would have been lost.<br /><br />The cycle completes with your paying homage to the Sitting Buddha at Wat Suthat, the Standing Buddha at Wat Intharaviharn, the Walking Buddha at Phutthamonthon and the Sleeping Buddha at Wat Pho. By doing so, you have realised with equal weight the four virtues of Brahamaviharas, which then allow you to wholly enter the realm of Brahma. This is the path of a perfect man, one who is blessed with loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy and equanimity. A perfect man, fully equipped with the Fourth Brahmaviharas, is also blessed with good conduct, concentration and wisdom, which represent the core of the Buddhist principles. And only in Old Bangkok, the capital of Suvarnabhumi, can you detect the Buddhist riddles and realise your own potential as a perfect man.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-829464167306446637.post-13173974452983833222009-06-22T04:57:00.000-07:002009-06-27T02:57:56.412-07:00The Wat BenjamaborphitPHITSANULOK - Pilgrims travelling to this northern province during the New Year festival to pay homage to Phra Jinaraj hardly had any peace of mind. All along the highway from Bangkok to Phitsanulok, for a distance of 377 kilometres, they were distracted by the eyesore posters of Chuan Leekpai and Thaksin Shinawatra.Both candidates were heading into a full-scale dogfight for the premiership. The political campaign trail created a worldly parallel to the journey of religious devotion of the thousands of pilgrims who had Wat Phrasri Rattana Mahathat as their final destination.Wat Phrasri Rattana Mahathat is an elegant temple, built during the reign of Phra Maha Thamma Raja (Phraya Lithai) in 1357. The temple overlooks the Nan River, which makes its way down south to form - together with the Ping, Wang and Yom - the Chao Phya River at Pak Nam Pho, Nakhon Sawan.Wat Phrasri Rattana Mahathat is home to Phra Jinaraj, unquestionably the Kingdom's most beautiful Buddha image through a perfect combination of size and proportion. The local people call the temple by its simple name of Wat Yai, or "Big Temple". They also give Phra Jinaraj a more intimate name of luang por ("father"). Most Buddha images are called luang por or luang pu (grandfather) because they do not age generation after generation.In the local people's consciousness, Phra Jinaraj is always there, giving moral guidance for courage and virtue. All the Siamese kings, as a royal tradition, have made a pilgrimage to Phra Jinaraj. You fulfil your devotion as a Thai Buddhist by paying homage to Phra Jinaraj at least once in your lifetime to realise the transcendental experience and to appreciate the perfection of impermanence.King Naresuan the Great (1590-1605) grew up with Phra Jinaraj, originally a bronze statue. A prince by birth, he was born and raised in Phitsanulok, then a northern outpost of Ayutthaya. Phra Jinaraj was definitely his mentor. Ekathotsarot, his younger brother, was said to have coated Phra Jinaraj with some of his gold regalia, using his own hands, until the Buddha image shone totally in gold. The effect is striking, adding to the glamour and the unworldliness of Phra Jinaraj.Phra Jinaraj is cast in a posture of the Buddha Subduing the Mara. Legend has it that the Buddha was sitting under a tree when he was suddenly surrounded by thousands of heavenly beings. Then came the Mara, or the Devil, with his army, which aimed to prevail over virtue with vice. But the Buddha's absolute power conquered the Mara, hence giving rise to one of his most famous postures in the making of Buddha images. It is also a sign of the victory of virtue over vice.Inside Wat Yai, hundreds of pilgrims flock to pay tribute to Phra Jinaraj. There are Buddha amulets of Phra Jinaraj on the front and King Naresuan, Prince Ekathosarot and Princess Suphan Kalaya on the back. The three siblings are now immortalised as heroes who sacrificed their lives for the cause of Thai independence.It was with the guiding spirit of Phra Jinaraj that King Naresuan fought his victorious wars against the Burmese and other enemies. Opposite the township of Phitsanulok, there is a shrine dedicated to King Naresuan. His statue is in a sitting posture and he is pouring lustral water from a golden container to declare Ayutthaya's independence from the Burmese. In this age, where genuine heroes cannot be found, it is necessary to go back to King Naresuan as a source of heroism and an inspiration of courage and virtue.Having fulfilled their pilgrimage, the thousands of Thais who visited the temple went home to resume their daily lives with the image of Phra Jinaraj and King Naresuan in the forefront of their consciousness. This blessing made the politics of the general election and the politicians undertaking to lead Thailand look absurd and unreal.Victorious and gloriousFor breathtaking aesthetic beauty, it's hard to match the statue of Phra Buddha Chinnaratby Thanong Khanthong, The Nation (Thailand), April 24, 2006Aesthetically speaking, Phra Buddha Chinnarat stands out as the most beautiful Buddha statue in Thailand. If beauty is to be defined by size and proportion, then Phra Buddha Chinnarat is a perfectly built statue, radiating a striking image of the Victorious Buddha and representing the highest achievement of Buddhist art.You have to hold your breath as you set foot inside Wat Phra Sri Ratana Mahathat, where Phra Buddha Chinnarat resides in his authoritative posture. It is in fact a posture of the Buddha's Subduing of the Mara. The entire body of the statue, with its decorative frame of Naga, the mythical snake, is covered with gold leaf, so bright that you can feel a myriad rays beaming out from the statue in the daytime.Built during the Sukhothai era, Phra Buddha Chinnarat truly embodies the noble spirit and grandeur of ancient Phitsanulok, the northern outpost and onetime capital of old Siam. The maker of Phra Buddha Chinnarat must have had a pure image of the Victorious Buddha in mind and set about creating the statue without following any previous model. The bronze statue is 3.72 metres high and 2.85 metres wide.Once you have made a pilgrimage to Phitsanulok to worship Phra Buddha Chinnarat, you have fulfilled your life as a Buddhist. Nobody can truly claim to be a Buddhist living in Siam without once in his or her life paying homage to this Victorious Buddha.Phra Buddha Chinnarat has the posture of the Buddha' Subduing of the Mara, or Demon King. The Buddha was sitting under a tree, surrounded by thousands of heavenly beings when the Mara arrived with his army. The Demon King wished to destroy the Buddha. The heavenly beings were filled with fear and fled away. The Buddha then conquered the Mara alone with his own power - hence the statue of the Buddha's Subduing of the Mara. For this reason, Phra Buddha Chinnarat is looked upon as the Victorious Buddha.King Naresuan the Great and his brother King Ekathosarot, both warrior kings, must have developed a special bond with Phra Buddha Chinnarat, for they only needed to cross the Nan River from their Chandra Palace to visit the temple and Phra Buddha Chinnarat, commonly called Luang Pho. The term Luang Pho gives Phra Buddha Chinnarat a life, an image of a grand old, learned man.Luang Pho can also be considered a teacher, for in the old days only monks served as teachers, with the temples serving as schools.The inspiration King Naresuan drew from worshipping Phra Buddha Chinnarat must have been carried with him to every battlefield on which he waged war against the Burmese. King Naresuan and King Ekathosarot were believed to have glued the gold leaf to the body of Phra Buddha Chinnarat with their own hands. With the Victorious Buddha in his heart, King Naresuan won all the battles alone, like the Buddha's victory over the Mara.When the statue is stripped of its gold for cleaning, it is completely black. Incidentally, King Naresuan was also known by the name Phra Ong Dum (the Black King). Four hundred years after his death, the people of Phitsanulok have come to associate King Naresuan with Phra Buddha Chinnarat. Buddha amulets and Buddha coins are made with the image of Phra Buddha Chinnarat on the front and that of King Naresuan on the back. In this regard, Phra Buddha Chinnarat and King Naresuan are two sides of the same coin.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-829464167306446637.post-71626881218172850072009-06-20T19:06:00.000-07:002009-06-22T05:05:09.009-07:00Ramkhamhaeng stone inscriptionThe National Museum<br /><br />My father was named Sri Indraditya, my mother was named Lady Suang, my elder brother was named Ban Muang. There were five of us born from the same womb: three boys and two firls. My eldest brother died when he was still a child.<br />When I was nineteen years old, Lord Sam Chon, the ruler of Muang Chot, came to attack Muang Tak. My father went to fight Lord Sam Chon on the left; Lord Sam Chon drove forward on convusion. (I did not flee. I mounted my elephant, opned [away through] the solders, and pushed him ahead in front of my father. I foght an elephant duel with Lord Sam Chon. I fought Lord Sam Chon's elephant, Mas Muang by name, and beat him. Lord Cham Chon fled. Then my father named me Phra Ram Khamhaeng because I fought Sam Chon's elephant.<br /><br />In my father's lifetime I served my father and I served my mother. When I caught any game or fish I broght them to my father. When I picked any acid or sweet fruits that were delicious and good to eat, I brought them to my father. When I went hunting elephants, either by lasso or by [driving them into] a corral, I brought them to my father. When I raided a town or a village and captured elephants, young men or women of rank, silver or gold, I turned them over to my father. When my mother died, my elder brother was still alive, and I served him steadfastly as I had served my father. When my elder brother died, I got the whole kingdom for myself.<br /><br />In the time of King Ram Khamhaeng this land of Sukhothai is thriving. There is fish in the water and rice in the fields. The lord of the realm does not levy toll on his subjects for travelling the roads; they lead their cattle to trade or ride their horses to sell; whoever wants to trade in elephants, does so; whoever wants to trade in horses, does so; whoever wants to trade in silver or gold, does so. When any commoner or man of rank dies, his estate -- his elephants, wives, children, granaries, rice, retainers, and groves of areca and betel -- is left in its entirety to his children. When commoners or men of rank differ and disagree, [the King] examines the case to get at the truth and then settles it justly for them. He does not connive with thieves or favour concealers [of stolen goods]. When he sees someone's rice he does not covet it; when he sees someon's wealth he does not get angry. If anyone riding an elephant comes to see him to put his own contry under his protection, he helps him, treats him generously, and takes care of him; if [someone comes to him] with no elephants, no horses, no yong men or women of rank, no silver or gold, he gives him some, and helps him until he can establish a state [of his own]. When he captures enemy warriors, he does not kill them or beat them. He has hung a bell in the opening of the gate over there: if any commoner in the land is involved in a quarrel and wants to make his case known to the ruler or lord, it is easy; he goes to strike the...<br /><br />That's the end of the first side of the Inscription.<br /><br />Nov 22, 1999: THIS evening, as the Thai people go to the nearby rivers, khlongs or ponds to float their lotus-shaped vessels made of banana leaves, they will be evoking the spirit of the sacred past, with a blessing of a full moon.Of all the Thai festivals, Loy Krathong is perhaps one of the most ritualistic and colourful events, rich in religious and spiritual expression. A krathong normally comes with a candle, three-joss-sticks and some flowers. Floating the krathong down the river during the high tide, and after the rainy season is over, not only signifies the attempt to purge evil or bad luck, but also represents an act of worshipping the Goddess of the water.Therein lies the influence of Brahminism. Brahmin rites cannot be separated from the traditional religious practices of the Thais. But ancient Thai beliefs and folklore also hold that there are higher spirits residing everywhere, in the rivers, the trees and the mountains. There are virtually no places on earth that are not, or have not been, occupied by ghosts or by gods. You are supposed to act with reservation and not to speak out loud when you are in a forest because you do not want to disturb the spirits. But in Western thought, a forest is nothing but a wilderness for man to conquer.For Bt3,800 a ticket at the Shangri-la Hotel, you can observe the delights of fireworks above the Chao Phraya River while having your favourite wine and food. Other Bangkok hotels, with an eye for the dollar, also go at top gear with their Loy Krathong gimmicks. This is an idle, if not rather expensive, way to let the Loy Krathong Day slip by without philosophising or without the trouble fighting the crowds on the riverbanks.Nowhere in Thailand is the Loy Krathong Festival held with more fanfare than at Sukhothai, one of the ancient capitals that lies about 450 kilometres north of Bangkok. Despite its past grandeur, and its Utopian characteristics, Sukhothai's existence comes to the fore only once a year, at the time of Loy Krathong. For most of the year Sukhothai is far from the Thai consciousness, like the ruins of its past that are forever buried under layers of the earth.Reviving Sukhothai can only be done necessarily by popularising it, with modern lights and sounds against the background of its decaying structures. But as the young girls, clad in exquisite Thai costumes, prepare to float their krathongs into the pond of the Sukhothai historical park in front of the thousands of visitors, they almost unconsciously might have formed an elusive image of the grandiose Noppamas in their imaginations.What Venus is to beauty for the ancient Greeks, Noppamas is beauty for Thais. And one way of popularising Noppamas is to immortalise her through the Noppamas Beauty Queen Contest, held not only in Sukhothai but elsewhere throughout the country.Legend has it that Noppamas, a beautiful lady of exceptional wit and charm, was the first to have devised the krathong in the 13th century. She served in the court of King Lithai, the grandson of King Ramkhamhaeng The Great. A favourite of the king, Noppamas was said to have raised court mannerisms and practices to a high order. The krathong she floated created a lasting tradition that is still observed today, though with different imageries.Now Loy Krathong is firmly connected with the worldly desires for material gains. Young Thai couples also find the festival auspicious enough to bind their love together. You will know a Thai girl's boyfriend by waiting to see with whom she goes to float the krathong with. Little do the young couples realise, however, that once they float the krathong, which is supposed to hold their spirits together, they let go their destiny into the realm of the unknown.While most Thais know Noppamas by associating her with the Loy Krathong Festival, few have bothered to go back to read King Lithai's Buddhist to gain a proper frame of mind.While his grandfather King Ramkhamhaeng was held as the inventor of the Thai written characters, King Lithai wrote Trai Phum Phra Ruang or ''Sermon on the Three Worlds''. This masterpiece was recognised as a Thai version of the Divine Comedy, ranked in the same class as Dante's.King Lithai's ''Three Worlds'' do not represent the earthly, the infernal or the heavenly spheres, but account for the three Buddhist forms of existence of the sentient world. In this religious universe, there is the world of kama-loka, or the world of the five senses; the world of rupa-loka, or the corporeal world of the 16 celestial grades; and the world of arupa-loka, or the incorporeal world where the five senses cease to function. This treatise formed a doctrinal basis for King Lithai to lead his followers to redemption. Ancient Thais were given the vision of the various cosmic realms and their inhabitants, some of whom were confined to eternal damnations if they could not break away from their sins.Floating the krathong with King Lithai -- not Noppamas -- in your heart will get you closer to Dharmma. A shocking reality is now emerging that in spite of her immortality, Noppamas might not exist at all.Whether she is a historical person or a fictional character is a subject of controversial debate in the academic circle. But let the academics carry on their debate. Noppamas will continue to exist, for in Thailand histories and legends are mixed so intensely like moulding gold into a pagoda that the facts lie in the realm of introspection.Even the significance of Sukhothai as the first formal capital of Thailand has also been disputed bitterly among the historians. For generations, Thais have been taught that Sukhothai was Thailand's first formal kingdom before it was defeated by Ayudhya. Then we have Thon Buri and Bangkok. All of which cover a span of more than 700 years. New suggestions have attempted to paint Sukhothai as simply one of the several kingdoms or muangs, which were scattering throughout this part of the world and vying for political and military predominance at the time.To deny Sukhothai is one thing, but to delete Noppamas from the Thai consciousness amounts to daylight robbery of Loy Krathong. The young girls who dance in front of the remnants of the Sukhothai look as if they were trying to establish a connection with the past through Noppamas, the person they can only imagine or dream of. And these Sukhothai dancers are but the descendants of the semi-devine and radius beings, who at the beginning of time, came down to this world and were lured by the temptations of the fragrance of the earth. Once they tasted the earth, they at once became walking mortals. In this classical Buddhist doctrine, mankind was created and reincarnated in the unending cycle of suffering, until enlightenment is attained.For almost three years, Thais have come to appreciate the world ''float'' even more. After the float of the Thai baht in July 1997, its value has been bumping up and down like the fate of the krathong trying to negotiate the treacherous high waters. The arrival of the Loy Krathong Festival once again reinforces the universality of Buddhism. It completes the cycle -- that the certain has become the uncertain and the uncertain has become the certain.BY THANONG KHANTHONG<br />###################<br />Bangkok, Nov. 08: Myth and reality are inseparable in Thai history as shown by the latest debate, which centres on whether Lady Nopphamart, who has embodied the spirit of the Loy Krathong festival since the Sukhothai era, ever existed.<br />One by one, Thai heroines have come under historians' scrutiny, from Queen Suriyothai of the middle Ayudhaya period to Thao Suranaree of Nakhon Rachasima in the early Rattanakosin period.<br />Lady Nopphamart is among the latest casualties whose identity as a historical person is being questioned.<br />For generations, Thais have grown up believing that she was a court lady serving Phra Luang, a king of Sukhothai some 700 years ago. She was credited with inventing the krathong, a lotus-shaped vessel made from banana leaves, and floating it into a river as part of the full-moon festival in the twelfth month of the Thai calendar.<br />Thais learn about Lady Nopphamart and her idealised world from the "Book of Thaosrichulalak", which was earlier believed to have been written during the Sukhothai period. The book vividly depicted her life and how she had become a court lady. It described the rituals, the religion and life during the Sukhothai period.<br />Thais have been modelling the Loy Krathong festival after this book.<br />But most historians now believe that the "Book of Thaosrichulalak" was written in the early Rattakanosin Period. Dr Nithi Eaewsriwong of Chiang Mai University argues that the "Book of Thaosrichulalak" belongs to the Rattanakosin period.<br />Nithi goes so far as to say that the book was written during the reign of King Rama III. He bases this on an analysis of the book's language, and its references to America and arsenals. America did not exist in name 700 years ago!<br />In fact, Prince Damrong, or Krom Phraya Damrong Rajanuphap, had earlier made a similar claim, saying King Rama III could have written half of the book.<br />But most Thais remain quite comfortable with the mythical status of Lady Nopphamart. Whether or not she existed is not important as long as she continues to cast her spell during the full moon of the twelfth month.<br />On the Loy Krathong Day, her descendants or her representatives, dressed in beautiful traditional costumes, appear along the banks of rivers or beside ponds like angels to float krathongs.<br />The krathong is designed to look like a lotus, the flower used to pay respect to the Lord Buddha.<br />During the twelfth month's full moon, the tide is high. Hence, it is appropriate, ritualistically, to float the krathong down the river. "Loy" means "to float". Loy Krathong, therefore, is a festival for floating lotus-shaped vessels to pay respect to the Goddess of the River. Another purpose for floating the krathong is to dispel bad luck or ill omens from the past year.<br />Some years ago, a student at Chulalongkorn University floated a krathong to dispel his bad luck. He put a big "F" sign into the krathong and tried to float it away so that he would not get an "F" on any of his exams.<br />By design or by coincidence, the krathong kept floating back to him. He was unable to make if float away. The poor chap ended up spending more than five years at Chulalongkorn before managing to graduate!<br />Loy Krathong has become one of Thailand's most charming and ritualistic festivals, full of splendour and imagination. Thousands of people throng rivers near their hometowns every year for the opportunity to celebrate it.<br />If someone becomes your Valentine's Day date, you know for certain that he or she likes you. This also applies to a Loy Krathong date. When two people celebrate Loy Krathong together they make a vow to share a destiny.<br />Sometimes, you cannot help believing that Lady Nopphamart is the Goddess of the River herself as you gently float your krathong on a pond with your loved ones.<br />Lady Nopphamart will continue to exist, transcending the modern consciousness of Thais, as they look for the model of a perfect life and a perfect lady. Only in Lady Nopphamart can we reside blissfully in mythical experience, even though it is a short-lived one.-Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-829464167306446637.post-9100197459401195732009-06-19T04:01:00.000-07:002009-06-19T04:02:11.044-07:00wheel of dharmaพร้อมใบการันตีby G-PRA..นักสะสม&ชาวธรรมศาสตร์พลาดไม่ได้&ไม่เคยมีลงในเวป&หาเหรียญที่ 2 ยากแน่นอน..เหรียญแพรแถบที่ระลึกฉลองธรรมจักรสัญลักษณ์ม.ธ.11ธ.ค.2511สวยเดิมสุดๆได้มาจากศิษย์เก่าม.ธ.โดยตรง เคาะเดียว<br />รายละเอียด<br />^^พระแท้ๆ+ใบการันตีby G-PRA^^..นักสะสม&ชาวธรรมศาสตร์พลาดไม่ได้! & ไม่เคยมีลงในเวป & หาเหรียญที่ 2 แทบไม่ได้แน่นอนเพราะหายากมาก..เหรียญแพรแถบที่ระลึกฉลองธรรมจักร(ตราประจำมหาวิทยาลัย คือ พระธรรมจักร) วันที่ 11 ธ.ค.2511อีกด้านเป็นข้อความว่า "สถาปนา ม.ธ.ก. 27 มิถุนายน2477" เนื้อทองแดง มอบให้เฉพาะศิษย์เก่าที่ทำคุณค่าให้ ม.ธ.(เจ้าของเดิมที่มอบให้ผมขออนุญาตสงวนนามนะครับ แต่เป็นข้าราชการปลดเกษียณแล้วครับ)สภาพสวยเดิมสุดๆไม่มีล้างเหรียญเพื่ออนุรักษ์ความสวยเดิมๆไว้เหรียญนี้มาจากศิษย์เก่า ม.ธ. โดยตรงรับประกันแท้ตลอดชีพเคาะเดียวขั้นต่ำครับ สำหรับเหรียญที่มีคุณค่ายิ่งของชาวธรรมศาสตร์เหรียญนี้(ขนาดเหรียญปรกม.ธ. 50 ปี ..ปี2527 เนื้อทองแดงหนังสือพระลง 1500.- เนื้อเงินลง 5000.- ขึ้นหมด แต่เหรียญนี้ หาแทบไม่ได้แล้ว แถมปีพ.ศ.ลึกๆ อีกต่างหาก พลาดแล้วพลาดเลยนะครับ)-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------@เรื่องน่ารู้เกี่ยวกับ มธ.@1.มหาวิทยาลัยธรรมศาสตร์เป็นมหาวิทยาลัยแห่งที่ 2 ของประเทศ2.ชื่อเดิมของมหาวิทยาลัยธรรมศาสตร์ (ม.ธ.) คือ มหาวิทยาลัยวิชาธรรมศาสตร์และการเมือง (ม.ธ.ก.) ที่ต้องตัดคำว่า "และการเมือง" ออก เพื่อไม่ให้น.ศ.ฝักใฝ่การเมืองมากไปรวมระยะเวลาที่ใช้ชื่อนี้ 18 ปี3.สถาปนาโดยท่านผู้ประศาสน์การ ดร.ปรีดี พนมยงค์ รัฐบุรุษอาวุโส อดีตผู้สำเร็จราชการแทนพระองค์ หัวหน้าขบวนการเสรีไทย อดีตนายกรัฐมนตรี รัฐมนตรีว่าการกระทรวงการคลัง กระทรวงการต่างประเทศและ กระทรวงมหาดไทย และปัจจุบันองค์การยูเนสโกได้ประกาศว่าท่านเป็นบุคคลสำคัญของโลกอีกด้วย4.อธิการบดีคนแรกของมหาวิทยาลัยเป็นนายกรัฐมนตรีคือ จอมพล ป. พิบูลสงคราม5.วันสถาปนามหาวิทยาลัย คือ 27 มิถุนายน 2477 (ซึ่งตรงกับวันคล้ายวันพระราชทานรัฐธรรมนูญ ฉบับชั่วคราว)6.ความหมายของตึกโดม คือ ตัวโดมที่เป็นรูป 6 เหลี่ยมเพราะจะได้สะท้อนถึงหลักที่ 6 ในหลัก 6 ประการของคณะราษฎร คือ จะต้องให้การศึกษาเต็มที่แก่ราษฎร และ ที่ยอดตัวโดม แหลมขึ้นฟ้านั่นก็เพราะ เปรียบโดมเสมือนดินสอ ที่จดบันทึกวิชาความรู้และเรื่องราวต่าง ๆ ที่ไม่รู้จักจบสิ้นเอาไว้บนผืนฟ้าอันกว้างใหญ่7.จุดประสงค์ในการก่อตั้ง คือ เพื่อเป็นสถาบันการศึกษาชั้นสูงที่ ให้ความรู้ทางด้านกฎหมาย การเมือง และเศรษฐกิจ ซึ่งเป็นวิทยาการสมัยใหม่แก่ประชาชนทุกชนชั้น โดยเก็บค่าเล่าเรียน ให้น้อยที่สุด8.ตราประจำมหาวิทยาลัย คือ พระธรรมจักร เกิดขึ้นในปี 2479 เป็นรูปธรรมจักรสีเหลือง ตัดเส้นด้วยสีแดง มีพานรัฐธรรมนูญสีแดงสลับเหลืองอยู่กลาง ที่ขอบธรรมจักรมีอักษรสีแดงจารึกว่า "มหาวิทยาลัยธรรมศาสตร์" หรือ "ม.ธ." อยู่ตอนบน กับ "THAMMASAT UNIVERSITY" หรือ "T.U." อยู่ตอนล่าง และระหว่างคำว่า "มหาวิทยาลัยธรรมศาสตร์" หรือ "ม.ธ." กับ "THAMMASAT UNIVERSITY" หรือ "T.U." มีลายกนกสีแดงคั่นอยู่(คัดจากหนังสือราชกิจจานุเบกษา เล่ม 83 ตอนที่ 19 วันที่ 1 มีนาคม 2509)" ตราธรรมจักร" บอกความหมายว่า สถาบันแห่งนี้ยึดถือคติธรรมของพุทธศาสนา เป็นหลักกล่อมเกลาบัณฑิต สิ่งที่อยู่กลางธรรมจักร คือ พานรัฐธรรมนูญ หมายถึง การยึดมั่น เชิดชูรัฐธรรมนูญเป็นหลักการที่ มธก. ยึดถือ และประพฤติปฏิบัติ(จากหนังสือสำนักนั้นธรรมศาสตร์และการเมือง หน้า 54)9.สีประจำมหาวิทยาลัย คือ สีเหลือง-แดง มีความหมายว่า เหลือง คือ ธรรม ประจำจิตใจของน.ศ. แดง คือ โลหิตที่ต้องอุทิศตนเพื่อประชาชน"เหลืองของเราคือธรรมประจำจิต แดงของเราคือโลหิตอุทิศให้"10.ต้นไม้ประจำมหาวิทยาลัย คือ ต้นยูงทอง มีอยู่ 5 ต้น ซึ่งพระบาทสมเด็จ พระเจ้าอยู่หัว ได้ทรงเพาะชำเอง และเสด็จฯมาทรงปลูกด้วยพระองค์เอง ยังความปลาบปลื้ม มาสู่ชาวธรรมศาสตร์จวบจนทุกวันนี้Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-829464167306446637.post-14536288706901543072009-06-16T05:22:00.001-07:002009-07-15T00:56:09.441-07:00Kuan Im shrine and Wat Kalayanamitr<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOB3GMIp2RTcYEqirkboyU43WUeOJfOwu9hAL9hJl4ET3XMynCplKQSh0E_veLUwRj9b_w8zWqS5kUzREXXpcY1pXSYziB8039P3dfJ1eXe5QK3QMdZGVPhNm7Q3z7RT0Eod7FauTvGmVz/s1600-h/kuan+im"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358592438909127042" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 196px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOB3GMIp2RTcYEqirkboyU43WUeOJfOwu9hAL9hJl4ET3XMynCplKQSh0E_veLUwRj9b_w8zWqS5kUzREXXpcY1pXSYziB8039P3dfJ1eXe5QK3QMdZGVPhNm7Q3z7RT0Eod7FauTvGmVz/s320/kuan+im" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Wat Kalayanamitr<br />Voice of sermon flew in the air as I walked along Wat Kalayanamitr community. That mystic voice led me the way to the gate. I believe the first thing any visitor see from the distance, the Chinese red and white lanterns which are swaying, are capable to explain briefly about Wat Kalayanamitr’s history.<br />Lord Nikornbodin, a great nobleman in Rattanakosin kingdom’s King Rama III throne, was the initiator of Wat Kalayanamitr construction. The Lord’s father was a Chinese merchant, later got accredit from King Taksin the Great, Thonburi dynasty, and became คุณหลวง. For having true faith in Buddhism, Lord Nikornbodin bestowed his house and nearby land to be a location for a temple. Lord Nikornbodin had served King Rama III with honesty and loyalty. By that reason, he had an honor to be called as “a good friend” of King Rama III. The temple construction was completely finished in 1825. Lord Nikornbodin had an intention at the beginning that he would dedicate the temple to be the royal temple. King Rama III appreciated his willing, so his majesty named the royal temple after Lord Nikornbodin’s last name, Kalayanamitr, which also means “a good friend”.<br />Since Lord Nikornbodin was Chinese descend, Wat Kalayanamitr’s architecture has an integration look between Thai and Chinese arts. Behind the red front door, a huge Chinese limestone arch places upon a golden censer. It was brought from China through bark, the same as other statues and decorations in the temple. I saw people gathered at the censer, prayed in silence toward three Buddha images and stabbed joss sticks in. Traditionally, Buddhism begin the worship by prostration with three of joss sticks which are signs reminding goodness of Buddha, his teaching and monks. The three Buddha images place at the center of the temple’s pavilion. พระพุทธไตรรัตนายกs stand on the right and left hand sides พระสังกัจจายนะ, smiling Buddha. พระสังกัจจายนะ is differentiated from common Buddha image due to his facial expression and body. As he is plump, he is seen as figure of luck and plentitude that really matter to Chinese people.<br />At the side of those, six of golden Chinese Gods sculptures stand. The God of Luck is in the first order since it is priority concerned. He is the plumpest among the sculptures. The rest of them are Gods of constancy, love, fighting, cure and wealthy. Notably, some people touched the sculptures, asking for blessings.<br />After walking around the pavilion, the sound of drums got louder as I stepped closer to the main monastery. I was stunning with a huge golden Buddha image, sitting in the center of the main monastery. With 19 meters height and 20 meters long measure in the posture of meditation, พระพุทธไตรรัตนายก has become the biggest Buddha image in Bangkok. Local residents call พระพุทธไตรรัตนายก as Tor monk, named accordingly to Lord Nikornbodin’s nickname. Although it was built in Rattanakosin kingdom, it has four arts characteristics. King Rama III impressed with Ayudhaya kingdom’s miracle Buddha image at Panacherng temple, which was constructed 685 years ago, therefore the royal architectures designed พระพุทธไตรรัตนายก with the Buddha image at Panacherng’s pattern. Amid similarity, there’s difference. พระพุทธไตรรัตนายก smiles, while most of Ayudhaya’s Buddha images looked solemn. พระพุทธไตรรัตนายก design might influenced by Sukhothai kingdom’s arts. During that era, people lived in peace and abundance. The kings treated people as good as their own children. It is seen as Eutopia of Thailand. Even though life in Rattanakosin kingdom is not perfect, still people live without tragedies. By that reason, พระพุทธไตรรัตนายก has common characteristic with Sukhothai kingdom’s Buddha image arts. Or you can say that พระพุทธไตรรัตนายก is the blend combination between arts of Sukhothai, Ayuddhaya, Rattanakoson and Chinese arts.<br />Inside the main monastery, the mixing arts of architectures reflect Thai and Chinese nationalities. Mural is drawn with pictures of flowers. Altar tables and vases upon are decorated with bas-reliefs of golden dragons, tigers and angels. Alongside with mural, some people took bottles of holy water and mystic symbol papers for worship. Those papers are hardly to seen in other Thai temples as it initiated in China. They believe that drinking holy water with the papers ash would obviate the persons from darkness and accusation. While sound of เซียมซี shaking continued, I found origin of the sound I heard at first. There are two of huge ancient drums near the gates, symbols of victory. Hence, people hit the drums with belief that it might bring luck. However, I didn’t see anyone frown inside the monastery, all smiled.<br />Various kinds of bells hang around the temple area. Seniors always say that ones may find peace when listen to the sound of swinging bells. By the reason, temples construction usually comes with bells in Rattanakosin kingdom as people have lived in peace. Thus, after worship, people will hit the bells, calling for peace in their mind. On the left hand side of the main monastery, a bell tower sets majestically. The gigantic brass bell inside, with 30 meters height and 9 meters width, is the biggest bell in Thailand. It was constructed in 1933, an era of Rattanakosin kingdom’s King Rama VI. One part of the message engraved on the bell said “the bell builder offers it for the temple, merits for King Rama I through VI ”. King Rama I was the primary king of Rattanakosin kingdom.<br />The bell is the connection between whole Thai kingdoms, Sukhothai, Ayuddhaya, Thonburi and Rattanakosin. I can say that because at the beginning of Thai administration in Sukhothai kingdom, King Ram Khamhaeng the Great used the big bell as justice calling, people hit the bell in front of the royal palace, asking for inquiry. In another case, the name of the kings appears on the bell not only refers directly to the kings of Rattanakosin kingdom, but also the kings from Ayuddhaya and Thonburi. Ayuddaya’s the first, tenth and twenty-seventh king were named as King Rama I, II and III subsequently. And King Thaksin the Great, the primary king of Thonburi kingdom, was named as King Rama IV. The monk at the temple calls this ‘a puzzle’, very few people perceive the message’s hidden meaning.<br />Moreover, the small monastery and chapel were created with Thai and Chinese arts. Chinese pagodas place around. Chinese and Thai have been deep rooted for hundreds years since Sukhothai kingdom. Besides Chinese involved with merchant, they and Thai people had close relationship. During Thonburi kingdom, King Thanksin the Great settled Chinese community, they truly adored him. After the king moved the capital to another one, some of them still stayed, then became neighbors with local people. Chinese people are one of the major key in preserving Thai unity. Cultures or use of language may adjust as the time pass, but the only thing which lasts long, be stable and unchanged in Thai society is the religion. It connected Thai and Chinese with common belief, and with that belief, it has kept the harmony survive until now.Along riverside at the back of the temple, Chinese community remains. And other religion churches nearly locate. I looked into the sky, the top of the temple, Christian church, mosque and Chinese pagodas came in my sight in the same. This peaceful view might looked the same as Eutopia dream of ancestors.<br />8888888888888<br /><br />Pieces in Thonburi Era are evidenced inside the architectural building of Kulayanamitra Temple and the nearby ancient Chinese village that was initially dwelled by King Tak-Sin’s supporters in 1767-1782. Entering the other side of Bangkok is Thonburi, the shorten-glamour town of Thais before Bangkok, where situates many importance ancient places back in Thonburi Era and Ayudthaya Era such as Arunrachavararam Temple, King Tak-Sin the Great’s statue, an old Chinese village near Kulyanmitra Temple next to sacred Kuan Yim shrine, Moleelokayaram Temple or 327 years Wichai Prasit Fort.<br />The temple has shown the beautiful Chinese Art blends with Thai culture, even added more sacred to the place and completely the worship place for both Thai and Chinese. We have been told by a monk that this temple was built up by JaoSua To or the ancestor of Kulayanamitra family in King Rama III era. With his faith towards religion, he bought the areas for his family house before dedicated to religious purpose, that is, the creation of Kulyanamitra Temple.<br />It’s about 2 in the afternoon as we are moving to another observation. Kuan Yin shrine is located on Klong Bang Kok Yai in Kudee Jeen community (Chinese Monk’s house), supposedly named as many Chinese living there, facing the Chao Praya River of Thonburi side. We walk through the small path that leads us to the Goddess of Mercy. The surrounding ambience feel the sense of community of helping and caring to each other; the olds are bubbling about their pasts or things around them that could be claimed, children are playing around with the gang, some households build up their fronts as a small noodle restaurant and an order-in restaurant, some open as engine care (fixing; bicycle, any machines, TV, radio) or a small clinic, that seems to be remain since years as if she has prospered merci to people in the village.<br />It is a bit dark and humid during the walkway then the light brightens up showing the way out to the open land of Kuan Yin shrine.<br />Kuan Yin is another episode of Pra Po Thi Sat Kuan Yin that was born female for showing gentle and giving merci to the earth.<br />According to the Chinese traditional history, Princess Myo San, the third daughter of King Myo Juagn, aimed to help release pain and grieve occur in humanity and animals after had been practiced in Buddhism but it disobeyed her father’s purpose to arrange her a marriage. She was tortured, punished, exiled by her father’s greed in power but she never angry or blamed to his action. One day, King Myo Juagn had a serious illness that none of medicine could cure, caused by karma he did with his daughter. Princess Myo San heard about her father sickness by second sight then sacrificed her eyes and arms as to give his life. By the scarification, she earned the eternal worship and has been known among Chinese by her merci, forgiveness, love and kindness for years.<br />The sign is at your left in front of a small the Chao Praya river port, if you walk from Kulyanmitra Temple. The weather is not too bad during this summer because the wind breezes vapor from the ChaoPraya’s surface up to the walk path of the shrine, the fine heat-loosen the visitors’ temperature.<br />The red colored at the shrine and its courtyard, the fascinated red area, significantly presents an overwhelmed welcome for visitors as wishing them luck for coming in a meantime for going out; red is the color for luck according to Chinese beliefs.<br />On the day, silence covers as if she is forgotten; unlike crowded Yaowaraj. Anyhow, it has brought peaceful to the place for some visitors like us to respect and be pleasurable of the olden place.<br />Although, the red of the shrine is not as red as it was but becoming the sacred red that remains as central-minded for Chinese and Thai-Chinese to pay respect for over 200 years.<br />The area around the shrine is clean, no dry leaves on the ground as it has been taken care also plants have been decorated which gives a well-shady among the walk way.<br />Grasping around the shrine, it likes a house of old Chinese custom that is well decorated of Chinese animals’ signature; the dragons, the lions and Chinese arts that are unified with historical of Chinese characters.<br />As I walked closer to the entry, the smell of scent was spreading all over the place as if shown many people’s faith and sacred to the place. The entry is separated into two; one on the right, I assume, for going in and the exit is one on the left, walking in a square shape. In the middle is the light shining up from the sun facing Kuan Yin statue where the shadow covers like she remains her duty of giving merci, prosperous, wealth, health and happiness for the comer as they are here to wish for.<br />Chinese worship is different from Thai kind in a mean of beliefs. In Chinese custom, everything during worship process until the end always means to something such as 5propitios fruits, for example; orange for family’s or one’s auspicious, apple for healthiness or peach for longevity and to worship gods and goddesses in heaven. Silver and gold papers are burnt to the angles when asking for wealth and richness or oil that fills the lamp for the flame of lives in which Buddhist has shared the same belief as well as การเสี่ยงเซียมซี .<br />Whatever they ask for, they will first give to the upper part with the faith that results will come after which different from Thais’ that Buddhism is mind-centered to reduce anxiety and concerned.<br />At the right, there is another shrine of Chinese God and Buddha statues situates together similarly shown in Kulayanamitra Temple of the united among two races and tradition. Sanctity remains even the aged of this place is older. The cabinet of the ancestor’s names stills there as if protecting and caring for this sacred place for the younger generation to meet, also, to remind of their faiths toward religious and to realize its value toward humanity. </div><br /><div><br />Before the time of Kuan Yin shrine installation in King Rama III, there were originally shrines situated two significant Gods of Chinese; Jo Sue Kong and Kuan U, which were built after they followed King Taksin to Thonburi as his important supporters.<br />Its history was not officially recorded but has been told as Fujians from China, the originated ancestors of Simasathien and Tuntivejjakul, were here to worship the shrines but found them decayed. Instead of restore the old, they rebuilt them into one and replaced the recent Kuan Yin Shrine for worshipping as the reason that Kuan Yin patronized the journey of พระพุทธไตรรัตนายก or Sum Por Kong establishment at Kulyanamitra Temple.<br />They found the shrine was left, assuming, when the Chinese followed King Rama I to Bangkok and sheltered in Sam-Peng market for merchandising. Then, the name of Kien Un Keng Shrine, situates of Kuan Yin; the goddess of mercy, has emerged in Thailand.<br />Coldness airs from the humidity in granite around the shrine that is usually used in many shrines around the country.<br />And art painted inside might be destroyed by the ages and times but stills be its value and story is told for visitors.<br />The front wall facing with the riverside looks alive even engraved on the stone. It tells the story of Chinese living cultural, social status, wealth, and the vital commerce of Chinese. It looks so much alive as they are really telling the story by themselves every time I concentrate. And that’s a charm of the place.<br />This is the evidence that prove the history of Chinese-Thai relations. Besides, trading field that Chinese has taught Thai for over times, the important factor that should be remembered is the community of King Taksin’s army’s energy in supporting food, water, and suppliers to won over Burma and also the reunite of collapsed Ayutthaya.<br />It also proves Chinese and Thai relations are firm throughout art and architecture that were engraved and created.<br />Moreover, it is not only the shelter for Chinese and Buddhism but also Christian and Islam, everyone is living together with the same faiths they have in religious for years after years.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />OVERDRIVE: Civilisations in conflict - but we can handle it<br /><br /><br /><br />Even at the very micro level, we routinely witness clashes between the khaek civilisation and the jek civilisation in Thailand.<br />Khaek is a convenient term that Thais use to refer to Indians.<br />Jek denotes the Chinese.<br />One such clash is taking place at a site where I am building a house on extended land for my family.<br />It would not be surprising to witness similar clashes between the khaek and the jek elsewhere - clashes that profoundly shape the way the Thai people live, speak, act, worship and believe.<br />In the backyard of my house will stand a spirit house.<br />Next month a Brahmin priest will conduct a sacred ceremony to erect the spirit house for the god or the gods to reside.<br />The gods will live side by side with my family and ensure that we live in peace and with happiness.<br />Coincidentally, my next door neighbour is also building a new house.<br />He is spying on what we are doing.<br />He has just consulted a feng shui master on the design and the construction of his house.<br />Feng shui is the Chinese art of living in harmony with nature.<br />My neighbour sometimes sneaks onto my site to send out a signal that I am not building my house within the principles of feng shui.<br />Apparently, he believes that the spirit house is not good enough for me to ensure luck and prosperity.<br />This is a big difference in our values.<br />I am more inclined toward the khaek civilisation.<br />For, through the spirit house, I want peace and happiness in my house.<br />My neighbour strictly follows feng shui because he wants luck and prosperity for his family.<br />Jamlong, the head of the construction site at my house, remarked with a good heart about the rivalry that is going on between the two beliefs.<br />"It is fun as we are going to see a fierce battle between the feng shui master and the priest," he said.<br />As Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the Indian prime minister, leads a top-level delegation to Thailand to open up a new era of bilateral relations, he will immediately recognise the profound influence that India has had on Thailand for thousands of years.<br />Thailand is a recipient country of two great civilisations - India from the West and China from the North.<br />But the influence from India is deeper, forming layers and layers in the foundation of Thai civilisation.<br />From religion to the arts, language, music, culture, law and literature, you see significant Indian elements in the ways of the Thais.<br />We borrowed ideas from India and used them rather conveniently until they were considered Thai ideas.<br />It was Emperor Asoka of India who in the third century played a key role in turning Suvarnabhumi, or the Golden Land, into a more civilised land.<br />Before, the local people in Suvarnabhumi worshipped ghosts and gods, who were believed to reside everywhere in rivers, in trees, in mountains, in the fields.<br />Emperor Asoka sent two chief missionaries to the east to propagate Buddhism.<br />One missionary went to Suvarnabhumi, the other to China, to then go on and teach Buddhism in Korea and Japan.<br />But before that, Hinduism, brought to this region by Indian merchants, had strengthened its foothold in the Cham civilisation of Vietnam and the Khmer civilisation, as witnessed by the grandeur of Angkor Wat.<br />When King Rama I, who founded Bangkok in 1782, wrote his own version of "Ramayana", originally written in Sanskrit by Valmiki, he did so in a poetic style and it now has its theme rooted in the Temple of the Emerald Buddha in the Grand Palace of Bangkok.<br />"Ramayana" is widely read by Thais, who also adapted it into khlon plays.<br />It's immediately recognisable by the fact that the kings of the Chakri Dynasty use the title Rama, a name derived from the "Ramayana".<br />One of our deputy prime ministers, Dr Vishanu Krua-ngam, has a khaek first name.<br />Lord Vishnu is one of the Indian Gods.<br />But somehow the Indian elements have permeated Thai culture so deeply that we have forgotten their origin.<br />Pragmatic as we Thais are, we have also come to assume that the Indian elements are Thai.<br />Then the jek came later on with their forceful civilisation, their food, customs, beliefs and trading practices, to provide a topping for Thai civilisation.<br />Feng shui is only one of the examples.<br />The Chinese began building Chinatown from the founding of Bangkok.<br />We can also see the Indian community, around Phahurat near Chinatown.<br />Somehow the Chinese have overshadowed the Indians and now exert more influence on the Thais.<br />Yet the Indian spirit is always there in the consciousness of the Thais.<br />For the Thais, whether it is khaek or jek, we don't mind as long as it works.<br />Thanong Khanthong The Nation</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-829464167306446637.post-16549802739493832182009-06-14T19:34:00.001-07:002009-12-03T23:07:18.991-08:00Phra MahajanakaVirtue of perseverance & virtue of giving<br />The Ninth Reign is devoted to two virtues simultaneously. To the King, “to be human” is everything and nothing. To be human is that one must have a reason to do things. To be inhuman is to do the incredible thing at the same time. We are here to be human, to make money so that we have money to spend and to make a good name for ourselves so that we have money to spend, and to make a good name for ourselves so that we are praised. But all this, if we have money, we will spend it and in the end we will lose the money. What is left is the pure soul. That is what we must attain – the pure soul. But if we want to attain the pure soul, we must give. Giving of the heart and feeling is one reason why leaders, if they are in a high position, should not think that their high position has been earned by hard work alone. Yes, it has been earned by hard work,. But, not only that, the position has to be maintained. This will lead to a more satisfying feeling for the soul. That is the reason why the leaders of the world should do that – they should give more, and take less.<br /><br />The virtue of perseverance and the virtue of giving in line with the jataka, or the former lives of the Buddha. King Bhumibol has been aiming two virtues at the same time. For perseverance, one may visit a book store to read his book, the Phra Mahajanaka. For the virtue of giving, you should visit two temples, Wat Chong Nonsi in Bangkok and Wat Suwannaram in Thon Buri. Thai painting represents a precious heritage of art and spirituality extending over more than seven centuries of the life of this civilization. Yet this artistic heritage cannot be separated from the culture and the structures, whose walls were adorned with these paintings.<br />Phra Mahajanaka<br />Yet Phra Siamdevathiraj, or "the city angel", has become a recurring theme in modern Thai consciousness. For any time the country is in deep peril, Thais will pin their faith on Phra Siamdevathiraj in the belief that eventually the city angel will come to the country's rescue.<br />This is part of the ancient belief in gods that are omnipresent, residing in water, trees, the forest, practically everywhere. The beliefs date back long before Buddhism entered this country.<br />In the 19th century, King Mongkut, or Rama IV, believed strongly in the gods, or the superior beings, which he felt were protecting him, the royal family and Siam from all evils besetting their world. During his time, Burma, Malaya and Vietnam fell to Western imperialism. The king more often than not thanked Phra Siamdevathiraj for guarding Siam.<br />The Chatri Dynasty regards Phra Siamdevathiraj with the utmost reverence. A statue depicting the angel, all in gold and currently situated in the Dusit Palace inside the Grand Palace, is in a standing position and eight inches high. It is meticulously dressed in the form of a mythical god descending from heaven. In its right hand is a sword, while the left hand stretches out at breast level in a blessing posture.<br />Phra Siamdevathiraj also appears in different form in literature. Banthoon Lamsam, the president of Thai Farmers Bank, interpreted Mani Mekhala, a goddess in "The Story of Mahajanaka" written by His Majesty the King, as a sort of Phra Siamdevathiraj.<br />In this classic story, which is a best-seller, Mani Mekhala, assigned by the Four World Watchers to look after all virtuous creatures, descended from heaven to rescue the Great Being, who was Prince Mahajanaka. Prince Mahajanaka, or the prince who would be born Buddha, had been swimming in the deep sea for seven days. But as a virtuous prince, endowed with the virtue of perseverance, he was destined to be saved so that he could accomplish the greater goal.<br />But first he had to satisfy Mani Mekhala by solving the three riddles. This he was able to do, and so Mani Mekhala rescued him from the sea and took him to his destination.<br />This story provides moral guidance for Thais who wish to succeed. The gods will only help those who help themselves first, or those who have the wisdom to persevere.<br />Shortly after the 1997 economic crisis there were fears among Thai conservatives that Phra Siamdevathiraj might forsake Thailand, which could face complete ruin from the plummeting baht, bank runs, runaway inflation, skyrocketing unemployment and social crisis. But as it turned out, the crisis was contained between 1997 and 1999.<br /><br />This could only be interpreted as Phra Siamdevathiraj still protecting Thailand.<br />If you travel around Ratanakosin Island, Old Bangkok remains unchanged. It stands elegantly against the test of time. But outside of Old Bangkok is New Bangkok and it has been crumbling since 1997 from its financial sins.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-829464167306446637.post-13758442223040640582009-06-14T19:32:00.001-07:002009-12-04T00:04:47.298-08:00Vessantara JatakaThe Vessantara Jataka, the virtue of Giving, is the last and most venerated of the Ten Great Jatakas. It narrates the most recent former life of the Buddha, that of his rebirth as Prince Vessantara. Jujaka is the nemesis of Vessantara. He is depicted as a treachery and low rank Brahmin, similar to Shakespeare's Sherlock in the Merchants of Venice. Sherlock epitomises the greeds and worldly tricks. Jujaka also represents the greeds and human sins. Wat Chong Nonsi, in the Yanawa area of Bangkok, is quite a distance away from Old Bangkok. In the old days, it would take even more time to reach this temple, which was built in the late Ayutthaya period or around the third quarter of the 17th century. But here lies an invaluable clue to our understanding of the Ninth Reign. From the outside, Wat Chong Nonsi looks like most other temples in Thailand, with the main chapel, an all purpose building, and a living quarter for the monks. But inside Wat Chong Nonsi stands an ancient ubosot, built in a shape of a boat with exquisite roof. A steel fence surrounds this ubosot to prevent an uninvited intrusion. One needs special permission from the abbot to go inside this ancient chapel, which is decaying with time. There are several jedis, including eight sema made from clay, built around the chapel. One can also see the old brick wall surrounding the chapel.<br />The mural painting from the ubosot of Wat Chong Nonsi represents the high art of the late Ayutthaya period. It depicts the jataka, or the former lives of the Buddha. Only about 15 to 20 per cent of the mural painting survives. Phra Kittisak unlocks the door of the ubosot, which holds the secret of the past. "The Fine Arts Department has told us to keep the mural painting as it is. They do not want us to work on any renovation of the mural painting because it would destroy the original value. The mural painting is kept as it is to allow the new generation to study mural painting, its drawing patterns and colouring. If the mural painting is renovated, it would lose its originality," Phra Kittisak said. On the left hand side of the wall of the ubosot, you can see some scenes from the Vessantara Jataka. Jujaka, a Brahmin, asks a hermit the way to the hermitage of Vessantara.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-829464167306446637.post-3087463081777600782009-06-14T19:18:00.000-07:002009-12-15T17:07:27.121-08:00Monarchy and traditionsOver the past 2 years or so, I have done some serious reflecting on the nature of the Republican and Democratic forms of government, and contrasted them in my mind with other forms of government; such as Communism and Socialism. I have found all these systems wanting in a greater or lesser degree, because in spite of the varied ideologies they have they all suffer from a diseased concept concerning the nature and purpose of the State, and its proper relations to the people. In regards to Republicanism and Democracy, these are based on the illusory concept of "Popular Suffrage," which in fact means nothing in that the masses have neither the capability or know-how to determine or understand the workings of the State in relation to the economy, so purely economic interests seize the opportunity of this vacuum to co-opt the State to insure their control over the economy and the socio-political system. Thus under the guise and fraud of the "will of the people," the most banal aspects of the mass culture enshrine themselves as an oligarchy and plutocracy, and through finance easily control the political class as well as the political process of so-called "elections."
<br />It is common knowledge that all political candidates and parties are controlled by monied interests, just as the political system and its laws are in turn controlled by lobbyists who are also controlled by monied interests. Thus as Julius Evola has pointed out, in this way the purpose and nobility of the State is destroyed through its subordination to the principles of the economy. No matter what system you look at in the modern world, these same subversive processes hold sway and engage in a process of dialectical disintegration with one another. The machinations of high finance and distribution of currency in excess of the GNP of Nations, causes them to fall into patterns of debt in the public and private sectors. This is true no matter what the ideology, as the principles of economy are the same. Similarly the creation of surplus value through wage/profit coefficients, creates an inductive disparity between wages and prices which relocates all wealth to the Capitalist class through the draining of the purchasing power of the wage earners, distributing profit to themselves and scarcity to the workers respectively.
<br />The perversion of Democracy is that it gives power to the plutocrats in light of the incoherent "mass-will."
<br />In spite of the fact that this is also true in Communist countries as the party-bosses raid the coffers of the State to obtain the profits of "State Capitalism," such processes in Capitalist countries do nothing but foment discontent and further the interests of those who would preach the gospel of totalitarianism and Marxism. The perversion of Democracy is that it gives power to the plutocrats in light of the incoherent "mass-will," by default, and through making the State a vehicle of avarice devoid of honor; thereby gives the State too much centralizing power over all aspects of human life. Thus in all collectivist systems based on identification with the masses, (which is every State-based system other than Monarchy) you paradoxically have a totalitarian system based on the tyranny of economic interests and a ruling elite that is unfit to rule, due to the fact that they are beholden only to Mammon and not to any higher principle of honor.
<br />Now, this is the malaise of our times, no doubt. Being an American and citizen of the U.S., I was raised to believe in the myth of Democracy and to view Monarchy as some kind of system of tyranny. But is it really? I think not! Societies of egalitarianism are in fact the biggest tyrannies, for they reduce all aspects of life to that which resonates to the lowest common demominator, and the stolid aspects of mass-culture and values are made into Law and wielded over the population like a gigantic club. The lowest is made highest and thus regiments all aspects of life in machine-like and brutal manner, and loyalty to the State is compelled by force from the top-down, rather than being inspired from the bottom-up, which is the case in Monarchies. Democracy, Republicanism, Socialism, Communism, as well as the over-industrialized and technological artifacts of the world need to be done away with. All of these are but interrelated syndromes of the same disease, which does nothing but reduce Man to a level that is almost less than an animal, by dehumanizing him with the false values of objectivity and modernity at the expense of the subjective verities of truth and honor. A return to Monarchy is the sole hope of the world. Under Monarchy the State is relegated to its primary purpose, to hold the power of economic interests in check so they cannot despoil the people or the land. The mercantile classes are fit to trade but not fit to rule, and the communists I include in this group, due to their myopia about anything outside of "principles of economy." The modern world is the result of this situation, and its diseased condition is blatantly obvious. The Monarchy and Nobility should be the masters of the wealth of society and not the Capitalists, and their wealth should be bestowed by right and not by virtue of the fact that it was earned. Only in this way can the classes of the Nobility have an unbroken training and tradition in the proper uses of wealth, for their benefit and that of their domains.
<br />Even more so, does this apply to the Monarchy. Because the wealth is already in the possession of Royalty and Nobility, the profit-motive and the motive to exploit society for mundane ends is removed . There is nothing to be gained by such economic mediocrity, and thus the Monarchy and Nobility can be concerned with matters of Politics and Sociology, as well as matters pertaining to the well-being of their domains . The moderns will cry: "What is to be gained by such a leisure-class that do not earn their wealth like we do?" A great deal. Only by having a leisure-class freed from material cares is it possible to have a truly educated class. Many captains of industry and Capitalists have conceeded that they have not had the time to become well-read and cultured people. And yet they are leading and controlling the world with only the most feeble an d superficial of educations. Even if they spent a good time in college, this cannot match a lifetime of education that can be obtained by people who are freed from the cares of earning a living. Thus the knowledge of the Royals and Nobility will be superior and more qualitative; and not based on the mundane ends of economy alone, but on higher things and values that alone can give the laws of economy a purpose. The Monarchist traditions of the State and Nobility exercises dominion but not tyranny. In this dominion the various peoples among the ruled manifest loyalty to the Crown, not because the Crown dictates their every choice through the contingencies of the laws of economy, but because the Crown gives them the right to flower as peoples that are fully human, only needing to labor solely to support their own station in life. As Evola pointed out, the feudal system is organic and allows for individual self-actualization for the peoples under it, and does not just regard them as economic units.
<br />Monarchy allows for tremendous decentralization between the auspices of the Royal House, the Nobility, the Houses of Government, and the people. Even the life of a serf is something that a modern worker would envy. A serf labored only during planting and harvesting under the agrarian system, the rest of that time was free-time for the serf to pursue his own interests. You had festivals that went on for months among the serfs, and a noble could be imprisoned for letting his serfs starve if they were old or sick. The ruling classes were accountable not just to their superiors, but also to those lesser than them. They profited from the serfs, but the serfs also profited from the use of the land and worked far less than people do now under the plutocratic tyranny of industrialism. Who is the bigger slave, the serf or the wage-earner? I am certain the wage-earner of modern times would envy the serf. And if Monarchy would treat even the serfs in a more humane way than the poor are treated now, how much better would it be for everyone else! The serfs were valued, and not stigmatized for their spartan life, it was proper to their station and not a reason for criticism. The modern poor are psychologically stigmatized for their inability to make a fortune, as if everyone could just go and do that! The stability of social stations and the purposes innate to them makes for psychological health among human beings. A place from which you can neither rise nor fall, is a rock from which all endeavor can flower and work can exist for its own sake, not for the ulterior motive of either rising from or preventing a fall from where you are. The instability of human purpose and work and its subordination to purely economic ends is the primary cause of social and individual instability and psycho-pathology. A cause and result of modernism. Monarchism with its castes and roles frees humanity from the anxiety of striving to or falling from a particular station in life, each of which is valued in the context of community. Trade guilds, serfs, the ministers of state, Nobility and Monarchy, were an organic continuity that allowed for the flowering of human nature in its diverse forms, from the most humble to the most lofty. Is it any wonder that Monarchy is the most stable and humane from of government the world has ever known? And is it also any wonder that Democracy, Capitalism, Communism, Socialism, Republicanism, are decaying and crumbling away as we speak, from the entropy of their ignorant and mis-begotten valuations and constructs?
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<br />
<br />Monarchy And Tradition
<br />By Archonis
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<br />I recently finished reading "Riding The Tiger" by Julius Evola. It raised some interesting questions in respect to certain matters that I have been thinking about quite a bit, that relates to Evola's corpus of work, and not just this particular book. Evola has been labled a Fascist, Nazi, etc., but these definitions are wrong. If anything, Evola was a Monarchist, and I must confess I also have always had leanings in this direction too, even when I was a Left Wing Anarchist.
<br />There is something about the institutions of Monarchy as they existed in ancient times, when you actually had warrior-kings, and priest-kings, that seem to me to resonate to a much higher level than anything that exists now. And it also can be argued that the peasants and serfs loved their King or their Queen, and would lay down their lives for them, even if they hated their feudal lords. It seems that Monarchy resonates strongly in the psyche of humanity, and this is even true in America, as we Americans cannot get enough of the Royal Family in the news, and many are fascinated with Monarchy and its institutions. In my view, in the early history of Europe there were great Sovereigns. I saw the movie "Elizabeth," not too long ago, and there can be no doubt that Queen Elizabeth transcended the normal human follies of a woman and reached a level of sacrifice and nobility in respect to England, that could only be compared to that of the greatest hero, or mystic. I would have been honored to have lived under Alexander The Great, who was a ruthless conquerer, but a benign ruler. If Alexander could see the suffering that exists now in our drab industrial world, he would surely be horrified. For the evil of these days since the death of the Monarchies and the advent of economic-based Nation States, is that the present epoch and its mediocre and brutal institutions just do not wear down the body with toil and the mind with vexation, but they kill the soul as well. Not just in people, but in everything. That is why the last 300 years have been the most evil in human history. Because even during the reign of the Clerical Holy Roman Empire, people in general still had a sense of basic humanity.
<br />Now you have to discard it, in order to get anywhere in a world that is predicated on force, fraud, brutality, and exploitation of the worst kind, wrapped up in a panopoly of lies. It is true that by the 15th century and beyond, the Monarchies of Europe become degraded. You went from Kings that would get off their thrones to go into battle, to worthless dandyism and the parasitism of the leisure classes. But even these fops had a higher sense of culture, aesthetics, and interest in things that bore upon issues of nobility and honor, than the vile plutocrats that exist now; that are nothing more than slavish-minded savages and greedy swine only concerned with the crude material excesses that a slave would fantasize about, and the plutocrats being devoid of all honor, have the mindset of a slave, and were seen as part of the slave-class, in the ancient world. There is no principle that they would not betray for profit. No degradation that they would not commit to get ahead.
<br />The monarchs lost because their principles of honor dictated that they accept defeat at the hands of the merchant classes, rather than sully themselves by fighting enemies that were beneath them. Marie Antoinette (sp?) apologized to the executioner for stepping on his foot, just before she got her head cut off. The point I am making is the degradation of the monarchies in later European history was in no wise the fault of the monarchies. It was the fault of the "culture aliens," that introduced by stealth the principles of the merchant-state and the bourgoise mentality in the 15th and 16th centuries, and thereby weakened the Monarchies and the principles of Empire; degrading and destroying them by forcing them to fight against nascent Capitalism, in the name of progress. Every effort was made to trick the monarchs into forgetting ancient principles and degrading themselves, and the "culture aliens" used every means at their disposal to turn the Royal Courts into dens of mediocrity and nests of vipers. Monarchs being human after all, succumbed. But the dishonor is not theirs, but rather they are the victims of those who were more inhuman, callous, and shrewd, and these conspirators managed to divorce the monarchies from the higher principles which gave them legitimacy.
<br />The founding fathers of America took money from the same shylocks that were responsible throughout history for destroying the whole of European culture and traditions, including monarchy, and yet blamed the monarchs for this state of things; rather than those who were responsible and who were using the founding fathers to continue their subversive influence to further destroy the West, by fragmenting England from Her colonies, and thereby dividing the West (devoid of its Traditions) into fractious states of savagery and base materialism. The Founding Fathers were obtuse in this respect, not seeing those influences that were hellbent on perverting and subverting everything noble in the world, and turning it to evil channels.
<br />It is clear, and not obscured, that the corporate state in all of its forms with its wage/profit shellgames, issuance of excess currency in excess of the GNP to create inflationary debt and bank profits, and intentional indebting of governments by similar means, is not something that would ever have arisen out of the traditions of Western Civilization, but were imposed through mass movements and conspirators manipulating them who's values were totally alien to anything Western. They stopped at nothing to make this happen, subverting within and attacking without until they won. But the dishonor is not with the dethroned monarchs, but with the victors, the corporate socialist, bolshevik capitalists who created a system of socialism for the rich, and corporate serfdom for everyone else. What irks me is how people on the far Right see Capitalism as Western, and think that this system was created by Europeans, rather than seeing that they are accepting the system that was created by the enemies of everything western, to destroy the West, which they did.
<br />And the serfs of olden times would weep to see the industrial slaves of today, being worked and exploited to death, rather than just having to labor enough to sustain what was their proper station in life, and have the rest of the time to themselves. The monarchs had all of the wealth, and did not have to grind the serfs into dust to get more of it. The plutocrats have all the wealth now too, but it is never enough. They have to squeeze the blood and sweat out of everyone to get more and more. Technology and the technocratic state are a burdensome artifact that turns people into economic units, who's value as human beings is measured in dollars. I would take the WORST monarchy over leaders like this, who are totalitarians who want to micromanage your every breath, whose sole desire is to grind you under heel in a brutal Communist state, or do the same by crushing you with their golden Capitalist cudgel. A choice that is no choice.
<br />There is nothing that remains now of the West as it is, and I look forward to its much deserved destruction. Most likely the technological and ecological substatum will bottom out before the "New World Order" of totalitarian statist communo-corporate fascism gets off the ground. It is too bad that what remains of the "Black Nobility" of Europe lacks the will or power to dethrone the "Third Estate" and bring back a European Empire based on the traditions of Monarchy and feudal nobility, like in ancient times. You could have a constitutional monarchy even, where the King and nobility must prove that they are indeed like the monarchs of yore: resplendent in higher principles and embodying in themselves the spiritual life of the Western world. Then the whole of Europe could be reunited, and all European peoples joined as one in a global "Imperium Europa," spanning Eurasia, Europe, and the Americas.
<br />The flame of Avalon burns as a torch in the sons and daughters of Europe throughout the world. Let it become a conflagration! Death to all imperialist states. Long Live Europe!
<br />
<br />############
<br />
<br />Magnetism of a unique monarch
<br />Published on December 3, 2007
<br />On the eve of his 80th birthday, King Bhumibol Adulyadej finds himself even more popular and respected than ever.
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<br />In June last year, a sea of yellow - shirts, caps and scarves worn by almost a million Thais - greeted him during a public appearance on the 60th anniversary of his reign. The atmosphere was so electrifying that one could feel a shiver run through one's body.
<br />The reserve power surrounding King Bhumibol is so awe-inspiring, beyond any worldly explanation, that any Thai is ready to fall on his or her knees to pay utmost respect to him. They love their King knowing full well that he is a good King; it's as simple as that.
<br />Monarchs and heads of states from all over the world who were invited to bear witness to the grand celebrations of the King's 60th anniversary were amazed by his magnetic popularity among his people, a phenomenon that cannot be found elsewhere.
<br />"My Thai girlfriend keeps on talking about the popularity of the King," said a foreign analyst working in Bangkok. "I am sure if a poll were to be held, his popularity would be almost 100 per cent."
<br />About month ago, Thais gasped with worry over the health of His Majesty. The King was hospitalised at Siriraj Hospital, where incidentally HRH Princess Galayani Vadhana, his elder sister, had also been undergoing treatment. The people were relieved when His Majesty was discharged in good health, able to walk by himself.
<br />The King's emergence from the hospital in a smart pink jacket instantly became a fixed and powerful image. There followed a public frenzy for pink T-shirts, which were quickly snapped up and declared out of stock.
<br />The King has since returned to Siriraj Hospital to visit Princess Galayani, alternately wearing green and blue jackets. Again, Thais have been following news of the King's visits every step of the way.
<br />The Ninth King of the Chakri Dynasty is the world's longest-reigning monarch. He has also broken all the records of his predecessors in the Chakri Dynasty. He has outlived all the previous Chakri kings. King Rama I, who founded Bangkok as the new capital in 1782, lived the second longest until 72 years of age.
<br />King Bhumibol has also reigned on the throne longer than any previous Chakri king. King Chulalongkorn, the King's grandfather, reigned for 42 years before passing away, leaving behind a legacy of sweeping legal and administrative reforms that set the stage for Siam to emerge as a modern state.
<br />Prince Chula Chakrabongse's, author of "Lords of Life: The Paternal Monarchy of Bangkok, 1782-1932", characterised the first seven Chakri kings in the first 150 years of the dynasty as the Founder, the Artist, the Ruler, the Enlightened, the Revolutionary, the Liberal and the Philosopher.
<br />The prince did not expand his excellent history book to characterise Rama the Eighth, who passed away prematurely, and did not live long enough to witness the greatness of the reign of Rama the Ninth. He certainly would have ranked King Bhumibol as the greatest of all the Chakri kings.
<br />King Chulalongkorn faced a dilemma from Western colonialism. If he did not open up Siam to the outside world, the Kingdom would, like its neighbours, be devoured by colonial powers. If he were to open up Siam fully, the colonial powers would also win it all. It was not easy, yet King Chulalongkorn relied on a middle-ground policy of avoiding confrontation and agreeing to huge monetary and territorial settlements to prevent Siam from being colonised.
<br />The reign of King Bhumibol has faced a similar dilemma, first from the Cold War and second from globalisation. While Thailand emerged unscathed from the domino effect of communism, if it had failed to open up in the age of globalisation, it would have been left behind in terms of social and economic development. If it were to open up too much, it would have been taken over by outside interests at the expense of the poor. The little trick was to walk the middle path, or gradualism, which has been the hallmark policy of Siamese kings of the past.
<br />King Bhumibol has advocated sufficiency, a theory that has been gravely misunderstood by outsiders, as a way to maintain Thailand's integrity amid the forces of globalisation. Sufficiency is to have enough and not to take risks beyond one's ability to survive. Should there be any global shock, Thailand must survive by being able to stand on its own feet.
<br />The King has initiated several thousand projects to help the poor. Although he may be trapped by his office, his mind and his focus are always on the rural people. His 60-year reign can be characterised as a reign of justice and happiness for the rural people.
<br />There are two aspects, which are most of the time intertwined, to the Thais' respect for the King. First, they respect the King as an individual. Second, they respect the institution of monarchy.
<br />In a recent address to the Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand, former prime minister Anand Panyarachun clarified these two points succinctly.
<br />"I have often said that the status that our King has risen to after 60 years' reign is something that he has earned. It is not a hereditary thing. When he was made a King at the young age of 17 or 18, nobody knew what kind of King he was going to make. But I think that by his diligence and by his determination and dedication, he has developed into a very good King," Anand said.
<br />"When you talk about our King, he is not only a great King, but he is a good King. I make this distinction, for you can be great man with so many shortcomings and so many faults, but when you say he is a good man, to me it means more. So to me, the fact that he is a good King personally means to me much more than that he is a great King. To be a good King, to be a good man, is something you have to earn. You do not inherit [it].
<br />"So if you try to separate the person from the institution, yes, there is a big gap. Be that as it may, the institution of monarchy is very much ingrained into Thailand and into [the] Thai character. I have no doubt that the institution will remain intact and will go on," he said.
<br />Thanong Khanthong
<br />The Nation
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-829464167306446637.post-33645880268043454942009-06-14T11:17:00.001-07:002009-06-26T19:41:09.155-07:00Wat PhoThe Kingdom of Sukhothai had important contacts with Sri Lanka. Thai monks travelled to Sri Lanka for further religious instruction, and Sri Lankan monks settled in Sukhothai. Sukhothai religious art was thus influenced by Sri Lankan art. The Buddha images of the Sukhothai era gained important disdinguishing characteristics from the images during the Khmer and Mon era.A flame appeared on top of the head of the Buddha. The head is covered with fine curled hair. The face is oval, with high curving eyebrows, a hooked nose, a downward gaze, and overall displays a gentle smiling expression.The body of the Buddha images displays broad shoulders and a small waist. Overall it can be said that the Buddha Images do not appear human, but display idealistic or superhuman characteristics.During the Sukhothai era, the four postures of the Buddha (sitting, standing, walking, reclining) were created. Reclining Buddha at Wat Imprumoon, Ang Thong province. Why are reclining Buddha images so large? Well it likely relates to a 'story' of the life of the Buddha. The giant Asurindarahu wanted to see the Buddha, but was reluctant to bow before him. The Buddha, while lying down, presented himself as much larger than the giant. He then showed him the realm of heaven with heavenly figures all larger than the giant. After all this, Asurindarahu, the giant, was humbled, and made his obeisance to the Buddha before leaving.<br /><br /><br />It all ends at Wat Pho, with the Reclining Buddha. The state of Maha Prarinimphan.A wandering spirit rests<br />Published on June 7, 2007<br /><br /><br /><br />The artistic legacy of poet Montri Umavijani is vividly remembered<br />The marathon memorial reading of the 27 volumes of Montri Umavijani's poetry at Wat Pho on Saturday took almost 13 and a half hours to complete, setting a record for the longest English-language poetry reading in Thailand.<br /><br />It was indeed a day to remember.<br />The reading took place in a sala in front of the Reclining Buddha, where friends and family members of Montri took turns to read out the entire collection.<br /><br />John Solt, an American academic and poet, has compiled all 27 of Montri's books in a complete set.<br />The new publication is called "As Old As The World: The Complete English Poetry Books Of Montri Umavijani (1942-2006)".<br /><br />The reading, which started at around 9am, lasted until 10.<br />30pm, with the last few books taking three times longer to read than Montri's earlier books.<br /><br />The nighttime atmosphere was beautiful, with a full moon and stupas aglow as the poems were read.<br /><br />"Temples are like oases for those in Bangkok," said Chuthathip Umavijani, Montri's wife, who organised the event.<br />"All in all, it was one of those days that we will never forget.<br />"<br />Poetry reading, in a way, is a sacred ritual.<br />Although not many people showed up for the event, a small congregation was enough to keep its spirit moving.<br />Family members, relatives and friends all came for the same purpose of commemorating one of Thailand's greatest modern poets and appreciating his artistic legacy.<br /><br />Montri wrote his poetry mostly in English, but with a distinctly noble Thai voice and Buddhist spirit.<br />But his Thai poetry was equally excellent.<br /><br />He had a passion for travel in search of meaning and truth and attempted, throughout his life and work, to fathom the innermost level of human consciousness and experience.<br /><br />He did not write his poetry in a static mode.<br />His poems were like frames of pictures, which appeared to juxtapose his confrontation with experience.<br />But there was always a unity of structure in his seemingly unconnected works.<br /><br />Montri himself held a poetry reading for Prince Thammatibes (Chao Fa Kung) at Wat Chaiwatanaram in Ayutthaya in August 2005.<br />To him, Prince Thammatibes, with his exquisite barge songs, was the greatest poet of the Ayutthaya period.<br /><br />Montri was born into this unruly world in order to redeem our lost innocence.<br />During his lifetime his physical condition had always been his burden.<br />Yet his mind was sharp, free, insightful, intellectual and noble.<br />He fought the vanities of life and always came back with a triumph of mind over body.<br /><br />His earlier works were powerful and original.<br />His later works sometimes sounded redundant but they are all still very refreshing to read, as his consciousness wandered between the finite and the infinite, the particulars and the universals before ultimately reaching out for Buddhahood.<br /><br />"I wonder how many poets' works would stand up to such 'scrutiny by reading'?" said Solt, who co-organised the reading event.<br />"I think one reason why Montri's poetry delights in different, nuanced ways is because his early poetry was already fully bloomed, like a young Arthur Rimbaud, Raymond Radiguet or Charles Henri Ford, what the French call 'genie.<br />'<br />"As he aged, the poetry which was already focused and one-pointed from the beginning, gradually thickens and becomes a superbly crunched residue of his fleeting consciousness.<br />His annoyance at seeing the same human follies is palpable but more humour-laden as he switches places and accumulates layers of time.<br />His devotion to writing broadens as his poet's quest is tested and re-tested by reflection from various angles on his journeys to many countries, each simultaneously an exploration of the past and an experiencing of his immediate present," Solt said.<br /><br />Montri's soul must have been wandering around the area he cherished during his life.<br />Wat Pho is recognised as being Thailand's first open university.<br />It was an old temple when King Nangklao, or Rama III, renovated it so that Thais could study astrology, traditional massage, traditional medicine, religion and literature.<br /><br />While he was alive, Montri came back again and again to Wat Pho to appreciate its beauty and grandeur, the highlight of which is the Reclining Buddha.<br />The stature represents the Buddha entering a stage of nirvana.<br /><br />Solt said: "It is good that we read in front of the Reclining Buddha rather than the sitting one; it was easier for the Buddha that way.<br />"<br />Montri would have certainly taken a last look at the gathering before going through the cycle of rebirth again.<br />He was a selfless person who spent most of his life in search of the highest knowledge and the ultimate meaning; he could have been reborn as a Maitreya, the Buddha of the future.<br /><br />Indeed, he wrote "The Book of Maitreya" after a trip to Korea and Western Australia in 1988.<br /><br />Montri and Maitreya share the same linguistic root.<br />He also consciously wanted to follow in the footstep of Maitreya, who writes for the knowledge of enlightenment.<br /><br />Maitreya<br />I wish I could once again<br />Look at Maitreya<br />In meditative pose<br />To understand<br />The nature of enlightenment<br />For somebody destined.<br /><br />I have found him<br />The poet of life -<br />Reflecting and writing<br />On the path to<br />Supreme enlightenment.<br /><br />Thanong Khanthong<br />The NationUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-829464167306446637.post-90443752325681677512009-06-14T11:10:00.001-07:002009-07-06T03:19:57.275-07:00MaitreyaMaitreya<br />Book of Maitreya<br />Wat Bangkhun Phrom<br /><br /><br />According to Buddhist cosmology, the world system would gradually decline after the passing of one Buddha and then gradually improve before the arrival of the next Buddha. Now it appears that we are seeing a fast degeneration of the world system, with the people becoming immoral with greed, hatred, jealousy and delusion and forgetting the Buddha's Dharma. Many people now expect the world would go through prolonged periods of famine, disease and continuous warfare. The catastrophe could plunge the people into complete despair and turn the world into a vast graveyard. Only then would the people realise that the roots of all the suffering arise from their greed, anger and ignorance. They would go back to embrace the old values and realise all of their short-comings. The conditions of the world would then improve. There upon Maitreya would appear to lead the people further to redemption. Then the people "will lose their doubts, and the torrents of their cravings will be cut off: free from all misery they will manage to cross the ocean of becoming; and, as a result of Maitreya's teachings, they will lead a holy life. No longer will they regard anything as their own, they will have no possession, no gold or silver, no home, no relatives! But they will lead the holy life of chastity under Maitreya's guidance. They will have torn the net of the passions, they will manage to enter into trances, and theirs will be an abundance of joy and happiness, for they will lead a holy life under Maitreya's guidance."<br /><br />Maitreya (Sanskrit) or Metteyya (Pāli) is a future Buddha of this world in Buddhist eschatology. In some Buddhist literature, such as the Amitabha Sutra and the Lotus Sutra, he is referred to as Ajita Bodhisattva.<br /><br />Maitreya is a bodhisattva who in the Buddhist tradition is to appear on Earth, achieve complete enlightenment, and teach the pure dharma. According to scriptures, Maitreya will be a successor of the historic Śākyamuni Buddha, the founder of Buddhism. The prophecy of the arrival of Maitreya is found in the canonical literature of all Buddhist sects (Theravāda, Mahāyāna, Vajrayāna) and is accepted by most Buddhists as a statement about an actual event that will take place in the distant future.<br /><br />One mention of the prophecy of Maitreya is prophesied in the Sanskrit text, the Maitreyavyākaraṇa (The Prophecy of Maitreya), stating that gods, men, and other beings will worship Maitreya; it implies that he is a teacher of trance sadhana:<br /><br />"will lose their doubts, and the torrents of their cravings will be cut off: free from all misery they will manage to cross the ocean of becoming; and, as a result of Maitreya's teachings, they will lead a holy life. No longer will they regard anything as their own, they will have no possession, no gold or silver, no home, no relatives! But they will lead the holy life of chastity under Maitreya's guidance. They will have torn the net of the passions, they will manage to enter into trances, and theirs will be an abundance of joy and happiness, for they will lead a holy life under Maitreya's guidance." (Trans. in Conze 1959:241)<br />Maitreya currently resides in the Tuṣita Heaven (Pāli: Tusita), said to be reachable through meditation. Śākyamuni Buddha also lived here before he was born into the world as all bodhisattvas live in the Tuṣita Heaven before they descend to the human realm to become Buddhas. Although all bodhisattvas are destined to become Buddhas, the concept of a bodhisattva differs slightly in Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism. In Theravada Buddhism, a bodhisattva is one who is only destined to one day become a Buddha, whereas in Mahayana Buddhism, a bodhisattva is one who has already reached a very advanced state of grace or enlightenment but holds back from entering nirvana so that he may help others.<br /><br />Once Maitreya becomes a Buddha, he will rule over the Ketumati Pure Land, an earthly paradise sometimes associated with the Indian city of Varanasi (also known as Benares) in Uttar Pradesh. (All Buddhas preside over a Pure Land; the Buddha Amitabha presides over the Sukhavati Pure Land, more popularly known as the Western Paradise.)<br /><br />The name Maitreya or Metteyya is derived from the word maitrī (Sanskrit) or mettā (Pāli) meaning "loving-kindness", which is in turn derived from the noun mitra (Pāli: mitta) in the sense of "friend".<br /><br />The earliest mention of Metteyya is in the Cakavatti (Sihanada) Sutta in the Digha Nikaya 26 of the Pali Canon. He occurs in no other sutta, and this casts doubt as to the sutta's authenticity. Most of the Buddha's sermons are presented as preached in answer to a question, or in some other appropriate context, but this one has a beginning and an ending in which the Buddha is talking to monks about something totally different. This leads Gombrich to conclude that either whole sutta is apocryphal, or it has at least been tampered with.[1]<br />Just ask your friend a simple question: which institution in this whole world is the most revered? Western institutions are crumbling. Capitalism is going downhill, dragging the institutions that support it down with it. We have the best system of Monarchy in this world, while most other institutions are very corrupted. The Monarchy combines our history of more than 700 years since Sukhothai with the present and the future of Suvarnabhumi when we reemerge again as a gentler and kinder nation. We are now preparing for the coming of Maitreya, the next Buddha, who will be born in this Golden Land 2,000 or 5000 years from and will replace Lord Buddha. We're already in the Age of Maitreya, the world's ultimate utopia. But first, there would have to be calamities and catastrophies. Only then would be realised our ignorance. Suvarnabhumi will be the land where Maitreya gives sermon of the revived Buddhism. The current Buddhism of Sakayamuni Buddha is declining. Jasmine, you're witnessing the end of the beginning.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-829464167306446637.post-47817065402818619552009-06-14T10:52:00.001-07:002009-06-14T10:52:53.159-07:00Thai divine comedyThe Thai Divine Comedy<br />By Thanong Khanthong<br />_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________<br />Paradise<br /><br />Have you ever experienced Paradise, Hell and Purgatory in the City of Angels? Let me show you around Bangkok because I do at times venture beyond my home in the Sukhumvit area to visit Old Bangkok.<br />You start at Phanfah Leela Bridge, a distinct point that leads you to the gateway into the Paradise of Old Bangkok. King Rama III statue offers you a golden key for you to enter into the realm of the Paradise, where at the night time the angels descend to dance and pick up flowers. You can smell Paradise, the fragrance that is not of this world, as you watch the Stupas and the Loha Prasath behind.<br />There Paradise interacts with you in several dimensions, with the lure of aesthetics. If you could make your way up to Paradise, the background scenary behind the Rama III statue would have been the physical structure where the Angels take their residence.<br />Rama III built most of the permanent structures of Bangkok so that angels and the Thais mingle together in harmony. Here is the gateway and corridor to the inner parts of Paradise that is Bangkok.<br />As you travel from Lanluang Road and cross the Phan Fah Leelas Bridge into the broad Rajdamnoen Road, you immediately enter into the heart of Old Bangkok, the City of Angels. On the left, you come face to face with the statue of King Nangkhlao, or King Rama III (1824-1851). He was the Builder of Bangkok in a true sense. For this King commissioned the construction of most of the permanent structures in the City of Angels. Bangkok, once known as the Venice of the East, is located on the tiny Rattanakosin Island and surrounded by the khlongs or canals.<br />Before his reign, wooden structures were common features of Bangkok. The wooden structures did not last through generations; they caught fire easily and decayed with time. King Nangkhlao virtually had Bangkok rebuilt with concrete structures so that they, for all of their unique character and exquisite architectural design, would last into the future. The king ended up having 73 temples built and renovated, including the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, the Grand Palace, the Temple of Dawn and Wat Pho. Most important, the temples and palaces of Old Bangkok would manifest the grandeur of a new Kingdom, where the angels, the gods, and his people, by following the highest Buddhist ideals, could live in harmony.<br />The statue of the King Nangkhlao sits in a upright position as if he were presiding over the construction of Bangkok. Following the path of his grandfather, King Yodfa, who founded Bangkok as the capital of Siam in 1782, King Nangkhlao had in his mind Bangkok as an unbroken link with the past glory of Ayutthaya. In short, Bangkok would represent a rebirth of Ayutthaya, once one of the most beautiful and marvellous capitals of the world.<br />London as a city could not compare in aesthetic aspects with Ayutthaya of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. So any grandiose celebrations of Bangkok have to auspiciously start on March 31st, the date of King Nangkhlao's birthday.<br />In a way, the statue gives an impression of a kind and gentle king. He sits right at the gate of Old Bangkok, proudly welcoming us into the City of Angels he rebuilt with a selfless Buddhist sense.<br />The golden Jessada Bodin (King Nangkhlao's title before his ascendance to the throne) Pavilion, which is located right beside the statue, represents the City Gate. Only honourable guests visiting Bangkok on state visits or special arrangements, are officially welcomed here. In a typical official ceremony, a Bangkok governor hands over a golden key to a VIP guest so that he or she may symbolically open the gate to enter the City of Angels.<br />As you explore the city further and adjust your frame of mind as a Buddhist, you'll find that in its true spirit, Old Bangkok is Heaven manifested on earth. You will also find that it is a sacred city.<br />*********************<br /><br />That's the outer layer of Paradise. But Paradise is also hidden in your consciousness. As you experience the beauty of the Stupas and the Loha Prasat and the temples which moves your yearning for Paradise, that Paradise gradually permeats your own consciousness in a struggle for self-realisation. You finally come to terms with your self, your elusive self.<br />That which is Paradise is your process of understanding or the denial of all happiness, which charaterises the self, so that you confront the self in the most critical moment.<br />Between the self and no-self, which path do you choose?<br />Then you walk on along the Rachadamnoen Road. It is about midnight. You pass the Democracy Monument. How many people have died in futile for this worthless landmark that signifies greeds and crude power in this land? How many military strongmen come and go as the Democracy Monument is forever condemned with their curse? How many politicians have promised us with the loots before ending up with rampant corruption? How many times do the poor have to shed their tears just to get a fair share of their life on this earth?<br />Hell<br />Along the pavements, you see Hell and all the sufferings that go with it. Homeless people lie on the benches or on the tiny space close to the shop window. They do not have any other places to sleep.<br />Prostitutes, in their forties or fifties, gesture to you with their sign language. This is their turf. When dark night descends on Rachadamnoen, they come out to reclaim their territory. They perform the oldest trade of this world just to survive, with a heart that is beyond the sufferings of any human descriptions until it becomes normal.<br />You see people getting lost with their way because they cannot afford even Bt200-Bt300 for a night say in one of the cockroach motels in the backstreets, where rats are scurrying around looking for their stench food.<br />The sufferings you encounter manifest Hell in its physical form. The homeless and the prostitutes suffer from all kinds of physical abuse. They struggle to keep their self moving. They only have the will to live, to protect the self.<br />But Hell is also your obsession with the self. The Hell in your consciousness is your experience of the sufferings from the outside and the struggle of for the upkeep of the self from the inside.<br />As an observer of Hell, you set yourself apart from the sufferings. You start to doubt whether your comfortable life in a four-cornered office room is better than theirs. Your continuation to have obsession with the self does not make you having any status any better than them. For we all are born and have to go through the cycle of birth and death, in a seemingly eternal struggle for existence.<br />Those people in rags and ruins have no more strength left to have obsession with the self as they only need a few breath of strength to keep their sheer existence going. The Hell that is in your consciousness returns to haunt you as you hold it to be the absolute truth.<br />You have almost forgot the Paradise, the real Paradise that you have walked past almost a kilometre behind, the real Paradise that points to redemption.<br />Purgatory<br />The Triology would not come full cycle without your final confrontation with Purgatory. Purgatory signifies your aimless travelling through time. You are now in the human world, lying perhaps on the edge of this world.<br />In Buddhist terminology, Purgatory is a region where you place three circles together. You see vendors of fake Buddhas and second hand or third hand garments and electronics products. You can also buy a mobile phone there, with the service excellence of a mouth-to-teeth technician. You can have your future read by the palm of the astrologers of the land. You can eat a plate of phad thai or khai dao with garlic pork at Bt15 or Bt20. You can buy a buay drink to water down your thirst after a long walk. This is the medieval market of Siam, cut off from the Finance Ministry's tax arm. Prices are in the low range. You can buy an antique clock or watch for a couple of hundred baht.<br />You aren't sure how these people can make a living with their medieval trade because in the afternoon of that day, you just have a nice meal at Siam Paragon. As you pass the court buildings opposite Sanam Luang, you feel tired with the weighing down of the sights on your mind.<br />After Paradise and Hell, you could have thought that you find the answer to your true self. But no, you're still wandering without any direction. If you're not sure with Paradise and reject Hell altogether, you'll be left in a state of flux, of not knowing where else to go to or what else to do.<br />Finally, you stop at the City Pillar at the corner opposite Wat Phrakaew. You pay homage to the City Pillar, that provides strength and power to the longliveity of this Kingdom. You glance at Wat Phrakaew, which stands as a testimony of the ultimate Paradise. You pay your utmost respect to the ultimate sacred site of Bangkok, while the nihilism that goes around Wat Phrakaew is intensifying on the bedrock of ignorance.<br />There, you at once come to term with your self for the third critical moment of your brief travel in search for the lost meanings. Between Paradise, or the redemption of your soul, Hell, your preoccupation with the ignorant self, or Purgatory, your travelling through time without any meanings or purposes, what path would you choose?<br />As you return home, you feel tired with the dark vision, your confused mind and also your realisation of your potential to break away from your consciousness. The interplay between Hell, Purgatory and Paradise allows you to at once realise the sufferings, the peripatetic travelling through time before you arrive at the crucial juncture of whether you will enter the gate of absolute serenity, where the self is no longer what it is.<br />If you find my guided tour of the City of Angels of some thought, then you may see the light of how we all can break away from this sufferings by helping the poor first. Helping the poor does not mean that you have to demolish Paradise. You have to get it right at the Purgatory level first. This has to do with the police, politicians, military, prosecutors. When the poor is better, we all have shared meanings in the Purgatory as we look for the final exit to Paradise.<br />With this, I lay my case. I have taken you all to the epic journey in the spirit of Dante's Divine Comedy and Milton's Paradise Lost. I have to pay tribute to my deceased teacher Montri Umavijani and the Illustrious One, my beloved uncle, who both gave me the wisdom to see through the Three Worlds.<br /><br /><br /><br />############################################<br />How the concept of Three World provides a way out for Thailand. In Hell, we have 40 million Thais living in tough conditions and engaging in agriculture. If we can improve their standard of living, we'll get rid of yellow, red and blue or any shades of colour. We'll achieve unity or political symmetry.But so far the businessmen, politicians, traders, financiers, bureaucrats or local authorities take advantage of them so that they remain poor. It is very difficult for legislation aimed at improving the welfare of the poor get passed by Parliament. The poor are being taken advantaged by the modern sector, which is far smarter.The Monarchy can only involved in development projects and provide moral guideance. But it does not have the resources nor is it a direct job of the Monarchy to engage in economic development. So the poor Thais are cursed to live in Hell.<br />Thaksin does not see it through, he only tries to take advantage of the poor for his own political gain. Much worse, there has been a smear campaign to suggest that the Monarchy has been taken advantage over the poor.The rest of us are moving about in Purgatory, including all the systems of government and the institutions and the modern sector. We fight for the resources, for the concessions, for a larger pie of the GDP. We go about to get rich and to take advantage over others. We do not care how the country will suffer in the end. We blame each other because we don't know the roots of the problem. Power play occurs at this level in the pursuit of self-interest and greeds. All the problems happen here in Purgatory.<br />Thailand does not now where it is going, except to serve the short-term greeds.Paradise is in our heart. His Majesty the King is already there by virtue of Detachment.<br />To enter Paradise, you must have detachment. Everybody can enter Paradise. Detachment is self-less or not craving for materialism or wanting something that does not belong to us, or not wanting to take advantage over other people, other animals, or refraining from harming the natural resources and environment.Once you have detachment, you have concentration to see through the Three Worlds. Concentration is the process of learning, of discerning, of separating reality from illusion, of understanding the essence of nature, of seeing Dharmma.Non-detachment stands in the way of everything, the worst of all is ignorance.Once you have the detachment (not me, not mine) and concetration (process of learning and discerning) to see through the Three Worlds, you'll achieve wisdom (complete understanding). You may call this wisdom as enlightenment or nirvana, depending on the gradation of your own barami or intelligence or perseverance or your pure heart.This is the Thai Utopia, a universe of ideas complete in itself.#######################################Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-829464167306446637.post-38481711468215674812009-06-14T10:32:00.000-07:002009-06-14T10:33:31.184-07:00Goddess of Earth and Subduing of Mara and Spirit HouseOVERDRIVE: Will the Goddess of Earth bless or destroy?<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />What will become of the Democrat Party after the ill omen that befell its emblem, the Goddess of Earth statue? Earlier this week as workers were trying to remove the statue from party headquarters, they accidentally dropped it and broke her ponytail.<br /><br />The Goddess of Earth's ponytail had to be taped to prevent it from falling apart.<br /><br />Nobody knows for sure what bad luck will follow.<br /><br />But most Democrats must realise that their fate has already been written on the wall.<br /><br />The Goddess of Earth is sculpted in the act of wringing water from her hair.<br /><br />You can also see a similar statue at a corner near Sanam Luang.<br /><br />Queen Saovabha, wife of King Chulalongkorn and mother of King Rama VI and King Rama VII, had the statue of the Goddess of Earth erected in 1917.<br /><br />This was in celebration of her fiftieth birthday.<br /><br />A day before the opening ceremony for this statue, Queen Saovabha wrote to Minister of the City Chao Phraya Yomarat as follows: "Tomorrow I will make merit for my anniversary here, as usual.<br /><br />I ask you to open the ceremony of the Statue of the Goddess of Earth with a water fountain, which I have paid to be erected by the Phan Philip Lila Bridge.<br /><br />And I would like to dedicate this water fountain for public use; for the people who are my friends of the earth to drink and quench their thirst as they please.<br /><br />" Thus those who passed by Sanam Luang in the old days could drink and wash their faces from the water provided from the Goddess of Earth's hair, built as a water fountain.<br /><br />Nowadays people may no longer need water from the Goddess of Earth but they still worship her.<br /><br />Interestingly, the Goddess of Earth is one of the characters of the Buddhist era.<br /><br />In the story, before the enlightenment of the Lord Buddha, he was attacked by the Mara King, Vassavati.<br /><br />The Mara King rode on elephant back ahead of a fierce army, trying to disrupt his path to enlightenment.<br /><br />The Lord Buddha called Vasundhara, or the Goddess of Earth, to witness this confrontation with the Mara King and his army.<br /><br />The Goddess of Earth said she would return to the Buddha the water he had poured on the earth in an act of making merit (tham boon kruad nam).<br /><br />Thus she began to wring water from her hair.<br /><br />All of a sudden, the water flowing from her hair became a mighty ocean, sweeping away the Mara King and his army to the ends of the earth and killing most of them.<br /><br />Frightened by this power, the Mara King fled in disgrace.<br /><br />The Lord Buddha's confrontation with the Mara King has deeply caught the imagination of Thai artists, inspiring them to create statues and paintings of the Buddha in the act of subduing the Mara King.<br /><br />More than half a century ago, the late Khuang Abhaiwong, a founder of the Democrat Party, was staging a political rally at Sanan Luang.<br /><br />Suddenly, there was a heavy downpour.<br /><br />But the people did not move.<br /><br />They stayed on to listen to his campaign speech.<br /><br />When Khuang went back to his party headquarters and talked to other members, he thought that there must have been some supernatural force that had protected him and his party from the rain.<br /><br />He recalled the nearby statue of the Goddess of the Earth.<br /><br />Afterward a decision was made to take the Goddess of the Earth as the symbol of the Democrat Party.<br /><br />Now many wonder whether the Goddess of the Earth's broken ponytail will spell doom for the Democrat Party.<br /><br />The Goddess of Earth not only extends her love and compassion to the people by giving water from her hair, but she can also destroy bad people by sending an angry ocean from her hair to drown them.<br /><br />We will have to wait and see whether a broken ponytail can prevent the Goddess of Earth from manifesting her magical power.<br /><br />Thanong Khanthong The Nation<br /><br />OVERDRIVE: Civilisations in conflict - but we can handle it<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Even at the very micro level, we routinely witness clashes between the khaek civilisation and the jek civilisation in Thailand.<br /><br />Khaek is a convenient term that Thais use to refer to Indians.<br /><br />Jek denotes the Chinese.<br /><br />One such clash is taking place at a site where I am building a house on extended land for my family.<br /><br />It would not be surprising to witness similar clashes between the khaek and the jek elsewhere - clashes that profoundly shape the way the Thai people live, speak, act, worship and believe.<br /><br />In the backyard of my house will stand a spirit house.<br /><br />Next month a Brahmin priest will conduct a sacred ceremony to erect the spirit house for the god or the gods to reside.<br /><br />The gods will live side by side with my family and ensure that we live in peace and with happiness.<br /><br />Coincidentally, my next door neighbour is also building a new house.<br /><br />He is spying on what we are doing.<br /><br />He has just consulted a feng shui master on the design and the construction of his house.<br /><br />Feng shui is the Chinese art of living in harmony with nature.<br /><br />My neighbour sometimes sneaks onto my site to send out a signal that I am not building my house within the principles of feng shui.<br /><br />Apparently, he believes that the spirit house is not good enough for me to ensure luck and prosperity.<br /><br />This is a big difference in our values.<br /><br />I am more inclined toward the khaek civilisation.<br /><br />For, through the spirit house, I want peace and happiness in my house.<br /><br />My neighbour strictly follows feng shui because he wants luck and prosperity for his family.<br /><br />Jamlong, the head of the construction site at my house, remarked with a good heart about the rivalry that is going on between the two beliefs.<br /><br />"It is fun as we are going to see a fierce battle between the feng shui master and the priest," he said.<br /><br />As Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the Indian prime minister, leads a top-level delegation to Thailand to open up a new era of bilateral relations, he will immediately recognise the profound influence that India has had on Thailand for thousands of years.<br /><br />Thailand is a recipient country of two great civilisations - India from the West and China from the North.<br /><br />But the influence from India is deeper, forming layers and layers in the foundation of Thai civilisation.<br /><br />From religion to the arts, language, music, culture, law and literature, you see significant Indian elements in the ways of the Thais.<br /><br />We borrowed ideas from India and used them rather conveniently until they were considered Thai ideas.<br /><br />It was Emperor Asoka of India who in the third century played a key role in turning Suvarnabhumi, or the Golden Land, into a more civilised land.<br /><br />Before, the local people in Suvarnabhumi worshipped ghosts and gods, who were believed to reside everywhere in rivers, in trees, in mountains, in the fields.<br /><br />Emperor Asoka sent two chief missionaries to the east to propagate Buddhism.<br /><br />One missionary went to Suvarnabhumi, the other to China, to then go on and teach Buddhism in Korea and Japan.<br /><br />But before that, Hinduism, brought to this region by Indian merchants, had strengthened its foothold in the Cham civilisation of Vietnam and the Khmer civilisation, as witnessed by the grandeur of Angkor Wat.<br /><br />When King Rama I, who founded Bangkok in 1782, wrote his own version of "Ramayana", originally written in Sanskrit by Valmiki, he did so in a poetic style and it now has its theme rooted in the Temple of the Emerald Buddha in the Grand Palace of Bangkok.<br /><br />"Ramayana" is widely read by Thais, who also adapted it into khlon plays.<br /><br />It's immediately recognisable by the fact that the kings of the Chakri Dynasty use the title Rama, a name derived from the "Ramayana".<br /><br />One of our deputy prime ministers, Dr Vishanu Krua-ngam, has a khaek first name.<br /><br />Lord Vishnu is one of the Indian Gods.<br /><br />But somehow the Indian elements have permeated Thai culture so deeply that we have forgotten their origin.<br /><br />Pragmatic as we Thais are, we have also come to assume that the Indian elements are Thai.<br /><br />Then the jek came later on with their forceful civilisation, their food, customs, beliefs and trading practices, to provide a topping for Thai civilisation.<br /><br />Feng shui is only one of the examples.<br /><br />The Chinese began building Chinatown from the founding of Bangkok.<br /><br />We can also see the Indian community, around Phahurat near Chinatown.<br /><br />Somehow the Chinese have overshadowed the Indians and now exert more influence on the Thais.<br /><br />Yet the Indian spirit is always there in the consciousness of the Thais.<br /><br />For the Thais, whether it is khaek or jek, we don't mind as long as it works.<br /><br />Thanong Khanthong The NationUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-829464167306446637.post-18340383380597320772009-06-14T10:11:00.001-07:002009-06-14T10:11:38.378-07:00Buddhasa -- a 100th year anniversayIn search of that elusive sense of detachment …<br />by Thanong Khanthong, The Nation, May 26, 2006<br />Bangkok, Thailand -- May 27 will mark the centenary of the birth of one of Thailand's most venerable Buddhist monks - Buddhadasa Bhikku, who passed away in 1993. But his teachings on Buddhism still have a huge influence on Thai intellectuals and Buddhists in general who strive to grasp the essence of Buddhism in its purest form.<br /><br />I remember vividly my first and only encounter with Buddhadasa. Almost 20 years ago, I accompanied a small group of people to Surat Thani, where Buddhadasa founded his Suan Mokkha in 1932 at the age of 23. Suan Mokkha is one of the numerous "wat pa", or temples in the jungle, in Thailand, cut off from all worldly temptations so that the monks and lay Buddhists can concentrate fully on learning and pursuing the path of salvation as laid out by our Lord Buddha. It was clear from the very beginning that Buddhadasa was determined to learn and discover Buddhism by his own way.<br /><br />We arrived at Suan Mokkha late in the evening and were taken to one of the small wooden houses to rest. Frugality was the way of life there. Green trees were everywhere. We were told to wake up very early in the morning to listen to Buddhadasa's teaching and discuss any subjects regarding Buddhism with him. It was pitch dark. We dared not look outside the window or venture out for fear of seeing ghosts.<br /><br />At about 5 o'clock the following morning we were woken up and taken to see Buddhadasa. His lodging also looked very simple and frugal, without any decoration. We sat on the floor outside and before long he appeared with his stout body and grim expression, wearing his thick black glasses. Then he settled comfortably on a marble chair and began to greet us casually. I cannot remember all the conversation on that day but I do remember asking him one question.<br /><br />"If we all strive for salvation, then how should we treat world's masterpieces produced by geniuses like Mozart or Beethoven?" I said.<br /><br />Buddhadasa replied: "Arts are simply worldly inventions of human beings." I cannot recall what he said beyond that sentence, but his manner seemed very detached from all of us.<br /><br />I have to confess that at that moment, I was rather disappointed with his answer. I thought then that it was uncharacteristic for Buddhism to repudiate the greatest artistic achievements of mankind. Bach wrote marvellous church music to celebrate Jesus Christ. There are also several great Buddhist artworks depicting the life of the Lord Buddha.<br /><br />I could not have understood then that we were talking about different subjects - the universal and the particular. He was an enlightened monk, who was conscious of the transient nature of the world and was detached from all worldly desires to the point of complete self-denial. Any subject that did not concentrate on ending suffering or striving for the ultimate truth was of secondary importance or simply represented a manifestation of worldly desires.<br /><br />Without doubt, Buddhadasa was a reformist monk. He sought to expound the essence of Buddhism by strictly following the Buddha's scriptures and doing away with all the rites or rituals. He came to the simple conclusion that salvation from suffering lay at the heart of Buddhism. Anything beyond this singular aim of achieving salvation from suffering was irrelevant.<br /><br />He found that the Lord Buddha discouraged any subject that inhibited the quest to achieve salvation. For instance, Lord Buddha was frequently asked where human beings went after their death. Would they go to heaven or hell? Lord Buddha treated these subjects as irrelevant and concentrated on teaching the foundation of ending suffering.<br /><br />Buddhadasa sought to follow the Lord Buddha's steps by going directly to the essence of Buddhism without the aid of all the rituals. He came up with the famous "myself/mine" ("tua ku, khong ku") doctrine. All human suffering starts with our misconception or ignorance about the self. We presume that the self exists. That is why we feel happy when we get what we want. We feel sad when we depart from our lovers or do not get what we want. All of our desires are created by the ignorance of the self, which reacts to the senses. But, in reality, there is no such a thing as the self, which is part of the corporeal world that is constantly in a state of flux. There is nothing permanent in this universe.<br /><br />Buddhadasa explained that if we can overcome the myself/mine mindset, we can then break out of the cycle of suffering. We can realise enlightenment at any moment in time - every minute, every second of the day - if we approach the world as it is, without any involvement of the self.<br /><br />Since Buddhadasa denied all rites or rituals associated with Buddhism, he was not popular among the general population. Most Thais flock to famous monks in order to get blessings for their life. They like to have holy water sprinkled on their heads or get Buddha amulets from famous monks in order to further boost their stars ("duang") or salvage their misfortunes. They make merit because they believe that they will live better in the next life.<br /><br />As we honour the life of Buddhadasa, we should make the time to go back and read one of his numerous books on the myself-mine doctrine. If we could practice half of what Buddhadasa has taught us, Thais would live more meaningful lives, free of hostility such as we are experiencing now with the current political polarisation.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-829464167306446637.post-78554448573965026452009-06-14T10:10:00.001-07:002009-06-14T10:10:23.551-07:00Som tam Thai vs som tam LaosDon’t let ‘somtam’ fall victim to the fast food era<br /><br />Published on Apr 15, 2005<br /><br />From now on you’ll have to think twice before ordering a dish of the Isaan papaya salad known as somtam, because the Health Ministry found in a recent survey that most of the somtam sold in department store food courts across Bangkok is contaminated with toxic materials that could cause cancer.<br /><br />From the dried shrimp, peanuts and fermented crabs (poo dong), to the fermented fish (pla ra), all of the main ingredients of somtam have been found to pose a health hazard. Caesar and rocket salad are having a big laugh at our poor somtam.<br /><br />It is sad that somtam, which is one of the great wonders of Isaan civilisation, is at risk of being destroyed by the fast food industry. And nobody is doing anything about it. The 130 or so members of Parliament from Isaan, who form the largest political bloc in the country, have yet to say a word about the threat posed to somtam by modern trade and fast food. What will happen to tens of thousands of somtam vendors, should the fast food world prove too strong an adversary?<br /><br />Incidentally, most MPs from Isaan are members of the Thai Rak Thai party. One can’t help but be curious about why these Thai Rak Thai MPs are so indifferent to the reputation of somtam, a dish created in their vast region. They should form a joint Senate and House Committee on the Protection of Somtam as Isaan’s Greatest Contribution to the Kitchen of the World, with a mandate to restore the glorious image of somtam. Many Thai Rak Thai MPs from Isaan have missed roll call during votes on key pieces of legislation because – you guessed it – they like to hang out at their favourite somtam stalls. When they manage to make their way back to Parliament, they still have papaya in their teeth and sticky rice on their hands.<br /><br />You have to know how to tell the difference between somtam from Laos and its Thai counterpart. Somtam Lao is the original one, created by the wisdom of the Isaan people. Laotian people might argue that they invented an original flavour. Let’s allow the food historians decide this controversial issue. However, the Isaan people in the Northeast of Thailand and the Laotian people living on the other side of the Mekong River come from the same ethnic stock.<br />Somtam Thai appeared later, with different ingredients and flavours to suit the tastes of the khon krung and khon muang (Bangkokians and other urban people). Their tiny, delicate tongues cannot cope with the chilli and the smelly essence of pla ra. In fact, khon krung like to look down upon khon ban nok (rural folk) from Isaan because they eat the stinky pla ra. Yet they still cannot resist the temptation of somtam. Their mouths water whenever they see Isaan people eating somtam along the pavements. To answer this urge, khon krung have altered the flavour of somtam by adding dried shrimp and peanuts and leaving out the pla ra to suit their tongues, hence somtam Thai.<br /><br />More sophisticated food vendors normally have two mortars – one for preparing somtam Lao, the other for somtam Thai. Try the somtam Lao some time. I have never ordered somtam Thai in my life and will never do so. Somtam Thai is a disgrace, an affront to the true human spirit. Somtam Laos represents a revelation, a yearning for the Age of Innocence. After pretentiously eating somtam Thai with their forks, khon krung normally say “aroy jang” (delicious). But Isaan people, using their fingers to eat somtam Lao, exclaim “sap lai!” There is no equivalent of the word “sap” in any other language. Sap lai refers to a state of 100-times more deliciousness. Delicious stops at your tongue. Sap taste sets your tongue ablaze before sending the aroma of the food to the depths of your soul. You can stay healthy throughout your life just by eating somtam Lao every day, given all the wonderful herbs and vegetables.<br /><br />Let’s take a close look at what the two styles of somtam have to offer.<br />The ingredients for somtam Lao are half-mature papaya, pla ra, poo dong, tomato, lemon, fish sauce, chilli, garlic, tamarind juice, makok (hogplum), palm sugar and mono sodium glutamate. The food vendor normally puts chilli, garlic and poo dong in the mortar first and then crushes them with a pestle. Then she adds all the other ingredients and mixes them well. Sliced papaya is added last to keep it alive and tingling on your tongue. The finished product is a dish from the gods that will enlighten your imagination. You feel like you want to live for another thousand years. You can at once taste the spices, the sweetness, the sourness and the saltiness – the quartet of flavours – in their extreme forms. This is the wonder of somtam Lao.<br />Somtam Thai is a plastic version of somtam Lao. Most of the key ingredients are left out, such as the hogplum, pla ra and tamarind juice. Then peanuts and dried shrimp are added up to further change the course of somtam to the point of no return. The result is rather disastrous as far as the Isaan people who are truly into their roots are concerned.<br /><br />The damage to somtam as a whole has been furthered by the fast food industry, which uses toxic materials to prolong the freshness of the ingredients like dried shrimp and peanuts.<br />Let’s all help reclaim the glory of somtam Lao by respecting the original ingredients and keeping the original formula alive. Boo and thumbs down to modern trade and fast food courts.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-829464167306446637.post-3270638641808755742009-06-14T10:04:00.001-07:002009-06-14T10:04:52.514-07:00No class system in Thailand -- only status consciousIt is a fallacy to analyse present troubles as based on class system<br />SEVERAL THAI ACADEMICS and most foreign media have got stuck in the generalisation that the Thai crisis manifests a confrontation between rural and urban voters. This makes it sound as if Thailand is facing a deep-rooted class-system problem. The mantra is that the Bangkok middle-class do not accept the will and aspiration of the rural people, who have cast their votes. "I only have one vote. Why don't the Bangkok people respect my vote? Aren't I a Thai?" cries an Isaan voter. The elite are envious of Thaksin's success with the poor. Thaksin is popular because he introduced populist programmes such as the village fund and healthcare that improve the life of the poor while governments in the past failed to look after their welfare. The elite and the military would like to keep things as they are in order to protect their status and privileges. The elite are afraid of Thaksin's popularity with the majority of Thais.<br /><br /><br />This mantra has been spread around in blogs and news reports inside and outside the country to try to give the impression that if Thai democracy is flawed Bangkok is the problem. If Bangkok just accepts the majority vote in the provinces, Democracy can move ahead and the country will enjoy prosperity.<br /><br /><br />My argument is that we may have a rural/urban divide in income distribution but our society is not, as we are led to believe, based on a class system such as they have in India or used to have in France. Rather Thailand is a status-conscious society. Any rural Thais can raise their status and merge into the Bangkok or military elite if they are capable. The Bangkok middle-class, the military and the elite are not exclusive clubs.<br /><br /><br />With this status-conscious society, Thais traditionally respect the military, civil servants and teachers. They do not trust businessmen or merchants.<br /><br /><br />In the absence of a class system, any Thais can rise to the top of the society. Children of farmers can become doctors, professors, top civil servants or military brass. Field Marshal Plaek Phibulsongkram, General Sarit Thanarat, General Suchinda Khraprayoon, Dr Praves Wasi, Dr Virabongsa Ramangkura, Dr Puey Ungphakorn and Thaksin Shinawatra all share a humble family background, but they all rose to the top of society without any class obstacle.<br /><br /><br />Bangkok has never denied the provinces. That's why Thai society has been relatively spared the conflict between the rich and the poor. It is also true that central governments in the past have ignored the interests of the poor., but this has been largely due to self-interest rather than any conscious urban/rural divide as seen in a class system.<br /><br /><br />Take note that the King's mother was a commoner.<br /><br /><br />King Yodfa (Rama I), who founded the Chaktri Dynasty in 1782, was also a commoner. King Lertla (Rama II), was also a commoner, because he was born while King Yodfa was serving as a junior civil officer in Ratchaburi.<br /><br /><br />Before the birth of Bangkok, King Taksin founded Thonburi in 1767 as the new capital after the fall of Ayutthaya. King Taksin was also a commoner, born of a father of Chinese descent and a Thai mother. King Taksin the Great has been recognised as one of the greatest Thai kings, second only to King Naresuan the Great.<br />The rise of commoners to royalty in Thailand has been accepted because we do not have any class system that inhibits anybody's potential by birth.<br />Boonchu Rojanasathien, the late and banker, was the first politician who really used money. As deputy prime minister in the Kukrit government in the late 1970s, he introduced ngern phan or money handouts to the poor. Yet he was never recognised by Thais. Thavich Klinpathum was given the nickname Chao Bun Thum or Big Spender. He too was not recognised and was rather held in contempt.<br />The liberalisation and opening up of the Thai economy in the 1960s has given rise to the business people, bankers and merchants who now control more than 80 per cent of the country's wealth. They too all come from humble family backgrounds, mostly of Chinese descent. They can tell you thousands of rags-to-rich stories. Again, practically anybody can be rich or successful and rise to the cream of Thai society.<br />The social and political distortion only came about during the Thaksin era of divide. Thaksin too comes from a humble family background which does not compare to those of elite-born Abhisit Vejjajiva and Anand Panyarachun. Thaksin went to a police cadet school and worked for the Police Department as a colonel before retiring to become a computer salesman. He went on to build up his computer business and later on telecom empire. He used his money to enter politics and succeeded in becoming Thailand's prime minister.<br />If Thailand has had a class system as most people are led to believe, Abhisit would have become prime minister a long time ago.<br />So in a way in Thailand it is a free-for-all. You have to really earn your success. Look at Chamlong Srimuang and Sondhi Limthongkul: they do not have any distinct family background, but they are now at the top of society - angels or devils depending on your view - by virtue of their own deeds.<br />The political distortion is now well on the way to dividing Thailand and polarising the capital and the provinces in the style of a class system when in fact Thailand does not inherently suffer from this problem. Its more a problem of social status and income distribution. At the same time, Bangkok and the provinces have all along accepted the votes of the latter.<br />Who is ex-prime minister Chuan Leekpai? He is an MP from Trang, an underdeveloped province in the South.<br />Who is ex-prime minister Banharn Silapa-archa? He has his political base in Suphan Buri and Central Thailand.<br />Who is ex-prime minister General Chavalit Yongchaiyudh? He does not come from a noble family like Abhisit or Anand.<br />The votes of the provinces brought Chuan, Banharn and Chavalit to the premiership. Bangkok and the provinces accepted their power.<br />Bangkok also accepted Thaksin's power when he was elected in 2001, although it did not like his messianic message and dubious business tactics. But when Thaksin went astray while he was in office, Bangkok rejected him.<br />Bangkok's rejection of Thaksin has been politically distorted into a clash between the4 capital and the provinces and an elite-military attempt to guard their status and privileges against encroachment by provincial power. If you read the foreign media and a lot of left-wing academics, you get this silly impression.<br />Thaksin in fact rose to become the ultimate member of the elite, with money and power and social status. Nobody tried to hurt him; he himself messed up his premiership, camouflaged in the metropolitan/provincial divide.<br />#############################Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-829464167306446637.post-73508425316206346742009-06-14T10:01:00.000-07:002009-06-14T10:02:42.496-07:00Sunthorn PhuGreat poet's wisdom lives on<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />When things go bad with our nation, when disasters befall us, when our fortunes turn for the worst, when our future looks uncertain, we should look to the great men from our past for anecdotes, inspiration and hope.<br /><br />Unfortunately, few Thais nowadays seek wisdom in or can freely quote by heart the immortal works of Sunthorn Phu (1786-1855), Rattanakosin's greatest poet.<br /><br />Ironically, Sri Thanonchai is mentioned more frequently in present day conversation, although he is a fictitious Ayudhaya character, known for his clever self-serving tricks and sophistry.<br /><br />Most people believe that having a Sri Thanonchai character is an indispensable element for advancement and survival.<br /><br />Indeed, it seems that we are going back to glorify the age of Sri Thanonchai.<br /><br />Few then care enough about the real-life character of Sunthorn Phu, who truly transformed Siam's literary landscape with his foremost poems and insights into the vicissitudes of life.<br /><br />Sunthorn Phu was born on June 26, 1786 - 19 years after the fall of Ayudhaya and four years after the founding of Bangkok as the new capital.<br /><br />He was a commoner, most probably born in Bangkoknoi, on the Thonburi side.<br /><br />Some historians believe he came from Klaeng, Rayong.<br /><br />But this theory of Sunthorn Phu's family roots is under dispute.<br /><br />His mother was a wet nurse working in the Palace of the Back (Wang Lang).<br /><br />Sunthorn Phu was the foremost poet of his day, living through four reigns during the formative period of Bangkok.<br /><br />He wrote five narrative poems, including the masterpiece Phra Abhai Mani, three or four books of proverbs and nine travel poems or nirats.<br /><br />He was held as the people's poet as his work always had something for everybody.<br /><br />But it was love that he frequently expressed.<br /><br />Sunthorn Phu spent several years in the sangha.<br /><br />There was a story that he belittled King Nangkhlao, or Rama III, while they were writing poetry before King Lertla, or Rama II.<br /><br />So when King Nangkhlao was enthroned, Sunthorn Phu was obliged to become a monk.<br /><br />Even Prince Mongkut, who would later become Rama IV, sought shelter in the monastery.<br /><br />Field Marshal Thanom Kittikajorn, who lost power due to the pro-democracy movement in 1973, also entered the monk-hood when he returned to Thailand after his temporary exile in Taiwan.<br /><br />Sunthorn Phu wrote of his introduction to the impermanence of things and the inconsistency of women and men in his early works.<br /><br />He was the master of the glon genre of poem writing.<br /><br />His nirat were unsurpassed, and depicted his wanderings to different parts of the country, from Ayudhya, to Saraburi, to Rayong.<br /><br />We all have ups and downs in our life.<br /><br />When we're in love, we only have to turn to Sunthorn Phu for his great love poems: Even without earth, sky, and sea, My love would go on eternally; Born on earth or in water, I would seek your love forever: If you were the great ocean, As a fish, I'd fulfil my passion; A lotus, myself a bee, then, To live in your sweet pollen; A little cave, I would be A lion to haunt it hourly; I'll follow you wherever, In every life to be your partner.<br /><br />(From Montri Umavijani's Facets of Thai Cultural Life, Bangkok 1999) Or when we're down, we can always turn to Sunthorn Phu for hope.<br /><br />From his Nirat Phra Prathom, a nirat he wrote out of devotion to King Rama II and his sense of renewal.<br /><br />I salute the Pagoda of the Holy Relics: May the true religion live forever.<br /><br />I make merit, so the Buddha helps me Increase my power to attain enlightenment.<br /><br />And I'd like my words, my book, To preserve, till the end of time and heavens, Sunthorn the scribe who belongs To the King of the White Elephant.<br /><br />(From Montri Umavijani's Suthorn Phu: An Anthology, Bangkok 1990) Indeed, life is difficult and unstable.<br /><br />And in Sunthorn Phu's wandering spirit, we can always find inspiration to cope with the difficult and the unstable while remaining noble.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-829464167306446637.post-1941907846724412762009-06-14T10:00:00.000-07:002009-06-27T03:09:44.777-07:00Sukhothai and Loy KrathongJambuudviipa<br /><br />Nov 22, 1999: THIS evening, as the Thai people go to the nearby rivers, khlongs or ponds to float their lotus-shaped vessels made of banana leaves, they will be evoking the spirit of the sacred past, with a blessing of a full moon.<br />Of all the Thai festivals, Loy Krathong is perhaps one of the most ritualistic and colourful events, rich in religious and spiritual expression. A krathong normally comes with a candle, three-joss-sticks and some flowers. Floating the krathong down the river during the high tide, and after the rainy season is over, not only signifies the attempt to purge evil or bad luck, but also represents an act of worshipping the Goddess of the water.<br />Therein lies the influence of Brahminism. Brahmin rites cannot be separated from the traditional religious practices of the Thais. But ancient Thai beliefs and folklore also hold that there are higher spirits residing everywhere, in the rivers, the trees and the mountains. There are virtually no places on earth that are not, or have not been, occupied by ghosts or by gods. You are supposed to act with reservation and not to speak out loud when you are in a forest because you do not want to disturb the spirits. But in Western thought, a forest is nothing but a wilderness for man to conquer.<br />For Bt3,800 a ticket at the Shangri-la Hotel, you can observe the delights of fireworks above the Chao Phraya River while having your favourite wine and food. Other Bangkok hotels, with an eye for the dollar, also go at top gear with their Loy Krathong gimmicks. This is an idle, if not rather expensive, way to let the Loy Krathong Day slip by without philosophising or without the trouble fighting the crowds on the riverbanks.<br />Nowhere in Thailand is the Loy Krathong Festival held with more fanfare than at Sukhothai, one of the ancient capitals that lies about 450 kilometres north of Bangkok. Despite its past grandeur, and its Utopian characteristics, Sukhothai's existence comes to the fore only once a year, at the time of Loy Krathong. For most of the year Sukhothai is far from the Thai consciousness, like the ruins of its past that are forever buried under layers of the earth.<br />Reviving Sukhothai can only be done necessarily by popularising it, with modern lights and sounds against the background of its decaying structures. But as the young girls, clad in exquisite Thai costumes, prepare to float their krathongs into the pond of the Sukhothai historical park in front of the thousands of visitors, they almost unconsciously might have formed an elusive image of the grandiose Noppamas in their imaginations.<br />What Venus is to beauty for the ancient Greeks, Noppamas is beauty for Thais. And one way of popularising Noppamas is to immortalise her through the Noppamas Beauty Queen Contest, held not only in Sukhothai but elsewhere throughout the country.<br />Legend has it that Noppamas, a beautiful lady of exceptional wit and charm, was the first to have devised the krathong in the 13th century. She served in the court of King Lithai, the grandson of King Ramkhamhaeng The Great. A favourite of the king, Noppamas was said to have raised court mannerisms and practices to a high order. The krathong she floated created a lasting tradition that is still observed today, though with different imageries.<br />Now Loy Krathong is firmly connected with the worldly desires for material gains. Young Thai couples also find the festival auspicious enough to bind their love together. You will know a Thai girl's boyfriend by waiting to see with whom she goes to float the krathong with. Little do the young couples realise, however, that once they float the krathong, which is supposed to hold their spirits together, they let go their destiny into the realm of the unknown.<br />While most Thais know Noppamas by associating her with the Loy Krathong Festival, few have bothered to go back to read King Lithai's Buddhist to gain a proper frame of mind.<br />While his grandfather King Ramkhamhaeng was held as the inventor of the Thai written characters, King Lithai wrote Trai Phum Phra Ruang or ''Sermon on the Three Worlds''. This masterpiece was recognised as a Thai version of the Divine Comedy, ranked in the same class as Dante's.<br />King Lithai's ''Three Worlds'' do not represent the earthly, the infernal or the heavenly spheres, but account for the three Buddhist forms of existence of the sentient world. In this religious universe, there is the world of kama-loka, or the world of the five senses; the world of rupa-loka, or the corporeal world of the 16 celestial grades; and the world of arupa-loka, or the incorporeal world where the five senses cease to function. This treatise formed a doctrinal basis for King Lithai to lead his followers to redemption. Ancient Thais were given the vision of the various cosmic realms and their inhabitants, some of whom were confined to eternal damnations if they could not break away from their sins.<br />Floating the krathong with King Lithai -- not Noppamas -- in your heart will get you closer to Dharmma. A shocking reality is now emerging that in spite of her immortality, Noppamas might not exist at all.<br />Whether she is a historical person or a fictional character is a subject of controversial debate in the academic circle. But let the academics carry on their debate. Noppamas will continue to exist, for in Thailand histories and legends are mixed so intensely like moulding gold into a pagoda that the facts lie in the realm of introspection.<br />Even the significance of Sukhothai as the first formal capital of Thailand has also been disputed bitterly among the historians. For generations, Thais have been taught that Sukhothai was Thailand's first formal kingdom before it was defeated by Ayudhya. Then we have Thon Buri and Bangkok. All of which cover a span of more than 700 years. New suggestions have attempted to paint Sukhothai as simply one of the several kingdoms or muangs, which were scattering throughout this part of the world and vying for political and military predominance at the time.<br />To deny Sukhothai is one thing, but to delete Noppamas from the Thai consciousness amounts to daylight robbery of Loy Krathong. The young girls who dance in front of the remnants of the Sukhothai look as if they were trying to establish a connection with the past through Noppamas, the person they can only imagine or dream of. And these Sukhothai dancers are but the descendants of the semi-devine and radius beings, who at the beginning of time, came down to this world and were lured by the temptations of the fragrance of the earth. Once they tasted the earth, they at once became walking mortals. In this classical Buddhist doctrine, mankind was created and reincarnated in the unending cycle of suffering, until enlightenment is attained.<br />For almost three years, Thais have come to appreciate the world ''float'' even more. After the float of the Thai baht in July 1997, its value has been bumping up and down like the fate of the krathong trying to negotiate the treacherous high waters. The arrival of the Loy Krathong Festival once again reinforces the universality of Buddhism. It completes the cycle -- that the certain has become the uncertain and the uncertain has become the certain.<br />BY THANONG KHANTHONG<br /><br />###################<br /><br />Bangkok, Nov. 08: Myth and reality are inseparable in Thai history as shown by the latest debate, which centres on whether Lady Nopphamart, who has embodied the spirit of the Loy Krathong festival since the Sukhothai era, ever existed.<br /><br />One by one, Thai heroines have come under historians' scrutiny, from Queen Suriyothai of the middle Ayudhaya period to Thao Suranaree of Nakhon Rachasima in the early Rattanakosin period.<br /><br />Lady Nopphamart is among the latest casualties whose identity as a historical person is being questioned.<br /><br />For generations, Thais have grown up believing that she was a court lady serving Phra Luang, a king of Sukhothai some 700 years ago. She was credited with inventing the krathong, a lotus-shaped vessel made from banana leaves, and floating it into a river as part of the full-moon festival in the twelfth month of the Thai calendar.<br /><br />Thais learn about Lady Nopphamart and her idealised world from the "Book of Thaosrichulalak", which was earlier believed to have been written during the Sukhothai period. The book vividly depicted her life and how she had become a court lady. It described the rituals, the religion and life during the Sukhothai period.<br /><br />Thais have been modelling the Loy Krathong festival after this book.<br /><br />But most historians now believe that the "Book of Thaosrichulalak" was written in the early Rattakanosin Period. Dr Nithi Eaewsriwong of Chiang Mai University argues that the "Book of Thaosrichulalak" belongs to the Rattanakosin period.<br /><br />Nithi goes so far as to say that the book was written during the reign of King Rama III. He bases this on an analysis of the book's language, and its references to America and arsenals. America did not exist in name 700 years ago!<br /><br />In fact, Prince Damrong, or Krom Phraya Damrong Rajanuphap, had earlier made a similar claim, saying King Rama III could have written half of the book.<br /><br />But most Thais remain quite comfortable with the mythical status of Lady Nopphamart. Whether or not she existed is not important as long as she continues to cast her spell during the full moon of the twelfth month.<br /><br />On the Loy Krathong Day, her descendants or her representatives, dressed in beautiful traditional costumes, appear along the banks of rivers or beside ponds like angels to float krathongs.<br /><br />The krathong is designed to look like a lotus, the flower used to pay respect to the Lord Buddha.<br /><br />During the twelfth month's full moon, the tide is high. Hence, it is appropriate, ritualistically, to float the krathong down the river. "Loy" means "to float". Loy Krathong, therefore, is a festival for floating lotus-shaped vessels to pay respect to the Goddess of the River. Another purpose for floating the krathong is to dispel bad luck or ill omens from the past year.<br /><br />Some years ago, a student at Chulalongkorn University floated a krathong to dispel his bad luck. He put a big "F" sign into the krathong and tried to float it away so that he would not get an "F" on any of his exams.<br /><br />By design or by coincidence, the krathong kept floating back to him. He was unable to make if float away. The poor chap ended up spending more than five years at Chulalongkorn before managing to graduate!<br /><br />Loy Krathong has become one of Thailand's most charming and ritualistic festivals, full of splendour and imagination. Thousands of people throng rivers near their hometowns every year for the opportunity to celebrate it.<br /><br />If someone becomes your Valentine's Day date, you know for certain that he or she likes you. This also applies to a Loy Krathong date. When two people celebrate Loy Krathong together they make a vow to share a destiny.<br /><br />Sometimes, you cannot help believing that Lady Nopphamart is the Goddess of the River herself as you gently float your krathong on a pond with your loved ones.<br /><br />Lady Nopphamart will continue to exist, transcending the modern consciousness of Thais, as they look for the model of a perfect life and a perfect lady. Only in Lady Nopphamart can we reside blissfully in mythical experience, even though it is a short-lived one.<br />- The NationUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-829464167306446637.post-25370061775308770842009-06-14T09:49:00.000-07:002009-06-14T09:50:10.605-07:00RAMA IIRAMA II<br />SAMUT SONGKHRAM - Travellers from Bangkok heading toward the south for a weekend vacation in Cha-Am or Hua Hin mostly drive through Samut Songkhram as if it were a forgotten land. But this tiny province, apart from its famous pomelo, linchee and the beautiful Maeklong River, is rich in history. It is here that all the royal descendants of the Chakri Dynasty claim their roots.<br />In particular, it is the birthplace King Rama II, or King Lertla (1809-1824). The Second Reign is widely seen by historians as an interlude between the founding of the capital in 1782 by his father, King Rama I (1782-1809) and the construction of Bangkok during the reign of King Rama III (1824-1851). King Lertla's accession to the throne, however, symbolised the institutionalisation of the monarchy and the Chakri Dynasty that would lay the foundation for the future.<br />He also strengthened his political power through formalisation of government organs and modes of doing business. Still, King Lertla is remembered more as an artist than as a ruler.<br />John Crawfurd, who had an audience with the King, observed in his writing: "The country prospered under his administration, that he was rarely guilty of acts of atrocity, and that upon the whole he was admitted to be one of the mildest sovereigns that had ruled Siam."<br />The King could spend several hours writing poetry among his courtiers and his choice of company. Sunthorn Phu, Siam's greatest poet in the Rattanakosin period, found his career reaching its height during the Second Reign. There was a Royal pavilion built on the Chao Phya River where the King composed his Ramakien, Khun Chang Khun Phan, Sang Thong and others.<br />Fortunately, he had an able son in Prince Jesadabodin, who mostly looked after the affairs of state on his behalf. The prince would later become King Rama III. The Second Reign was blessed with a period of relative peace. That gave King Rama II the advantage to concentrate on his artistic pursuits so that his reign came to be known as the Golden Age of the Thai Literature.<br />From Phetchakasem Road, if you make a turn into the heart of downtown Samut Songkram, you'll immediately have the impression that it is rather a backward town.<br />There is only one main business street, which cuts through the town in snake-like curves.<br />With the Maeklong River in the backdrop, the town is frugal, being blessed with a small bus station, a fresh market and an array of shop houses. The city planning is awful.<br />Yet a few kilometres away from the town lies serene Amphoe Amphawa. Inside Wat Amphawanjetiyaram stands a statue of King Lertla, dressed in a full Royal regalia with a sword in his left hand.<br />The house he used to live is no longer there. A small temple structure is now built on it.<br />It is in these pleasant surroundings that King Lertla, born on February 26, 1768, grew up. His mother was called Nak, later to be elevated to her full title as Queen Amarin. His father, Thongduang, entered the Royal service in Rachaburi, getting married to Nak and moving to live with her family in Amphawa.<br />Thongduang would later join the service of King Thonburi, rise quickly in titles and power and eventually establish himself as King Rama I of the Chakri Dynasty. King Lertla frequently accompanied his father during military campaigns.<br /><br />When King Rama I founded Bangkok, he was elevated to become Prince Itsarasunthorn. He settled in the old palace of King Taksin in Thonburi.<br /><br />Upon the death of Krom Phrarajawang Bovornmaha Surasinghanart, Palace of the Front, the prince was promoted to the title of an Upparat.<br /><br />He was an apparent heir to the throne.<br /><br />Apart from his numerous consorts, King Lertla married his cousin, Boonrod, who was a daughter of his father's sister.<br /><br />She would bear him two future kings - King Mongkut (1851-1868) and King Pinkhlao, or Palace of the Front.<br /><br />It is through King Lertla that the descendants of the Chakri Dynasty really proliferated, culminating in the Fifth Reign of King Chulalongkorn (1868-1910).<br /><br /><br />Adjacent to Wat Amphawa is the King Rama II Memorial Park, built in original Central Thai-style architecture about a decade ago.<br /><br /><br />A walk in this park is quite pleasant, with all the trees and flowers that were the king's favourites.<br /><br />You may want to drink coconut juice and buy some local gifts from the small shops in front of the park.<br /><br /><br />As you leave the town, you really want to come back, again and again to search for the past and feel the air, the earth and the river that gave birth to the Chakri Dynasty.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-829464167306446637.post-86367664516757118972009-06-14T09:46:00.001-07:002009-06-14T10:16:17.803-07:00HellOVERDRIVE: The bad omens of 2005 are building<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Bad omens are popping up in droves.<br /><br />The stars and the moon are venturing off track.<br /><br />The nights become days, and the days become nights.<br /><br />New diseases are appearing.<br /><br />Drought has replaced the rain.<br /><br />Rice will become rare.<br /><br />The fields are poisonous.<br /><br />Food and basic necessities will become expensive.<br /><br />The people will slide deeper into indebtedness.<br /><br />The ocean has flooded the country.<br /><br />The land has turned into fire.<br /><br />Earthquakes will suck the wicked and the innocent alike into the fiery pits in the middle of the earth.<br /><br />Morality has turned upside down.<br /><br />The rich get richer, the poor become poorer.<br /><br />The country's institutions are crumbling.<br /><br />We can only look into the future with apprehension.<br /><br />Will such prophecies come to pass or is such talk just gloomy hyperbole? In an age when virtue and learning – the two pillars of any civilised society – are giving way to shallowness and an obsession with material gain and entertainment, Thais can only expect to see the darker side of decadence descend upon their heads.<br /><br />The bad omens are everywhere, yet few seem to realise the dangers around them.<br /><br />If a society walks away from virtue, it will soon have to face the disastrous consequences portended by the bad omens.<br /><br />And if society fails to nurture learning, it will decay once the people can no longer differentiate between good and bad, beautiful and ugly, decisiveness and laziness, the learned and the ignorant.<br /><br />In the old days, when a plague occurred, Thais would panic.<br /><br />They called this phenomenon "ha kin muang" (the plague that eats up the city).<br /><br />We have already witnessed a recurrence of the ha kin muang, first with Sars and then with the bird flu.<br /><br />Although Sars mostly hit our neighbours, bird flu has not spared us.<br /><br />Last year, after an initial delay, the government was forced to come to grips with the reality of the spread of bird flu, and more than 20 million chickens were culled.<br /><br />This mass slaughter was sinful.<br /><br />Several people also died from the disease.<br /><br />bird flu is still lurking around the corner.<br /><br />The drought has hit the country hard and is threatening this year's farm crop and the livelihoods of rural folks.<br /><br />This is a bad omen.<br /><br />The old Thais call this phenomenon "khao yak, mak phaeng" (rice is scarce, betel nuts are expensive).<br /><br />Because of the drought, the harvest will be poor in the northern central area, the North and the Northeast.<br /><br />Clean water will have to be rationed.<br /><br />In a country where "in the water there are fish, in the field, there is rice", drought is a bad omen.<br /><br />The amount of bad debts will rise if the rural people cannot complete their harvest.<br /><br />The increase in fuel prices could possibly drive inflation to 4-5 per cent.<br /><br />The government's populist policies could be in ruins.<br /><br />We have also seen nam thuam lok (water floods the world), which is another bad omen.<br /><br />On December 26, 2004, an earthquake off the coast of Sumatra created underwater waves that finally hit Phuket, Krabi, Phang Nga and three other southern provinces.<br /><br />More than 5,000 people, foreigners and Thais alike, perished beneath the angry wave with the Japanese name – tsunami.<br /><br />Overall, more than 200,000 people in countries around the Indian Ocean died from the tsunami.<br /><br />Earlier this week another earthquake off Sumatra erupted and once again tested our nerves.<br /><br />No tsunamis occurred, but it was an overture for more bad omens to come.<br /><br />The consequence of the Sumatra earthquake is that Thailand could become the next victim.<br /><br />Some scientists say Bangkok and Kanchanaburi could be hit by the quake because they are linked to Sumatra by the underground movements of the furious hot material in the middle of the earth.<br /><br />It is a horrifying experience to die in an earthquake.<br /><br />The old Thais call this inauspicious death, normally associated with vice, thoranee soop (the land sucks the bad guys in).<br /><br />This bad omen could happen any time.<br /><br />In the South, we have witnessed phan din look pen phai (the land turns into fire).<br /><br />This is a really bad omen.<br /><br />More than 600 people have died from the violence that has raged in the South since last year.<br /><br />The government's mismanagement of the unrest has created a snowball effect.<br /><br />The violence could eventually attract international terrorists if it is not handled properly now.<br /><br />Parliament is now debating how to put out the southern fire.<br /><br />A commission has been formed with 48 members, led by former prime minister Anand Panyarachun, to recommend a peaceful and lasting solution to the problems fanning the violence.<br /><br />Morality has really been turned upside down.<br /><br />The people are indifferent to sin (mai mee khuam la ai to bab).<br /><br />This is another bad omen.<br /><br />The youth do not want to learn and like to enjoy life beyond their means.<br /><br />Politicians and businessmen have no respect for the old values.<br /><br />They want quick money.<br /><br />The tricky get richer while the decent become poorer.<br /><br />People want to cut corners instead of moving steadily ahead by virtue of hard work and good conscience.<br /><br />Institutions that support the development of a democratic and civic society have been weakened and will soon crumble under the weight of short-sightedness and selfishness.<br /><br />These bad omens might not add up to 16, the amount cited in the old prophecy in which King Pasendi in Nibata Jataka talked with Lord Buddha.<br /><br />Still they are bad omens that all Thais have to watch for if they want to avert the catastrophe just beyond the horizon.<br /><br />The prophecy has been written whether you like it or not.<br /><br /><br /><br />20:00 hours:<br /><br />On Sunday, I wrote that the stars hovering over the City of Angels were radiating exceptional heat. There could be violence starting Sunday evening. But as it turned out, the violence started exactly on Songkran Day.<br /><br />My astrologer is almost right on target. To sum it up again, my amateur astrologer has told me that duang muang (the City's star) is in trouble, with the stars aligned in a complicated position. When King Yodfa founded Bangkok in 1782, the lakhana duang muang (the character of the City of Angels) was represented by the sun, which exemplified strength, boldness and grandeur.<br /><br /><br /><br />Lakhana Duang Muang of Bangkok as marked by ancient Thai astrological codification.<br /><br />_______________________________<br /><br />The sun is being overshadowed by neptune at the lakhana duang muang, which exists in spiritual form. This means that bad omen and events would be hovering over the capital.<br /><br />Neptune is now hovering above lakhana duang muang, magnifying its influence over events in Thailand. "We might have a very serious incident this evening and it will deterioriate further," my astrologer said on Sunday.<br /><br />But beginning Tuesday of April 14, 2009, Neptune will gradually move out of Lakhana Duang Muang to the right side of the Sun. This means that the bad omen or bad incidents against Bangkok will subside. The situation will improve.<br /><br />Thaksin Shinawatra launched his broadside attack against the capital by also consulting the stars above the sky. He had his Red Shirt protesters ravaging Bangkok at a time when his duang or fortune hit the peak. His duang coincides with Neptune movement against the Sun or Lakhana Duang Muang of the City of Angels.<br /><br />We are witnessing a fight in both the sky and on the earth.<br /><br /><br />The following is an excerpt of King Narai's "Poetic Prophecy" (from Montri Umavijani's "Facets of Thai Cultural Life", Bangkok: Kurusapa Business Organisation, 2000):<br /><br /><br />King Narai’s Poetic Prophecy<br /><br />To speak of Ayutthaya Kingdom,<br />The crystal house of the most high creed,<br />The blessing of all blessings.<br />There could be found in all writings<br />A praise of Ayutthaya.<br />From all cities, from all countries.<br />Merchants from all over the world.People speaking twelve different languages.<br />They all came to Ayutthaya!<br />As for its great king,<br />He ruled gladly.<br />For he made the law<br />Which brought joy and order to all.<br />It was a refuge for every man;<br />It was a home for every angel.<br />For every good citizen, for every good official,<br />For every rich man, for every Brahman<br />It was a dwelling place for all<br />Like a great banyan tree which gave cool shade:<br />Like the Ganges River.<br />Cherished by men in dry season.<br />His power and prowess<br />Subdued the enemy in all directions.<br />Every country, every state<br />Sent him royal tribute and homage.<br />Ayutthaya prospered<br />By the grace of its king.<br />There was peace and plenty<br />Until “some future year.”<br />Then it was the time when all sentient beings<br />Would live in danger and misery.<br />Because kings did not practice the ten virtues.<br />There would be born sixteen bad omens.<br />Irregular were the moon and stars, earth and sky:<br />Casualties erupted in the land.<br />Big clouds burst into flames.<br />Strange sights were seen everywhere.<br />The river was boiling hot like birds' blood.<br />The earth went mad, while the sky waxed yellow.<br />The forest spirits invaded the city:<br />The city spirits fled to the forest.<br />The tutelary god took his leave;<br />The evil spirit took his place.<br />Mother Earth beat her breast and cried.<br />The god of death burnt his heart out.<br />This prophecy would certainly come true.<br />As everything went according to it:<br />Not being summer, it was very hot.<br />Not being the windy season, the wind strongly blew.<br />Not being winter, it was very cold.<br />Not being the rainy season, it rained.<br />At every nook and corner,<br />Accidents took the world over.<br />The angels who guarded religion<br />Protected now only bad people.<br />The honest lost to the dishonest.<br />Friends killed off their friendships.<br />Wives betrayed their husbands.<br />The low supplanted the high.<br />Pupils rebelled against their teachers.<br />Seniors were treated as juniors.<br />The lawful fell out of rights.<br />The learned fell out of grace.<br />Bricks floated upward;<br />While buoyant melons sank.<br />The noble lost their birthrights<br />By associating with the low.<br />The devout lost their faith<br />By mixing with charlatans.<br />Kings had no power:Colonies showed them no respect.<br />Unholy thoughts were rampant;<br />The Dharma was quite put out.<br />The brave parted with courage.<br />There was a decline in learning.<br />The rich were deprived of their property.<br />The good were devoid of compassion.<br />Ages moved and changed their stations.<br />Traditions of love went awry.<br />Less crops came out of the earth.<br />Fruits and roots lost their flavours.<br />As to medicinal herbs,<br />They, too, lost their qualities.<br />Plants and wood that smelled good<br />Lost their fragrance as well.<br />Then there was a time of famine:<br />The land was completely dried up.<br />Smallpox and massacre erupted.<br />Ghosts mixed in with people.<br />In the city and throughout the country,<br />Evil happenings everywhere.<br />People felt so lonely,<br />With confusion in their minds.<br />Monks and laymen were worried.<br />Innumerable were evil things.<br />There were wars and massacres:<br />People died like ants in the fire.<br />Waterways dried up as roads.<br />The city and palaces became a wilderness.<br />Only beasts of the worst kind<br />Inhabited the land.<br />But people and animals<br />Perished together.<br />The god of death destroyed the land.<br />No more war and struggle.<br />Ayutthaya Kingdom would be lost.<br />Its Triple Gem would shin no more<br />The whole period until<br />The year 5000.<br />O happy, happy Ayutthaya,<br />Endowed with heavenly bliss,<br />But turned into an immoral city.<br />Its days were numbered!<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />In March 2006, a man with a record of mental disorder has just destroyed the sacred Phra Phrom statue of the Erawan Shrine in downtown Bangkok. The famous four-headed statue of Brahma, adjacent to the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel, has been hammered to pieces.<br /><br />It is a shock to thousands of worshippers who come to the shrine to seek good fortune.<br /><br />Some people say the destruction of the statue is just one of many evil omens hovering above the country.<br /><br />The Thaksin Era, characterised by unfettered capitalism and greedy economic growth, has also been beset by bad omens.<br />They manifest themselves in different forms, symbols and natural disasters.<br />If a leader does not practise virtue and learning is absent among the populace, society will head into a series of crises.<br />One of the natural disasters in the Thaksin Era manifested itself as a plague destroying the city, or "ha kin muang".<br /><br />We witnessed Sars and subsequently bird flu.<br /><br />Then water started to flood the world, or nam thuam lok.<br /><br /><br />This manifested itself in The tsunami which killed more than 100,000 people in Thailand and elsewhere around the Indian Ocean.<br /><br />OVERDRIVE: The warnings were in the names<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Some time ago my 13-year old niece challenged me with this riddle: "Can you name a province that elephants are afraid to live in?" she asked.<br /><br />I thought for a while, but could not come up with an answer.<br /><br />I gave in.<br /><br />"Well, it's Phang Nga," she said with a big laugh, knowing that she had succeeded in fooling me with her tricky word play.<br /><br />Phang (destroy; destruction) Nga (elephant's tusk) really is not a welcome place for elephants if you break down the two words and take them in their literal sense.<br /><br />Thanks to the deadly Tsunami on Sunday December 26, which could become one of the world's severest natural disasters, you now begin to see the dark omens concealed in the names of the places long described as Thailand's paradise on the Andaman Sea.<br /><br />With the death toll rising to several thousand people, Phang Nga, Krabi, Phuket, Phi Phi Island, Ranong and the Andaman will never be the same again.<br /><br />The double meanings lurking in these names and places are collectively rising up to become a twisted image that will continue to haunt for a long time to come.<br /><br />Phang Nga has faced total destruction (phang) to suit its literal meaning.<br /><br />An account from a chronicle of King Rama II said the name Phang Nga comes from the Malay words kra phu nga, which means estuary or river mouth.<br /><br />Over time it became known as Phu Nga and finally Phang Nga.<br /><br />Another local legend has it that Grandpa Yomdung was looking after his elephant.<br /><br />One day the elephant ran away in heat.<br /><br />Grandpa Yomdung followed the elephant to Phang Nga and used a spear to subdue it.<br /><br />The elephant died, but then became Khao Chang (Mount Elephant), the symbol of Phang Nga.<br /><br />Grandpa Yomdung took the elephant's tusks and placed them atop the mountain in the middle of the city.<br /><br />The city became known as khao phing nga (tusks leaning at the mountain), giving us the name Phang Nga.<br /><br />Another local account has it that the name of the province originally came from pha nga, which means a beautiful lady.<br /><br />There is a mountain there which looks like a sleeping beauty.<br /><br />A sleeping beauty is a girl who never dies, but who will never wake up.<br /><br />Phang Nga's Khao Lak, where most of the tourists perished from the tidal waves, is a geographical mark dividing Thung Takua Pa and Thai Muang.<br /><br />The area was rich with tin and mining was prosperous in the past.<br /><br />But the local people call tin takua, or lead.<br /><br />Thung Ta Kua Pa is literally the Forest of Lead.<br /><br />The now-obsolete mines overlooking Phang Nga's Khao Lak stand as a testimony to the exploitation of the past, leaving the areas scattered with large holes.<br /><br />Krabi prides itself as a world-class resort sandwiched between Phuket and Phang Nga.<br /><br />The name Krabi is probably also derived from the Malay language, coming to be known as Dan Khanon Estuary.<br /><br />In the Thai version of "Ramayana", Krabi is a monkey character.<br /><br />Foremost of all soldier monkeys in the "Ramakian" or "Ramakirti" is Hanuman, the Monkey God, who helps Lord Rama of Ayodhya organise an army to do battle against Ravana, the 10-headed giant Thosakan, in Lanka and who wins back the Goddess Sita, the consort of Lord Rama.<br /><br />The epic is a battle between good an evil, a battle between the army of monkeys and an army of giants possible of creating turbulence deep beneath the surface and wiping out the whole world.<br /><br />Phuket, Krabi, Phang Nga and Ranong all face the charming and mysterious Andaman Sea to the west of Thailand.<br /><br />Don't be confused by the word Andaman, which derives from Handuman, or Hanuman.<br /><br />The Monkey God is said to have used these islands as stepping stones on his way to Sri Lanka to save the Goddess Sita.<br /><br />And don't forget 2004 is the Year of the Monkey, a known trickster.<br /><br />Krabi also can mean "sword".<br /><br />When you cross the Rama IX Bridge from Bangkok to Thonburi, you'll confront the towering building that serves as the headquarters of Kasikornthai Bank.<br /><br />The bank's headquarters rises high to a pointed top, which looks like a sword.<br /><br />The sword is a symbol to counter the bridge, which cuts across the bank's territory.<br /><br />Krabi, the province, was not able to raise its sword when<br />Off Krabi is the world-famous Phi Phi Island, another area devastated by the tsunami.<br /><br />Phi Phi is the language of the tribal fishermen (chao lay) indigenous to the area.<br /><br />They called the island Pu Lao Pi Ar Pi, or the island of mangroves.<br /><br />Later on the island has come to be known as Phi Phi Island.<br /><br />But it was Pee Pee Island for the foreign tourists coming over in search of paradise.<br /><br />And if you pronounce Phi Phi with a higher vowel sound, you'll get Phi Phi as in "ghost, ghost".<br /><br />When Thai people see a ghost, they cry out "phi, phi!" with their hair standing on end.<br /><br />Phuket is Bukit in the Malay language, which means mountain.<br /><br />Phuket is the pearl of the Andaman Sea.<br /><br />John Steinbeck's "The Pearl" is a tale of greed and treachery.<br /><br />In the end, the pearl finds its way back to where it belongs – in the bottom of the ocean.<br /><br />The dark colour of the pearl is so tempting.<br /><br />If you see TV footage of the destruction in Aceh, where Tsunami started, you'll see the black seismic waves roaring in fury over the fearful cries.<br /><br />In Ranong, which was also badly hit by the tsunami, there are lots of minerals.<br /><br />Raenong (rae means "mineral" and nong "full of") has come to be known as Ranong.<br /><br />But ranong is also an adjective meaning "full of damage or losses".<br /><br />Indeed, Phuket, Krabi, Phang Nga, Phi Phi Island, the Andaman and Ranong will continue to haunt us for a long time because of the dark meanings lurking just beneath our understanding.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />People are facing greater hardship in their lives, a period characterised by skyrocketing prices for basic necessities (khao yak mak phaeng).<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Another bad omen is phan din look pen phai (land turns into fire), which has been happening to Thailand's three southernmost provinces.<br /><br />There, murders take place every day.<br /><br />And people are also suffering from phan din yaek (cracks in the land), as they take sides in fiercely opposed political opinions.<br /><br />The angel has taken flight from the city.<br /><br />This is reflected in the destruction of the Phra Phrom statue.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />During the Ayutthaya period, King Narai the Great (1656-1688) was believed to be the author of a poetic prophecy about Ayutthaya's fall.<br /><br />The prophecy, which reflected his concern for the Kingdom, recounted 16 bad omens that would foreshadow the fall of the capital later in 1767.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Samrit Klomkliang, who claims he has been a long-time personal astrologer for Thaksin's family, said the destruction of the statue was a sign that there would be bloodshed in Thailand if the prime minister doesn't quit before March 29.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />But blood has already been shed.<br /><br />A protester from Nakhon Si Thammarat, Rerng Ketkaew, slashed his finger to draw blood in front of Government House and call for Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's resignation.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Thanakorn Pakdeepol, the 27-year-old man who destroyed the Phra Phrom statue, was killed near the Erawan Shrine after committing this most unnatural act.<br /><br />His blood spread on the pavement.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Ayudhaya<br /><br /><br /><br />The tension and discord necessarily leads to the Gate of Apocalypse. It immediately reminds you of the date of April 28, 1767 when Ayutthya, the ancient capital of Siam, fell into the hands of the Burmese. That was the Day of Apocalypse. Here is how it was described:<br /><br />"On the 28th of April, 1767, the town was captured by assault. The treasures of the palace and the temples were nothing but heaps of ruins and ashes. The images of the gods were melted down and rage deprived the barbarian conquerors of the spoils that had aroused their greed. To avenge this loss, the Burmese visited their heavy displeasure upon the town folk. They burnt the soles of their feet in order to make them reveal where they had concealed their wealth and raped their weeping daughters before their very eyes. "The priests suspected of having concealed much wealth were pierced through and through with arrows and spears and several were beaten to death with heavy clubs.<br /><br />"The countryside as well as the temples were strewn with corpses, and the river was chock full with the bodies of the dead, the stench of which attracted swarms of flies causing much annoyance to the retreating army. The chief officers of state and the royal favourites were in the galleys. The King (King Ekatad), witness of the unhappy fate of his court, endeavoured to escape, but he was recognised and slain at the gates of the palace." (quoted from Sunait Chutintaranond's and Than Tun's On Both Sides of the Tenasserim Range: History of Siamese-Burmese Relations, Asian Studies Monographs No 050, 1995, page 6). With the fall of Ayutthya, the Siamese later on moved down to found new capitals in Thonburi and Bangkok.<br /><br />Are we too far gone in hatred for Burma?<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Two hundred and thirty-five years after the sacking of Ayutthaya by the Burmese, the Thais today still refer to that haunting tragedy with pain in their hearts.<br /><br />The trauma runs deep in the national psyche, with the Burmese being cast as the evil enemy of the Thai nation.<br /><br />"The latest border conflict has not only heightened bilateral tensions; I fear that it might also develop into widespread anti-Burmese sentiment if it is allowed to drag on or if it is mishandled," said Dr Sunait Chutintaranond, a distinguished historian at Chulalongkorn University.<br /><br />Just take a look back at the Thais' reaction with hatred last year to a group of Burmese inmates who broke out of a prison in Samut Sakhon and tried to make their way, with severalhostages, to the Burmese border through Ratchaburi.<br /><br />Predictably, they never made would never make it to Burma.<br /><br />The dramatic shooting that left them dead ?? was broadcast live to the living-rooms of Thai viewers.<br /><br />Then came a film titled "Bang Rachan".<br /><br />This blood-soaked movie sought to glorify the villagers of Bang Rachan in Sing Buri as heroes and heroines who fought the Burmese to the death in 1767.<br /><br />In other words, the Burmese are always the bad guys in the eyes of the Thais.<br /><br />The Cornell-educated Sunait, who mastered the Burmese language, has spent most of his academic career trying to understand the many facets of the Thai-Burmese relationship.<br /><br />He and co-author Than Tun published a landmark book, "On Both Sides of the Tenasserim Range: History of Siamese-Burmese Relations" (Chulalongkorn University Press, 1995).<br /><br />The book depicts the changing perceptions of the Siamese - or the Thais - toward the Burmese through different periods.<br /><br />Sunait's premise is that the image of the Burmese in the eyes of the Thais is one of evil, demons or agents of dark forces.<br /><br />But this image of the Burmese first as the enemy of the Buddhist faith and later on as the enemy of the Thai nation did not originate by chance.<br /><br />It has been deliberately implanted and shaped by the Thai ruling class and even by learned monks since the early Rattanakosin period.<br /><br />Thereafter the mass media, consciously or unconsciously, have carried on this task of branding the Burmese as the enemy who cannot be trusted for their unforgivable plundering of Ayutthaya.<br /><br />Sunait found that before the Rattanakosin period, which started in 1782, none of the Ayutthaya chronicles explicitly expressed antagonism toward the Burmese.<br /><br />For example, there is no such sentiment in the famous and quite reliable "Luang Prasert Chronicle of Ayutthaya" of 1680.<br /><br />Although Ayutthaya armies were was defeated by King Bayinnaung of Hongsawadi (Pegu) in 1564 and 1569, the Siamese kingdom was spared total destruction.<br /><br />Bayinnaung, in the words of Prince Damrong's "Our War with the Burmese", conquered Ayutthaya with the primary purpose of reducing Ayutthaya to a vassal state as he set his sights on expanding his kingdom in the manner of a king of kings (Rachathirat).<br /><br />But the Burmese attack on Ayutthaya inthe second half of the eighteenth century 1767 was dramatically different from the Bayinnaung period.<br /><br />This time they sacked Ayutthaya and burnt the city and its marvellous temples to the ground.<br /><br />The Burmese commanders-in-chief, Mahanawrahta and Thihapate, showed no interest at all in accepting a total surrender by King Ekkathat (1758-1767), the last king of Ayutthaya.<br /><br />The tragic loss of Ayutthaya led to the founding of Thonburi and subsequently Bangkok as the new capitals of the Siamese.<br /><br />King Taksin of Thonburi, King Yodfa and the other early Rattanakosin kings viewed the Burmese as the enemy principally of the Buddhist faith.<br /><br />Only later on, during the reign of King Mongkut (1851-1868) and King Chulalongkorn (1868-1910), were the Burmese viewed as the enemy of the "Thai nation" as the concept of the nation-state began to emerge, coupled with the process of building a national consciousness.<br /><br />Sunait writes that in the reign of King Mongkut, when King Kavilorot (1856-1870) of Chiang Mai presented to the Bangkok court a royal necklace on King Mindon's behalf (1856-1878), King Mongkut refused to accept the gift.<br /><br />He said his ancestors (pu ya ta yai) had forbidden him to be allied with the Burmese.<br /><br />King Chulalongkorn (1868-1910) also mentioned that his ancestors had put a curse on any of his children and grandchildren who wished to form alliances with the Burmese.<br /><br />Historical writings and school textbooks ever since have been casting the Burmese as the enemy.<br /><br />The foremost Thai heroes of all are King Naresuan and King Taksin, who fought the Burmese and successfully regained Thai independence.<br /><br />King Naresuan in particular has been immortalised for his fight on elephant back against the Uparacha, the Crown Prince of Burma.<br /><br />"As for Thais' image of the Burmese in the present day, it has hardly changed, at least in the fundamental sense," Sunait says.<br /><br />"The Burmese are still perceived as the enemy in various dimensions.<br /><br />But the image and the stereotype are always formed on the basis of Thai superiority.<br /><br />"For instance, when the Thais refer to Burma, they normally look upon it as a country rich with natural resources that are readily available for exploitation.<br /><br />Then Burma is a backward country, which cannot be compared to the more advanced Thailand.<br /><br />To put it another way, the Thais like to say that if you want to turn the clock back 30 years, you only have to visit Burma.<br /><br />" Sunait warned that hatred of the Burmese might spill over into nationalism if bilateral relations were not handled properly.<br /><br />The situation is even more complicated in the private sector, he said, with the mass media, plays and movies taking on the role of creating the image of the Burmese in the hearts and minds of Thais.<br /><br />Thanong Khanthong THE NATION<br /><br />Are we too far gone in hatred for Burma?<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Two hundred and thirty-five years after the sacking of Ayutthaya by the Burmese, the Thais today still refer to that haunting tragedy with pain in their hearts.<br /><br />The trauma runs deep in the national psyche, with the Burmese being cast as the evil enemy of the Thai nation.<br /><br />"The latest border conflict has not only heightened bilateral tensions; I fear that it might also develop into widespread anti-Burmese sentiment if it is allowed to drag on or if it is mishandled," said Dr Sunait Chutintaranond, a distinguished historian at Chulalongkorn University.<br /><br />Just take a look back at the Thais' reaction with hatred last year to a group of Burmese inmates who broke out of a prison in Samut Sakhon and tried to make their way, with severalhostages, to the Burmese border through Ratchaburi.<br /><br />Predictably, they never made would never make it to Burma.<br /><br />The dramatic shooting that left them dead ?? was broadcast live to the living-rooms of Thai viewers.<br /><br />Then came a film titled "Bang Rachan".<br /><br />This blood-soaked movie sought to glorify the villagers of Bang Rachan in Sing Buri as heroes and heroines who fought the Burmese to the death in 1767.<br /><br />In other words, the Burmese are always the bad guys in the eyes of the Thais.<br /><br />The Cornell-educated Sunait, who mastered the Burmese language, has spent most of his academic career trying to understand the many facets of the Thai-Burmese relationship.<br /><br />He and co-author Than Tun published a landmark book, "On Both Sides of the Tenasserim Range: History of Siamese-Burmese Relations" (Chulalongkorn University Press, 1995).<br /><br />The book depicts the changing perceptions of the Siamese - or the Thais - toward the Burmese through different periods.<br /><br />Sunait's premise is that the image of the Burmese in the eyes of the Thais is one of evil, demons or agents of dark forces.<br /><br />But this image of the Burmese first as the enemy of the Buddhist faith and later on as the enemy of the Thai nation did not originate by chance.<br /><br />It has been deliberately implanted and shaped by the Thai ruling class and even by learned monks since the early Rattanakosin period.<br /><br />Thereafter the mass media, consciously or unconsciously, have carried on this task of branding the Burmese as the enemy who cannot be trusted for their unforgivable plundering of Ayutthaya.<br /><br />Sunait found that before the Rattanakosin period, which started in 1782, none of the Ayutthaya chronicles explicitly expressed antagonism toward the Burmese.<br /><br />For example, there is no such sentiment in the famous and quite reliable "Luang Prasert Chronicle of Ayutthaya" of 1680.<br /><br />Although Ayutthaya armies were was defeated by King Bayinnaung of Hongsawadi (Pegu) in 1564 and 1569, the Siamese kingdom was spared total destruction.<br /><br />Bayinnaung, in the words of Prince Damrong's "Our War with the Burmese", conquered Ayutthaya with the primary purpose of reducing Ayutthaya to a vassal state as he set his sights on expanding his kingdom in the manner of a king of kings (Rachathirat).<br /><br />But the Burmese attack on Ayutthaya inthe second half of the eighteenth century 1767 was dramatically different from the Bayinnaung period.<br /><br />This time they sacked Ayutthaya and burnt the city and its marvellous temples to the ground.<br /><br />The Burmese commanders-in-chief, Mahanawrahta and Thihapate, showed no interest at all in accepting a total surrender by King Ekkathat (1758-1767), the last king of Ayutthaya.<br /><br />The tragic loss of Ayutthaya led to the founding of Thonburi and subsequently Bangkok as the new capitals of the Siamese.<br /><br />King Taksin of Thonburi, King Yodfa and the other early Rattanakosin kings viewed the Burmese as the enemy principally of the Buddhist faith.<br /><br />Only later on, during the reign of King Mongkut (1851-1868) and King Chulalongkorn (1868-1910), were the Burmese viewed as the enemy of the "Thai nation" as the concept of the nation-state began to emerge, coupled with the process of building a national consciousness.<br /><br />Sunait writes that in the reign of King Mongkut, when King Kavilorot (1856-1870) of Chiang Mai presented to the Bangkok court a royal necklace on King Mindon's behalf (1856-1878), King Mongkut refused to accept the gift.<br /><br />He said his ancestors (pu ya ta yai) had forbidden him to be allied with the Burmese.<br /><br />King Chulalongkorn (1868-1910) also mentioned that his ancestors had put a curse on any of his children and grandchildren who wished to form alliances with the Burmese.<br /><br />Historical writings and school textbooks ever since have been casting the Burmese as the enemy.<br /><br />The foremost Thai heroes of all are King Naresuan and King Taksin, who fought the Burmese and successfully regained Thai independence.<br /><br />King Naresuan in particular has been immortalised for his fight on elephant back against the Uparacha, the Crown Prince of Burma.<br /><br />"As for Thais' image of the Burmese in the present day, it has hardly changed, at least in the fundamental sense," Sunait says.<br /><br />"The Burmese are still perceived as the enemy in various dimensions.<br /><br />But the image and the stereotype are always formed on the basis of Thai superiority.<br /><br />"For instance, when the Thais refer to Burma, they normally look upon it as a country rich with natural resources that are readily available for exploitation.<br /><br />Then Burma is a backward country, which cannot be compared to the more advanced Thailand.<br /><br />To put it another way, the Thais like to say that if you want to turn the clock back 30 years, you only have to visit Burma.<br /><br />" Sunait warned that hatred of the Burmese might spill over into nationalism if bilateral relations were not handled properly.<br /><br />The situation is even more complicated in the private sector, he said, with the mass media, plays and movies taking on the role of creating the image of the Burmese in the hearts and minds of Thais.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-829464167306446637.post-51074969760134294602009-06-14T09:27:00.001-07:002009-06-18T23:33:49.102-07:00Phra Phrom'PM should back off or I'll reveal his secrets'Published on May 27, 2006<br /><br />Senator Sophon Supapong yesterday said he was the keeper of two secrets concerning caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra that could prove the undoing of the Thai Rak Thai leader.Ads by GoogleSukhumvit Hotel DealAmari Boulevard from $74/ night Luxury hotel in central Bangkok.<a href="http://www.amari.com/Boulevard">www.Amari.com/Boulevard</a><br />Used Car from ThailandGreat news for importers + dealers! Wide range of Thailand stocks.<a href="http://www.tradecarview.com/">www.tradecarview.com</a><br />Thailand Real EstateUltimate Legal Guide for Buyers Free Download for 15 Page ReportSiam-Legal.com/Attorneys-Solicitors<br />Sophon yesterday denied ever having leaked the so-called Finland Plot and dismissed allegations he had asked Thaksin for a large amount of money and been refused.<br /><br />Thaksin told his Cabinet on Thursday Sophon had fabricated a story about the so-called Finland Plot because he was angry he had not received a large amount of money from Thaksin that he had asked for.<br /><br />"I have never thought about setting up a fund by asking for money from the PM," Sophon said yesterday.<br /><br />"I have never entertained such an idea, particularly with this PM.<br />Thaksin is making up stories to ruin my reputation,'' he said.<br /><br />Sophon denied he had ever accused Thaksin of hiring someone to wreck the Brahmin shrine outside the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel because a Khmer fortune-teller had advised him to do so.<br /><br />The senator said he and Thaksin had met at his home in Bangkok's Lat Phrao area four years ago because Thaksin had said he wanted to meet social critic Dr Prawase Wasi.<br /><br />Sophon said he had arranged a meeting with Prawase and Lt-General Preecha Wannarat, then the deputy secretary-general of the PM's Office.<br />He said his family had also attended the meeting.<br /><br />Sophon said that during the meeting he had been made privy to two secrets that, should he reveal them, would jeopardise Thaksin's political future.<br /><br />"Thaksin shouldn't have told us these two things.<br />He must remember what he said.<br /><br />"My sense of etiquette has always prevented me revealing what was said, because it might ruin him.<br /><br />"But if Thaksin continues to sling mud, I'll be forced to tell the public what he said,'' said Sophon.<br /><br />He said he was not the only one who had heard what Thaksin said - even Prawase had heard it.<br /><br />"I have never accused anyone or any party of anything in relation to the Finland Plot.<br />I'm not involved, and I don't even want to know who is," he said.<br /><br />He said Thaksin should stop listening to his close aides so exclusively and should stop defaming him.<br /><br />Sophon said he hoped Thaksin improved his moral integrity so that he would not be forced to reveal his dark secrets.<br /><br />Sophon, when put on the spot by reporters in relation to what Thaksin had said, refused to say any more.<br /><br />"If Thaksin does not improve himself, I may have to reveal the two secrets, because they are very serious matters.<br />If I reveal them, I am not sure if Thaksin will be able to return to his post,'' he said.<br /><br />Asked if Thaksin had already begun to act on the two matters, Sophon replied that he had.<br /><br />He said he had heard all about the Finland Plot from many different people, particularly from within a group of October activists, and not from the People's Alliance for Democracy, as Thaksin believed.<br /><br /><br />Erawan Shrine statue restoredPublished on May 22, 2006<br /><br /> At the auspicious time of 11.39am yesterday, the restored statue of the Hindu god Thao Maha Phrom was replaced at Bangkok's famed Erawan shine. Hundreds of Thai and foreign worshippers looked on in falling rain. It was exactly two months yesterday that a mentally ill man smashed one of the city's most revered religious images.<br /><br />He was later beaten to death by an angry mob.<br /><br />Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra attended the ceremony at the Rajprasong intersection.<br /><br />The Thao Maha Phrom statue - escorted by a procession of lion dancers and musicians - left the Fine Arts Department at 7.<br />29am.<br />It was paraded to the City Pillar Shrine, the Temple of the Emerald Buddha and the Brahman Church of Bangkok, where holy water was poured on the statue.<br /><br />At 11am, the procession arrived at the Erawan shine.<br />Thaksin, caretaker Culture Minister Surakiart Sathirathai and city Governor Apirak Kosayodhin were waiting.<br /><br />More than 1,000 people, many of them dressed in white and adorned with garlands, crowded the shrine.<br />Others looked on from pedestrian flyovers and the BTS skywalk.<br /><br />Many had been waiting since early morning.<br />Inbound lanes of Phloenchit Road were closed to traffic.<br /><br />Folk dancers were accompanied by the sound of traditional Thai gongs.<br /><br />As the world-famous statue was carried out, Brahma worship was performed before it was replaced at the renovated shrine at exactly 11.<br />39am, just as heavy rain started to fall.<br /><br />"I feel so good to have a chance to worship Pra Phrom at such a special ceremony," said Thanatporn Khaomuey, 56, a BMA employee who had waited with three friends since 9am.<br /><br />"I don't think I'll have another chance in my life to witness these rites at the minute the statue is placed at the shrine," she said.<br /><br />Suthita Ladtai, 52, said she and friends followed the procession by taxi.<br />She hoped participating in the ceremony would bring her luck.<br /><br />As the statue was moved from a vehicle to the shrine, worshippers threw flowers.<br />Some even noted down the registration number of the vehicle, in the hope it would provide lucky lottery numbers.<br /><br />Surakiart said a copy of the statue had been made with nine different metals and was being kept at the National Museum, in case of another accident.<br /><br />The shrine, built in 1956 to ward off bad luck at an adjacent hotel, is one of the country's most popular places of worship among Thais and tourists, especially those from Hong Kong and Singapore.<br /><br />A 24-hour police guard will protect the renovated Erawan Shrine.<br /><br />Chatrarat KaewmorakotHundreds of devotees rush to revered sitePublished on March 22, 2006<br /><br />The sight of the Erawan Shrine devoid of its much-worshiped Great Brahma statue left many visitors baffled yesterday. Others were unable to hold back their tears when they saw with their own eyes what had happened.<br /><br />Hundreds of believers continued to visit the shrine yesterday, their faith unshaken by the statue's destruction.<br /><br />Early yesterday morning a man with a record of mental illness smashed the Great Brahma statue to pieces with a hammer.<br /><br />The shrine's gate was shut and a cloth was draped over the shrine where the statue once stood, but crowds gathered on the footpath outside and left garlands hanging from the fence as they paid their respects.<br /><br />Signs at the gate read: "The Erawan Shrine is temporarily closed.<br />We apologise for any inconvenience.<br />" The message was also printed in Chinese for the many Chinese tourists who visit the shrine each day.<br /><br />A small photograph of the statue was pinned to the fence.<br /><br />Staff took every offering left outside the shrine inside.<br /><br />Officials, many from the Cultural Ministry, gathered at the shrine for a special ceremony that continued into the night.<br /><br />"It's hard to believe it happened," said Viranya Aiemcharoen, who visited the shrine with her family in the morning after learning of the incident.<br />"My heart is filled with sorrow, so I came to pay respect to the gods again," she said.<br /><br />Members of her family often asked for blessings at the shrine and were devastated by the statue's destruction, Viranya said.<br /><br />Patsalin Sritan, a sales clerk, said she rushed to the shrine after a motorcycle taxi driver told her what had happened.<br /><br />"I feel sorry for all Thais because the statue was much revered by Buddhists," she said.<br /><br />Garland vendor Pinkaew Pipat-asa said people started arriving at about 4am to pay their tribute.<br />She immediately phoned her friends then rushed to the scene.<br /><br />"I was shocked and my heart was broken .<br />.<br />.<br />I am a second-generation garland seller here, I've been here for about 40 years," she said.<br /><br />During the past four decades she had only stopped selling garlands at the shrine twice - during the political uprisings in October 1973 and May 1992, she said.<br /><br />Besides garland sellers, there are another 10 booths near the shrine selling lottery tickets and fruit.<br />The vendors intend to remain at the site.<br /><br />The spirits would remain even though the statue was smashed, they said.<br /><br />Chatrarat Kaewmorakot<br />The Nation<br />Thaksin era beset by evil omensPublished on March 22, 2006<br /><br />A man with a record of mental disorder has just destroyed the sacred Phra Phrom statue of the Erawan Shrine in downtown Bangkok. The famous four-headed statue of Brahma, adjacent to the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel, has been hammered to pieces. It is a shock to thousands of worshippers who come to the shrine to seek good fortune.<br />Some people say the destruction of the statue is just one of many evil omens hovering above the country.<br /><br />The Thaksin Era, characterised by unfettered capitalism and greedy economic growth, has also been beset by bad omens.<br />They manifest themselves in different forms, symbols and natural disasters.<br />If a leader does not practise virtue and learning is absent among the populace, society will head into a series of crises.<br /><br />One of the natural disasters in the Thaksin Era manifested itself as a plague destroying the city, or "ha kin muang".<br />We witnessed Sars and subsequently bird flu.<br />Then water started to flood the world, or nam thuam lok.<br />This manifested itself in The tsunami which killed more than 100,000 people in Thailand and elsewhere around the Indian Ocean.<br /><br />People are facing greater hardship in their lives, a period characterised by skyrocketing prices for basic necessities (khao yak mak phaeng).<br /><br />Another bad omen is phan din look pen phai (land turns into fire), which has been happening to Thailand's three southernmost provinces.<br />There, murders take place every day.<br />And people are also suffering from phan din yaek (cracks in the land), as they take sides in fiercely opposed political opinions.<br />The angel has taken flight from the city.<br />This is reflected in the destruction of the Phra Phrom statue.Man beaten to death after desecrating the Erawan ShrinePublished on March 22, 2006<br /><br /> A young Thai man, believed to be mentally ill, almost completely destroyed one of Bangkok's most revered religious images, the statue of Brahma, the Hindu god of creation, at Rajprasong intersection early yesterday morning, after which he was beaten to death by a group of angry bystanders. The Erawan shrine housing the statue is one of the city's most popular tourist spots and regularly attracts crowds of worshippers, both locals and tourists.<br /><br />A new Brahma statue will be completed and placed in the shrine within two months.<br />However, the shrine will be open for the public to pay its respects from today with four photographs of the statue facing out from the shrine.<br /><br />A decision has yet to be made about the material to be used for the new statue.<br />Plaster will keep its essence, but nine types of metal mixed with some surviving pieces of the old statue will ensure its durability.<br />Surviving fragments include the face, head and weapons, said Religious Affairs Department director-general Preecha Gungeeya.<br /><br />Two street sweepers from Pathum Wan district office have been arrested and charged with the second-degree murder of Thanakorn Phakdeephol, whose father Sayant said he had a history of mental illness and had received psychiatric treatment six years ago when he was 21.<br /><br />Sayant said his son disappeared from his house around midnight after showing the symptoms of mental illness.<br />He later heard a radio news report that a man with anti-allergy pills found in his pants had been beaten after destroying the Brahma statue.<br /><br />"It kind of hit me, learning of that detail, so I went to the [Lumpini] police station and found out that it was my son.<br /><br />"I feel sorry that he destroyed the Brahma statue, which is highly respected by Thai people," he said.<br /><br />Lumpini police station chief, Colonel Suphisal Phakdeenaruenart, said he was investigating whether there were any other people involved in the attack on Thanakorn.<br /><br />Quoting witnesses, police said Thanakorn climbed onto the shelter housing the statue and, using a large hammer he was carrying, pounded it until all that was left of the statue were its legs.<br />A number of visitors to the shrine were seen weeping after witnessing the desecration.<br /><br />Saksri Klinbua, one of the arrested street sweepers, claimed he smacked Thanakorn only once in the head with a stick in self defence after Thanakorn charged him with the hammer in his hand.<br />He said Thanakorn then knocked his head on the ground after a loop on his trousers snared on a steel fence as he jumped over it to get away.<br /><br />Police said the other man arrested, Kasemsak Karunwong, had admitted to assaulting Thanakorn.<br /><br />After the attack, Thanakorn lay close to a stairway to a nearby department store with blood running from his mouth.<br />There was a four-inch wound caused by a blunt object to his head, a cut on his left eyebrow and many bruises on his back.<br />He died before being taken to the Police Hospital, across Rajdamri road.<br /><br />Khanittha, the wife of Saksri, claims she saw her husband smack Thanakorn only once.<br /><br />"There were other people running after him and they later assaulted him but I don't know who [they were] or how many of them [there were]," she said.<br /><br /><br />The war of spiritual forces that control Thai politics<br />By Chang Noi<br />Published on August 18, 2008<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Some months ago Chang Noi was invited to a dinner featuring a speech by a leading technocrat and former finance minister. The event was attended by businessmen, senior officials and politicians. By chance Chang Noi was seated beside the brother of another leading technocrat and former finance minister. Throughout the meal and the speech he talked of various spirit mediums who could offer insight into political events and the future of the realm. He handed over business cards of some of them. He offered to be a personal escort to a meeting with one medium of exceptional power.Ads by Google<br />HP Home & Home Office PCs<br /><br /><br />For many people, the last two years have seen an epic battle over the fate of the nation. On one side are forces associated with the "third hand that cannot be seen"; on the other are forces associated with "London".<br /><br />This is not to say that any such battle has been taking place in reality, but that is how things have appeared in the popular imagination, and not only for the "man in the street" but also for the man in the conservative suit with the Lions Club lapel badge. This tale is not about reality, but about belief, or about how to talk about things that are unmentionable.<br /><br /><br />The tale starts over two centuries ago at the founding of Bangkok. There was a sacrifice at the erection of the city pillar. Such ceremonies draw on old beliefs about the spiritual force vested in the earth. The sacrifice is required to placate these spirits so they afford their protection to the realm. Unhappily, a green snake slid into the hole along with the offerings.<br /><br /><br />This has been the cause of difficulty for the realm and ruling ้lite ever since, requiring propitiation of those gods who have the power to combat this sort of misfortune. Two gods were selected for this role. The first was the "flower Brahma". In Hindu mythology, while Vishnu was lying asleep on a serpent, a lotus flower sprouted from his navel. Brahma was incarnated in this lotus, seated in a position of deep meditation, and went on to recreate the world. In India, the idea of a "flower Brahma" seems unknown, but in the Thai adaptation, the phrase means a meditating Brahma of special power, enough power to recreate the world.<br /><br /><br />The second god was Vishnu, or Narai in the Thai tradition. During the churning of the sea of milk to create the life force for the world, he stood at the very centre, imperiously directing the whole event with his four arms. As with the "flower Brahma", this is an image connected to the power of creation.<br /><br /><br />On March 21, 2006, the statue of Brahma in the Erawan Shrine was smashed by hammer blows. Of course the statue was originally the guardian spirit of a hotel.<br /><br /><br />Such shrines draw on the same beliefs that underlie the city pillar. Probably because the shrine was at an intersection that became a pivot of the city, the statue unofficially took on the role of protecting much more than just the hotel. The attack came at a time of extreme political tension. The controversial 2006 election was two weeks away. Mobs were on the streets. According to this interpretation, the incident was not the work of a deranged vandal but a deliberate attack on one of the key spiritual forces behind the camp of the invisible hand. The attacker was immediately killed, and the incident was never properly explained in public.<br /><br /><br />Now fast-forward two years to early 2008. At the magnificent sanctuary of Phanom Rung, there is a famous lintel which depicts not only Vishnu reclining on a serpent and contemplating the recreation of the world but also the moment of Brahma's incarnation in a lotus sprouting from Vishnu's navel. Possibly this lintel was what attracted some military men who reportedly visited Phanom Rung and carried out ceremonies to improve the fortunes of the ้lite and the realm.<br /><br /><br />But some time after their visit, there was a counterattack, again at a time of gathering political tension, only a week before the court decision that dissolved Thai Rak Thai. Some people entered the Phanom Rung complex at night, moved and broke an elaborate bull lingam, defaced the mouths of eleven naga snakes, damaged two lions and broke the hands of two guardian spirits.<br /><br /><br />In this interpretation, this vandalism was an attempt to undo the earlier propitiation of Vishnu and Brahma and marshal the spiritual forces on the side of "London". This again explains why the whole event seems to have been hushed up.<br /><br /><br />The explanation continues like this. The Buri Ram faction was not an early supporter of Thaksin. In fact it was one of the last to fall into line, just before the 2005 election. And yet in 2006, its faction leader became Thaksin's chief lieutenant. That was not (according to this story) because of his political skills but his spiritual contacts. Buri Ram is a Khmer-speaking area.<br /><br /><br />In the Thai imagination, the Khmer world is a source of great spiritual power, especially associated with Angkor. Partly that power is associated with Siva, who is so prominent at Angkor. The bull lingam that featured in the Phanom Rung desecration is a representation of Siva. The snakes are his protectors. By rumour, the faction leader provided a statue of Kali, a powerful representation of Siva's wife, in one of "London's" household shrines. In the Thai view, the Khmer are also associated with the darker kinds of spiritual practice. That explains the violence at Phanom Rung.<br /><br /><br />Finally, how did Samak rise to the premiership?<br /><br /><br />According to this interpretation, Samak is a devotee of the flower Brahma. Shortly before the election he was allegedly seen attending one of the major shrines to this image for an intense ceremony.<br /><br /><br />If you accept this tale, it explains why politics have been so tense, why "London" has fallen low, why the Buri Ram faction has risen and why Samak has become prime minister.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-829464167306446637.post-60261013260458594012009-06-14T09:24:00.000-07:002009-06-14T10:41:53.973-07:00Heaven in Buddhist cosmology/ Naga and Buddha and calmnessOVERDRIVE: Gods must be crazy to rain on Samak's parade<br />Bangkokians were in sour mood on Monday when they woke up under a heavy downpour to find that the City of Angels was drowning in a sea of rainwater.<br /><br />It was one of those rare occasions when Bangkok lived up to its old sobriquet of the "Venice of the East".<br /><br />You could travel on a speedboat along Sukhumvit Road all the way to Bangna.<br /><br />Hundreds of cars - "oh, the poor Mercedes" - were simply dead in the water.<br /><br />Water-logged residents quickly looked to vent their anger upon a scapegoat.<br /><br />Predictably, Samak Sundaravej, the Bangkok governor, became a fat target for their travails from the 150mm of rain.<br /><br />Bangkokians just took it for granted that under his governorship, Bangkok would never have to suffer from any act of the gods.<br /><br />That was why they gave Samak more than one million votes in his landslide victory in the 2000 gubernatorial election.<br /><br />Bangkokians were angry with the governor because he was nowhere to be found when, with the water rising to knee level, they were struggling across Bangkok.<br /><br />When Samak finally did show up, he hit back at his emotional voters who were so naive as to hope that the Bangkok streets would remain as dry as a pizza pan whatever the state of the weather.<br /><br />He also called his critics "idiots".<br /><br />Samak defended his untarnished record as the benevolent governor of the City of Angels by saying that he had no control over the 150mm of rain.<br /><br />"Rain is a natural phenomenon," he said.<br /><br />"If it rains, it rains.<br /><br />It's no one's fault.<br /><br />How can I be expected to negotiate with the gods?" Samak's lonely voice was the most rational amid the emotional display of childish complaints by Bangkokians who seem to have no understanding at all about acts of gods.<br /><br />Samak was right to have said that he had no control over the heavy rain, nor had he any power to bargain with the gods.<br /><br />Indeed, the rain on that soaking wet Monday could have been the work of Phra Phirun or Phra Varun, the gods of Water and Rain.<br /><br />A traditional belief has it that Phra Phirun dislikes lies or breaches of promise.<br /><br />If Phra Phirun finds anybody who behaves this way, he casts his magic by sending water into the stomach of the liar until it swells up like a pregnant woman's.<br /><br />The problem is, who is it that has incurred the wrath of Phra Phirun - or was he merely expressing his opinion of the new Cabinet line-up? Phra Phirun is a very handsome god.<br /><br />His skin is shiny white (or red or a cloudy colour according to differing versions).<br /><br />He has four hands (or six).<br /><br />He holds an umbrella.<br /><br />This umbrella, which looks like a head of a Naga, never gets wet.<br /><br />He also holds a loop of rope, but some say the rope is actually a coiled Naga.<br /><br />He travels on a crocodile or sometimes on a cart pulled by seven swans.<br /><br />No one will ever know, of course, what happened in heaven over the weekend before Monday's downpour.<br /><br />Based on the "Three Worlds According to King Ruang", a Thai Buddhist cosmology written during the Sukhothai period 600 to 700 years ago, the god Indra reigns over the royal Sumeru mountain in the realm of heaven surrounded by large Devata cities on the peak of the Yugandhara mountain range.<br /><br />The sun, the moon, the 27 lunar mansions, and the stars and constellations continuously circle around the royal Sumeru mountain.<br /><br />But Phra Phirun could not have acted alone without a consensus from the Celestial Council.<br /><br />Now, you have to understand that this Celestial Council, over which the god Indra reigns supreme, is a heavenly body.<br /><br />You cannot really say that it is "independent" or "autonomous" from this world since it belongs to heaven in the first place.<br /><br />That is why we ordinary mortals - like Samak has said - could never expect to have control over the Celestial Council.<br /><br />Human beings normally look at the universe from a worldly perspective, which will never help them understand the reality of the universe.<br /><br />Only Samak has the best understanding of human limits and the acts of gods.<br />##################################<br /><br />Let me bring you back to the time of our Lord Buddha.<br /><br />After the Lord Buddha had attained his Enlightenment, he sat under the Bodhi Tree for seven days. He was in a blissful state after this Enlightenment. Then he moved on to relax under the shade of a banyan tree.<br /><br />There he stayed for another seven days.<br /><br />Then the Lord Buddha changed his position again by staying under a Barringtonia tree for seven more days, overcome by joy with the breakthrough of his consciousness. All of a sudden, it began to rain and a cold wind blew for seven long days.<br /><br />Trying to protect the Lord Buddha from the bad weather, the Naga King Mucalinda appeared before him. He coiled around the Buddha in seven coils and spread his hood over him to prevent the rain and the wind from touching his body.<br /><br />This posture of the Lord Buddha protected by the Naga has become immortal in scenes portrayed in Buddhist art and literature, as evidenced by the Nak Prok-style Buddha images and Buddha emulates during the Lopburi Art period.<br /><br />When the rain ceased, the Naga uncoiled. It then disguised itself as a young man and stood before the Buddha, who said: "There is happiness in quietude.<br /><br />One who has heard the Dharmma takes pleasure in calmness. The happiest person in the world is he who does not do any harm to any creature, gives up desires and is without passion.”<br />The Naga embraced the Lord Buddha's teaching wholeheartedly.<br /><br /><br />By Thanong Khanthong<br />According to Buddhist Cosmology the universe is undergoing cycles and beings are spread over a number of existential "planes" in which this human world is only one (though important) "realm" of life. In Buddhism the gods are not immortal, though they may live much longer than the earthly beings. They also are subject to decay and change, and the process of becoming. The intensity and the manner in which these processes take place however may be different and involve longer periods of time. But like any other beings, they are with a beginning and an end.<br /><br />However, all heavenly beings are regarded as inferior in status to the Arhats who have attained Nirvana. The gods were also from the lower worlds originally, but slowly and gradually graduated themselves into higher worlds by virtue of their past deeds and cultivation of virtuous qualities. Since there are many heavens and higher worlds of Brahma, these gods may evolve progressively from one heaven to another through their merit or descend into lower worlds due to some misfortune or right intention. One notable Buddhist paradise is the Pure Land of Pure Land Buddhism.<br /><br />The gods of Buddhism are therefore not immortal. Neither their position in the heavens is permanent. They may however live for longer durations of time. One of the Buddhist Sutras states that a hundred years of our existence is equal to one day and one night in the world of the thirty-three gods. Thirty such days add up to their one month. Twelve such months become their one year, while they live for a thousand such years.<br /><br />Buddhism teaches that there are five (sometimes six) realms of rebirth, which can then be further subdivided into degrees of agony or pleasure. Of these realms, the hell realms, or Naraka, is the lowest realm of rebirth. Of the hell realms, the worst is Avīci or "endless suffering". The Buddha's disciple, Devadatta, who tried to kill the Buddha on three occasions, as well as create a schism in the monastic order, is said to have been reborn in the Avici Hell.<br /><br />However, like all realms of rebirth, rebirth in the Hell realms is not permanent, though suffering can persist for eons before being reborn again. In the Lotus Sutra, the Buddha teaches that eventually even Devadatta will become a Buddha himself, emphasizing the temporary nature of the Hell realms. Thus, Buddhism teaches to escape the endless migration of rebirths (both positive and negative) through the attainment of Nirvana.<br /><br />The Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha, according to the Ksitigarbha Sutra, made a great vow as a young girl to not reach Enlightenment until all beings were liberated from the Hell Realms or other unwholesome rebirths. In popular literature, Ksitigarbha travels to the Hell realms to teach and relieve beings of their suffering.<br /><br />Purgatory is the condition or process of purification in which the souls of those who die in a state of grace are made ready for heaven. This is an idea that has ancient roots and is well-attested in early Christian literature, while the conception of purgatory as a geographically situated place is largely the achievement of medieval Christian piety and imagination.[1]<br /><br />Purgatory as a physical place<br /><br />Dante gazes at purgatory (shown as a mountain) in this 16th century painting.In antiquity and medieval times, heaven and hell were regarded as places existing within the physical universe: heaven "above", in the sky; hell "below", in or beneath the earth. Similarly, purgatory has at times been thought of as a physical location. In Dante's fourteenth century work The Divine Comedy, shows this with Earth as the center of the universe (and hell at the "center of the center" of the universe), the planets and stars revolving around Earth and Heaven (or the Seven Heavens) encircling Creation in Celestial spheres.<br /><br />As for purgatory, it is depicted as a mountain in the southern hemisphere. When, according to Dante's work, Satan rebelled against God and was defeated, he was cast out from Heaven and fell to Earth. The impact crater from the fall was so great that it reached to the Earth's core. Satan being held at the center of the center of the universe (Earth) was seen as reflecting his selfishness. As for the crater, it was filled over becoming a dark and fiery cavern, Hell, with Jerusalem directly over Satan.<br /><br />Yet the force of the Satan's impact created such an uplift, that it produced a mountain "beneath" Satan, on the opposite side of the Earth from the impact. Souls given a second chance find themselves at Mt. Purgatory and should they reach the top they will find themselves at Jerusalem's antipode, the Garden of Eden itself. Thus cleansed of all sin and made perfect, they wait in Earthly paradise before ascending to Heaven. Thus, ironically, all Satan's attempts to destroy and damn humanity did was ensure humanity's salvation.<br /><br />This is no longer the mainstream religious concept of purgatory. In 1999 Pope John Paul II declared that the term ('purgatory') did not indicate a place, but "a condition of existence".[11]<br /><br />Heaven and Hell<br /><br />A depiction of purgatory by Venezuelan painter Cristóbal Rojas (1890) representing the boundary between heaven (above) and hell (below)According to Catholic belief, immediately after death, a person undergoes judgment in which the soul's eternal destiny is specified.[12] Some are eternally united with God in Heaven, often envisioned as a paradise of eternal joy. Conversely, others are destined for Hell, a state of eternal separation from God often envisioned as a fiery place of punishment.[13]<br /><br /><br />[edit] Purgatory's role<br />In addition to accepting the states of heaven and hell, Catholicism envisages a third state before being admitted to heaven. According to Catholic doctrine, some souls are not sufficiently free from sin and its consequences to enter the state of heaven immediately, nor are they so sinful as to be destined for hell either.[14] Such souls, ultimately destined to be united with God in heaven, must first endure purgatory—a state of purification.[15] In purgatory, souls "achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven."[Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-829464167306446637.post-75429222511852602452009-06-14T09:17:00.001-07:002009-06-14T10:44:55.473-07:00Rama V: Most Beloved King<strong><br />It was not until 1888 - 20 years after his enthronement - that King Chulalongkorn managed to inaugurate the transition to a modern system of government, based on the organisation of European governments.<br /><br />In a way, it was a reaction against a 60-page petition addressed to the King early in 1883 by 11 radical young men, three of whom were the King's half brothers.<br /><br />Fresh from their studies abroad, they called for the King to adopt a system of parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy.<br /><br />Against the backdrop of Western colonialism and the need for administrative reform, this petition went so far as to call for the King to share his power with a prime minister, a cabinet and a parliament.<br /><br />This was a genesis of the 1932 Revolution.<br /><br />King Chulalongkorn listened attentively to the petition.<br /><br />But his view was that it would be too soon to push the country toward constitutional monarchy.<br /><br />The old noblemen were incompetent, while the younger generation was not educated enough to cope with the transition.<br /><br />The King wrote: "I, too, want political reforms, but at present there are other matters more pressing .<br /><br />.<br /><br />.<br /><br />We must first of all see that we can get the right kind of people to be our future legislators, or we are better off without them.<br /><br />" In 1887 King Chulalongkorn asked his half brother, Prince Devawongse, the patriarch of the Devakula family - to which Bank of Thailand Governor MR Pridiyathorn Devakula belongs - to study the system of European governments.<br /><br />The prince was then attending a celebration in England which marked Queen Victoria's 50th anniversary on the throne.<br /><br />Upon his return, Prince Devawongse recommended the formation of a cabinet of 12 ministers, consisting of seven old ministries and five new ones.<br /><br />The new ministries began to take shape, marking the King's efforts to consolidate his administration.<br /><br />At the same time, he confronted the threat of the colonial powers and in the end had to yield territory in order to preserve Siam's independence.<br /><br />In 1892 the King set about further centralising the administration of the outlying provinces, particularly the tributary states.<br /><br />Prince Damrong Rajanubhab, the King's half brother, was assigned with this momentous task of bringing all the outlying provinces and vassal states under centralised control.<br /><br />In the end, under King Chulalongkorn, Siam's bureaucratic system was entrenched to serve the affairs of state and of the King.<br /><br />Hardly has the Thai bureaucratic system been subjected to such an overhaul since, although it has gone through periodic adjustments.<br /><br />The 1932 Revolution did not trigger any significant change to the bureaucratic system either.<br /><br />Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's aim to take on the bureaucratic system marks the first ever attempt to overhaul this outdated system in a big way - for better or for worse.<br /><br />The bureaucrats, the silent minority, are an important constituency in Thailand.<br /><br />In the Thai word, they are called kharajakarn, or servants of the King.<br /><br />So the English translation of the Thai bureaucrats as civil servants is rather misleading.<br /><br />There are more than two million of them, representing a bloated system.<br /><br />Almost every baht of tax revenue goes to feed the bureaucrats, leaving hardly any money left for national development or for other investment projects.<br /><br />Over time, it has become uncertain whether the bureaucrats dedicate their lives to the affairs of state or to the affairs of their own pocketbooks.<br /><br />A Cabinet member described typical Thai bureaucrats as follows: "Nine out of 10 of them do not work with motivation.<br /><br />They only work 80 per cent of their time, spending the rest of the time greeting or serving their bosses who have nothing to do with the affairs of state.<br /><br />"They still look upon themselves as the regulators rather than the providers of public services to the Thai people.<br /><br />" While the Thaksin government is working on bureaucratic reform, it remains unclear whether its aim is to enhance the competency, transparency and accountability of the bureaucrats; or whether its motivation is to direct the bureaucrats to serve the political leadership at all cost.<br /><br />These are essential points that will have to be explained more clearly.<br /><br />In the private sector, consolidation is under way in earnest under the directive of the Thaksin government.<br /><br />The Thai Chamber of Commerce, the Federation of Thai Industries and the Thai Bankers' Association are to merge to create a Keidenren-style organisation, which will form a partnership with the government in strategic planning.<br /><br />After mustering control over parliament through mergers and acquisitions of political parties, overhauling the bureaucratic system and consolidating the private sector organisations, the prime minister will emerge as the most powerful politician in the modern system of government - again for better or for worse.<br /><br /> </strong><br /><strong>Most Beloved King</strong><br /><br />Driving along Rajdamnoen Avenue towards the Royal Plaza, where the elegant Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall is situated, you'll come face to face with a statue of King Chulalongkorn (1868-1910).<br /><br />Almost a century after his demise on October 23, 1910, this Most Beloved King still casts a large shadow over Thailand - his status is that of a God King.<br /><br />The statue almost seems to live.<br /><br />Like most great pieces of art, the statue tells a story, complete in itself.<br /><br />The King, dressed in a 19th-century Western-style military uniform, sits astride a horse.<br /><br />The horse's legs move slowly, as if the King is presiding over a grand military parade.<br /><br />Before him, Siam is completely under his absolute monarchy.<br /><br />The statue of King Chulalongkorn is in sharp contrast to that of King Taksin, which is located at Wongwienyai, in the old capital of Thonburi.<br /><br />Where King Chulalongkorn gives the impression of a modern king on horseback, one may identify King Taksin as an ancient king on horseback.<br />King Taksin, who made Thonburi the new capital after the collapse of Ayutthaya in 1767, holds his sword aloft, showing that he is ready to lead his army into yet another battle.<br /><br />His mission is not yet completed.<br /><br />The comfortable posture of King Chulalongkorn reflects his reserved power and the absence of doubt about his Kingship.<br />During his reign, King Chulalongkorn set forth to modernise Siam through radical institutional reforms.<br />He charted a brilliant diplomatic course against the colonial Western powers and at the same time laid the foundations for Siam as a modern state so that it might maintain its independence and move on into the 20th century.<br />Most important, King Chulalongkorn followed in the footsteps of his father, King Mongkut (1851-1868), further institutionalising the Chakri Dynasty until it was firmly embedded in both the physical and spiritual domains of Siam.<br />Indeed, one of King Mongkut's most important tasks was to institutionalise the Chakri Dynasty.<br />Before him, the reign of King Rama I (1782-1809) was commonly known as the First Reign, the reign of King Rama II (1809-1824) as the Middle Reign and the reign of King Rama III (1824-1851) as the Last Reign.<br />Bangkok, founded in 1729, was a very young capital in King Mongkut's reign.<br />Ayutthaya fell to the Burmese in 1767.<br /><br />In between, Thonburi was capital of Siam for a brief period of only 15 years.<br /><br />The political transition was far from smooth.<br /><br />There used to be a general misconception among historians that King Rama III, the eldest son of King Rama II and a half brother to King Mongkut, should not have claimed the right to ascend the throne since his mother was a commoner.<br /><br />The argument then followed that King Mongkut, who had full Chao Fa, or celestial rank, should have been elected king by the Accession Council as because, as a direct descendant of King Rama II and with his mother a full queen, his blood was pure royal.<br /><br />But then both King Rama I and King Rama II were born commoners during the Ayutthaya period.<br /><br />However, King Mongkut went on to institutionalise the Chakri Dynasty by giving King Rama I, his grandfather, the formal title of Phra Batsomdej Phra Phuttha Yodfa Chulalok, King Rama II that of Phra Batsomdej Phra Phuttha Lertla Naphalai and King Rama III that of Phra Batsomdej Phra Nangkhlao Chao Yuhua.<br /><br />In so doing, King Mongkut also succeeded in establishing the Chakri Dynasty as defender of the Buddhist faith.<br /><br />King Mongkut himself bore the formal kingly title of Phra Batsomdej Phra Chomkhlao Chao Yuhua.<br /><br />He married a niece of King Rama III.<br /><br />Queen Dhepsirin was the mother of King Chulalongkorn, who, like his father, was born of pure royal blood.<br /><br />King Chulalongkorn went on to reign in the later part of the 19th century and the early part of the 20th century.<br /><br />He was formally titled Phra Batsomdej Phra Chulachomkhlao Chao Yuhua.<br /><br />Every day, particularly in the evening, you see people from all walks of life coming to pay their respects to King Chulalongkorn at his statue.<br />They worship him by offering him flowers and garlands.<br /><br />To them, he is still and forever the Most Beloved King.<br />=================<br />RAMA V and reform<br />It was not until 1888 - 20 years after his enthronement - that King Chulalongkorn managed to inaugurate the transition to a modern system of government, based on the organisation of European governments.In a way, it was a reaction against a 60-page petition addressed to the King early in 1883 by 11 radical young men, three of whom were the King's half brothers.Fresh from their studies abroad, they called for the King to adopt a system of parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy.Against the backdrop of Western colonialism and the need for administrative reform, this petition went so far as to call for the King to share his power with a prime minister, a cabinet and a parliament.This was a genesis of the 1932 Revolution.King Chulalongkorn listened attentively to the petition.But his view was that it would be too soon to push the country toward constitutional monarchy.The old noblemen were incompetent, while the younger generation was not educated enough to cope with the transition.The King wrote: "I, too, want political reforms, but at present there are other matters more pressing ...We must first of all see that we can get the right kind of people to be our future legislators, or we are better off without them." In 1887 King Chulalongkorn asked his half brother, Prince Devawongse, the patriarch of the Devakula family - to which Bank of Thailand Governor MR Pridiyathorn Devakula belongs - to study the system of European governments.The prince was then attending a celebration in England which marked Queen Victoria's 50th anniversary on the throne.Upon his return, Prince Devawongse recommended the formation of a cabinet of 12 ministers, consisting of seven old ministries and five new ones.The new ministries began to take shape, marking the King's efforts to consolidate his administration.At the same time, he confronted the threat of the colonial powers and in the end had to yield territory in order to preserve Siam's independence.In 1892 the King set about further centralising the administration of the outlying provinces, particularly the tributary states.Prince Damrong Rajanubhab, the King's half brother, was assigned with this momentous task of bringing all the outlying provinces and vassal states under centralised control.In the end, under King Chulalongkorn, Siam's bureaucratic system was entrenched to serve the affairs of state and of the King.Hardly has the Thai bureaucratic system been subjected to such an overhaul since, although it has gone through periodic adjustments.The 1932 Revolution did not trigger any significant change to the bureaucratic system either.Prime Minister<a href="http://www.nationmultimedia.com/search/adsearch.php?keyword=+Thaksin+"> Thaksin </a>Shinawatra's aim to take on the bureaucratic system marks the first ever attempt to overhaul this outdated system in a big way - for better or for worse.The bureaucrats, the silent minority, are an important constituency in Thailand.In the Thai word, they are called kharajakarn, or servants of the King.So the English translation of the Thai bureaucrats as civil servants is rather misleading.There are more than two million of them, representing a bloated system.Almost every baht of tax revenue goes to feed the bureaucrats, leaving hardly any money left for national development or for other investment projects.Over time, it has become uncertain whether the bureaucrats dedicate their lives to the affairs of state or to the affairs of their own pocketbooks.A Cabinet member described typical Thai bureaucrats as follows: "Nine out of 10 of them do not work with motivation.They only work 80 per cent of their time, spending the rest of the time greeting or serving their bosses who have nothing to do with the affairs of state."They still look upon themselves as the regulators rather than the providers of public services to the Thai people." While the<a href="http://www.nationmultimedia.com/search/adsearch.php?keyword=+Thaksin+"> Thaksin </a>government is working on bureaucratic reform, it remains unclear whether its aim is to enhance the competency, transparency and accountability of the bureaucrats; or whether its motivation is to direct the bureaucrats to serve the political leadership at all cost.These are essential points that will have to be explained more clearly.In the private sector, consolidation is under way in earnest under the directive of the<a href="http://www.nationmultimedia.com/search/adsearch.php?keyword=+Thaksin+"> Thaksin </a>government.The Thai Chamber of Commerce, the Federation of Thai Industries and the Thai Bankers' Association are to merge to create a Keidenren-style organisation, which will form a partnership with the government in strategic planning.After mustering control over parliament through mergers and acquisitions of political parties, overhauling the bureaucratic system and consolidating the private sector organisations, the prime minister will emerge as the most powerful politician in the modern system of government - again for better or for worse.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-829464167306446637.post-56550088570655302162009-06-14T09:12:00.001-07:002009-06-14T11:03:29.761-07:00Phra Buddha Chinnarat<strong>Chinaraj<br />PHITSANULOK - Pilgrims travelling to this northern province during the New Year festival to pay homage to Phra Jinaraj hardly had any peace of mind. All along the highway from Bangkok to Phitsanulok, for a distance of 377 kilometres, they were distracted by the eyesore posters of Chuan Leekpai and Thaksin Shinawatra.<br /><br /> Both candidates were heading into a full-scale dogfight for the premiership. The political campaign trail created a worldly parallel to the journey of religious devotion of the thousands of pilgrims who had Wat Phrasri Rattana Mahathat as their final destination.<br /><br /> Wat Phrasri Rattana Mahathat is an elegant temple, built during the reign of Phra Maha Thamma Raja (Phraya Lithai) in 1357. The temple overlooks the Nan River, which makes its way down south to form - together with the Ping, Wang and Yom - the Chao Phya River at Pak Nam Pho, Nakhon Sawan.<br /><br /> Wat Phrasri Rattana Mahathat is home to Phra Jinaraj, unquestionably the Kingdom's most beautiful Buddha image through a perfect combination of size and proportion. The local people call the temple by its simple name of Wat Yai, or "Big Temple". They also give Phra Jinaraj a more intimate name of luang por ("father"). Most Buddha images are called luang por or luang pu (grandfather) because they do not age generation after generation.<br /><br /> In the local people's consciousness, Phra Jinaraj is always there, giving moral guidance for courage and virtue. All the Siamese kings, as a royal tradition, have made a pilgrimage to Phra Jinaraj. You fulfil your devotion as a Thai Buddhist by paying homage to Phra Jinaraj at least once in your lifetime to realise the transcendental experience and to appreciate the perfection of impermanence.<br /> King Naresuan the Great (1590-1605) grew up with Phra Jinaraj, originally a bronze statue. A prince by birth, he was born and raised in Phitsanulok, then a northern outpost of Ayutthaya. Phra Jinaraj was definitely his mentor. Ekathotsarot, his younger brother, was said to have coated Phra Jinaraj with some of his gold regalia, using his own hands, until the Buddha image shone totally in gold. The effect is striking, adding to the glamour and the unworldliness of Phra Jinaraj.<br /><br /> Phra Jinaraj is cast in a posture of the Buddha Subduing the Mara. Legend has it that the Buddha was sitting under a tree when he was suddenly surrounded by thousands of heavenly beings. Then came the Mara, or the Devil, with his army, which aimed to prevail over virtue with vice. But the Buddha's absolute power conquered the Mara, hence giving rise to one of his most famous postures in the making of Buddha images. It is also a sign of the victory of virtue over vice.<br /><br /> Inside Wat Yai, hundreds of pilgrims flock to pay tribute to Phra Jinaraj. There are Buddha amulets of Phra Jinaraj on the front and King Naresuan, Prince Ekathosarot and Princess Suphan Kalaya on the back. The three siblings are now immortalised as heroes who sacrificed their lives for the cause of Thai independence.<br /><br /> It was with the guiding spirit of Phra Jinaraj that King Naresuan fought his victorious wars against the Burmese and other enemies. Opposite the township of Phitsanulok, there is a shrine dedicated to King Naresuan. His statue is in a sitting posture and he is pouring lustral water from a golden container to declare Ayutthaya's independence from the Burmese. In this age, where genuine heroes cannot be found, it is necessary to go back to King Naresuan as a source of heroism and an inspiration of courage and virtue.<br /><br /> Having fulfilled their pilgrimage, the thousands of Thais who visited the temple went home to resume their daily lives with the image of Phra Jinaraj and King Naresuan in the forefront of their consciousness. This blessing made the politics of the general election and the politicians undertaking to lead Thailand look absurd and unreal.</strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>Victorious and glorious<br /></strong>For breathtaking aesthetic beauty, it's hard to match the statue of Phra Buddha Chinnarat<br /><br />by Thanong Khanthong, The Nation (Thailand), April 24, 2006<br />Aesthetically speaking, Phra Buddha Chinnarat stands out as the most beautiful Buddha statue in Thailand. If beauty is to be defined by size and proportion, then Phra Buddha Chinnarat is a perfectly built statue, radiating a striking image of the Victorious Buddha and representing the highest achievement of Buddhist art.<br /><br />You have to hold your breath as you set foot inside Wat Phra Sri Ratana Mahathat, where Phra Buddha Chinnarat resides in his authoritative posture. It is in fact a posture of the Buddha's Subduing of the Mara. The entire body of the statue, with its decorative frame of Naga, the mythical snake, is covered with gold leaf, so bright that you can feel a myriad rays beaming out from the statue in the daytime.<br /><br />Built during the Sukhothai era, Phra Buddha Chinnarat truly embodies the noble spirit and grandeur of ancient Phitsanulok, the northern outpost and onetime capital of old Siam. The maker of Phra Buddha Chinnarat must have had a pure image of the Victorious Buddha in mind and set about creating the statue without following any previous model. The bronze statue is 3.72 metres high and 2.85 metres wide.<br /><br />Once you have made a pilgrimage to Phitsanulok to worship Phra Buddha Chinnarat, you have fulfilled your life as a Buddhist. Nobody can truly claim to be a Buddhist living in Siam without once in his or her life paying homage to this Victorious Buddha.<br /><br />Phra Buddha Chinnarat has the posture of the Buddha' Subduing of the Mara, or Demon King. The Buddha was sitting under a tree, surrounded by thousands of heavenly beings when the Mara arrived with his army. The Demon King wished to destroy the Buddha. The heavenly beings were filled with fear and fled away. The Buddha then conquered the Mara alone with his own power - hence the statue of the Buddha's Subduing of the Mara. For this reason, Phra Buddha Chinnarat is looked upon as the Victorious Buddha.<br /><br />King Naresuan the Great and his brother King Ekathosarot, both warrior kings, must have developed a special bond with Phra Buddha Chinnarat, for they only needed to cross the Nan River from their Chandra Palace to visit the temple and Phra Buddha Chinnarat, commonly called Luang Pho. The term Luang Pho gives Phra Buddha Chinnarat a life, an image of a grand old, learned man.<br /><br />Luang Pho can also be considered a teacher, for in the old days only monks served as teachers, with the temples serving as schools.<br /><br />The inspiration King Naresuan drew from worshipping Phra Buddha Chinnarat must have been carried with him to every battlefield on which he waged war against the Burmese. King Naresuan and King Ekathosarot were believed to have glued the gold leaf to the body of Phra Buddha Chinnarat with their own hands. With the Victorious Buddha in his heart, King Naresuan won all the battles alone, like the Buddha's victory over the Mara.<br /><br />When the statue is stripped of its gold for cleaning, it is completely black. Incidentally, King Naresuan was also known by the name Phra Ong Dum (the Black King). Four hundred years after his death, the people of Phitsanulok have come to associate King Naresuan with Phra Buddha Chinnarat. Buddha amulets and Buddha coins are made with the image of Phra Buddha Chinnarat on the front and that of King Naresuan on the back. In this regard, Phra Buddha Chinnarat and King Naresuan are two sides of the same coin.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-829464167306446637.post-50385851033859827442009-06-14T09:10:00.000-07:002009-06-14T10:26:22.276-07:00Royal Barge<strong><br />Nation<br />Royal Barge Procession a spectacle not to be missed<br /><br />Published on June 2, 2006<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The highlight of the celebrations of the 60th Anniversary of His Majesty the King's accession to the throne will be the Royal Barge Procession on June 12.<br /><br />This spectacular procession of the royal barges along the Chao Phya River will be witnessed by the kings, queens and royal representatives of 26 countries, along with Thais and people from all around the world.<br /><br />It is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that you should not miss.<br /><br /><br />The<br /><br />Royal Barge Procession will start at Vasukri Pier, near the National Library, and end at the Temple of Dawn.<br /><br />A total of 52 barges will take part in the procession, formed into five contingents.<br /><br />The four most important barges are Suphanahong, Ananta Nakharaj, Narai Songsuban of Rama IX, and Anekachart Phuchong.<br /><br />The entire procession will be 1.<br /><br />2 kilometres long and 90 metres wide, with 2,200 oarsmen.<br /><br />Truly a part of our cultural heritage, the Royal Barge Procession is the only one of its kind in the world.<br /><br />In the old days, the Royal Barge Procession reflected the military might of the Ayutthaya kings.<br /><br />King Naresuan the Great, in one of his tireless military campaigns, travelled in a procession of royal barges to wage war in Burma's Moulemein.<br /><br />King Narai the Great, who preferred Lop Buri to Ayutthaya as his capital, also travelled in the Royal Barge Procession to visit various outposts in his kingdom.<br /><br />King Narai's Royal Barge Procession came to be known as the "Phetch Phuang Procession".<br /><br /><br />Other Ayutthaya kings also travelled by royal barge to pay respects to the Buddha's Footprint in Saraburi during the Royal Kathin Ceremony.<br /><br />All Thai children know from their schoolbooks about the tragic yet heroic act of Phanthai Norasingh.<br /><br />Legend has it that during the reign of Phrachao Sua, there was an able captain of the king's barge named Phanthai Norasingh.<br /><br />His job was to stay at the stern of the barge to control the tiller and guide the rhythm of the oarsmen.<br /><br />One day, the barge was travelling on a very treacherous river and the captain could not control it.<br /><br />The bow of the barge struck a tree branch and broke.<br /><br /><br />Ancient tradition prescribed severe punishment - execution - for a captain who caused damage to the royal barge.<br /><br />In this particular case, Phrachao Sua did not want to punish Phanthai because he understood that the accident was beyond anybody's control.<br /><br />But Phanthai insisted that he be punished in order to maintain tradition.<br /><br />He was executed by beheading.<br /><br /><br />Later on, the Royal Barge Procession was held largely during royal ceremonies as battles on water had become less significant.<br /><br />During the Rattanakosin Period King Yodfa, or King Rama I, took part in the Royal Barge Procession in the first year of his reign in 1782 when he travelled to Wat Bangwahyai and Wat Hong to attend the Royal Kathin Ceremony.<br /><br /><br />The<br /><br />re have been 14 Royal Barge Processions in the reign of the present King Rama IX.<br /><br />The first was held in 1957 to coincide with 2,500 years of Buddhism.<br /><br />The most recent one was held for visiting heads of state when the Thailand hosted the Asia-Pacific Economic and Cooperation meeting in October 2003.<br /><br />As for the Royal Barge Procession to be held on June 12, His Majesty the King will witness the spectacular sight, along with other kings, queens and royal representatives, from the Royal Navy Building on the Thonburi side of Bangkok.<br /><br />The<br /><br />re will be three rehearsals of the Royal Barge Procession - one today and the other two on Tuesday and Friday next week - before the actual event.<br /><br />The rehearsals offer a good chance to witness the grandeur of the Royal Barge Procession from a choice position along the Chao Phaya River between Vasukri Pier and Wat Arun.<br /><br />It will be more difficult to find a good spot on June 12 because thousands of people will be lining up along the river to watch the spectacle.<br /><br />The world will be sharing Thailand's pride during this and all the other events marking the 60th anniversary of His Majesty the King's accession to the throne.</strong><br /><strong><br />Nothing could be more picturesque, more majestic, more surreal or more evocative of the grandeur of Bangkok – the City of Angels – than the Royal Barge Procession.<br /><br />As the leaders of the 21 member economies of Apec gathered at the Royal Navy Conference Hall on the Thon Buri side of Bangkok for a gala dinner, they were treated to the sight of the glittering procession of Royal Barges on the Chao Phya River.<br /><br />The site of the gathering was once the compound of the Royal Palace of King Taksin.<br /><br />After the fall Ayutthya in 1767, King Taksin claimed Thon Buri as the capital of Siam.<br /><br />This lasted for 15 years until 1782.<br /><br />It was a perfect location for the world's leaders – among them George W Bush of the US, Vladimir Putin of Russia, Hu Jintao of China, Alejandro Toledo of Peru, and Vincente Fox of Mexico – to watch the show.<br /><br />Most of the 21 leaders of Apec were accompanied by their spouses.<br /><br />Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra played host for the affair, which served as a showcase for Thailand's proud heritage and grand traditions.<br /><br />The weather was warm and humid following a downpour at about 5pm, which raised concerns that the Royal Barge Procession would be interrupted.<br /><br />Yet Phra Sayam Thevathiraj, the God of the City of Angels, came to the rescue, in no time restoring calm to the weather and allowing the procession to proceed with fanfare at around 9pm.<br /><br />The leaders and their spouses were plunged into the past glory of Thon Buri, the Twin Capital of Thailand.<br /><br />Between Bangkok and Thon Buri lies the serpentine form of the Chao Phya River, which serves as a geographical divide for the two cities.<br /><br />Yet spiritually, the river binds the two together in shared glory and destiny.<br /><br />Next year Bangkok will celebrate its 222nd anniversary.<br /><br />From their vantage point, the Apec leaders were able to enjoy the impressive sight of the Grand Palace of Bangkok, with its splendid pagodas, many ornate temples and buildings, all adorned with gold leaf and reflective tiles.<br /><br />The Grand Palace was bathed in shiny gold as if it had been made in heaven.<br /><br />To their right, the leaders could also see the Temple of the Dawn and its landmark chedi, which symbolises the universe.<br /><br />The Royal Barges that passed before the eyes of the gathered leaders and thousands of Thais who watched the procession from the river banks took a 40-minute symbolic journey through the three worlds – the human world, the water world, and finally heaven.<br /><br />From the Wasukri Pier, about three kilometres north of the Royal Navy Conference Hall, 52 Royal Barges set out on their journey from the human world, where finite beings are governed by the law of suffering.<br /><br />Dusk fell, and the more than 2,000 oarsmen taking part in the ceremony enjoyed a pleasant ride as they made their way through the water world, which flows towards the sea at Pak Nam.<br /><br />The Royal Barges are painted in bright colours – gold, silver, red, blue, green, pink and white – and decorated with mythical animals and characters from the Ramayana, such as Asura Vayuphak, Pali Rang Thaveep, Krabi Ran Ron Rap, Krut Tret Traichak, and Krut Hern Het.<br /><br />The foremost vessels were the Royal Barge Narai Song Suban HM King Rama IX and the Royal Barge Suphannahongse.<br /><br />The Narai Song Suban is decorated with a garuda figure and Narai, a Hindu god.<br /><br />The Suphannahongse, which dates back to 1548 in the Ayutthya period, has an elegant swan at its head.<br /><br />The barge befits the status of the King of Thailand.<br /><br />The Suphannahongse, or Hansa, is one of the emblems of the 2003 Apec summit, signifying that Thailand has enjoyed lucrative trade with other countries since ancient times.<br /><br />The resounding chanting of the lead singer floated out across the Chao Phya as the procession made its way past.<br /><br />The song depicted the beauty and glory of the City of Angels.<br /><br />Only in Bangkok do angels and human beings live in harmony.<br /><br />The exquisite scene was reminiscent of the Royal Celebration and Royal Kathin Ceremony during the Ayutthya period (between 1350 and 1767).<br /><br />During the high-water season, the Ayutthya kings travelled with their entourages in a procession of Royal Barges to pay tribute to the Lord Buddha's footprint in Saraburi.<br /><br />The journey from Ayutthya to Saraburi was quite a distance in the old days, so songs were composed and sung along the way to boost the morale of the oarsmen and entertain the kings and their entourages.<br /><br />Prince Thammathibes (1715-1755), who was a Prince of the Front Palace during the time of King Boromkot, wrote a masterpiece that set a fresh standard for the Thai language and Thai poetry to accompany the Royal Barge Procession.<br /><br />Samadhachai and Krai Kab Kaew, Scintillating on the water, Go along side by side As if they had descended from heaven.<br /><br />Golden Hansa with pendant Delicately rests on the water, Like the bird-carriage of the Great Brahma, Gorgeously making its way.<br /><br />Victory barge is swift-winged, Flitting by like the wind; Rhythmic pole accelerates, The poop lowers with a forward thrust.<br /><br />(Translated by Montri Umavijani) The most spectacular sight came when the barges passed before the Grand Palace.<br /><br />It was there that the leaders were able to witness the surreal effect of the procession, buoyed by the modern lighting system, in its most dramatic form.<br /><br />The vessels subsequently arrived in heaven, the final destination that the Lord Buddha wants for all human beings.<br /><br />Alter the journey, the Royal Barges arrived at Wat Kalaya-namitra, bringing the cycle of the three worlds to an end.</strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>Royal Barge<br /></strong>Nothing could be more picturesque, more majestic, more surreal or more evocative of the grandeur of Bangkok – the City of Angels – than the Royal Barge Procession.<br /><br />As the leaders of the 21 member economies of Apec gathered at the Royal Navy Conference Hall on the Thon Buri side of Bangkok for a gala dinner, they were treated to the sight of the glittering procession of Royal Barges on the Chao Phya River.<br /><br />The site of the gathering was once the compound of the Royal Palace of King Taksin.<br /><br />After the fall Ayutthya in 1767, King Taksin claimed Thon Buri as the capital of Siam.<br /><br />This lasted for 15 years until 1782.<br /><br />It was a perfect location for the world’s leaders – among them George W Bush of the US, Vladimir Putin of Russia, Hu Jintao of China, Alejandro Toledo of Peru, and Vincente Fox of Mexico – to watch the show.<br /><br />Most of the 21 leaders of Apec were accompanied by their spouses.<br /><br />Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra played host for the affair, which served as a showcase for Thailand’s proud heritage and grand traditions.<br /><br />The weather was warm and humid following a downpour at about 5pm, which raised concerns that the Royal Barge Procession would be interrupted.<br /><br />Yet Phra Sayam Thevathiraj, the God of the City of Angels, came to the rescue, in no time restoring calm to the weather and allowing the procession to proceed with fanfare at around 9pm.<br /><br />The leaders and their spouses were plunged into the past glory of Thon Buri, the Twin Capital of Thailand.<br /><br />Between Bangkok and Thon Buri lies the serpentine form of the Chao Phya River, which serves as a geographical divide for the two cities.<br /><br />Yet spiritually, the river binds the two together in shared glory and destiny.<br /><br />Next year Bangkok will celebrate its 222nd anniversary.<br /><br />From their vantage point, the Apec leaders were able to enjoy the impressive sight of the Grand Palace of Bangkok, with its splendid pagodas, many ornate temples and buildings, all adorned with gold leaf and reflective tiles.<br /><br />The Grand Palace was bathed in shiny gold as if it had been made in heaven.<br /><br />To their right, the leaders could also see the Temple of the Dawn and its landmark chedi, which symbolises the universe.<br /><br />The Royal Barges that passed before the eyes of the gathered leaders and thousands of Thais who watched the procession from the river banks took a 40-minute symbolic journey through the three worlds – the human world, the water world, and finally heaven.<br /><br />From the Wasukri Pier, about three kilometres north of the Royal Navy Conference Hall, 52 Royal Barges set out on their journey from the human world, where finite beings are governed by the law of suffering.<br /><br />Dusk fell, and the more than 2,000 oarsmen taking part in the ceremony enjoyed a pleasant ride as they made their way through the water world, which flows towards the sea at Pak Nam.<br /><br />The Royal Barges are painted in bright colours – gold, silver, red, blue, green, pink and white – and decorated with mythical animals and characters from the Ramayana, such as Asura Vayuphak, Pali Rang Thaveep, Krabi Ran Ron Rap, Krut Tret Traichak, and Krut Hern Het.<br /><br />The foremost vessels were the Royal Barge Narai Song Suban HM King Rama IX and the Royal Barge Suphannahongse.<br /><br />The Narai Song Suban is decorated with a garuda figure and Narai, a Hindu god.<br /><br />The Suphannahongse, which dates back to 1548 in the Ayutthya period, has an elegant swan at its head.<br /><br />The barge befits the status of the King of Thailand.<br /><br />The Suphannahongse, or Hansa, is one of the emblems of the 2003 Apec summit, signifying that Thailand has enjoyed lucrative trade with other countries since ancient times.<br /><br />The resounding chanting of the lead singer floated out across the Chao Phya as the procession made its way past.<br /><br />The song depicted the beauty and glory of the City of Angels.<br /><br />Only in Bangkok do angels and human beings live in harmony.<br /><br />The exquisite scene was reminiscent of the Royal Celebration and Royal Kathin Ceremony during the Ayutthya period (between 1350 and 1767).<br /><br />During the high-water season, the Ayutthya kings travelled with their entourages in a procession of Royal Barges to pay tribute to the Lord Buddha’s footprint in Saraburi.<br /><br />The journey from Ayutthya to Saraburi was quite a distance in the old days, so songs were composed and sung along the way to boost the morale of the oarsmen and entertain the kings and their entourages.<br /><br />Prince Thammathibes (1715-1755), who was a Prince of the Front Palace during the time of King Boromkot, wrote a masterpiece that set a fresh standard for the Thai language and Thai poetry to accompany the Royal Barge Procession.<br /><br />Samadhachai and Krai Kab Kaew, Scintillating on the water, Go along side by side As if they had descended from heaven.<br /><br />Golden Hansa with pendant Delicately rests on the water, Like the bird-carriage of the Great Brahma, Gorgeously making its way.<br /><br />Victory barge is swift-winged, Flitting by like the wind; Rhythmic pole accelerates, The poop lowers with a forward thrust.<br /><br />(Translated by Montri Umavijani) The most spectacular sight came when the barges passed before the Grand Palace.<br /><br />It was there that the leaders were able to witness the surreal effect of the procession, buoyed by the modern lighting system, in its most dramatic form.<br /><br />The vessels subsequently arrived in heaven, the final destination that the Lord Buddha wants for all human beings.<br /><br />Alter the journey, the Royal Barges arrived at Wat Kalaya-namitra, bringing the cycle of the three worlds to an end.<br />Majestic splendour<br />November 5, 1999 -- THE grandeur of the reign of King Rama IX was further enhanced yesterday by the revival of the ancient tradition of a Royal procession down the Chao Phya River with glittering barges featuring different august animals.<br /><br />There is perhaps nothing more picturesque than this Royal Barge Procession, which is at once a festival of colour and mythical splendour. The procession evokes a sense of continuity just like the great river, a connection with the glories past, the grandeur that was Ayudhya and the magnificence that is Krungthep. It is an awe-inspiring event that reflects the rich cultural heritage of Thailand.<br /><br />King Bhumibol Adulyadej, upholder of the Buddhist faith, used the traditional transport by setting sail on the Suphannahongse in the afternoon from the Vasukri pier to preside over the Kathin merit-making ceremony, marking the end of Buddhist Lent, at the Temple of the Dawn.<br /><br />A slight drizzle at the beginning of the ceremony gave it an auspicious, tranquil and refreshing prelude. By the time the procession sailed from the Vasukri pier, the sky had cleared. On both sides of the river, Thais and foreigners marvelled at the spectacle. Tears of joy brimmed in many eyes as the beloved monarch pointed his camera at his loyal subjects.<br /><br />His Royal Highness Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn and Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn also accompanied the King in another barge, the Narai Song Suban, in the procession that was made up of a total of 52 vessels and extended to about one kilometre.<br /><br />The spectacular procession moved in parallel rows, a formation evolved from traditional military manoeuvres on rivers. Some of the barges were also equipped with cannons, a demonstration of the power of the Kingdom.<br /><br />The Suphannahongse glided elegantly on the mighty Chao Phya River or River of the Kings, reminiscent of a poem in the famous Royal barge songs composed by Prince Thammathibes, the foremost poet, during the Ayudhya period.<br /><br />Prince Thammathibes wrote:<br /><br />Golden Hansa with pendant<br /><br />Delicately rests on the water,<br /><br />Like the bird-carriage of the Great Brahma,<br /><br />Gorgeously making its way.<br /><br />And when the Suphannahongse began its journey, at times looking as if it was skimming the surface of the water, a boat song composed by Commander R N Thongyoi Saengsingchai was sung in extended rhythm to glorify the occasion. This was also reminiscent of Prince Thammathibes' Royal Barge songs, which go as follows:<br /><br />''Music is loud and cacophonous<br /><br />Amongst singers and revellers<br /><br />Shouting and merry-making<br /><br />Everybody is enjoying.<br /><br />The magnificent fleet sails out<br /><br />From the capital city;<br /><br />It delights the heart to see<br /><br />Fish of all species in great number.<br /><br />In the old days, between the end of the Buddhist Lent to the day of the full-moon, which lasts about a month, the Ayudhya Kings traditionally performed the presentation of robes to monks in the Kathin Ceremony as part of the Buddhist ritual.<br /><br />During this period of high tides, the Kings travelled by barge to the royally-patronised temples to fulfil their duties.<br /><br />The Kathin Ceremony is of great significance to the Kings, considered the paramount keeper of Buddhism. The occasion also permits oarsmen, mostly sailors, to work on their muscles and their craft in preparation for unexpected wars.<br /><br />The Royal Barge Procession, which can be traced back to the Sukhothai period, was in vogue until 1932, the year of the revolution that ended the absolute monarchy.<br /><br />The procession on water served three purposes: the Kings going to war against enemies, the Kings' travelling to royally--sponsored temples to participate in the merit-making ceremony and the Kings' making a pilgrimage to Buddha's Foot Print in Saraburi.<br /><br />It was King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who in 1959 revived the royal procession on water. The King sees in this procession a great tradition that must be safeguarded to dignify Thailand.<br /><br />Still, the Royal Barge Procession is a rare event, having taken place only five times, including yesterday's, during his reign.<br /><br />It also served as an overture to the grand celebration of His Majesty the King's birthday on Dec 5. Already His Majesty has surpassed all other Kings in the Chakri Dynasty in the greatness of his reign.<br />-------------------------<br />Majestic splendour<br />November 5, 1999 -- THE grandeur of the reign of King Rama IX was further enhanced yesterday by the revival of the ancient tradition of a Royal procession down the Chao Phya River with glittering barges featuring different august animals.<br /><br />There is perhaps nothing more picturesque than this Royal Barge Procession, which is at once a festival of colour and mythical splendour. The procession evokes a sense of continuity just like the great river, a connection with the glories past, the grandeur that was Ayudhya and the magnificence that is Krungthep. It is an awe-inspiring event that reflects the rich cultural heritage of Thailand.<br /><br />King Bhumibol Adulyadej, upholder of the Buddhist faith, used the traditional transport by setting sail on the Suphannahongse in the afternoon from the Vasukri pier to preside over the Kathin merit-making ceremony, marking the end of Buddhist Lent, at the Temple of the Dawn.<br /><br />A slight drizzle at the beginning of the ceremony gave it an auspicious, tranquil and refreshing prelude. By the time the procession sailed from the Vasukri pier, the sky had cleared. On both sides of the river, Thais and foreigners marvelled at the spectacle. Tears of joy brimmed in many eyes as the beloved monarch pointed his camera at his loyal subjects.<br /><br />His Royal Highness Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn and Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn also accompanied the King in another barge, the Narai Song Suban, in the procession that was made up of a total of 52 vessels and extended to about one kilometre.<br /><br />The spectacular procession moved in parallel rows, a formation evolved from traditional military manoeuvres on rivers. Some of the barges were also equipped with cannons, a demonstration of the power of the Kingdom.<br /><br />The Suphannahongse glided elegantly on the mighty Chao Phya River or River of the Kings, reminiscent of a poem in the famous Royal barge songs composed by Prince Thammathibes, the foremost poet, during the Ayudhya period.<br /><br />Prince Thammathibes wrote:<br /><br />Golden Hansa with pendant<br /><br />Delicately rests on the water,<br /><br />Like the bird-carriage of the Great Brahma,<br /><br />Gorgeously making its way.<br /><br />And when the Suphannahongse began its journey, at times looking as if it was skimming the surface of the water, a boat song composed by Commander R N Thongyoi Saengsingchai was sung in extended rhythm to glorify the occasion. This was also reminiscent of Prince Thammathibes' Royal Barge songs, which go as follows:<br /><br />''Music is loud and cacophonous<br /><br />Amongst singers and revellers<br /><br />Shouting and merry-making<br /><br />Everybody is enjoying.<br /><br />The magnificent fleet sails out<br /><br />From the capital city;<br /><br />It delights the heart to see<br /><br />Fish of all species in great number.<br /><br />In the old days, between the end of the Buddhist Lent to the day of the full-moon, which lasts about a month, the Ayudhya Kings traditionally performed the presentation of robes to monks in the Kathin Ceremony as part of the Buddhist ritual.<br /><br />During this period of high tides, the Kings travelled by barge to the royally-patronised temples to fulfil their duties.<br /><br />The Kathin Ceremony is of great significance to the Kings, considered the paramount keeper of Buddhism. The occasion also permits oarsmen, mostly sailors, to work on their muscles and their craft in preparation for unexpected wars.<br /><br />The Royal Barge Procession, which can be traced back to the Sukhothai period, was in vogue until 1932, the year of the revolution that ended the absolute monarchy.<br /><br />The procession on water served three purposes: the Kings going to war against enemies, the Kings' travelling to royally-sponsored temples to participate in the merit-making ceremony and the Kings' making a pilgrimage to Buddha's Foot Print in Saraburi.<br /><br />It was King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who in 1959 revived the royal procession on water. The King sees in this procession a great tradition that must be safeguarded to dignify Thailand.<br /><br />Still, the Royal Barge Procession is a rare event, having taken place only five times, including yesterday's, during his reign.<br /><br />It also served as an overture to the grand celebration of His Majesty the King's birthday on Dec 5. Already His Majesty has surpassed all other Kings in the Chakri Dynasty in the greatness of his reign.<br />########################Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-829464167306446637.post-83595258749182563022009-06-14T09:05:00.000-07:002009-06-14T09:06:00.494-07:00Wat Sommanas<strong>Wat Somanas</strong><br />So who was the little known Princess Somanas? She was a queen who died young, leaving behind two temples - Wat Ratchanaddaram and Wat Somanus and the Lohaprasada - built for her honour and her memory. In 2006, Wat Somanus marked its 150th anniversary. The temple is located in a seclusive quarter, at the intersection of Ratchadamnoen Klang and Mahachak Roads. But you can visit Wat Sommanus from Nakhonsawan Road.<br /><br />It is rather difficult to locate Wat Somanus, about a kilometre away from the King Rama III statue because of the sprouting up of the shop houses that surround it. Wat Somanus is encapsulated in a lost time, like<br /> <br />the fading from the modern memory of the Thais about the tragic death of the young queen.<br /><br />Mom Chao Ying Sommanus Wattanavadi was the darling niece of King Nangklao - Rama III. He took her into his care and brought her to the Grand Palace after the untimely death of her father, Prince Lakkhananukul. When King Mongkut ascended the throne he took Princess Sommanus as his wife in order to reinforce the Chakri bloodline. In 1851, at the age of 18, Queen Sommanus gave birth to a prince, but tragically, the boy lived for only a few hours. The Queen became seriously ill herself, and not long afterward she too passed away.<br /> <br />If the prince had lived, he would have become King Rama V. King Mongkut later married Princess Rampoey, another niece of Rama III, who gave birth to Prince Chulalongkorn, later to become King Rama V.<br />King Mongkut had Wat Somanus built in memory of his first queen, choosing a site far from the Grand Palace so that it could be used as a meditation retreat. The area around it was indeed once very quiet, so quiet that rumours were swirling that ghosts were plenty.<br /><br />During his 27 years in the monkhood, Mongkut, then still a prince, had founded the Dhammayuti sect, which differed from the mainstream Mahanikaya sect in its<br /> <br />stricter approach in the discipline in the conduct of Buddhist practices. Wat Sommanas was about a kilometre from the city limit during King Mongkut's time. As a monk he stayed at Wat Samorai on Samsen Road, now Wat Rajathiwat, before moving to Wat Borwonniet to become the abbot. Wat Sommanas followed the tradition of the Dhammayuti Sect.<br /><br />King Mongkut had canals, including Khlong Phadungkasem, excavated around the temple so that it could be readily accessed.<br />Construction, undertaken by the king's own expense, was completed in 1856, three years after it began. The temple is well known for its main Buddha statue, which foreigners have dubbed "The Lucky Buddha".<br />If you want a wish granted, it's said, this is the place to come.<br />The temple also has beautiful murals, as well as excellent training in meditation. Legend has it that Queen Sommanas, a lady of exceptional beauty, appears at the temple from time to time. Her presence is certainly felt by any visitor, though.<br /><br />A stroll through Wat Sommanas is like stepping into the past, when the City of Angels was gentle and kinder capital.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0