Thailand's Frenzy for Amulets

[Vital Spark]

K: Believe you me, my eyes are wide open - and I'm pretty open-minded aswell.

What I do, however, see here (in the relatively poor village in which I live) is that hard-earned cash is being spent on amulets to bring luck. Little Pui has to leave school at Mattayom 4 because the parents can't afford to keep her there, so she has no chance of getting further education - which in the longterm would benefit the whole family. Meanwhile, Dad just happens to have a couple of thousand baht to spend on an amulet.

Of course, if you're rich you can spend 'Bt millions' for a Sombet. It'll probably increase in value - just like buying a Picasso. But it doesn't bring luck or any real happiness. It's an investment.

For those that can afford it - good luck to them. I'm concerned about the uneducated/ill-educated ones that have been duped by others to think that a piece of jewellry will change their lives.

V.S.

[redzonerocker]

vs.
some customs & habits are just so hard to understand in different cultures.
a 'lucky' trinket is more important than a childs chances of an education?

[STEVE G]

I read somewhere that the current frenzy for buying amulets had put half a percent on the Thai economy. There is even a magazine out now that gives all the details and values of the various different ones. I glanced at the cover and they had some listed at over a million baht.

[DawnHRD]

Klikster, without rereading a thread that I first read a while ago, I'm not sure that anyone claimed the wearing of amulets was Buddhist per se. I know very little about Buddhism, but I'm sure that a devout Buddhist is supposed to forsake earthly possessions, not collect them as "protection". For quite a while, I have not thought of Thais as Buddhist, in the true meaning of the word. Many of their practices (spirit houses, belief in ghosts, "worshipping" certain trees etc etc) do not have Buddhist roots - perhaps animism, as you say. I would certainly put the wearing of amulets into this category.

VS, where as a Westerner I would agree 100% with your view, I'm getting more & more confused the longer I live here. On another forum is a thread about a man being angry that his 2 year old was being taught to wai spirit houses. I argued that I thought it was OK to do this (& I do). There are a lot of layers of Thai culture that I don't understand, and it's just starting to hit me, very recently, that my lack of comprehension doesn't necessarily make the practice wrong. Maybe my ideas are wrong? I cannot prove that the Thai ideas are wrong, I cannot prove that mine are right (or vice versa to be fair). What I do know is, unless I can prove my ideas to be right, I cannot & should not try to stop others from practicing what they feel to be right.

[klikster]

K: Believe you me, my eyes are wide open - and I'm pretty open-minded aswell.

My comment was not meant to challenge what you 'could see', rather what you may 'think you already see'.

What I do, however, see here (in the relatively poor village in which I live) is that hard-earned cash is being spent on amulets to bring luck. Little Pui has to leave school at Mattayom 4 because the parents can't afford to keep her there, so she has no chance of getting further education - which in the longterm would benefit the whole family. Meanwhile, Dad just happens to have a couple of thousand baht to spend on an amulet.

I can't disagree with what you say, but until 'rich folks' stop buying them, the 'poor folks' will continue as well. And while monks were, at one point, not supposed to own amulets, they very often collect them now.

Is it better that K. Pa spend his hard earned money on booze rather than an amulet? The mentality of sending on drink, trinkets and mia nois rather than 'people' and family is a cultural attitude that places values very differently from those we may be accustomed to.

[klikster]

Klikster, without rereading a thread that I first read a while ago, I'm not sure that anyone claimed the wearing of amulets was Buddhist per se.

My comment responded, somewhat unfairly I suppose, to the comment about what a devout Buddhist might collect. I guess 'how devout' should be determined first.

I know very little about Buddhism, but I'm sure that a devout Buddhist is supposed to forsake earthly possessions, not collect them as "protection". For quite a while, I have not thought of Thais as Buddhist, in the true meaning of the word. Many of their practices (spirit houses, belief in ghosts, "worshipping" certain trees etc etc) do not have Buddhist roots - perhaps animism, as you say. I would certainly put the wearing of amulets into this category.

My knowledge of Buddhism is severely limited as well. Probably just enough to get myself in trouble.

I think you can put amulet wearers in several categories. Some wear them for 'brag', some as jewelry and some treasure them. Something that surprises me a bit is the new fad about wearing them displayed (especially the men) rather than under their shirt. I used to have a very nice collection until my house was burgled. I look at my amulets as antique art. And while some of the big round ones are quite beautiful to the point of being exquisite, if I had one of those I would display it at home.

The thing I always come back to are the Buddha's teachings that I have read .. which are simple yet quite eloquent. One sermon suggested that monks should live in the forest so they can meditate.

I visited a forest monastery near either Ubon or Udon (?) (not the big one) and had an extensive conversation with a farang monk there. The place was extremely austere. The senior monk there was a Brit who happened to be off in the forest meditating when I was there.

VS, where as a Westerner I would agree 100% with your view, I'm getting more & more confused the longer I live here. On another forum is a thread about a man being angry that his 2 year old was being taught to wai spirit houses.

I believe he is fighting a futile battle. But if he wins, his son may well lose. The boy may be perceived as too spiritually impolite.

I argued that I thought it was OK to do this (& I do). There are a lot of layers of Thai culture that I don't understand, and it's just starting to hit me, very recently, that my lack of comprehension doesn't necessarily make the practice wrong. Maybe my ideas are wrong? I cannot prove that the Thai ideas are wrong, I cannot prove that mine are right (or vice versa to be fair). What I do know is, unless I can prove my ideas to be right, I cannot & should not try to stop others from practicing what they feel to be right.

Yes, yes, yes. Even though I joke with my Thai friends that I am 50% Thai, I find myself continually questioning my attitudes and my 'knowledge'.

I had the pleasure of several conversation with a gent who almost got his 50 year pin before passing on. He was very well connected, both officially and unofficially, fluent in Thai, married into a good family and raised his own 2 kids.

He often said that even though he had been here 40 years, he still didn't understand the Thai culture.

But after all the above nonsenese I have written, I tend to believe the teachings of the Buddha are extremely important to the world .. and separately .. I tend to believe in animism. So I tend to wai monks and Buddha images out of respect and spirit houses out of ignorance.

Dawn, in reading your posts, I'm sure you know more about many aspects of the Thai culture than I do .. jing jing!

[sandman67]

The culture of amulet wearing has always struck me of a reincarnation of the medieval culture of holy relic selling, which was big big business for the church till it got stamped on sometime around the church reformation/rise of protestantism....

...and after all a hell of a lot of Christians still wear that torture symbol around their necks.

Like Bill Hicks said, if Jesus ever did come back how happy will he be to see everyone wearing the symbol of his torture?

Now dont start flaming me on this...Im just passing on what I understand....

The Spirit House / Sacred Tree part of Thai culture comes from the much more ancient Animist part of their belief system. When you build a house you disturb, and make homeless, the spirits of the trees and land where you build your house. So to stop them being angry and vengeful you build them a new place to live.....

I have seen this type of thing in many places around the world...Mongolians do the same thing with trees and rocks, as do some sects of Japanese Shintoism. There are animist aspects to Tibetan Buddhism and Chinese Taoism. Native American and Australians, Inuit, Ainu, etc all follow types of animism....

...funny thing is I can see their point. I like the Spirit Houses.

The Ba Gwa Mirrors and Hungry Ghosts are still confusing me though....

One question.

A few years ago when I first came here, and the place was quieter, I used to see some bar girls putting out offerings just outside the bar, (past the Ba Gwa Mirrors), for the Hungry Ghosts. I haven't seen it done recently....has anyone else?

[klikster]

Like Bill Hicks said, if Jesus ever did come back how happy will he be to see everyone wearing the symbol of his torture?

OUCH!;)

The Spirit House / Sacred Tree part of Thai culture comes from the much more ancient Animist part of their belief system. When you build a house you disturb, and make homeless, the spirits of the trees and land where you build your house. So to stop them being angry and vengeful you build them a new place to live.....

Suprisingly, I had never heard it expressed that way, but it makes sense .. and I like the spirit houses as well.

The Ba Gwa Mirrors and Hungry Ghosts are still confusing me though....

That part of my spiritual education is pretty blank. Maybe a tutorial when you have time?