A Bangkok State of Mind
Most of us in the United States were brought up thinking that a religious or spiritual way of life is something to be practiced on Sundays at church or Friday evenings at sundown with the family.
But much of the world does not work this way. Many other cultures incorporate a spiritual practice into their daily lives.
While I was in Bangkok earlier this year, I witnessed this firsthand.
I awoke very early in the morning on my first day there. Excited to be back in Asia and eager to wander the streets before the traffic and heat consumed the city, I took a long walk in the Sukhumvit neighborhood. Along the way, I observed vendors setting up for the day, carefully laying out fragrant necklaces of marigolds and roses (which would later be purchased and placed on public altars) and Thais of all ages taking a moment to begin their day in prayer. Often, they would hop out of a waiting taxi, say their prayers and then jump back into the taxi to make their way to work or elsewhere to start their day.
Religion permeates every aspect of their daily lives, including their fast food…
A vendor has flowers ready for purchase near an altar.
Monks are a common site throughout the city, these monks had just been ordained.
This man was among the first to say his prayers at what is one of the city’s most popular altars.
With the incredibly busy lives we all seem to be leading these days, it’s not a bad idea to take a moment out of your work day to give thanks, in whatever way that has meaning for you.
Travel Well!
Read my travel blog on at the Seattle Post Intelligencer.Join other Wanderlusters and help make this the most popular women’s travel blog by subscribing via email or RSS feed.
You can also add this article to popular social networking sites by clicking on the buttons below.
HOW TRUE!
The thais are very spiritual people. They incorporate many aspects of buddhism into their life but in some ways they are just going through the motions. They cheat, lie, and steal and see no problem being corrupt either. While many are very very very devot, a lot of it is just going through the motions.
ps- I know where that last photo was taken because I’m at Mcdonalds right next to that prayer site.
Another interesting aspect is that a lot of the shrines in Bangkok are in fact representing Hindu god’s which the devotee prays to in the hope of gaining something (a lover or money normally). In fact Thai Buddhism is a very interesting mix of Hinduism and Animism (Belief is Ghosts and Sprits - which explains all the little spirit houses being offered incense and bottles of coke).
The loveliest site to see is the monks collecting alms in the morning. This really shows the co-operative dependence between the two communities. The lay people keep the monks fed and temples maintained and the monks provide spiritual / social support in return.
Yes, Nomadic Matt, in some ways they are no different from the rest of the world. Just because they pray more often than most of “us”, doesn’t mean that they are without fault.
However, when you have a centeredness that comes from daily prayer, as in Buddhism (or Hinduism or many other religions), there is often a calmness and acceptance that is always with you.
And, as luke suggests, there’s a cooperation that is inherent in their way of life that allows the monks to remain in the monastic life.
I have seen this reverence in every Buddhist country I visit, especially in Myanmar, Tibet, Dharamsala, India, and Ladakh. In my experience it has been more than just going through the motions (Thailand is much more commercial and quite different from the places I mentioned). The rituals start early in the morning and can be simple koras around the temple combined with prostrations and prayers, or meditation in the home. Afterwards the regular work schedule begins. I stayed with families where later at night before dinner scripture was read as prayer wheels spun. It was as if the day began and ended with a deep spiritual awareness of life which led to a calmness and tranquility not often experienced in our “busy” western lifestyle. It was an attempt to calm the “monkey mind” that runs 24/7 in our lives.
Meg Noble Peterson
www.megnoblepeterson.com