Monday, February 9, 2009

วันมาฆบูชา....The First Instructions

Do good
Don't do bad
Purify yourself

The first instructions given by the lord Buddha to his followers on this day many years ago. The Thai people remember this day every year with prayer and celebration. My host family took me to a Wat outside of Udon Thani. Many people were there, some slept at the temple while others came just for the night. My host mother, father, and aunt all went this night to pray and later we lit a khom (floating lantern) into the sky.

The instructions given by the Buddha were, as best I can relate it to, similar to the Eightfold Path in Jodo Shinshu Buddhism. For those who do not know, I am a Jodo Shinshu Buddhist and the eightfold path, for the most part, is similar to the first two instructions given, Do good and Don't do bad.

2 comments:

emmaelizabeth said...

I loved this ceremony, but it was a lot smaller here in Nakhon Phanom. They didn't set off any lanterns ):

colettemasu said...

no lanterns?! sad!