Journey to Peace Village

I had a very good but busy Christmas. Almost as hectic as back home. A lot of cover work for other teachers and a lot of shopping! But I still managed to enjoy the holiday.
I performed a poem at the Christmas talent show and got a positive reaction. At Lang Hoa Binh, the children were thrilled with their gifts and sharing in the spoils of candy I won with my poetry.
I went to Huy's house on Christmas Day after attending mass at St. Joe's Cathedral. It was the coolest thing--I wrote a poem about a boat in the morning and then Huy and his family gave me a painting of a boat at lunch! Talk about synchronicity! In the evening I had a small party for some of my students and a staff member from work, Ms. Quynh. It was fantastic. We had pizza, drank Dalat wine and sang karaoke. I bought a karaoke machine for my house and obtained an English karaoke DVD in Thailand. A great time!

Labels: Christmas, religion and culture, Viet Nam and the West

One of my most intriguing experiences in Danang was visiting a Cao Dai temple. Cao Dai is a religion that is unique to Southern Viet Nam. It was founded in 1926 and combines elements of all major religions: including Christianity, Buddhism and Taoism. Like Buddhism, followers of Cao Dai seek to break the cycle of rebirth through prayer and ascetic practices such as vegetarianism. They also practice seances to relay divine information.

The most striking symbol in the temple is the "Divine Eye." The Divine Eye is the symbol of God.

Cao Dai was important in the politics of South Viet Nam during the war years. It still has many followers (about 8 million) and with recent liberalization policies in Viet Nam it has again become a vital cultural force in the country.

for further info you can check this link:

http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Cao_Dai

Labels: religion and culture, Vietnamese culture, Vietnamese history

ON my second day in Chiang Mai I went to Doi Su Thep, a mountain about half hour out of the city. It's an important sacred site in Thailand. The story goes that a holy man from India came to visit the king of Lanna (the first kingdom of Thailand) with two relics, tiny pieces of bone from the Lord Buddha himself.

The king wanted to honor these relics the best he could. He placed the first relic in the pagoda near the royal cemetary. He couldn't decide what to do with the second relic. Finally, he decided to put it in the pack of one of his elephants, and the animal would decide where to put the relic. The animal climbed the highest mountain near Chiang Mai, circled the top three times, and then laid down and died. Thus the king decided to have the temple built at the top of the mountain.

Many people from all over the country visit this sanctuary, and it's the custom to circle the main temple three times, then place lotus flowers and incense by the shrine. I followed the custom and took in the spectacular views and wonderous art such as the Hindu influenced statue of the Earth goddess.

Labels: Buddhism, religion and culture, Thailand

I had an extraordinary day in Bangkok yesterday. It went all the way from the frustrating to the sublime. Upon arriving at the airport, my taxi driver got lost trying to find the hotel and it took about two hours! After a short rest, I decided to explore the neighborhood and head for Panthip Plaza.

Panthip plaza is an electronics supermall in downtown Bangkok. I always go there to get videos and for any other needs. It also boasts an AW root beer, so I treat myself to this. This time I bought a Thai Sim card, a karaoke cd and dvd of "The Man from UNCLE."

Leaving the mall, I wanted to find the Brahma statue of the Erawan shrine. From the map given by the hotel, I knew it was somewhat nearby. Wandering through the neighborhood, I found a Dunkin Donuts! This was a treat, so despite the heat I had two jelly filled donuts and coffee. Where else could you get donuts and coffee while sitting by a Buddhist shrine?

I continued my walk and found "Central Mall." This is one of the most upscale malls in Bangkok. Inside it has real designer made clothing for US style prices ($100 and up). It even has a "doggie spa" with special treats, houses and toys for dogs.

What was suprising was what was outside. There was a pair of shrines and people praying and lighting incense. One was to a goddess and the other to a "Ganesh" (Hindu elephant-man) type spirit. So, with the background of %50 off signs there was the smell of incense and the atmosphere of prayer:
And then we are found
in between the whistles of the traffic cops
"Big Sale" background
and the screaming fonts "%50 off through June 1"
,
so this shrine, why here?
can you make the sacred any Where?

Alone she rises
Golden Woman
Seeker of all our dreams
One for whom no change is necessary
here is love, here is truth and above all
a clear patch of sky

After leaving central mall, I had given up on finding the Erawan shrine. Then I heard the clanging of bells across the street. The Chinese community was giving a dragon dance and acrobatic performance. It was the Erawan shrine! A fantastic place. Like the shrine at Central Mall, it is tucked in among the shops. It was put near a hotel because an Thai Admiral who was also an astrologer said that the ground needed to be sanctified when the Erawan hotel was built in 1955. Now it's a center for many different ethnic groups in Thailand. Along with the Chinese, I saw a wonderful Thai dance performance to traditional music. The Thai dancers were given gifts of fruit by an Indian woman. The shrine itself has elephants donated by the Chinese community in Singapore and the shrine is to a four faced representation of Brahma, so I saw many Indians as well as Thai praying there. It was fantastic to watch the dancers among the swirl of incense, in the rain with the occasional clang of the Skytrain overhead. This is why I love Bangkok!

Labels: religion and culture, Thai culture, Thailand

I was thrilled to go to a wedding last week. My landlady's daughter, Ngoc, got married on Wednesday.

There are some familiar elements to the Vietnamese wedding, such as the wedding cake and a white gown; but many customs are quite different. For one thing,most people get married in Autumn or Winter. There are very few weddings in June or in summer. The wedding is usually paid for mostly by the groom's parents, because the bride comes to live with his family and takes care of his parents in their old age.

The wedding is not necessarily on a Saturday or Sunday. Great care is taken in selecting a "lucky day" as deemed astrologically and numerically. Certain dates such as the 24th and 28th are considered unlucky by default.

Two celebrations take place over two days. One is given by the bride's family and the second is given by the groom's family. Most of the pictures I'm posting are from the reception given by Ngoc and her family. On the second day, the groom comes to the bride's house and asks permission to marry her. Gifts are presented on trays
carried by happily married relatives. The couple then goes to the ancestral altar and asked for the blessings of the ancestors to the marriage. Then the groom and bride depart for their honeymoon after an enthusiastic reception by all.

Labels: culture and society, religion and culture, Viet Nam

Last week I took a journey to Perfume Pagoda, one of the most famous Buddhist shrines in Northern Viet Nam.
It's located about two hours outside of Ha Noi by bus. When our group left the bus we piled onto a small rowboat for a half hour journey down the Nest River. Arriving at dockside is only the bigging of the trip to Perfume Pagoda.
At dockside there are many different shops, where you can buy offerings for the shrine and memorials for your loved ones. There are also many food shops. The most interesting were stalls where you can buy freshly baked breads shaped like crabs, fish and various other animals.
From there it is a climb up a mountain. And I mean climb! You start out making your way up a shallow incline on a path paved with loose stones worn smooth from the feet of many before you. This is a treacherous walk of several hundred yards.
After that, it's a series of endless, rough hewn steps cut into the mountain, interspersed with breaks of relatively level ground. The trek takes about an hour to an hour and a half. By the end I was drenched by sweat and huffing and puffing. Vietnamese people shook my hand congratulating me on my stamina.
But I was still not there. Next is a descent into a cave at the top of the mountain. The cave is accessible only by a series of wet steps, once again made of rough hewn rock cut into the mountain. There is a rope to hang onto, but sometimes it dips to low for a relatively "tall" Westerner like me to reach.
Finally I arrived. The grotto is beautiful, with an eerie light bouncing off the stalagtites and several Buddhist shrines blazing in golds and reds. It's called Perfume Pagoda because in the last century it was rife with incense burning. The incense is banned now, but many people leave offerings of food in hopes for achieving spiritual or temporal goals. As our guide, Cuong, explained, Perfume Pagoda is the place to go to request good luck in life, finding a suitable partner for marriage, success in a career, or any other need you have in life.
The whole process of strenous climbing and descent can't help but remind one of the hard work we need to put into life and the times we must "descend" to gain a new birth or go to the next stage of our lives.
For me, the most impressive sight was being in the grotto and then looking back out at the light streaming in. It was like walking into a rebirth. Which is what I hope for, a rebirth in career, a rebirth in creativity, a new song to fill my heart!
For more information on the pagoda:
http://www.vietscape.com/travel/chuahuong/

Labels: religion and culture, tourism, Viet Nam

I couldn't leave Thailand without paying a tribute to another unique feature found throughout the country. These are the "Spirit Houses." Thais normally put up a "Spirit House" when they establish a business or move into a home. This is a little house for poltergeist like spirits to live in. They also leave offerings of food and tea to make sure the spirits are comfortable and don't cause trouble.

Labels: religion and culture, Thailand

I have too many pictures of Wat Po and Thailand to put on just one blog entry, so I have to split them up. I'm including on this one a fascinating drawing I photographed on the Wat Pho temple in Bangkok. This, as far as I can guess, is a drawing of the key body points or "chakras" used in Traditional Thai massage and other healing techniques. Thai massage, as well as other parts of Thai culture, is heavily influenced by Indian culture. In Thai massage and healing, they incorporate many techniques and concepts from Yoga. It is interesting to note that for a time in the early twentieth century traditional Thai healing was outlawed as the country tried to modernize and Westernize. However, it is on the comeback now and some Western medical practitioners are trying to study the techniques to see what can be learned from these ancient healing practices.
To learn more about Thai massage go to:
http://www.chiangmai-chiangrai.com/ancient_thai_massage.html

Labels: medicine, religion and culture, Thailand

Yesterday I paid a visit to Wat Pho, also known as "The Reclining Buddha." Located in the heart of Bangkok, Wat Pho is one of those "must sees." The image of the reclining Buddha is a city block long and symbolizes the passing of the Buddha into Nirhvana. The feet are inlaid with mother of pearl and inscribed with 108 characteristics of the true Buddha.

Wat Pho is site of the first university in Thailand and is still a center of learning. As I tooled around the large grounds I saw people in a classroom studying and also noted many galleries and libraries with old manuscripts.

It is also a center of Thai Massage. Thai Massage utilizes a variety of techniques familiar in other styles of massage, along with some chiropractic type manuevers. It is not just a gentle massage, so be forewarned! In fact, I went to the spa at the hotel. I didn't get the Thai massage but a more generic type and the masseuse still did some of the limb and digit type stretches. But I did feel better afterward!

Labels: Bangkok, Buddhism, religion and culture, Thailand

The vast majority of people in Thailand are Buddhists and the religion is an important part of the cultural fabric of life here. Today is a public holiday in Thailand-- Makabucha Day; it is the day that 1250 disciples of the Buddha gathered to listen to his first speech after enlightment. It is the day he outlined Dharma Buddhist religious teachings. There are big ceremonies at the temple tonight where people gather with candles and flowers to receive and give blessings.
I had an extraordinary experience as well today. I went to visit Wat Khun Chi, a small Buddhist temple near my residence. It started off as any visit as I cast admiring glances at the artwork and peacefulness of this island within the bustling town of Phuket. Then I heard a bell.
A bell ringing, sounding off clear and strong among the cackling roosters. I followed the sound to a path behind a small, ordinary looking building.
There were women in white there, looking very much like the sisters who educated me when I was growing up. I looked around and listened to the chanting coming from an upstairs room. A younger nun explained that they were praying and it would last for two hours. I was hesitant to go up the stairs. Would I be allowed in?
An older nun indicated a place to put my shoes and gestured me to go up. I ascended my stairs and gathered there were women of all ages, from teenagers to those in their nineties. Most sat on the floor with their legs tucked behind them, chanting. In the front was a shrine with a large statue of the Buddha, flanked by two statues of men on either side, draped in saffron gowns. The altar also had smaller statues of Buddhist saints leading horizontally to the big statue. It was actually a small chapel and there were about twenty nuns, novices and laypeople gathered there, along with two tabby cats who were sleeping at the entrance. I stayed for almost the entire service and it was quite calming and uplifting. At the end one of the nuns unwrapped several long planks of bamboo, which had some of the scriptures on them. Even though I couldn't understand a word, I felt myself in the presence of people of great faith and I was struck by the similarity to many of the Catholic rituals I have attended throughout my life.

Labels: Buddhism, Phuket, religion and culture, Thailand

Sunday I had a very interesting experience attending a Catholic Church in Phuket. My motobike driver had trouble finding it, and I actually had to hire a second driver who took me to the Church of the Assumption.

It is a very nice little church of adobe white brick. I came in time to catch the end of the mass in Thai. The church is run by the Stigmatine Fathers, which is an order that I had never heard of before. It turns out they are an order that was founded in 1816 in Verona, Italy by St. Gaspar Bertoni. For more information, see their website:

http://www.estigmatinos.com.br/

At the end of the Thai mass, I received a Chinese New Year's blessing from the Director General of the order,who happened to be in town as part of a worldwide tour of the provinces. He gave me an orange (traditional during Chinese New Year) and I said "grazi." So here I am an American in a Thai Church receiving a blessing from an Italian priest. The English mass which followed was a tremendous multicultural experience. Assumption Church has a great choir which performed a beautiful guitar mass. The people attending included Thais, Filipinos, Koreans, Italians, Germans and English speaking people from Australia and, of course, the USA. A wonderful experience!

Labels: Catholic Church, Christianity, religion and culture, Thailand