SPIRITS HOUSES IN THAILAND...
You have certainly noticed that in Thailand there is close to every building or house, a small temple with offerings.
So we welcome the good spirits to protect themselves from the bad.
The good spirits, so-called Chao Thi Protect the soil, the fields, the houses... of Thi (evil spirits, which bring misfortune).
The architecture of the house of Spirits is variable, wooden, concrete, Thai-style or sometimes Khmer, of different colors, so that one can choose to harmonize with the environment.
To erect a house to the spirits it is necessary to organize a ceremony and to invite the protective spirit to stay.
The ceremony is headed by a Brahmin priest who chooses the favorable date, mainly according to the lunar calendar.
There are two rules to be respected: the House of spirits must be facing the east and should not lie where it could be shaded by the building.
This being, however, we see many houses with spirits that are not facing the east and which are inevitably at one time or another shaded by the House since the position of the sun is not static.
Once the house with spirits erected it is important to take care of the spirits and make offerings to them every day (fruit, drink, flowers, incense...) and this (in principle) before 11am of the morning.
In the past when a guest slept in a house, he informed the spirits of his presence and apologized for the case where he would commit acts likely to disturb them.
It was the same when he left the house of his hosts, he asked the spirits to protect him on his return trip.
Spirits houses are also present in all public buildings and it is not uncommon to see visitors (especially in hospitals) paying homage to the spirits that will protect them during their treatment.
This animist practice has no connection with Theravada Buddhism which placed the Chao Thi between men and gods.
In some places, houses with spirits are reputed to be inhabited by spirits that would be very generous to the believers, these places are then very visited. Believers then make promises of offerings that they will have to respect if their wish is fulfilled under the penalty of being sued by bad luck if the offering is not made.
It is also customary at night, to open lights outside to ward off evil spirits.
Now you know what these small temples are all about and why by crossing the villages at night, all the houses are illuminated outside…
So we welcome the good spirits to protect themselves from the bad.
The good spirits, so-called Chao Thi Protect the soil, the fields, the houses... of Thi (evil spirits, which bring misfortune).
The architecture of the house of Spirits is variable, wooden, concrete, Thai-style or sometimes Khmer, of different colors, so that one can choose to harmonize with the environment.
To erect a house to the spirits it is necessary to organize a ceremony and to invite the protective spirit to stay.
The ceremony is headed by a Brahmin priest who chooses the favorable date, mainly according to the lunar calendar.
There are two rules to be respected: the House of spirits must be facing the east and should not lie where it could be shaded by the building.
This being, however, we see many houses with spirits that are not facing the east and which are inevitably at one time or another shaded by the House since the position of the sun is not static.
Once the house with spirits erected it is important to take care of the spirits and make offerings to them every day (fruit, drink, flowers, incense...) and this (in principle) before 11am of the morning.
In the past when a guest slept in a house, he informed the spirits of his presence and apologized for the case where he would commit acts likely to disturb them.
It was the same when he left the house of his hosts, he asked the spirits to protect him on his return trip.
Spirits houses are also present in all public buildings and it is not uncommon to see visitors (especially in hospitals) paying homage to the spirits that will protect them during their treatment.
This animist practice has no connection with Theravada Buddhism which placed the Chao Thi between men and gods.
In some places, houses with spirits are reputed to be inhabited by spirits that would be very generous to the believers, these places are then very visited. Believers then make promises of offerings that they will have to respect if their wish is fulfilled under the penalty of being sued by bad luck if the offering is not made.
It is also customary at night, to open lights outside to ward off evil spirits.
Now you know what these small temples are all about and why by crossing the villages at night, all the houses are illuminated outside…
Comments
Post a Comment