Though it is predominantly Buddhist, Thailand has historically been tolerant of other religions. According to the government census, 94 percent of the population are Theravada Buddhists, 3.9 percent are Muslims, 1.7 percent Confucians and 0.6 percent Christians (mostly hill-tribe people living in the north). Buddhism – a philosophy, rather than a religion – has played a profound role in shaping the Thai character, particularly in the way in which people react to events. The Buddhist concept of the impermanence of life and possessions, and of the necessity to avoid extremes of emotion or behaviour, has done much to create the relaxed, carefree charm that is one of the most appealing characteristics of the Thai people.
Wat Mahathat, in Phetchaburi.
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Theravada Buddhism
Most of the Thai population subscribe to Theravada Buddhism, which is also the main Buddhist form practised in neighbouring countries like Laos, Cambodia and Burma (Myanmar), as well as Sri Lanka. Nevertheless, even a casual visitor to temples in these countries will quickly see differences between them. As they have done with most outside influences – Khmer temple decorations and Chinese food, for instance – the Thais have evolved a Buddhism of their own cast over the centuries.
Monks at prayer in Wat Suthat.
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Theravada Buddhism is a mixture of Buddhist, Hindu and animistic beliefs, and, as the oldest of all Buddhist faiths, it is the only one to trace its origins directly back to the 6th century BC teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, the Indian prince who gave up his royal privileges to follow an ascetic life, and became the Buddha. The central doctrines are based on dukkha (stress, misery), anicca (impermanence) and anatta (the absence of self).
The Buddha taught that the craving for self-worth and possessions creates misery, and that because everything is impermanent and cannot be possessed, the exercise is in any case senseless. If we suppress desire and practise detachment we will no longer be unhappy.
To reach this state, Gautama advocated a method of living he called the Middle Way (or Eightfold Path), which leads to enlightenment. At the time of enlightenment, Gautama became the Buddha and ascended into Nirvana, an event now represented by reclining Buddha statues and celebrated on Visakha Puja Day, each May.
Making a request at Erawan Shrine.
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Adherents believe the Buddha lived 500 lives, and that they themselves will be reincarnated (an idea adopted from Hinduism) and finally, if they live a good cycle of lives, will reach Nirvana. Living a good cycle requires rightful and mindful actions and thoughts, and is significantly aided by tham boon (merit making). People can make merit in many ways. A man who spends some part of his life as a monk will earn merit by living in accordance with the strict rules governing monastic life. So, too, a person who supports the monks on a daily basis by donating food, or who visits a temple to pray for a sick person. People can also make merit by releasing birds or fish, which market stalls sell for the purpose. And a donation to a worthy cause is always helpful.
The Buddha image in front of which prayers are offered provides only a formal background for these activities. The image and the Buddha himself are there as inspiration rather than objects to be worshipped.
Mahayana Buddhism
In addition to Theravada Buddhism, there is Mahayana Buddhism that is practised by those of Chinese descent. Visitors are likely to spot Mahayana temples in Bangkok’s Chinatown. Mahayana literally means “Greater Vehicle”; the defining belief, according to this doctrine, is that those who have attained Nirvana return to help others reach the same state. The various Buddhist sects and practices that predominate in China, Tibet, Taiwan, Japan, Korea and Vietnam are classified as Mahayana.
A little over 90 percent of the Thai people are Buddhist, but religious tolerance is extended to other religions. Around 3.9 percent of Thais are Muslim, with the remainder Christian, Hindu and Sikh.
Chinese Buddhism, at least that practised in Thailand, primarily consists of incense, lucky charms, and heaps of other folk practices. The visitor entering a sanjao, or inner shrine, of such a temple will have a chance to shake sticks out of a canister, from which a fortune can be told. At funerals, paper money and doll-size cardboard houses (complete with paper Mercedes Benz cars) are burned to assist the deceased in his or her next life.
Temple life
Most of Thailand’s 300,000 or so monks live in wat (temples), practising and teaching the rules of human conduct laid down by the Buddha. There are literally hundreds of Buddhist temples in the city and suburbs, usually sited in serene pockets of densely packed neighbourhoods and serving as hubs for the spiritual and social life of the community.
Admiring the Phra Sri Sakyamuni Buddha in Wat Suthat.
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The term wat defines a large, walled compound made up of several buildings, including a bot or hall where new monks are ordained, and one or more viharn where sermons are delivered. It may also contain a belltower, a ho trai (library) and guti, or monk meditation cells, as well as a domed edifice, called chedi in Thailand, or prang in Cambodia, and stupa or pagoda in other countries. Chedi contain the ashes or relics of wealthy donors, emulating the Buddha, whose ashes and relics were placed according to his instruction in a mound of earth.
Tradition requires that every Buddhist male enter the monkhood for a brief period before marriage, and companies customarily grant paid leave for male employees wishing to do so. The entry of a young man into monkhood is seen as repayment to parents for his upbringing, and as bestowing special merit on them, particularly his mother. Unlike other Buddhist countries, women cannot be ordained in Thailand. It is thus popularly believed that a son, as a monk, can earn merit for his mother and other female relatives.
Brahman Beliefs
Many of the Thais’ non-Buddhist beliefs are Brahman in origin, and even today Brahman priests officiate at major ceremonies. The Thai wedding ceremony is almost entirely Brahman, as are many funeral rites. The rites of statecraft pertaining to the royal family are presided over by Brahman priests. One of the most popular of these, the Ploughing Ceremony (Raek Na), takes place each May in Bangkok. To signal the start of the rice-planting season, sacred oxen are offered a selection of grains. Astrologers watch the events carefully, as the grains the oxen choose will determine the amount of rainfall to come and the success or failure of the crops in the year ahead.
For all its spartan life, however, a Buddhist wat in Thailand is by no means isolated from the real world. In addition to the schools that are attached to most wat (for centuries, the only schools were those run by monks), the wat has traditionally been the centre of social and communal life in the villages. Monks serve as herbal doctors, psychological counsellors and arbitrators of disputes. They also play an important part in daily life, such as blessing a new building, or at birthdays and funerals.
Offerings of food at a Buddhist temple.
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Spirits and amulets
When Buddhism started in what is now Thailand in the early years, it promised a better life for farmers. But as it provided little assistance with the unfathomable tragedies of daily life, and certainly no answer to the questions of the supernatural, the people continued to worship their old deities and spirits to fill in what they saw as gaps in Buddhism.
The variety of phi (spirits) in Thailand is legendary. A seductive female phi, believed to reside in a banana plant, is said to torment young men who come near it. Another bothersome one takes possession of her victims and forces them to remove their clothes in public. (For some reason, the most destructive spirits seem to be female.)
Miniature Buddha statue.
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To counteract the spirits and potential dangers in life, protective spells are cast and kept in small amulets mostly worn around the neck. Curiously, the amulets are not bought, but rather rented on an indefinite lease from “landlords”, often monks considered to possess magic powers. There are amulets that offer protection against accidents while travelling or against bullet and knife wounds; some even boost sexual attraction.
All this has no more to do with Buddhism than the protective blue-patterned tattoos sported by some Thais to ward off evil. But some monasteries have been turned into highly profitable factories for the production of amulets. In 2007 a great cult following grew around idols called Jatukam Ramathep, which were believed to be particularly powerful. Thousands all over the country exchanged hands for ever-increasing prices, and many people saw an opportunity to make a fast profit. But the bubble burst and some temples were left in financial difficulties because they had over-stocked.
Some idols blessed by monks are believed to be so powerful that cult followings develop around them. Fortunes can be won and lost depending on the state of the market in these talismans.
Spirit houses
No building in Thailand, not even the humblest wooden hut, will be seen today without a “spirit house”, or at least a house altar. In ordinary residences, the small doll-like house may resemble a Thai dwelling; in hotels and offices, it is usually an elaborately decorated mini-temple. In either case, these spirit houses serve as the abodes of the resident spirits. As it is within their power either to favour or plague the human inhabitants of the actual house or building, the spirit house is regularly adorned with placatory offerings of food, fresh flowers and incense sticks. If any calamity or ill luck befalls the members of the compound, it may be necessary to call in an expert to consult the spirit to determine what is wrong.
Phalluses at the Chao Mae Tuptim shrine in the grounds of the Lai Nert Park Hotel.
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One of the most famous spirit houses in Bangkok is the Erawan Shrine, at the intersection of Ratchadamri and Ploenchit roads. This shrine, honouring the Hindu god Brahma, was erected by the owners during the construction of the original Erawan Hotel in the 1950s, after several workers were injured in mysterious accidents. The shrine soon acquired a widespread reputation for bringing good fortune to outsiders as well.
A less well-known shrine sits in the compound of Bangkok’s Lai Nert Park Hotel, known as the Chao Mae Tuptim shrine. Its offerings consist entirely of phalluses, ranging from small to gargantuan, sculpted from wood, wax, stone or cement, and with fidelity to real life. They are left by women hoping to conceive a child.