Two statues for Buddha

My friends' parents want to inaugurate their new home. I'll be there at seven o'clock. The house and yard are packed with close and distant relatives. Plus twelve monks. There are two large Buddha statues in the house. A gleaming copper statue of a seated Buddha, about three feet high. And a dark statue of a standing Buddha, about five feet high.

The monks sit on cushions along one wall of the living room. A cotton thread is stretched from one of the Buddha statues to all the monks and, with only the immediate family inside, the prayer begins. I recognize several melodies from previous similar gatherings. Outside, the women are busy preparing an elaborate meal for the monks.

When the prayer is over, the monks eat first, then the guests, then the family, and finally those who prepared the meal. After the meal, an old monk goes through all the doors of the house with white paint and gold leaf foil. He paints Buddhist characters as a symbol of connection with Buddha. Finally, since he is busy now, he does the same with the Volkswagen van and with Sit's car, my friend. It's a miracle that we've driven damage-free so far. The monks leave, all but one.

Sit's wife had previously told me that the two Buddha statues are 9.000, resp. 14.000 Baht cost. I understood that this was the rent of the temple where they belonged and thought this was already a show of Roman commercialism, but, when two pick-up trucks come to collect them, Sit says that his father bought both statues , in gratitude for the fact that he received his land from his father a long time ago and is therefore now a more or less wealthy man. He gives them to two temples in Pichit. The two pick-up trucks are manned by an orchestra, which plays merry music before we leave for the temples. Only the older women dance. I've noticed that many times before. Very graceful by the way.

At about ten o'clock the two cars with Buddha statues with money trees with collected banknotes, set off. A number of support vehicles transport the family. The first temple is nearby. Buddha is unloaded with united strength and taken to the first floor. There he is placed as a pendant of an approximately equal size and also standing Buddha. You still wonder whether these 14.000 Baht have been optimally spent, but it will undoubtedly be a matter of feeling, which you should not discuss.

The next of kin sit on the floor. A cotton rope is stretched around all the people and is again connected to the Buddha statue. If, on request, I have taken some photos, I must also take a seat in the circle. A sister of Sit says that I also have to keep my hands together during prayer. My lit cigar is in the way, so I tuck it between my toes. That's the advantage of going barefoot. Many amulets are bought afterwards. The trade in these, irreverently called, souvenirs, does look a bit Roman. There are Buddha statues for sale for twenty Baht, but also for a few thousand.

We have to move on. Now it's the seated Buddha's turn. A long bumpy clay path leads to a temple in the wilderness. Again the same ritual, but now I don't sit in the circle, because my butt hurts now. So I watch the whole thing from a bench. This is a bit more extensive. Apart from praying, water is offered to the monks by Sit's parents. The bowl, of course, is connected to a Buddha statue via a wire. At the end, a monk announces that the money tree for this temple contains 15.000 Baht. I calculate that about 50.000 Baht went to the temples today. When it's over, we try our luck outside at a kind of tombola, where you have to draw lots from the ceiling. Unfortunately, the prize I win cannot be awarded, because this prize has just run out. Bad luck.