the way to the new life
By Agron Dragaj
16 October 2008
WAT PROMANEE, Nakhon Nayok, Thailand
04 October 2008 by Agron Dragaj
In times of despair and growing economic uncertainties and other burdens of life, many Thai's resort to find a comfort in embracing various magical practices. Among variety of practices the reborn rituals are offered by several temples around Thailand and give chance to start their new life again. Although in Buddhism rebirth ceremony is unusual and not practiced, there is a growing trend of temples who offer people a new life by performing a rebirth rituals.
Majority of Thai's fear that true spirit of Buddhism is somewhat lost seeing variety of unusual rituals being embraced by increasing number of people.
Wat Promanee is one of dozen temples who offer resurrection services to its visitors by performing twice a day for several hundred people rebirth rituals whereby visitors after spending one hour praying lie in a coffins for several minutes as the monk chant for them to be cleansed and reborn. Reborn ritual costs 180 THB (mere five dollars) but the amulets, offerings, gifts and food cost them much more.
Onuma Khapson (29) from Nakhon Nayok came with her mother and two year daughter to participate in the ceremony, after she came out of a coffin where she laid for few minutes I asked her what does she feel and why she have chosen this ritual. She say: "After I woke up from the coffin I felt different, I felt a presence of the enormous force inside of me, a sense of relief. Lately I felt to have a bad luck all around me therefore I decided to come to this temple and perform resurrection ritual in order to have a better life and better luck". People come to attend this ritual for many purposes, health, luck, money, to gain better grades in school and even to win a football tournaments.
This temple started to practice rebirth ritual three years ago and since then number of visitors has risen many fold, hence two ritual times per day.
People come to this temple with hope of new and better life.
1 Response
-
On 7 November 2008 Marco Bertagni said:
Markus, great story! Don't worry about Kaiserlautern, the Briegel's (was he a player of K?) willa come back. I tell you this as a Juventus fan. We flew very high and it harted when this glorious team went in second division because of its management while 9 players or ex-players of this team were playing the world cup final in Germany... £ years ago Juventus won after 46yrs in Santiago Bernabeu. We are back and this happened because of player like Del Piero or Nedved that are great men before than players. So, just find professionalpeople and your Kaiserslautern will be back!!!
More Feature Stories
