Well, it is a public holiday. The day seems quiet, with little traffic and many Thais leaving Bangkok. Despite all, shopping continues. So in many ways it is similar to back home. It might be a religious holy day but life goes on while everyone enjoys a holiday. Still what is it that makes it different?
On such a day, Thais go to the temple and make merit. Making merit is about giving to the monks so as to gain in one's karma. The monk becomes one's avenue to salvation or a better next life. So Thais look after their monks and respect them as they are the holy ones, identified as following Buddha most closely and being channels of the sacred.
This is the same sort of approach followed by Thai Catholics in approaching their priests. They have this great respect for their identified holy men who, for them, show the way to salvation and maybe are the way. There is a saying that goes something like this - salvation is found through holding onto the robes of the monk. This says that salvation does not come directly but through an intermediary, the monk who is the public holy one.
This has real repercussions. I am doing my grocery shopping after Sunday mass today and meet a Thai woman from church. When I go to pay for my groceries, she comes from nowhere and pays the cashier for me. She just says - remember me at mass. This was a first for me. I felt uncomfortable but saw what she was doing in light of their culture and beliefs and needed to respect this. I also thought what a lovely gesture for which I am grateful and accept gratefully.
Bangkok might be highly developed but there is much more to here than modern buildings and up to date infrastructure. It is still Thailand and all that goes with that. Any number of new buildings can't ultimately hide or take that away. Thank goodness!
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