Thailand is without a doubt a Buddhist country. There is a small Muslim minority, mostly in the south, but Thailand is officially Buddhist, flies its yellow flag, and everywhere bears its mark. You cannot walk more than a few blocks without passing a shrine devoted to a devout monk, an image of the Buddha, a monk, or the auspicious grounds of a wat.
The wat is the central location for public Buddhist worship. Inside its walls you'll find the the central shrine and image of the Buddha, towering chedis, monastery housing. . .
it’s one-stop shopping for anything a Buddhist could want, though technically I suppose a Buddhist strives to eliminate all desire, but who's going to correct me . . . Hannah?
The two most impressive examples of wats in Bangkok are also two of the oldest—Wat Po and Wat Arun. From across the river, you see the 250-foot chedis rising above the Chao Phraya River . The towers are covered with thousands and thousands of pieces of broken Chinese porcelain.
The two most impressive examples of wats in Bangkok are also two of the oldest—Wat Po and Wat Arun. From across the river, you see the 250-foot chedis rising above the Chao Phraya River . The towers are covered with thousands and thousands of pieces of broken Chinese porcelain.Wat Po is just across the river from Wat Arun and is the oldest in Bangkok, founded in the 17th century and expanded by later Kings. In fact, King Rama II’s ashes are held in one of the 95 chedis here.
Wat Po is best known for its 150-foot statue of the Reclining Buddha, depicting the moment of enlightenment. The wiharn is just large enough to fit the massive statue, which magnifies its size and is quite an experience to stand inside the narrow hall.
The walls inside are decorated with scenes depicting the life and times of the Buddha, like a church’s stained glass or the stations of the cross. Every inch of the inside of the wiharn is decorated, painted, gilded, or bejeweled.
Thailand is Theravada Buddhist, not the Mahayana version found in places like China, Vietnam, or Tibet. As such, it places great emphasis on the accumulation of merit. Kind of like buying eternal peace on an installment plan. The walls of the wiharn are lined with maybe a hundred of iron bowls. As worshippers pass by, they drop donations of one baht coins into each bowl, thus accumulating merit and generating a metallic din that echoes in the hall.
Turns out the wats weren’t closed. So much for Thai Fashion Week.
Wat Po is best known for its 150-foot statue of the Reclining Buddha, depicting the moment of enlightenment. The wiharn is just large enough to fit the massive statue, which magnifies its size and is quite an experience to stand inside the narrow hall.
The walls inside are decorated with scenes depicting the life and times of the Buddha, like a church’s stained glass or the stations of the cross. Every inch of the inside of the wiharn is decorated, painted, gilded, or bejeweled.
Thailand is Theravada Buddhist, not the Mahayana version found in places like China, Vietnam, or Tibet. As such, it places great emphasis on the accumulation of merit. Kind of like buying eternal peace on an installment plan. The walls of the wiharn are lined with maybe a hundred of iron bowls. As worshippers pass by, they drop donations of one baht coins into each bowl, thus accumulating merit and generating a metallic din that echoes in the hall.
Turns out the wats weren’t closed. So much for Thai Fashion Week.
--m.
