At a temple on the outskirts of Bangkok, Reuters reports that participants in a daily ritual hold a bouquet in their hands and lay in a coffin, while the monks sing and a sheet is pulled over them.
More than a hundred people a day visit the Wat Pangna Dog Temple in the Thai capital, hoping to improve their material status or give them a fresh start. AcerPress.
In the case of some of them, the difficult life ritual made even more important during epidemics.
“I have to admit that I’m stressed these days because I have a low income from infection, and I hope everyone here feels the same way,” said Nutsarang Sihard, a 52-year-old restaurant owner. Participant in the ceremony.
Those interested pay 100 baht ($ 3.3) for flowers, candles and costumes to be part of the festival.
They follow the instructions of the monks, initially facing west in a coffin, then back in the direction in which the dead were buried, which signifies rebirth.
“I felt reborn, I came back alive, I became a new person,” Nutsarang said.
Another person who attended the ceremony, 23-year-old Sonladith Nimimenwai, said he attended because he was lucky enough to be told his life was in danger.
“It’s depressing for me, and that’s why I’m here today, because I want to feel better,” the young woman was quoted as saying by Reuters.
Many temples in Thailand hold similar events, and the monk who conducted the ceremony, Prabhu Prabhat Varanukij, said that although the ritual was criticized online, it was important for people to meditate on death.
“It reminds people that one day we will die, so we need to focus on the way we live our lives,” Prague explained.
Author: A.C.
