We have had the most amazing experience in the road next to our hotel for 3 days. A large family has gathered to pay homage to their ancestors. They have requested their road be closed, a large marquee has been erected, they have rented masses of catering, equipment, the women are cooking their hearts out. They have amassed piles of household goods to send to the deceased family members to make their time in "heaven" more comfortable. There are about a dozen chairs with a big quilt and pillow, a basket of goods, a fruit basket with knife and spoon, a basket full of (fake) money, and ceremonial food on many tables. There are also feasts from time to time when the family also eat.
This lasts 3 days. The first day we are woken with the drum at 4am and the music continues on and off, day an night for the duration of the occasion. We get used to it.
The first day, women kneel inside the house with monks in white robes, who chant and pray. Somehow the men aren't involved in this ritual. Next day the monks are outside eating with the family at the many tables, the men seem to be on the sidelines drinking beer....
The music is provided by a drummer, a sort of xylophone/marimba and a circular instrument surrounded by bells which the player sits inside an plays. The sound is very appealing, just as well when it goes on into the night. I am up early on the 3rd morning to video the music, I am still trying to figure out how to upload photos and video from iphoto to Googles' blogspot!!
We are out on the 3rd day, returning to find everything has gone, except the huge pile of garbage which the cats and dogs are now examining.
In the meantime, the goods have been given to the monks to take back to their wat or temple. some they will use, the money they will burn (there is the odd bit of real money in there...), they will keep the handsome rice collection bowls for new monks and their Bat, and distribute the rest to hospitals, elderly, etc. They will continue to pray for the departed souls. It's a bit like North American Indian potlach - the community shares in a formal way.
We are told the Buddhist monks and wats are often very powerful. People are constantly being asked to donate to the wats, many of which are quite wealthy, although I'm not sure if that's true for Laos.
If you perform this ritual for your ancestors, they continue to progress up the ladder to the ultimate point of heaven, or is that nirvana?
This lasts 3 days. The first day we are woken with the drum at 4am and the music continues on and off, day an night for the duration of the occasion. We get used to it.
The first day, women kneel inside the house with monks in white robes, who chant and pray. Somehow the men aren't involved in this ritual. Next day the monks are outside eating with the family at the many tables, the men seem to be on the sidelines drinking beer....
The music is provided by a drummer, a sort of xylophone/marimba and a circular instrument surrounded by bells which the player sits inside an plays. The sound is very appealing, just as well when it goes on into the night. I am up early on the 3rd morning to video the music, I am still trying to figure out how to upload photos and video from iphoto to Googles' blogspot!!
We are out on the 3rd day, returning to find everything has gone, except the huge pile of garbage which the cats and dogs are now examining.
In the meantime, the goods have been given to the monks to take back to their wat or temple. some they will use, the money they will burn (there is the odd bit of real money in there...), they will keep the handsome rice collection bowls for new monks and their Bat, and distribute the rest to hospitals, elderly, etc. They will continue to pray for the departed souls. It's a bit like North American Indian potlach - the community shares in a formal way.
We are told the Buddhist monks and wats are often very powerful. People are constantly being asked to donate to the wats, many of which are quite wealthy, although I'm not sure if that's true for Laos.
If you perform this ritual for your ancestors, they continue to progress up the ladder to the ultimate point of heaven, or is that nirvana?
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