Bell and percussion during Buddhist prayer
About this recording
- Creator
- Kristin Post
- Date created
- September 29, 2000
- Duration
- 1:28
- Location
- Trang, Thailand
- File
- MP3
- License
- This recording copyright ©2000. Terms of use
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Part of a ten-day vegetarian festival. These bells and a wooden percussion instrument are played by monks (as I recall) while worshipers wai, or pray at different stations.
From my journal:
On the way to Ani and Hans, a girl comes out and wants to take me to the temple. This is Duan, and she and I hang out for the next three days. First day, I go to the stations. All in white. Then I go to other temple, and spirit woman gives me bracelet, makes me drink dirty water.
According to a UNC graduate student who grew up in Thailand, there are two strains of Buddhism in Thailand. The more predominant form is closer to that practiced in India. The other comes from China.
This festival is an example of a Chinese-influenced Buddhist practice. The percussion, the language of the prayers, and the point of the festival (to avoid eating meat for ten days) are all distinct examples of the Chinese influence.
