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Showing Respect to Relations |
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Written by Panrit "Gor" Daoruang
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Friday, 15 April 2005 |
Since the old days, Thai men are not considered to be mature adults
until they have become monks for a period of time. It is a very
important thing for Thai men to do this once they turn 20. It now has
come to the time for me to follow the Thai tradition and ordain as a
monk. But really I wasn't actually 20 yet on the day that I was
ordained, I was only 19 and 9 months-ish. However, according to the
abbot that I spoke to, they are, apparently, allowed to count the time
I spent in my mother's womb!
The ceremony of mine was
split into two day, Friday 15th and Saturday 16th of April 2005. The
first day of the ceremony started at 3 p.m. on the temple grounds. My
grandmother, my mother and me lit an incense stick each and then sat
down to pay respect to our dead ancestors and letting them know that I
will become a monk. Then I went back home to change into a bathing
towel and came back to sit on the floor getting ready to bathe my
elders feet.
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| My grandmother, my mum and me are paying respect to our dead ancestors and letting them know that I will become a monk. |
Getting ready to bathe all my elders' feet. From the far left: my grandparents (my dad's side), my grandmum, my dad and my mum. |
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| First,
I pay respect to them by prostrating down at their feet. Then I start
to wash them by pouring some water on their feet with one hand and
using another hand to clean them. |
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