Celebrating the Promotion of Monks in Phana

 

Last Saturday morning a celebration was held in the sala / viharn at Wat Phra Lao to celebrate the promotion of four local monks. It was a 'long weekend' in Thailand because Maha Pucha Day, a national holiday, fell on the Sunday so Monday was a compensating holiday. That means that lots of people who live and work away from Phana return for the weekend to their true homes, family, relatives and friends. Never mind that Maha Pucha Day is not really celebrated in Phana, nor in much of eastern Isan where the older Lao traditions are still held to be of more relevance.

Four local monks were being publicly promoted at this ceremony. The acting abbot of Wat Phra Lao, Phra Phandit, was being made abbot. The abbot of Wat Don Kuan was being promoted to Chao Kana Tambon Phana (Head of the monks in Tambon Phana), a post held by the previous abbot of Wat Phra Lao. Two younger monks were appointed one as deputy and one as secretary to the Chao Kana Tambon. The newly-appointed Nai Amphur (District Officer) read out the citations for each of the four monks.

The monk presiding over the ceremony was the Chao Kana Changwat, the head monk of Amnat Chaoen Province. He later presented the four monks with their citations. He also delivered a rather long talk. I found it interesting that he began in Thai, but very quickly reverted to speaking in Lao. The first part in Thai was very formal, about the promotions, a reference to Maha Pucha being the day when the Buddha addressed a large gathering of monks and on this occasion there were upwards of 60 local monks present. But when he switched to Lao his talk became much less formal, he made jokes (difficult to do in a foreign language) and he addressed his listeners directly, often demanding a verbal response as well as the appreciative laughter.

In return the four monks presented robes, flowers and so on to him and to the other senior monks present. The new abbot of Wat Phra Lao presented an image of Phra Lao to the new Nai Amphur.

At the end of the Chao Kana Changwat's talk he invited the Nai Amphur to speak and pointedly said he should speak in Lao. He did not do so, though he hesitated and did end with a few words of Lao after saying that he was born in Ubon Province. Officials and official business is always conducted in Thai. Thai is the language of authority. It is the most obvious weapon of cultural imperialism and symbol of supposed cultural superiority. That being the case, it makes the CKC's prolonged and preferred use of Lao interesting and significant, I think.

The next part of the ceremony was neither Buddhist nor conducted in Thai. A traditional baci was held for the four monks. This ceremony was to recall the 32 Kwan to their rightful homes with each of their human hosts, the four monks, and it was conducted by a lay 'expert'.

Here he is sitting next to the Pha Kwan.

After he had called the kwan the lay people tied small pieces of sacred white thread around the monks wrists. At least, that is what the men did, the women only laid the thread across each monk's wrist, being careful not to touch him.

 

 

 

There were plenty of gaps in the ceremony when people could get to chat. Here is Pensri joking with the Nai Amphur and me being very serious with the two vounteers, Sarah and Lauren.

The morning ended with a communal meal prepared by the good people of Moo 9 and served by pupils fom Phana Suksa School.

Unfortunately my camera by that time needed to be re-charged so there are no pictures of the lunch. It was a good one, though, take my word for it.

 

 

 

Comments

[Mike]

Lawrence, thanks for sharing that, I find the Lao/Thai language thing quite interesting. Did all the audience understand Lao? What about yourself?

[Lawrence]

Hi Mike. Yes, everyone here speaks Lao. A few incoming spouses don't, but there aren't many. Thai is a second language learned when kids go to school. I understand some, speak a very little, people always speak to me in Thai (or English).
Sometime I aim to do a post about the Lao language. Doesn't lend itself to my usual photoblog style, though.