A brief background Buddhism in Laos
Buddhism practice in Laos is Theravada Buddhism. It is a religion of most people believed and it had been established in Laos for several years. It seems to be valuable of Lao culture and tradition. We believed that the Theravada Buddhism firstly came from Cambodia when the reign of King Fa-ngum during Lao-Lanxang Kingdom in 14th century and it was absorbed into Laos at that time.
A brief background Buddhism in Laos
Buddhism practice in Laos is Theravada Buddhism. It is a religion of most people believed and it had been established in Laos for several years. It seems to be valuable of Lao culture and tradition. We believed that the Theravada Buddhism firstly came from Cambodia when the reign of King Fa-ngum during Lao-Lanxang Kingdom in 14th century and it was absorbed into Laos at that time. Lao legend told that Phra-Nang KeoYod Fa, the wife of Fa-ngum king or the queen, she used to believe Buddhism when she was in Khmer before to be a queen of Lao-Lanxang Kingdom (Million elephants). She saw that many Lao people believed credulous animism. They killed animals for worshiping the god or deities which is very wrong in Buddha’s teaching. Therefore, she asked for the king Fa-ngum to invite the monks from Cambodia to propagate the Buddhism into the kingdom. The king Fa-ngum agreed and he sent his delegates to request the monks from Cambodia to bring Buddhism to Lao-Lanxang kingdom. The Khmer monks (Pha mahasamanta Tera as a leader of Khmer monks and he was also an adoptive father of king Fa-ngum) set out the long trekking and brought Phabang image which is very prestigious Taming Position Buddha image in LuangPrabang nowadays. They disseminated and spread far and wide and established stability the Buddhism in the whole of Lao-Lanxang kingdom (Million elephants). The Buddhism was supported flourishing by the king Fa-ngum. Lao people were captivated by the teaching of the Buddha, enthralled the meditation practiced into their lives. Mostly, they were interesting to become a novices or monks in order to study and train the Buddha’s teaching. The monks and novices at that time were very strict in observing the Buddhist disciplines and doctrines. Some venerable monk was interested in learning magic power as we know as well the Khmer was the place where the magic power mostly had come. Unfortunately, the Theravada Buddhism in Laos is diluted since the massive of war destruction in many periods especially the Second World War. We can say that sometime the monks play the important role of fighting against the war and also left from monkhood to become fighters because of revengeful the brutal colonial rule of invaders. The braver used to have education under the monastic life and learning the magic power from the famous venerable monks so as to resist the enemies after leaving from monkhood. It is said that the king Fa-ngoum who had the great power during the Lan-xang kingdom (million elephants), he also used to be a temple boy under control of Phra mahasamantha thera (Cambodian monk). He learned and trained from the monastery and became a royal page in the kingdom of Cambodia and later became a King of Lao Lan-xang dynasty. Therefore, the temple was become significant centre of study the art and making merit. Most families in Laos are used to ordain their son, grant son or relative to live at the temple in order to gain the merit from ordination to their parents. So, the ordination became a tradition of variety society
Temple
What things are there in Lao temple? Maybe some of you might surprised to see something significant in Lao temple that you have never seen in your country or you don’t know which one is used for and what the meaning of each thing that exist at the temple. There are three important buildings in the temple such as chanting hall, monk’s dwelling, and dining hall. The chanting hall (Aram in Lao) is the place where monks and novices chant as their daily routine and also the ordination ceremony was takes place. Some temple, the laywomen are allowed to enter for chanting but some is prohibited ladies to enter the Aram or chanting hall. Monk building is place where monks and novices are living. Although monks and novices living in the same building but it should be separated the room between both of them for example, monk has to own their room or if the room is not enough the monk and novice can live in one room. However, the novice can’t sleep or sit higher than monk. Therefore, monks always have the bed which sleeps in the higher than novice and sleep on the floor of the novice. In Laos, people respect monks as higher than novices because monks have more precepts than novice. The dining hall is a place where monks and novices have breakfast and lunch. The dining room also keeps the dish, bowl, spoon, and meal base (phakao) for preparing meal. After meal, novices have to clean the dining hall and wash the dishes, bowls, spoons and Tiffin carrier (Pin Tho). The temples mostly don’t have the main hall (Bod) like in Thailand. The chanting hall (Aram or Vihara) and main hall (Bod) used as the same but in Thailand both of it be different like chanting hall (Vihara) and main hall (Bod) and they used both of it in different. Other things important things that we have in the temple are Drum, Wooden Naga gutter, bell, and wooden bell. In Luangprabang, monks usually hit a drum every Buddhist holiday in order to remind the people as the holiday and monks hit the drum early in the morning at 4:00 AM and evening at 4:00 PM. Other hand, people believed that to expel the bad spirit by strike the drum as we see nowadays on the Phousi Mountain, monks have to hit the drum three hours a time. My abbot in Luangprabang told me that to hit a drum is the symbol of Buddhism existence and people believed the bad spirit will be away whenever they hear a drum. The wooden naga gutter is used to water the Buddha image during Sonkran or Lao New year festival. Naga gutter has made by wooden as decorated with Lao art sculpture. The bell is used to ring for warning people for doing something at the temple particularly when monks and novices have to start morning or evening chanting. In the morning before going alms-round, monks strike the wooden bell (korlor in) to remind lay people that monks and novices are coming for alms (bintabat). Lay Buddhists have to prepare food for offering after hearing the wooden bell and sit suitable before monks’ arrive.
Buddhist Festival
In Laos people celebrate many festivals of rotation year which called in Lao “Boun”. The festival always holds on every month of the year and the Boun mostly relates to the religious custom and tradition. The festival seems to be integrated with animism which distributed the merit to the death or ancestors. People not only enjoy with the festival but they also gain happiness from offering things to the monks. The important Buddhist festivals in Laos are following:
January: Boun khoun khao (Harvest Festival)
Harvest Festival actually celebrated after the rice has been harvested. Rice is very important on subsistence living being of Lao people. Most Lao people believed that there is earth spirit who protects the rice field from any animals or others to destroy the rice such as rat, bird and wild pig. The land spirit defends these animals to eat the rice or ruin it. So, the ceremony is held to show the thanks to the spirit of the land and wish the next harvest will be plentiful
February: Boun Pha vet (Vesantara Festival) and Makha Boucha day
Boun Phavet (Vesantara Festival) is to celebrate about the story of the Buddha when he was born in the life of Vesantara who was the most generosity. Vesantara offered many things that he had to the poor people or beggars even his wife and children. This story tells us the great charitable and loving-kindness of the Vesantara that Buddhist should practice. People invite monks to read or recite the story of Vesantara’s text.
Maka Boucha day: The day of commemorate 1250 enlightened monks who came to visit the Buddha at the same time without appointed. This event had happened on full moon day of February in India. On this day, the Buddha preached “Padhimoka” or the rules. The principle of this teaching is “give up doing bad, cultivate more goodness and purify one’s mind”. People today come to the temple on Maka Boucha day to remember this event and they have a big candle light procession circumambulation the temple three rounds. First round remember the Buddha, second round remember the Dhamma (the teaching) and Third round remember the Sangha (monks). People hold candle, flowers, and incenses. These three things teach the impermanence of the life such as flowers remind them as the changes. The flower when it blooms is beautiful and good smell only one or two days after that it become faded. However, our lives is the same, the beautiful of the body when we was young is going to be ugly when we are getting old and death. Because of this understanding, we will live without careless and hurry doing more goodness while we still have energy.
March: Boun Khao Chi (grilled sticky rice Festival)
Before fifteen days of the festival, people gathered within a group of monks to set out the way to cut fire wood (Mai khao chi) for grills bread of sticky rice on the event. The event was held at the temple and people celebrated for three days. Final day at early morning people gather fire wood and set up the fire outside the monastery ground. Special bread of sticky rice can be grilled and it was put with a little salt, butter, and coated with egg and then grilled. At about 6:00 AM, monks in different temples were invited to join the offering ceremony (Bintabat) at the temple and bread of grilled sticky rice also offer to monks. Lao people respect monks as higher position in the community therefore, the things which get from the new harvest like fruits, rice should be offered to monks’ priority.
April: Boun Pee mai Lao (Lao New Year Festival)
Lao New Year is slightly different from Thai New Year festival (Sonkran). The New Year is started on 14th, and ended 16th of April while in Thailand started 13th and ended 15th of April in every year. In previous time, Lao New Year used to hold round January but it was changed because of this period is a cold season and inappropriate to throw the water to each other. So that, they substituted to April which is hot season and enjoy of the water. People sprinkle with the water to each other to wash the bad things in past in order to have good luck for New Year is coming. On Lao New Year day in Luangprabang, the interesting event is the procession of Nang-sanghan (beautiful lady) and the clergy of monks. Nang-sanghan rides different animal images in every year such as wild pig, tiger, goat… and she holds different weapon like a spear, gear wheel..in her hand. First day of procession starts from the north the south called in Lao“Sanghan Long”, second day is rest day of Sanghan called “Sanghan Nao”, and third day starts from the south to the north called “Sanghan Kuen”. The procession indicates the significant of Lao tradition and culture and the different culture between the ethnic groups in Laos. Every group dresses their identity clothes which can show you about the different tribes especially Lao Loum (Laotain), Lao theung (Khmu), and Lao Soung (Hmong) and other sub-tribes.
May: Boun Visaka Boucha
Boun Visaka Boucha day in Laos is the same in Thailand, Cambodia and Burma. It is on full moon day of May which is the day of birth, enlighten and death of the Buddha. In Laos people also celebrate Visaka Boucha by offering flower, candle light and incense stick to worship the Buddha. The procession was led by the group of monks circle the temple three rounds. Some temple has Dhamma lecture by the venerable monks after parading.
June: Boun Bang Fai (Rocket Festival)
During this period is the late of hot season to begin rainy season. Lao people believed that there is earth spirit protection who gives the rain to cultivate the rice field so people celebrate this festival to request the rain from the spirit of land. The rocket made of bamboo tube or some a metal and put gunpowder inside pounding with a small pestle. Some village recommended every family is needed to do the rocket for the contest. If the doesn’t work rocket belong to whom that person must be carried into the buffalo pond or the river. This means the belief that the doesn’t work a rocket indicates to an unlucky person.
July: Boun Khao Pansa (Enter Buddhist Lent Festival)
KhaoPansa in Laos is the same in Cambodia, Thailand, and Burma. The festival falls on full moon day of July in every year. This period is the time of monks and novices swear themselves to stay in the same place over the three months. Monks are prohibited to stay other places over night without permission from the abbot. In some necessary case, monks can stay other places only seven days when they are sick or their parents’ ailing. Monks can be allowed to visit and take care them. During this period, monks have to practice strictly the rules and meditation.
August: Boun Khao Padapdinh or Dead Festival (Festival of Rice packet decorating the earth): People in Luangprabang celebrate this festival on full moon day of August (september lunna month). People make special rice packet offering to all deceased who are ancestors and non-ancestors. Rice packet was made by banana leaf. Inside the packet, there are sticky rice, steamed peanut, flesh, small cucumber, sugarcane, yellow banana and so on. The packet can also offer to the monks
September: Boun Khao Salak or Festival of Rice packet chosen by lot
The festival was held on full moon at the temple, People put offering into the plastic pocket. The packets were gathered in the vihara, and the ceremony started from afternoon. The lots were written the name of person who will offer the gift in the small piece of paper and the monks choose that piece of papers. Then a person offer the offering to a monk after heard his/her name. This activity can be also dedicated to the death or to their future after death.
Funeral Ceremony
In Luangprabang when a person died, the funeral ceremony always holds in the death’s house (never hold at the temple) and people invite the monks to chant Abhidamma at the funeral. Their kin at least one boy should ordain as a novice at the front of the death to lead the coffin to the cremation ground. Monks in different temples are invited to chant at the crematorium. Before the death body will be burned, people wash the death’s face by coconut water. This believed that a person will be born in good condition in next life. In evening people also invited monks to chant for auspicious living at the home. Next day in the morning, monks are also invited to have breakfast at home. People also make a small model house for deceased person to offer to the monks. They believed that the death will be uncertain spirit which is no place to stay so, the dedication a model house to the dead is very important.
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