First, a disclaimer – we’re getting our Buddist history and understanding from our guide, who is a practicing Buddist, but then we’re translating it into American. Taking the Bible out of Latin and putting it into King James English was about as difficult, so if anyone picks up a discrepancy or something that’s incorrect, please – tell us so we can fix it, and don’t be offended – any gaff is entirely unintentional and we’ve already come away with the desire to read and learn more about Buddist practices.
The story goes that the Lord Budda wanted to spread his enlightenment, and was talking to a giant who lived on a mountain. He wanted the giant to come down and listen to him and be converted, proving that people knocking on your door to get you to come to their church is somewhat universal. Apparently he wasn’t reading the pamphlets that were being left in the screen door and needed a visit from a deacon to get him on the straight and narrow.
The giant, having his supper interrupted, wasn’t especially receptive and finally struck a bargain with Budda – if he could make himself larger than the giant, the giant would come down. He did it, and the giant followed through.
It wasn’t real clear to us how the reclining part got in there, but it apparently had something to do with being smug enough to lie around to share his faith. There’s also something about the fact that this Budda’s eyes are open, showing that he’s not sleeping but is, in fact, engrossed in learning and teaching.
It’s colossal (150 feet long and gold covered) and amazing. The feet are 10 ft. tall, with “fingerprints” on the toes. The bottoms of the feet have depictions of 108 aspects of Budda’s life inlaid in mother-of-pearl, which reflect different miracles in which he participated.
As you come around the back side of the Budda, you buy 108 coins for 20 Baht (about 60 cents) and put one coin in each of the begging bowls that are lined up along there. This is to bring you “merit” towards improving your lot in life next time you are reincarnated, as the monks rely on their begging bowls for sustenance.
The whole thing works on the honor system, which makes sense. Where’s the good karma in cheating a monk, after all? You drop your 20 Baht note in a box and pick up a cup with the coins.
At first, it looked like the most unfortunate job in the place might be the person who had to count 108 coins in all those little cups. Then after we watched a bit, it was apparent that she engaged in a bit of new math in that she used the “guess and check” method.
Specifically, she had a measure about the right size to hold the coins. She just filled up the distribution cups with what seemed to be the right amount of coins. We got our cup and went down the row of bowls to the end, where all the leftover coins were dumped in the last bowl.
We were wondering if it hampered enlightenment if you were the monk who thought, “Yay! I got the big bowl this time.” After all, the goal is supposed to be the absence of desire.
Then we realized the sorting lady was coming along behind us with a bucket, pouring all the coins back into the pot for recycling.
Another religious practice was suddenly unexplained, although a person surely got points for contemplating and making sure that each of the bowls got a coin as you went down the row.
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