The surprisingly strange side of Buddhism in four Asian countries

Asia is the birthplace of Buddhism. For more than 2500 years, Buddhism has been spreading in most regions and countries in Asia. However, unlike what we imagined, Buddhism in various countries has various surprising and unique aspects.

Thailand: The girl has cut her hair since she was a child and entered the temple as a "life assistant."

In Bangkok, Thailand, more than 60 little girls aged 5 to 12 participated in a Buddhist ceremony and officially became nuns. 95% of Thailand's population believes in Theravana Buddhism, but Theravana Buddhism has very strict regulations on nuns receiving ordination. Although there are currently nearly 30,000 nuns in Thailand, only one is truly ordained and has a "status".

In Thailand, the status of nuns and monks is very different. There are generally no independent nunnery in Thailand, and nuns and monks practice in the monastery. Because they have no status, they are often prohibited from paying homage to Buddha's sacred relics and have to obey the orders of monks. They often become "orderlies" in temples. To be precise, they are like "life assistants" to monks, cleaning, washing and cooking every day.

Myanmar: A man is not a man if he has not been a monk.

Although men in Myanmar live a leisurely life, they must become monks once in their lives. The number of times they become monks is unlimited, and the time can be long or short. Some people become monks for life, and more people spend a few years, a few months, or a week or two. When a boy reaches the age of 5-15, his parents must prepare for a monk's birth ceremony, which is very important for every family. The parents carried the little boy on their shoulders and sent him to practice with gongs and drums.

In Myanmar, for poor families, if a child becomes a monk, it means that he will be able to eat and dress well. Even if you become a monk, men and women in Myanmar are unequal. Because a man can return to secular life when he becomes a monk. After returning to secular life, he can drink wine, eat meat, and marry daughter-in-law. Once a woman becomes a nun, she cannot return to secular life and must serve the Buddha for the rest of her life.

They usually get up early every day to do morning classes, read scriptures, have a simple breakfast, and then wash and clean. By around 11 noon, they had their last meal of the day. This is "no food after noon". Therefore, although becoming a monk does not have to work like ordinary people, but lives by receiving support, it is still a quite severe test for young adults who are growing up not to eat in the afternoon and at night.

Laos: Believing in Hinayana Buddhism, wine and meat penetrate the intestines, and stay in the heart of Buddha.

Laos is adjacent to China and is one of the least developed countries in the world, but its people live a very comfortable life. Some people say this is related to the fact that the vast majority of them believe in Buddhism. On the streets of Vientiane, the capital of Laos, every morning, men, women and old come here with delicious delicacies they have made: wine, meat, glutinous rice, cakes and stir-fried vegetables, for the monks to collectively beg for help. Because in Laos, monks begging for favors is not a single action, nor is it a monastery act, but a voluntary "delivery" by ordinary people.

Every morning after the monks get up and finish washing, it is around 7 o'clock. As long as they are wearing red kasaya and carrying bowls at their waists, the common people who have long been waiting on the street will kneel on the ground and distribute the food one by one to the queue. The little monks all smiles brightly. After receiving the food, they will collectively recite scriptures for the almsgivers. I hope these good-hearted people will one day turn their luck and have a good reward! In Laos, the "charity" of ordinary people and the "begging" of monks have become a beautiful tourist attraction.

"Then why do they still do this when they work so hard?" Because in Laos, people generally believe that parents will inevitably not cause evil to the world throughout their lives. Therefore, after birth, most men in Laos have to undergo a tonsure and become monks before they die of old age, whether they are married or not, and go to temples to become monks. Some may be a week, some may be a lifetime. For a short period of time, they are usually businessmen or rich people. The purpose of going to the temple is to apologize for their parents, and to ask Buddha to bless their financial resources and live a happy life for thousands of years. Most of the long-term people came from remote villages. They were not old and simply hoped to change their destiny by becoming monks!

in Laos. Being a monk seems very beautiful. Some people kneel down to deliver food and money. Some foreign tourists take photos and cast envious eyes. In fact, it is very hard and tiring. Because, although the Lao people are very pious and generous, the monks can get a lot of food and money every time they "beg for favors".

However, according to the rules and precepts of the Theravana Sect, the temple cannot cook, and the monk can only eat two meals a day: breakfast and Chinese food. You can't eat any more after 12 noon until 7 a.m. the next morning. This is still "tolerable" for the elderly, but it is a difficult time for the young monks who are growing. Even if they are hungry, they cannot steal food. According to the Hinayana Sect, if a monk is full at night, he will have wild thoughts and plot evil.

In Laos, if a person goes to become a monk after getting married, a divorce ceremony must be held first, followed by a toning ceremony, and drums and music must be sung together. When the family members were sent to the gate of the temple, both parties had to hold bamboo poles and walk around the temple three times. When returning to secular life, children had to go to the temple to pick them up before holding a remarriage ceremony.

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Japan: Monks also love to eat "human fireworks". The significance and influence of Buddhism in Japanese life, and the smell of human fireworks in temples is the source of Buddhism's charm in Japan for thousands of years. Japanese monks and nuns are a profession and a personal choice. Monks and nuns from most Buddhist sects in Japan can also marry and have children, and monks can marry nuns or practice in the same temple. From this point of view, monks and nuns in Japan have both a secular side and a very worldly side. On the one hand, they are clergy who guide people to spiritual cultivation, and on the other hand, they are members of the ordinary people. They are ordinary people struggling with various trivial matters such as livelihood, marriage, children, etc.

Moreover, Japanese Buddhism is no distance from ordinary people. People gain spiritual tranquility and improvement through Buddhist activities. For ordinary people in Japan, temples and Buddhism are inseparable in their lives. Many Buddhist rituals or activities have been integrated into ordinary people's lives. People can fast and practice in temples, hold weddings, and hold rituals here after their death. Temples have become the spiritual sustenance of many people, especially many elderly people who often go to temples.

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In Japan today, more and more young women are going deep into the mountains and forests of temples, staying for a while in "temple hotels" that are as quiet as the moon, hoping to re-examine their lives through different journeys and different accommodations, and gain deep philosophical thoughts and unique pleasures.

Japanese temples did not have hotels before, but only dormitories. At first, it was only a few poorly equipped houses for monks who came to practice, but later, since the Edo period, it has gradually been opened to samurai, merchants and craftsmen who came to pay homage to the monastery. Today, it has evolved into a small public hostel where anyone can stay. Although there are no luxury restaurants, cafes, bars and swimming pools in star-rated hotels, the environment of the "Temple Hotel" is absolutely quiet and the air is extremely fresh, making it easy for tourists to enter a harmonious state of harmony between man and nature and forgetting all favors and insults. And the prices of this hotel are very reasonable.

If the temple itself is an ancient building with history or a garden with cultural implications, its charm will be greatly enhanced. Enjoy the temple's unique vegetarian food is also a unique enjoyment. In addition, visitors can also have the opportunity to receive guidance from monks or nuns and experience "meditation" while sitting upright, with the background likely to be a mysterious waterfall.