Visakha Bucha Day

Friday here was a school holiday and because we follow the Thai government schedule most of the holidays our school has are Buddhist related. Generally, we have no idea exactly what they mean or why we have a day off. This holiday however, was a little bit different. The holiday is Visakha Bucha Day which is a memorial to Buddha's birth, enlightenment, and death. It is one of the most important holidays to the Buddhist people. During this holiday people are supposed to make merit (to try to cancel their bad deeds), give donations, mediate, give food to monks, and abstain from alcohol and immoral behavior.

A long held tradition in Chiang Mai during this holiday is a seven mile hike up to the temple perched on the mountain Doi Suthep. People walk up the mountain to make merit at the temple. Khruu Ooy offered to take us to the base of Doi Suthep so that we could walk up a little ways and observe this cultural experience. She said that they all hold candles as they climb in the night and that it is very pretty. As we got close to the base of the mountain it was packed with cars inching forward, people were covering the sidewalks. We joined the crowd of thousands walking the road. At times people were a bit spread out and other times we were squished into tight spots where we would all cram together to let a motorcycle fit through where there really was no space. Please keep in mind that it is hot season here, which makes being smashed against hundreds of other people a really unpleasant experience. During one of these times a "gutui" or a man who is now a woman commented to us in English "its hot" as he/she began fanning Amy.

Due to the recent political unrest there were many policemen and soldiers at several places along the way. At one point I was unnerved by a large group of young men in black shirts with white bandannas around their heads who were yelling loudly (people in Thailand are not generally loud). Khruu Ooy told us that they were from a nearby university. Apparently it is tradition for all the freshmen men from the several universities around Chiang Mai to dress alike and run and chant up the mountain.

At one point on the trek, at a particular curve in the road, many people were stopping and going up to a spirit house where a monk was chanting. This is the same spot that song taw drivers and any other Buddhist will wai as they drive up the mountain on any normal day. At about that same time there was a Buddha statue that was being transported up the mountain. Everyone who walked by waied the statue and bowed under it.

Really it was a sad thing for us to observe. One of my roommates commented on the fact that it is one thing to know that the huge majority of the people in this city are Buddhists, it is completely different to see those people all together in empty worship of a god who can not save. Please pray for the true "enlightenment" of Thailand. That they would see the light of Jesus and turn to Him.

I've included a video of a little bit of what we saw that night. I'm sorry it is not entirely clear. At the point we took this we had stopped on the side of the road and things were not as crowded as they had been. Here is just a little glimpse of the annual trek up Doi Suthep.