A woman follows ancient
tradition by pouring water on a Buddha statue before gently doing the
same on monks at her local temple.
Warunya Thongrod
Songkran wasn’t always a war of water. It began thousands of
years ago with disciples pouring water for Lord Buddha.
Practiced throughout the Buddhist world under different names, water
pouring serves the same purpose in all cultures: to erase the evil from
the past year and welcome good for the coming months.
The ceremony can be performed at home or at the temple. At home, most
pour water on both statues of Buddha and the elderly, requesting
blessing from the lord to protect each home and its residents.
People often mix water with natural perfumes and flowers, such as
jasmine, rose, or marigold and will use a small bowl to scoop some water
and pour on Lord Buddha, making their wishes, then doing the same on the
elderly.
In temples, the ceremony is usually done after
worshippers have offered alms to monks. The temple will then organize
time for people to pour water on monks and a statue of Buddha.
Pouring water on monks harkens back to the time of Buddha, when
followers poured water for him before monks received their blessings.
Many see the act as an important symbol of their faith.
The origin of the custom springs from a fable of Buddha, while residing
at Chetavan Mahavihan with 500 monks, receiving Phra Jao Passenthikosol
to present items to pay their respects to Lord Buddha. They took their
seats and asked, “My lord, what does one, who has performed the holy
water pouring ceremony with sincerity, gain?”
Buddha is said to have replied that “those who believe in the Three
Jewels of Buddhism - Lord Buddha, dharma, and monks - will have their
desires fulfilled.”
Buddha added that a priest king named Vichaiya, who
had completed all 10 virtues required of a king, invited a senior monk
named Ussa to his palace and had poured water on him and offered a meal.
His desire was that all who lived within his land follow Buddhist
teachings and for his enemies to disappear. The legend said that, when
Vichaiya died, he entered the Dusit heaven in a 22-tier golden palace
with 100,000 angels as maids.
The water ceremony remains popular today among Thais, who travel to
temples throughout the country to perform the rite. The most popular
sites for this is Phra Kaew Bussarakham in Ubon Ratchathani and Luang
Pho Thuad in Prachuab Khiri Khan.
