Dreams and Ancient Beliefs

Thai Society and culture, Living in Thailand.
Post Reply
User avatar
parrot
udonmap.com
Posts: 10925
Joined: March 19, 2006, 8:32 pm

Dreams and Ancient Beliefs

Post by parrot » October 10, 2019, 1:51 pm

I've long believed that no amount of western living will rid a Thai of the beliefs ingrained in them from birth. That's why even after 46 years of being married, when my wife says she had a dream, I usually pay attention and don't brush it aside while sipping our morning cuppa.
Likewise, when I planted a frangipani tree in our yard, and our then Thai Army general neighbor advised my wife that those trees were bad juju for the yard, I knew.......I didn't agree or believe it but......I knew that the tree had to go, lest I be held responsible for the horrors and bad luck that we would face from the spirits of the tree and its fragrant flowers. The tree was yanked and burned. Disaster was averted.

So, when I read the story in the link below about a 21 year old man who was found dead in his apartment behind Udonpit, I chalked it up to the intestinal problems he was having ….but then, further into the report…...the owner of the dormitory reported that a few weeks ago that he and his wife’s mother had dreams of a gathering of people around the dormitory, which apparently anyone (Thai) will tell you is a bad omen.
To make matters worse, village elders could have told the owner that the fact that the dormitory faced a 3 way intersection was bad juju indeed. The only saving grace was that the second and third floors had trees that blocked the view from the intersection. Except that…...the death occurred in a room on the third floor. But the view to the intersection from that room was NOT blocked. Ergo, the young man was sure to meet his fate in that room. How could he have been so foolish?
Maybe I’ve been here too many years…….not that I’ve become a believer in stories like these…...but I do believe the the vast majority of the local population does believe in those type of stories. It’s part of their DNA. And I always find it good to know that when my wife and I are sharing our morning cuppa and I ask her how she slept.
https://www.thairath.co.th/news/local/northeast/1679098



User avatar
parrot
udonmap.com
Posts: 10925
Joined: March 19, 2006, 8:32 pm

Re: Dreams and Ancient Beliefs

Post by parrot » October 15, 2019, 10:40 am

Yet another death blamed (by elderly villagers) on the cursed door-facing-3-way-intersection. No matter the man may have lived there for many years or that he was in debt......chalk it up to that intersection.
https://www.thairath.co.th/news/local/northeast/1682276

glalt
udonmap.com
Posts: 2977
Joined: January 14, 2007, 10:35 am
Location: Nong Hin, Loei

Re: Dreams and Ancient Beliefs

Post by glalt » October 15, 2019, 11:47 am

I too don't believe in the Thai superstitions but if you want to keep peace in the family, you have to ACT like you have respect.

User avatar
noosard
udonmap.com
Posts: 3998
Joined: April 17, 2011, 4:07 am
Location: Ban Jumpa Udon
Contact:

Re: Dreams and Ancient Beliefs

Post by noosard » October 15, 2019, 12:45 pm

lol
I live across the road from the peelochs (ghosts)
Wife and family have always lived near them as well
Only ones that believe are the kids
I actually really like this idea of living across the road from the ghost, as they are very quiet nieghbours

User avatar
Barney
udonmap.com
Posts: 4407
Joined: November 1, 2012, 5:51 am
Location: Outback of Nong Samrong Udon Thani

Re: Dreams and Ancient Beliefs

Post by Barney » October 15, 2019, 6:59 pm

We relocated the resident ghost on our land prior to commencing building. He was in a tree which was to be dug up and removed, it had a reasonable sized termite mound at the base. Was a reasonable ceremony from the local specialists to achieve this move and far as I know he is now happy in the front yard near the road and keeps his unfriendly mates at bay. He has a smart looking house now.
Accepting this for my peace of mind was paramount. Actually accepting all the religious or cultural beliefs of my years living in Australia, Vietnam and now Thailand helps to keep a balanced life with those around you.
I did have the same kind of thinking in Australia for those who also had strange religious beliefs. They to were, in my inner personal thoughts, also crazy worshipping an imaginary person, mainly catholic or Protestant neighbours back then.
I’m only assuming that anyone who thinks any of the locals dreams and beliefs are a bit out there are atheists.
But whatever floats peoples boat’s I’m happy for you.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

User avatar
Laan Yaa Mo
udonmap.com
Posts: 9155
Joined: February 7, 2007, 9:12 am
Location: ขอนแก่น

Re: Dreams and Ancient Beliefs

Post by Laan Yaa Mo » October 15, 2019, 7:21 pm

At least the Thais have no interest in Santa Claus, the tooth fairy, the Easter Bunny,the Loch Ness Monster, a fair-haired blue-eyed Jesus, an almighty God, elves and other myths.
You only pass through this life once, you don't come back for an encore.

Doodoo
udonmap.com
Posts: 6866
Joined: October 15, 2017, 8:47 pm

Re: Dreams and Ancient Beliefs

Post by Doodoo » October 15, 2019, 7:38 pm

NO INTEREST??
Drive by Udon Town now and see it all decked out in Halloween gear then at Xmas all over the world Qatar , Dubai Christmas lights etc anything to get the almighty dollar out of your pocket and into theirs

saint
udonmap.com
Posts: 3516
Joined: February 28, 2008, 5:31 pm
Location: On lookout duty ,spotting for snipers .

Re: Dreams and Ancient Beliefs

Post by saint » October 16, 2019, 5:49 am

Their belief system , is not our belief system , and i dont believe in any of it , but it is important to them.

glalt
udonmap.com
Posts: 2977
Joined: January 14, 2007, 10:35 am
Location: Nong Hin, Loei

Re: Dreams and Ancient Beliefs

Post by glalt » October 16, 2019, 12:59 pm

Reminds me of when I had my garage/workshop built. While digging the foundation they uncovered a fairly large old pot. Through the hole they knocked in it while digging they could see bones. All work immediately stopped and a squad of monks were called. They had a quite elaborate two day ceremony and the pot and bones were taken to the watt. We haven't had any ghost problems.

User avatar
semperfiguy
udonmap.com
Posts: 2444
Joined: July 16, 2010, 12:49 pm
Location: Udon Thani, Thailand

Re: Dreams and Ancient Beliefs

Post by semperfiguy » October 16, 2019, 1:54 pm

My Thai wife lived in a small house in Thabo when I met her in 2010. She had a huge clay pot in her front yard that was used for water collection off the roof. She told me that a dragon lived under the pot. It seems that she woke up one morning after a few days of continuous rain and the pot was raised out of the ground, so there had to be a dragon living underneath. Guess it never occurred to her or the neighbors that the excess ground water floated the jar up out of the ground. Did I try to convince her otherwise....NO! I might as well argue with an electric pole!!!!!!!!!!
Colossians 2:8-10...See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, which are based on human tradition and the spiritual forces of the world rather than on Christ. For in HIM dwells all the fullness of the GODHEAD bodily; and you are complete in HIM, who is the head of all principality and power.

User avatar
pf-flyer
udonmap.com
Posts: 590
Joined: April 4, 2007, 11:25 pm
Location: 26 Kilometers East of Udorn

Re: Dreams and Ancient Beliefs

Post by pf-flyer » October 18, 2019, 11:24 am

Back in 1973 I went with my wife to her home village for a funeral for her uncle that had died. The last 3 or 4 Kilometers was just a buffalo path. It took us a while to get there. Her uncle’s body was in a box and I noticed that his shirt was on backwards. I asked my wife if that was the custom and she said yes. Later on several men picked up the box that contained the uncle’s body and they started a procession to carry it to his homestead where he had grown up. When we got near to the uncles homestead it was very grown up. There were several men up from with knives and machetes clearing a path for the procession. It was very thick and dense. Several monks were walking right behind the people that were clearing a path and every so often they would stop and roll several eggs. When they got to a spot where an egg broke when they rolled it they claimed that this is the spot. The people in the procession immediately started to cut old dead trees and gather wood and started to build a pile of wood for a funeral pyre. When they decided that pile of wood was enough they placed the box containing the body on the pile of wood and set it on fire. It was unique experience for me. It was nothing like the funerals that I had attended back in the U.S.
There are times that I need to remind myself that the person that I married grew up in a culture that is different from the culture that I grew up in. I need to sometimes remind myself of who I am and where I am at. She grew up with different beliefs and customs than I did. We have been married for 46 years. Forty Years in the U.S. I still love her more the anything in this world. It is all about relationships and not about possessions. She has always been there for me and I intend to always be there for her.
"Life is like a tube of toothpaste. Outward pressure brings out the inward contents."

Post Reply

Return to “Society and culture”