Bangkok Chronicles: Walking with the Buddha

It is a strange feeling indeed to be an Indian (of sorts) in Southeast Asia. Years ago, in smoke-filled pubs of London, it felt perfectly logical to have the Goodness Gracious Me-inspired argument that only one outcome was acceptable: ‘We did it first in India’. Fortunately, the pubs became smoke-free, and I could spend an evening without needing an instant dry-clean for my coat or a deep-cleansing hair wash after each visit.

I digress, as usual. This time, as I traverse around Bangkok, I have been filled a growing realisation that indeed, many ideas, beliefs and practices did emerge first in India. Equal is the wonder at how delicately they got assimilated in the local culture and acquired a uniqueness that can only be described in this trite but useful phrase- same same but different.

Lest you await the hackneyed confession ‘I truly found myself’ (and there are many ways of finding oneself in Bangkok!), let me assure you there has been no such miraculous moment of discovery for me. As yet. This is more an admittance of faint surprise at new discoveries of Hindu and Buddhist idols that continued to greet me at unexpected locations. With each passing day, I found more questions popping into my head than ever before. The most important of these was: What do people actually put in these ‘gift hampers’ for Buddhist monks?!

Merit-making

Now that I have your interest piqued, let me expand on this. First we must begin with the concept of ‘merit-making’. This seems to be an important part of Buddhist life, even in the fast pace of Bangkok. Within a fortnight of my arrival, there was a huge sign at the apartment inviting everyone to a ‘merit making ceremony’. They would also feed nine monks. It all sounded vaguely familiar, but I couldn’t put my finger on the exact meaning and purpose of the ceremony.

In our cosy world of English-dominated internet, I kept reading descriptions of actions and good deeds. Finally one day, during an impromptu temple visit, as I lingered around the signs displaying transliterated Pali sermons, the proverbial penny dropped. Making merit is the same as earning ‘Punna’ (Pali) or ‘Punya’ (Sanskrit), something I was deeply familiar with all the time. To be fair, there are all kinds of scholarly debates around what exactly 'merit-making' constitutes. But residents of the Indian sub-continent will get what it means. 

Eventually I did manage to make it to one of these merit-making ceremonies. Turns out, I was the only Indian-looking face in a melange of local residents. As I entered, I saw a flicker of surprise on the face of one monk. I imagined him thinking, "Reclaiming the Buddha after 2500 years? A bit late, dear friend from India! "

And what was in those hampers? Oh, they are quite standard and can be purchased at many local shops. Available in different sizes and value to suit one’s budget, or to match the degree of ‘punya’ one is aiming to earn. They contain basic requirements that even the most minimalist monk would require: oil, salt, sugar, rice, toothpaste and suchlike.

The big Buddha in town

So now that the mystery of the bow-tied baskets was solved, it was time to head to the largest Budhha statue in Bangkok. With the serendipity that often accompanies chance encounters, my travel party consisted of two others. Together we had roots in three different continents and a bagful of life experience that made our day out truly memorable. 

We wandered through local alleys and crossed a charming little bridge over the canal to enter the temple complex lying a few kilometres west of the Chao Praya river in the Phansi Charoen district. But where was the big Buddha that we could spot so easily from a metro station miles away? Finally, as we turned the corner, towering high over us was the Buddha at Wat Paknam Phansi Charoen.

This temple is located on the site that was established in the Ayutthaya era of Siam, over 400 years ago. Much of it has been refurbished. The big statue is made completely of pure bronze, and said to be the only one of this kind in the world. 

However, there is more than one reason to feel awed in this temple complex. Behind the statue is a white stupa called Maharatchamongkhon or Wat Paknam Stupa. It is located on the 5th floor of the building, the top-most level. Here the most stunning emerald and glass Buddha will greet you sitting under, what has rightly been described, as the most psychedelic domed roof in a stupa.

Back outside, wandering across the small canals and footbridges, this little bridge below gave us a view of three different buddhas from one location. Can you spot them?

Later we made our way through a small village across the canal to a little-known spot. Here the juxtaposition of the vista and the setting sun deceived us into believing we had stepped back into another era.

We took a few moments to absorb the view with some local ice-cream and refreshing coconut water. We thought we had seen it all, but then we turned a corner to find yet another set of small but enthralling temples. 

We ended the day at a nice cafe in the village- the only diners before closing time.

The Golden Mount

In earlier travels to Bangkok, I had visited nearly all noteworthy temples, some of them twice. Yet one still remained on my list. It came up time and again in the reviews. For one reason or the other I had never made it there. 

The ability to generate true wonder and awe requires short breaks between a dazzling historic past and the mundane present. Battling urban traffic, speeding bikes and living in concrete buildings is one way to revive the craving for culture. About a month later, one sultry afternoon, it was time to reach into the past again. I hopped onto the local canal boat with another set of intrepid and enthusiastic companions and found myself at the unique Wat Saket. 

Our party arrived just before evening. At the entry, a temple worker was patiently affixing metal 'peepal' leaves under this 'wishing tree'. They represent prayers, aspirations and desires of the individuals who requested them.

After purchasing our tickets, and ensuring plentiful supply of water, we readied ourselves for a small climb. Thankfully the gradient was gentle. The evening chants wafted their way down. Mesmerised by the intonations, waterfalls and numerous sculptures enroute, we covered those 344-steps with the ease of an eagle gliding up the mount. During the ascent, the words that came to my mind were: tranquil, healing, other-worldly. At each turn, the sound of falling water and the brightly coloured fish made us feel like we were ensconced in nature.

Mid-way, and with a gentle nudge from my companions, I had the satisfaction of sounding this beautiful gong below and listening to the faint ‘thud’ sound.

As we reached the top, a cool breeze soothed our faces. The view? Well, the picture tells it better than I could.

On the way out this gallery of colourful lanterns was a joy to behold.

And finally, we sought 'sat-buddhi' or 'good intelligence' and peace from these two buddhas at Wat Saket.

There are more temples and statues to write about, but I shall pause here for now.

I conclude with yet another paradox. Here is a city that oozes spirituality and spirits, tonsured heads and tattoos, restrain and indulgence, often in the same kilometre. The irony is not lost on me. 

This is the Kaliyug after all. So far no one is complaining.

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