Monks visit car showroom. The staff gain merit from the Buddhist monks. To celebrate the tenth anniversary of their opening, the car showroom held a tamboon today. Nine monks arrived at 10 o’clock, chauffeured in the company’s most luxurious cars. The monks sat on the ornate chairs that the showroom staff had brought from the temple.
Normally, monks arrive in more normal transport. But, the Company was keen to showoff their fleet. They arrived in much more luxurious carriages for the merit-making ceremony, the tamboon.
How the ceremony progresses
Monks visit car showroom. The staff provide water by placing a glass next to each seat for the monk’s refreshment.
The blessings last about half an hour with all the staff sitting cross-legged on the floor facing the monks. Sometimes just listening, sometimes with their hands in the wai position.
The showroom staff hand gifts to the nine monks. Containing food, soft drinks, and toilet requisites.
The daily necessities that they cannot buy themselves as they have no cash. Traditional yellow buckets are used for his purpose.
You will spot these yellow buckets filled with gifts on sale at most stores, large and small, in Thailand.
Male employees can hand the gift directly to the monk and then wai.
Because female staff can’t touch a monk, they put the bucket on a cloth which the monk then pulls towards him.
And, by donating gifts in this way, everyone receives merit.
The monks tie a white cord, the sai sin, around the wrist of each person who has donated.
Then, senior staff take the monks back to the wat. Each monk in one of the luxurious cars in the company’s fleet. It’s an impressive sight to watch. And, a good marketing strategy.
Ctrl and Click on this link for the Khuan Ban Mai ceremony, which Buddhist monks perform for new homes and renovations. A similar ceremony.
A Thai Housewarming – Family, Friends & Food
For an account of how a simpler, more rural temple, carries out its Buddhist duties; you’ll find this video below a refreshing change. Very different from the more expensive lavish ceremony in “monks visit car showroom”.
Just type this link into your search bar.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WsnNjx9yZwk
However, I’d advise some personal caution when believing this particular video presenter. A nice enough guy I’m sure, but you may notice some bias creeping in– he tends to talk only of the rosy side of Thailand.
An interesting perspective of a temple’s role in the community, very different from the majority of Thai wats.
There are some contradictions in the text, particularly from his wife, which you may notice.
More relevant to the community in which I live, the post below explains what happened when monks came to see khun Yai, after her house had burned down. There are several posts describing how the community rallied round and re-built the 83 year-old lady’s home. All are on my website.
Monks give blankets
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