Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Songkran and the Buddha
Last week a kind friend sent me a little present with her good wishes for the success of the BCG treatment. 
On Monday I bought a book of Buddhist quotes - one for each day of the year.
Let not a person revive the past
Songkran in Thailand is celebrated with prayer at the temple and the spraying of water on others to aid the purification of their souls.
The water part of the day can be great fun.
The pictures below were taken by me on 13th April last year. How lovely it would be to be in Thailand for Songkran this year.
It was a little Buddha.
I don't know what it is made of.
The instructions said to immerse it in water and in about 72 hours it will have grown much bigger - it also grew lighter in colour.
Bill photographed it before it went in the water alongside a penny and again when we took it out.
The Buddha is now sitting on a cupboard close to the computer and we expect it to reduce in size again.
On Monday I bought a book of Buddhist quotes - one for each day of the year.
I hope to sell this book on EBay.
This year Songkran, the Thai Buddhist New Year falls on Friday so I looked up the quotation for that day. I think it is one we could all be happy to adopt.
Let not a person revive the past
Or on the future build his hopes,
For the past has been left behind
And the future has not been reached.
Instead with insight let him see
Each presently arisen state,
Let him know that and be sure of it,
Invincibly, unshakeably.
Songkran in Thailand is celebrated with prayer at the temple and the spraying of water on others to aid the purification of their souls.
The water part of the day can be great fun.
The pictures below were taken by me on 13th April last year. How lovely it would be to be in Thailand for Songkran this year.
I am sure there will be some 2007 Songkran pictures on Jamie's blog.
