A Nation Celebrating Intuition & Spontaneous Community

One of the things I LOVE about Thailand is that we really don't have public holidays celebrating war, soldiers or colonization. Instead, we have public holidays celebrating lunar events and the start of the rice growing season. And days like today: Wan Macha Buja วันมาชาบูจา - a public holiday observing a legendary Buddhist event.

The story goes like this:

On the full moon day of the third lunar month, 1,250 devotees and followers of Siddhartha Gautama all felt the intuitive urge to gather and listen to his teachings. No one "organized" it, but each devotee knew in his-her-their heart that this was the main business of the day: to sit, open oneself, meditate and accept the teachings of that one man who has now become known as the Buddha.

By myself- Painting in a Laotian Temple

Unlike the Catholic or Muslim traditions, there are no real MANDATES for the Buddhist believers - no Holy Days of Observation (which failing to observe leads to damaging one's relationship with the Divine) or fixed prayer times. Instead, one simply gathers at a temple, if one feels intuitively prodded. Nothing organized or no monk available? No problem. Sit quietly, commune with nature and your deepest self and let that be enough.

Now I'm actually NOT a temple girl, at all. While I try to follow the precepts of Gautama, I deliberately sidestep the whole monk, temple, patriarchal 'thing' which has eclipsed the simplicity of the Bodhi Tree and the simple teaching of the Buddha: stillness, connection, nature, respect and personal choice in the circle and spiral of Life.

Image source

And yet, religious holidays - Public Holidays - like today make me happy! I'm HAPPY to be celebrating intuition and spontaneity; and HAPPY to be honoring the coming together of intentional communities based on nature, meditation and connection. Mostly I'm HAPPY that war and commerce don't drive everything in every place, and to have found a small place where higher things and spirituality are still valued.

Lots of Thai people have taken today simply as a day to chill, go on a picnic or spend time at home with family. Some businesses, like ours, are open cos the staff prefer not to pause (and need the money). There is no judgement.

Earlier this morning, I had to drop my daughter to an appointment 5 mins behind our office. I got myself there no problem through the convoluted, 1,000 year old narrow streets of Wian Kum Kham, thanks to google maps. But stupidly, having lived here for 18 years, I thought I knew the way back, and took a wrong turn. And found myself paused outside Wat Chedi Liam to check the map. 🤣 I looked at the old chedi, and simply sat for a quiet moment.

Built in 1287 by King Mengrai, it is said to commemorate his 60 wives. 🙃 Ancient and towering, even on this religious holiday there was no one there. It was totally silent as I sat there for one spontaneous moment, breathing slowly and simply gazing in awe. And I was reminded that it is the spontaneous moments like this, and the niggles of intuition, that are at the heart of Wan Macha Buja.

Feeling connected, calm and relaxed, even being back at the office. Grateful for cultures which still cherish intuition and community, and make space for that.