Thailands Spirit Houses and Shrines (2): The origins of Thai spiritual beliefs are complex and represent a mixture of the religions and spiritual beliefs of several cultures. Since at least the tenth century, the Thai have used spirit houses. (1) Today most Thai people are Buddhists, but in the past Thai people mainly practiced animism. Animism is the worlds oldest religion, and many forms of animism are practiced throughout the world. Animists believe that the world is filled with spirits which can help or hinder humans. Rivers, mountains, trees, and animals have spirits, and humans interact with these spirits to obtain assistance. By making rituals, prayers and offerings, people can make their lives better. Trade with China and India brought different religious beliefs into Thailand. Influences like Buddhism and Hinduism mingled with animism. People build spirit houses according to their budgets. Some are very simple wooden structures, while others are large concrete palaces decorated with gold paint and mirrored tiles. A recent trend is that a new building will have two spirit houses side-by-side. The smaller, modest wood spirit house contains the spirit of the place, or the lord of the land. The second spirit is home to a kind of male angel evolved from the Hindu religion of India. He lives in a taller, concrete miniature palace supported on one pillar. Source: spirithouses-shrines.ucdavis.edu/content/lessons/readings/thailand.html
Posted on: Sun, 30 Mar 2014 00:41:14 +0000
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