Visakha Bucha

Today Thailand celebrates Visakha Bucha, the day when, as the story goes, Buddha was born, reached enlightenment, and passed away. The common thread to these events being impermanence, they are marked with candles, flowers, and incense—things that wither quickly.

At one temple I walked past today, worshippers blessed the central chedi using an ingenious pulley system. From a distance, it appeared that a large bird was flying over and over again to the top of the pagoda. (You might spot the bird just above the telephone wires in this fuzzy picture taken with my phone’s camera.)

Ducking through a gate for a closer look, I saw that the bird was made of metal. On a rope attached to the pulley, the bird trailed a bucket of water, which tipped its contents upon reaching the summit. Kids eagerly re-filled the bucket each time the bird returned to earth, while their parents made merit with each “flight” by pushing small bills into a donation box.

I happen to be in Chiang Mai, taking advantage of the three-day weekend, the full moon, and the chance to catch up with some people I haven’t seen for too long. Nobody I know here wanted to join in the most devout observation of the day, a 10-kilometer climb up the side of the city’s famous mountain, starting at sunset and arriving at a classic monastery around 3 in the morning.

So I saved that stroll for another year, and instead met a friend just after dark for three circuits around Wat Suan Dok. We had lots of company there, of all ages. A sermon was being broadcast through loudspeakers, bells were jingling, and kids were respectfully tapping at gongs. Yet the overall mood seemed to be one of silent reflection.

My friend pointed out that people in Bangkok don’t take time to celebrate Visakha Bucha. Perhaps they get stuck in traffic.