Above is a picture of a Buddhist temple. This one actually has nine floors! Climbing to the top felt like climbing a lighthouse only less rewarding because a beautiful view of the ocean was not waiting for us up at the top. But there was a river! The temples here are lavish to say the least. The inside literally sparkles from all the gold, and images. The conclusion can definitely be made that these places are beautiful. Yet that’s not what caught my attention first. What struck my eye was all the money everywhere.
Where does all this money go? Is it just offered to the gods? Does it make it’s way back to the people?
Money was either dropped in boxes representing various gods, or just placed in the temple as an offering. Not to mention money is used to buy whatever gifts are necessary to give to whichever god will help give you what you are asking for. I asked Yung , one of our contacts in Thailand, she is no longer Buddhist but grew up a Buddhist, she said the money goes towards keeping the temples looking nice, and anything left over gets sent to Bangkok where they use it on temples. Now as Christians we tithe and give money so just to be safe before I made too many judgments on the reasoning behind this I wanted to ask. But this money seems to be not being used to expand the Buddhist “cause” or help the poor.
Where I am staying in Thailand is the northeast region. This is the poorest region of Thailand and where most of the women who get involved in prostitution come from. It just made me sad to know that people were willing to use most of their money at the temple with little hope of outcome.
My time at the temples here what I saw were few smiles, no laughter, and lots and lots of routines performed. Sticks being shaken until your lucky number fell out, monks looking void, and plates and plates of food being offered to statues. This may have been just the way Buddhist worship, but in my short time here I know that the heart of a Thai person is to show joy, to laugh and to be happy.
Each Tuesday night there is a YWAM worship meeting held where we are staying. Many people come Tuesday nights at 6:30 to have fellowship and hear a message. Last Tuesday I walked downstairs to a room with no chairs, no sparkle, no gold, and no money anywhere. Probably around 150 people sat on the hard floor, which is by no means comfortable. (its literally the hardest floor ever haha). It just made me think about how there was a literal difference that I could notice between people going into the temple and then coming into a time of worshipping God.
lots of love. Elaina
