Two Fridays ago we went to our local wat in the evening to see the Wan Wisakhabucha ceremony. We were told it would start around 7pm, so we had a quick dinner and walked over around 7:15 – assuming some Thai lateness, of course. However, when we got there the temple was completely deserted except for the sound of a few monks chanting somewhere. We paced a bit trying to decide what to do, and finally assumed we had gotten it all wrong and started walking back home.
Before we had gone too far, though, a woman came out to ask us where we were going. After our reply she informed us that the ceremony would actually start at 8pm. "And don’t you have any flowers?" she asked with a puzzled look. No, we said, we were just going to watch this time.
We went back to the wat and this time met a few other early arrivers, all of whom had flowers in their hands. "Do you have a flower?" they asked us. No, we’re just watching... We chatted with one young couple visiting from out of town until a loud bell rang and everyone started moving inside the wihan (building).
We sat in a back corner hoping to be inconspicuous. As the room filled up and the monks started chanting, however, we were soon very well surrounded by teenagers, including some from our neighborhood. (To our surprise, this seemed to be a particularly teenager-attracting event.) Several people asked whether we had flowers. No, we said, we’re just watching.
About 20 minutes into the chanting, when my legs were really getting cramped from kneeling on the floor even though I had switched orientation several times, I felt a tap on my shoulder. I glanced behind me, and there was a young woman handing me a lotus flower. A young man was obtaining another for Robert, which I dutifully passed over. It seems the local teens couldn’t imagine the thought of us experiencing Wan Wisakhabucha without our own flowers. We relented, and I spent the remainder of the chanting admiring my nice bloom.
After the monks were finished, we all headed outside – about 150 people in all – and candles were lit. As everyone started walking around the wihan, Robert and I were each handed a candle as well, which we quickly lit before joining in the walk. Three times around in total, commemorating the birth, life, and death of the Buddha, and then we placed the candles and flowers in some little cubbies and went home. It was really a beautiful sight, and a testament to the determination of Thai people to include us in their special moments. No "just watching" allowed!
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