I found a very special spot inside the temple grounds: a pagoda (temple) that people from miles and miles around seek out to come and be blessed and washed by the monks. You give the monks two candles, a bundle of incense, a bag of sugar and about three dollars and they bless you...
Here old women at the temples make ornaments...
This lady was fascinating. She smoked while stuffing banana leaves full of tobacco as offerings for the Buddha...
This couple came to the pagoda to be blessed because they were "unlucky" - perhaps infertile?
This old man makes a ceremonial talisman to be used as part of the ceremony for the couple...
This family even pulled up their car to have it blessed as well...
And then it was my turn...
After a week of a horrible stomach illness (I spent 60 hours in bed only able to eat crackers and drink water), this blessing came at the end of my illness and the close of my time in Siem Reap. I silently asked for a blessing on my future teaching and for peace, peace, peace...
And I made a new (old) friend as well:
No comments:
Post a Comment