Spirituality on the train
While I was in Bangkok on the train you can obeserve this. In every major city you have subways, LRT, intercity trains for public transport. You have special signs suggesting to give seats to pregnant women and the elderly. In Bangkok you have the same but also signages to please offer seats to monks if it is crowded. How beautiful. A major metropolitan city with spiritual tradition deep rooted and firm. Thai people may be modern, hip and city slickers, but they are very spiritual.
I loved seeing this signage on the train. Just wanted to share.
Tsem Rinpoche
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Wow….In Thailand, priority seats are given to Buddhist monks, that’s wonderful. Monks in Thailand are well respected by many with the majority of Thailand practising Buddhism. We could see monks everywhere in Thailand. Most public transport in Bangkok has seats marked for monks. We used to see signage board stating elderly persons, disabled persons, pregnant women, and children were given priority. Priority seats have been designated in public transport vehicles such as train, bus monorail and other transport operators . It rare to see signage should yield their seat to the monks. I have yet come across such signage yet in Malaysia.
Thank you Rinpoche for this sharing.
It’s a wonderful and rare sight seeing signage on the train to offer seats to monks which I have not come across yet. But to to give seats to pregnant women, elderly or the handicapped which is common everywhere. Thailand is the world’s most heavily Buddhist country. About 93.6 per cent of all the people in Thailand are Buddhists Thailand’s population is Theravada Buddhist. Religious beliefs, traditions, and customs run deep, and permeate nearly every aspect of life. Buddhism is Thailand’s state religion, freedom to practice the religion of one’s choice is guaranteed by the constitution, and all Thai citizens equally enjoy this right and prerogative. This freedom is, in fact, rooted in the spirit of tolerance, which is one of the most distinctive characteristics of the Buddha’s teachings. How beautiful to have that signage added to other common signage here in Malaysia.
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing this.
Buddhist monks in Thailand are highly regarded as moral authority, teachers and community leaders fulfilling important spiritual and secular roles.
The institution itself is highly revered. The monks in Thailand are headed by Thailand’s Supreme Patriarch, who is named by the King and remains in his position until death.
There is a post about a famous Thai monk, Luang Phor Thuad (龙普托) here on the blog, with pictures/ video of a huge image of this monk in Ang Thong Province, Thailand. You can read it here: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/great-lamas-masters/huge-statue-of-luang-phor-thuad-%E9%BE%99%E6%99%AE%E6%89%98-in-thailand.html
This is something I never saw before. I haven’t visited Bangkok yet but I feel very happy for such spiritual government to put up reminders to respect monks and give them a seat.
I never came across such a sign in Europe for a priest. I rejoice to have such a signage in Bangkok, Thailand. It is a reminder in daily life to respect monks and to remind yourself of spirituality and may be to do your prayers.
Thank You Rinpoche for such an inspiring post.
I think it’s wonderful.
Another thing I saw that when the monks were going on their rounds some of the elderly monks were helped by school kids and the kids help out the monks they then proceed to go to school. Imagine young people able to do service for the monks who are the people preserving our Buddhist lineage and tradition what good imprints will be planted in mind streams!
This is so beautiful. Yes, we often see signage suggesting the public to give seats to pregnant women, elderly or the handicapped, signage asking to offer seats to monks are really rare. It’s good to see spirituality is so deep rooted in this concrete jungle where people hardly show their true self, genuine care and love to others.
Thailand in history and practice, is a traditonal buddhist country, where buddhism has a stronghold. Therefore it naturally is well-supported by its government and majority of its people, though other religions are also allowed to exist therein. Our centre is also fortunate to be in a country like Malaysia, whose government though is islamic, yet give total freedom for other religions to practise harmoniously together there as long as the law is adhered to. Each main religious festive day is declared a holiday for the people to worship or celebrate such an important occassion. Spirituality is quite well supported by our government in Malaysia though differently.ry
Thailand and Malaysia are much alike–the first is dominated by Buddhists, the second by Muslims, with much inter-group friction. In fact several provinces of southern Thailand have Muslim majorities, but were given to Thailand by the British (over the objections of their residents, to be sure). So to speak of Buddhism as the “traditional” religion of Thailand overlooks the equally venerable history of rival religions / ethnic groups, just as with the Malaysian “bhumiputera” rhetoric. Just as you fear ethnic cleansing at the hands of Muslims, so do Thailand’s Muslims regard Buddhist monks as symbols of a hated occupation force.
I had seen seats specially reserved for monks in the express boats too.
They are also very prejudiced. Not only are no provisions made for nuns (because mainstream Thai Buddhism does not recognize nuns), but no other religion is thus honored.
This is indeed very special. Looking at these signs will keep remind us on our spirituality..
I find this amazing. Do you?
I’m happy that respect is accorded to monks. It’s a step in the right direction – once the seed of respect is planted in a person, it is possible for them to respect anyone else, monk, nun, Buddhist, Muslim or otherwise.
Very nice!! it is only happen in Thailand.