Mummy Monks and Hungry Ghosts: a post for Halloween

WARNING: CREEPY ALERT!

well... it is Halloween, after all

Mummy Monks

Well... I promised mummy monks, didn't I?

a reclining Buddha

A couple of months ago, I was wandering around the Old Town of Bangkok, trying to see sights that I had never seen before. I came across one particularly beautiful old temple, hidden down a side street and tucked away from the bustle of the rest of the city.

old temple bells

A little chapel caught my attention. It was in the back corner of the temple compound, away from the main prayer hall. Inside, I discovered a glass coffin and the mummified body of the temple's former abbot.

a photo of the temple's abbot in life

This is a Buddhist mummy, also known as a full body sariras (holy relic) or Sokushinbutsu ("living Buddha").

There's a very old belief in Buddhism that especially holy people will leave their bodies behind as a sort of magical natural mummy upon death. The belief is a bit controversial, as it challenges the Buddhist ideals of impermanence. Nevertheless, Buddhist mummies aren't all that rare, at least not in Thailand.

I've seen a few before in my travels. Usually they are the naturally mummified bodies of the abbots of particularly important temples. These abbots were believed to have supernatural powers deriving from their holy practices. Upon their deaths, the holy men will enter a state of meditation so deep that it is indiscernible from death.

Somehow, the bodies do not decay, despite the heat and humidity of Thailand. Instead they turn into natural mummies! Creepy, right? And also kind of mysterious.

and her he is now

Hungry Ghosts

The next thing that I want to talk about today is my recent visit to a Thai "Hell Park". This was a part of the very first Walking Adventure that I went on. We visited this place before seeing the Great Buddha of Thailand, but it was creepy enough that I decided I would save it for Halloween.

Mr. Bones welcomes you to the creepy Hell park

These "Hell Parks" are a very strange sort of attraction in Thailand. Essentially, they offer a warning to live your life well on Earth so that you don't have to be punished in the afterlife.

The most impressive (as in, made the biggest impression on me) were the Pretas, or "Hungry Ghosts", long, emaciated ghoulish figures from Thai folklore. They are cursed with insatiable hunger and thirst as a punishment for their greed in life. The punishment can last any amount of time until it is seen fit for them to enter the next cycle of their reincarnation. I guess the good news for the hungry ghosts is that it isn't for eternity!

Hungry Ghosts

Another section depicted the judgment of souls after death. The Buddhist concept of Hell isn't one of unending punishment, but a place of rehabilitation (admittedly through torture) on the path towards enlightenment.

judgment in the afterlife

I wasn't sure what everything was supposed to represent, but most of it was pretty creepy. For example, why is this monk wearing black robes instead of orange? Why do all of these souls have animal heads? Lots of questions!

I didn't spend too much time there, but I thought the pictures might make for an interesting Halloween post.

I'm not sure what this is, but it's creepy! Why is the monk wearing a black robe? Why do these people have animal heads?

Tonight (Halloween night) we are going to the second meeting of the brand-new Japanese food club in Bangkok! We will be sampling a selection of dishes from the island of Okinawa! Stay tuned, and Happy Halloween!!!

👻 🎃 🧛‍♂️