Nowadays, I have a membership to the fitness center at the Suan Lum Bazaar Hotel, located at the corner of Lat Phrao Road and Ratchadapisek. The other day, when coming out of the gym, I decided to wander around the back of the hotel to where I saw a Banyan tree growing. Banyan trees are sacred in Buddhism, and I was curious.
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| Buddha statue behind the hotel |
What I discovered was a fairly fake-looking wall depicting a Buddha made to look like something from the Sukothai Historical Park. Although the "ancient" ruins behind the hotel were fake, the sacred Banyan tree was very real. In Buddhist belief, the Banyan was the tree under which Prince Siddharta achieve enlightenment and became the Buddha. Today, all Banyan trees are considered holy, and this one was no exception. Around the tree, a sort of shrine had sprung up, complete with Buddha statues and spirit houses.
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| a spirit house |
The spirit houses, though relatively plain, were full of offerings and plastic statues; gifts to the grandmother and grandfather spirits of the land. Every building in Thailand has a spirit house. It's an ancient Animist belief that dates back to pre-Buddhist times, but which is still carried on to this day.
Basically, a spirit house is a place that you build to give thanks to the spirits of the land for allowing you to build in their home. As thanks, people often give offerings of red Fanta, water, incense, fruit, flowers, and more.
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