Chanting and Lunar Eclipse

Every day around 5 in the afternoon the monks of the wats gather in the main temple, or "sim" or "vihan" for a 30 minutes session of chanting. Yesterday when I was talking to a group of monks I was invited to join for the chanting, and of course I said yes. Sing, whom I speak to has been at the monastery for eight years, and this April he is leaving his brothers to go to school in Vientiane.

This sim is quite small, with no more than 12 monks and novices taking part of the chanting. I sit in the bank, on my knees, and it gives me a view of the monks and I can copy what they do. After about ten minutes this position is already uncomfortable and I change position. I have noticed that the younger novices sit on their butt, and I do the same. I also notice that Sing leads the chanting, which is probably because he have been at the wat for such a long time. They chant, and I try to copy the chant in my mind, and sometime we bow. The last five minutes everyone changes to knee position and the chant increase in strength. Finally we bow several times, I am not sure how many, and the chant is over. After Sing tells me that I am welcome to join whenever I want and I tell him that I will come by next week.

One might think that the chant is very strict, but its not. The simple fact that anyone is allowed to join, buddhist or not. One or two novices drop in after the chant has started. At one time, Sing leaves the chanting since he is needed outside, but soon returns. I believe that this is what separates Buddhism from other religions, like Christianity, that it is open and forgiving and not built on a thousand strict rules on how to behave. It is not judging of people of other religions, and seems overall to be a very laid-back philosophy.


I was super excited for the total lunar eclipse which was to happen yesterday, but of course it was too cloudy and I couldn't see a thing.