Thai influencer dresses as Buddha for Halloween
For decades, Buddhism has long been held in high regard by many of us who live in Thailand.
We have been taught to follow the teachings of Buddhism, and to do good deeds to keep us grounded. That’s probably why when we choose to dress up as a religious figure as revered as Buddha, it may be considered disrespectful or inappropriate to some netizens.
Here’s the story of a Thai influencer in Bangkok who challenged society’s norms by dressing up as Buddha this Halloween.
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Dressing up as Buddha on Halloween
On 31st October 2021, Nut Nisamanee Lertworapong, a popular Thai influencer on Facebook whose preferred pronoun is she/her, posted a set of pictures of her dressing up as “Buddha” for a Halloween photoshoot on her official Facebook page Sabudprang.
Image credit: @สะบัดแปรง
The pics saw Nisamanee wearing yellow robe of Buddhist monk with a lotus in her hands and a painting of Buddha’s teachings in the background.
The Facebook post drew a lot of attention from netizens, and Nisamanee has elaborated on her posts in the comments section.
Trans net idol explains in detail about her costume
Nut Nisamanee also shared her post on IG Story and explained the reason why she decided to dress up in this way.
Image credit: @สะบัดแปรง
“For my Halloween costume this year, I want to make it controversial. I want people to exchange their personal opinions on the religious belief as I think people have different perspectives on this issue. It would be interesting to see how people react when the religion is challenged by different ideas or thoughts, and I never intend to offend anyone”, said the net idol.
Screenshot: @สะบัดแปรง
She also added that “If we look at it with negativity, it causes a problem, but if we look at it with positivity, it’s just an inspiring art piece.”
Netizens react & share their thoughts on the issue
After the post went viral, many netizens shared their comments on her fashion choices.
Screenshot: @สะบัดแปรง
Translation: Sathu 99 queen mother!! If we still think it’s inappropriate, what is appropriate then? It’s the humans themselves who view the Buddhism as their spiritual anchor. Every religion is different, but all religions teach us to be a good person. So, we should view it as an art and beauty. LOVE
One netizen defended the trans influencer commenting that it depends on an individual’s perspective, whether it’s appropriate or not.
Several Facebook users praised the influencer for her bravery to address the sensitive issue. Other netizens found her attire offensive and disrespectful towards Buddhism.
Screenshot: @สะบัดแปรง
Translation: It’s obvious that you do it for spotlight regardless of the result that might come after. Our religion will deteriorate by this kind of behaviour and young people will think it’s normal to challenge Buddhism.
Screenshot: @สะบัดแปรง
Translation: I don’t care if you agree with her, but I disagree. Karma awaits for those who ruin Buddhism. That’s why their life will never get better.
One Facebook user responded that what she has done could be an accumulation of her deeds from a previous life – a.k.a karma may follow.
Learn to respect others’ opinion
Though you may or may not believe in Buddhism, you should learn to respect others’ thoughts and to always think carefully about the result of what you will do.
We hope that through this experience, Nut Nisamanee has achieved what she has intended but is also open to considering the reactions of others in the future.
What do you think of the costume? Would you consider it art or disrespectful to one’s religion? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments section below.
Cover image adapted from: @สะบัดแปรง
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