Thai temple has rules for ghosts
Thais can be deeply spiritual, so when it’s time for Halloween, it’s only natural to get scared of ghosts. One Thai temple in Yala saw its visitors were afraid of ghosts, so with his spiritual authority, the abbot made 10 rules for ghosts within his temple grounds.
Here are the 10 rules and how they’ve served to ease fears.
The Ten Commandments – ghost version
Image credit: Thairath
- Live in an orderly manner (อยู่กันอย่างเป็นระเบียบ)
- Do not sit on the roof of temple buildings (ห้ามขึ้นไปนั่งบนหลังคาเมรุ หลังคาศาลา กุฏิพระ รวมทั้งโบสถ์)
- Do not detach your head and put it outside temple grounds (ห้ามถอดหัวยื่นออกไปนอกวัด)
- Do not bully your junior spirits (ห้ามรังแกวิญญาณรุ่นน้อง ที่มาใหม่)
- Do not manifest in a grotesque form (ห้ามปรากฏตัวในสภาพที่สยดสยอง)
- Do not scare monks, novice monks, or temple visitors (ห้ามแกล้งหลอก พระ เณร และชาวบ้านที่อยู่ในวัด)
- Do not manifest during prayers (ห้ามปรากฎตัวในขณะที่ปฏิบัติหน้าที่สวดอภิธรรม สวดมาติกา บังสุกุล)
- After burial or cremation, please do your duty and pass on (เมื่อฌาปนกิจแล้ว กรุณาไปทำตามหน้าที่ของตัวเอง)
- If you miss us and want to contact us, please give us 3 digits for the lottery (ถ้าคิดถึงกัน ก็ขอ 3 ตัว ตรง ๆ)
- If you can’t give us 3 digits, at least give us 2 (ถ้าขอ 3 ตัวไม่ได้ ก็ขอ 2 ตัวก็แล้วกัน
Rules to ease fear of ghosts
Image credit: เชียวชาญ ปานข่อยงาม via Google Maps
In interviews with Thai media, the abbot revealed that the sign has been up at the temple for over a year now. He was inspired by a social media post with a similar message, so he made the sign for people who visit the temple.
He said it was so that people could turn something frightening into something they could laugh about. He even said that a couple of visitors would laugh at the sign from time to time.
Rules for ghosts
It’s easy to find yourself paralyzed by fear, ghosts or otherwise. But if these rules have shown us anything, it’s that with a bit of perspective, you can turn that into something positive.
So next time you find your palms sweaty, remember that it’s okay to feel fear. But let it pass through you so that only you and what you want to do remain.
For more Thai ghost stories, check out this story about a haunting in Lopburi which turned out to be a thief in a mask. And if that wasn’t enough, try this other story where a ghost on a bridge also happened to be a person.
Cover image adapted from: Thairath and เชียวชาญ ปานข่อยงาม via Google Maps