Chapter XVII: RELIGIOUS CEREMONIES (continued)

THE THOT KATIN. The Thot Katin ceremonies are not nearly so old as those described in the preceding chapter. They are said to have been first established as purely state ceremonies by one of the Siamese kings, called Somdet Pra Luang, who reigned over Northern Siam about seven hundred years ago. He was a very popular monarch, and as powerful as he was popular. Whatever he ordered to be done in his own provinces in the north of the country, was always carried out to the letter, and the ceremonies he instituted have extended and developed till they are now universally celebrated all over the kingdom.

In the days when the Buddhist priesthood lived a purely ascetic life, according to the ideal of their great teacher, long before the days even of Pra Luang himself, there was one branch of the monastic order which was far more given to practising self-denial and mortification than any of the rest of the brotherhood. And this sect of holy monks vowed a solemn vow that they would never wear any clothes that were directly or indirectly presented to them. They vowed that their robes should only be made of cloth that had no owners, such as the winding-sheets that had enshrouded the bodies of the dead, the clothes that had been cast away because they had been worn by persons suffering from infectious diseases, or the garments that had been discarded by their owners as being too ragged or filthy to be used any longer. Garments of this description were the only ones they would wear, and all presents were steadily refused. At the end of the rainy season, when the period of the forced retirement in the monasteries was finished, they went in little parties of three and four to the cemeteries, to the places where the bodies of the dead were burned, and to all the spots where dust, dirt, refuse, and rubbish had been deposited. There they gathered up every scrap and remnant of cloth, to patch them carefully together to make their garments for the coming year. Many people saw them frequently groping about in these unhealthy, unfrequented localities, and asked them wonderingly, "What are you doing there? What are you looking for?" And to all enquiries the priests made none other answer save "We seek for ownerless clothes." Then the people, partly out of a feeling of pity and partly out of a desire to make merit, went to their homes and brought all the pieces of cotton, linen, or woollen cloth they could spare, and generously offered them as gifts to the ragged priests. But the gifts were always firmly refused, and the people returned to their homes, wondering why this one particular order of mendicant brethren would not accept their voluntary offerings.

Some of the more inquisitive of those whose gifts had been refused, stealthily followed the priests from place to place, and, unseen themselves, observed all they did. And they saw the worthy monks groping in heaps of refuse and gathering fragments of cloth, taking soiled torn rags from the branches of trees, and collecting the scraps of linen that were blown hither and thither by the wind in the grave-yards, where were buried the uncremated, those who had died of small-pox, cholera, and other dangerous and infectious diseases. When they had seen all this, they returned home and told their brethren, and all wondered greatly, but no one understood. Then those people who reverenced the priests, but whose minds held many superstitious notions, invented a theory which seemed to explain all the facts that had been observed, and which afterwards found wide acceptation amongst the people. They said that these wandering, self-denying, rag-hunting monks were of the holiest of the holy, that they had power to see into the realms of heaven and of hell, and that their chief aim and purpose in this life was to promote the future happiness of men and animals. When these priests clad themselves in the garments of one who had died, the deceased ascended into heaven. Therefore, the monks, ever living according to the faith they held, and in pursuance of their great desire to give future bliss to those who had departed, wore not the valuable gifts of the living, but the cast-off garments of the dead.

When this theory had been heard and accepted by devout or superstitious people, the custom arose of wrapping many extra cloths round the body of a dead person, and requesting the priests to remove them from the corpse and carry them away to the temples. This custom still prevails in many parts of the country amongst people who hope in this way to secure the safe and speedy entrance of their deceased friends and relatives into the realms of indescribable felicity. The late king, in his sincere desire to purify the religious beliefs of his credulous subjects, endeavoured to point out to them that there was nothing whatever in the original scriptural texts to warrant this wide-spread faith, and that it was purely a superstition invented and taught by the laity. He also pointed out the true interpretation of the priests' actions--namely, their desire to live a thoroughly ascetic life that they might purify their minds and be worthy of their master. But the people have refused to accept this simple explanation either from their ruler or from their more enlightened ecclesiastical teachers, and even accuse those priests who exhibit any reluctance to comply with their requests, of being wanting in pity and gentleness. So they continue to wrap unnecessary cloths round the bodies of the dead, that the priests may remove them and wear them, and so ensure the happiness of the dead. There have been also many priests of worldly disposition who have secretly encouraged the custom, as it is a source of considerable worldly profit to themselves.

A more reasonable but still unorthodox creed has found many followers. According to some, the priests sought for the clothes that had shrouded people who had died of infectious diseases, not out of pity for the dead, but out of consideration for the living. For by removing these cloths they effectually prevented them from being blown amongst the homes of men, and so spreading the disease. They thus removed a possible disaster. This idea degenerated into the belief that by presenting the priests with robes, impending dangers would be rendered ineffectual to the giver, and led to the custom of throwing garments for the use of the priests in front of the temples. This was usually done at the end of the rainy season, which, according to the old custom of counting time, was the end of the year. The donors thought they would in this way certainly secure prosperity for themselves and families during the ensuing months.

As a result of this latter belief it became the custom to present robes to the priests in October and November, when the wet months were drawing to a close. King Pra Luang in his palace at Ayuthia, considered the custom, pronounced it good, and established it as part of the ordinary worship of the devout. When the proper season arrived, he set out himself to distribute robes to the inmates of the royal temple. Each temple provided a quantity of fireworks, and appointed responsible officers to superintend their pyrotechnical displays. In front of the landing of the king's palace, were gathered together numerous boats laden with baskets of food and yellow cloth. In the centre of each basket a stout branch was fixed, and from the branches lighted lanterns were suspended. At the bottom of every lantern trailed a strip of yellow silk, symbolical of the scraps that the old monks sought in desolate places. The boats also contained presents of many descriptions given by the king, the government officials, and the common people according to their wealth or their faith.

In the evening, as soon as it was dark, the king came down to the bank of the river to examine the boats and their contents. He descended into his state barge, attended by his chief officers, and headed a long procession, accompanied by the chief ladies of the palace, and by crowds of people who had been drawn to the place by the prospect of seeing the fireworks. The boats, crowded by natives, drew after them the other boats containing the baskets of food and the piles of robes. Wherever the king stopped, presents of eatables and priestly garments were distributed to the brethren who resided in the temple, and fireworks were let off in honour of the sovereign's arrival, and as a mark of gratitude for his benevolence. At a later date, when temples became multiplied to such an extent that the king was unable to personally visit them all, he entrusted the distribution of the presents to his relatives, and officials of high rank.

The custom of presenting robes at the end of the rainy season is now universally observed throughout the whole kingdom, and is looked upon as an excellent way of making merit, though, in common with all the other religious observances of the country, its primary meaning and origin are unknown to most of the worshippers.

The festival is known as the "Thot Katin", and is celebrated with great rejoicing and merriment. "Katin", or "Kratin", is derived from the Pali word, "Katina", and means "severe" or "difficult". The term is applied to three separate things. It means a pattern of a priest's robe made of patchwork; it is the name of the robe itself, which must be made of raw cotton and completed in a single day and night--a difficult task; and it also denotes the merit which the maker will receive as a reward for his meritorious exertions. The other word, "Thot", means "to lay down", so that the whole expression used as the name of the ceremony of the presentation of the priestly vestments, means "Laying down robes made after the Katina pattern", on the floor or on a table, for the priests to take up.

The holidays last during the month of October, and are celebrated with processions on land and water. The water processions in Bangkok are singularly attractive on account of the number of people who take part in them, and the variety of costume, and display of oarmanship which they then exhibit. All day long, lines of canoes, gondolas, and gilded barges carry the worshippers and their offerings to the many temples in the city. The holiday attire is unusually brilliant, and as the numerous colours flash by in the swiftly gliding boats, one begins to wonder if there are any tints or shades of colour that may not be seen on the Menam. After prostrating themselves before the idol, and presenting their gifts to the priests, the people hold a great aquatic carnival.

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The following account of this ancient ceremony is quoted from "The Bangkok Directory" and is presumably a translation of a native composition.

"All the temples in Bangkok and its suburbs, which have
been made by or dedicated to the king, expect a splendid
visit from him annually, between the middle of the eleventh
and twelfth moons. This is the season appointed by the
most ancient and sacred custom for the priests to seek
their apparel for the year ensuing. In conformity with this
custom, the King, taking a princely offering of priests'
robes with him, visits these temples.

"The ceremony is called 'Thot Katin', which means to lay
down the robes sewed up in patches according to a given
pattern, for the priests to take up. The pattern is the
'Katin', which in ancient times the priests of Buddha used
in cutting their cloth into patches to be sewed together to
make their outer and inner robes. The cloth was cut with
a knife because it would be wicked to tear it. In olden
time, in Buddha's day, the custom was for the priests to
go out themselves to seek old cast-off clothing, and the
best of these they would patch together to form the three
kinds of priestly robes required. This was one conspicuous
mode of self-mortification. But that mendicant custom has
gradually given place to the present one of making the
garments of new cloth dyed yellow; and prepared by the
princely donations of thousands of the affluent, and the
more humble contributions of the multitudes of the poor.
They begin to make preparations for this season months
before the time, until in Bangkok alone, there are many
thousands of priests' suits in readiness by the middle of
October for distribution at the temples. The cloth is dyed
yellow for the purpose, as tradition says, of imitating
somewhat the custom of Buddha and his early followers, who
preferred a dingy yellow colour for their robes, for the
express purpose of making themselves odious in the eyes
of the world, that there might be no door of temptation
open to them to be conformed to the world. In those days
it was the custom of robbers and murderers in Hindustan,
where Buddhism began its course, to wear red and yellow
clothing as an appropriate badge of their profession. The
better classes of the world regarded them with horror, and
fled from them. Now, Gautama Buddha, when a prince, had a
host of ardent friends who urged him not to abdicate his
throne. But he was full set to do it; and this was the mode
he took to cut himself off from their sympathy. By assuming
the robber's garb, he would rid himself of such ruinous
tempters, and yet secure another class of admirers, who
would delight to walk with him in the road to Nirvana, to
which his whole heart and soul was devoted.

"Although there are so many hundreds of Buddhist temples
in Siam, none are omitted from this annual visitation. The
royal temples are visited by the king, or by some prince or
nobleman of high rank, who goes in the king's name. Outside
the capital, these royal temples are always visited by
deputies of His Majesty, bearing priests' robes and other
things provided by the king.

"When His Majesty goes in person, he does so with great
pomp and splendour, whether by land or water. If by water
the finest state barges are displayed. There are some ten
or more of these splendid boats, each with some august name
attached, to distinguish it from the others. These barges
are called 'royal throne boats'. Only one appears in the
royal procession at a time. They are from one hundred and
fifty to one hundred and eighty feet in length, and from
six to eight feet wide. They gradually become narrower
fore and aft, and taper upwards. Hanging from the stem and
stern are two large white tassels made of the hair of the
Cashmere goat, and between them floats a royal banner. A
little abaft of midships there is a splendid canopy about
twelve feet long, having the ridge curving downward at
each end, and covered with cloth of gold, and the sides
tastefully hung with curtains of the same costly material.
Within is a throne, suited to this little floating palace.
The bows of the barges to convey the priestly robes and
other gifts, are formed into heads of hideous dragons, or
imaginary sea-monsters, with glaring eyes and horrid teeth
and horns. The whole boat is richly carved and gilded
to represent scales, often inlaid with pearl and other
precious things, while the stern forms an immense tail,
curving upwards to the height of twelve or fifteen feet. It
is in this kind of barge that the king always rides. When
he would appear in his greatest glory, he is seen seated
on this, his floating throne, wearing a gold-embroidered
coat, and golden shoes. He has generally the Crown Prince
with him, and sometimes other royal children follow him in
a barge of second rank, being all beautifully attired. We
must not forget to mention the huge jewelled fan, the royal
umbrellas, white and yellow, which have their appropriate
places in the dragon barge, and help to distinguish it
from all there in the imposing pageant. The dragon barges
are propelled by sixty or seventy paddlers, who have been
trained daily for a full month for that express service.
They have been taught to paddle in unison, all striking
the water at the same moment, and all raising the blades
of their paddles above their heads, at an equal height.
These royal boatmen, by their public training on the river,
become a pattern for all others in the procession.

"Preceding the King's personal barge, there are usually
from forty to sixty royal guard-boats, over one hundred
feet long, and from five to six feet wide, going in pairs.
They are modelled after the King's own boat, but smaller,
and the canopy is made of whitish leaves resembling the
palm leaf, sewed together, and ornamented with crimson
cloth bordered with yellow. Under the bow and stern of
these boats, float a pair of long grey tassels, made of
the fibres of pine-apple leaves, and between each of these
hangs a golden banner. They have fifty or more paddlers,
and two men in each boat beat time with a long pole
decorated with white tassels, which they lift up and strike
down end-wise on the deck of the boat.

"In the rear of the King's barge come princes, nobles,
officers, and multitudes of still lower grades, who all
follow the King to the temple in boats of various fashions,
down to the simple one-oared skiff with its single
half-naked occupant. Each prince and nobleman sits proudly
under his own canopy, attired in his best court robes,
having duly arranged about him gold or silver water-pot
and tea-pot, and betel and cigar boxes, all of which have
been given to him by the King, as insignia of his rank and
office.

"The boatmen have various coloured liveries. Those of the
King's dragon barge and its mate usually wear red jackets
and caps. On the guard-boats we see many colours; some
have red jackets and leather caps of ancient style; in
others the men have only short pants, and narrow fillets
of palm-leaf about their heads. Brass bands follow in the
procession, and companies of native men-o'-war's men, who
close up the moving panorama.

"The floating and other houses along the line of the King's
advance have each prepared a little table or altar, upon
which they display the choicest fruits and flowers, wax
candles, pictures, and other ornaments, as marks of respect
to their sovereign. The native and foreign shipping display
their colours. The small craft on the river and canals
where he is to come, clear out for the time, to make a wide
and open passage for him. Formerly none were allowed to
watch the royal procession, except from behind closed doors
or windows, but now all such restrictions are withdrawn,
and the people enjoy the sight of their beloved King, and
take part in the general rejoicings.

"The priests' garments being neatly folded and put up into
bundles of a suit each, are borne with the King in the
royal throne barge. When he arrives at the landing of a
temple, he remains seated until several suits of the yellow
robes have been carried up to the door and put in care of
an official, to await the approach of His Majesty, and
until other officers of state and a company of infantry,
together with the musicians, have had time to leave their
boats and place themselves in position for receiving him.
The handrails of the steps which the King ascends are
wound with white cotton cloth, and the flagged path from
the landing to the temple is covered with grass matting
exclusively for him to walk upon. When the King is in the
act of ascending the steps of the landing, 'Old Siam'
blows her pipes and conch shells, and beats her drums; the
military form in double line and present arms, and the
brass band plays the national anthem.

"Having reached the door of the 'bote', the King takes
one suit of the priests' robes, and bearing it in both
hands, walks in and lays it on a table prepared for that
purpose. On this table are five golden vases of flowers,
five golden dishes of parched rice, tastefully arranged in
the form of bouquets, five golden candlesticks with their
candles, and five incense sticks. His Majesty first lights
the candles and incense sticks. He then worships before
the sacred shrine of Buddha, the sacred books, and the
assembled priests. He next makes a request to the chief
priest to renew his covenant to observe the five rules
of the Buddhist religion. These are, first, that he will
not take the life of any man or other sentient creature;
second, that he will not oppress any man; third, that he
will not take to wife any woman belonging to another,
while there is the least unwillingness on the part of
the woman, or of her parents or of her guardians, to the
transaction; fourth, that he will not lie, nor deal falsely
with mankind, nor use abusive language; fifth, that he
will not use intoxicating liquors as a beverage. When the
King visits the temple, if it happens to be one of their
four sacred days, their custom makes it necessary for him
to promise to observe three other rules in addition to the
above five; first, that he will not partake of any food
after midday on any sacred day until the next morning after
light has appeared; second, that he will not on sacred days
indulge in any theatrical or musical performances, nor in
any way allow or cause his person to be perfumed; third,
that he will not on such days sleep on a bed that is more
than ten and a half inches high, nor use any mattress, and
that he will deny himself as becometh a devout Buddhist. If
the King is conscious of having transgressed any of these
rules since he last renewed his obligations, he is supposed
to confess his sins mentally before Buddha, and promise
solemnly that he will earnestly endeavour to avoid such
sins in the future.

"His Majesty having renewed his obligations, then proceeds
to make a formal presentation of his offerings to the
priests of that temple, whereupon they respond in the Pali
tongue, 'sâdhu, sâdhu' ('well, well'). The chief priest
then addresses the fraternity as follows: 'This "Katin"
robe has been given to us by his most illustrious majesty,
the King, who, being endued with exceedingly great goodness
and righteousness, has condescended to come hither himself
and present these garments to us, a company of Buddhist
priests, without designating any particular person by
whom they shall be worn.' They then distribute the gifts
amongst themselves, after which they bow down and worship
Buddha, reciting a few Pali sentences. This distribution of
garments is not always done in the presence of the King,
but sometimes after he has left the temple. The late King
Maha Mongkut made an innovation on this old custom, by
bringing with him extra suits of yellow robes and giving
them to certain priests who had distinguished themselves as
Pali scholars. It is also usual to make a few other gifts
to the priests, of such things as they are apt to need,
as bedding, boats, and table furniture, but these are not
considered any part of the real 'Katin.'

"As the King is about to leave the temple, the priests
pronounce a Pali blessing upon him, and he again worships
Buddha, the sacred books, and the priests. Then rising, he
walks out of the 'bote,' and descends to the royal barge,
with the same ceremonies as when he ascended. He visits
several temples during each day, and spends some time in
each one. The value of each priest's suit which the King
offers, is supposed to be about ten Mexican dollars, and
the aggregate value of the offerings he makes on these
successive days is probably not less than ten thousand
Mexican dollars."

SONG KRAN. Song Kran is an angel who rises with the sun when he enters the sign Aries. The date of the holidays held and ceremonies performed under this title is ruled by the sun, and is not definitely fixed. But each successive year the court astrologers announce the event, and then for four days the celebrations take place. The King takes a state shower-bath, and invites the priests to assemble at the palace for prayers and breakfast. The laity have their own special religious services and their own amusements. They gamble and pray, go to the theatres and temples, feed the priests and feed themselves as they do at New Year. Buddha's image is bathed by the old women, who also sprinkle water over the elderly people and priests present, with the idea of calling down blessings on those who are bathed, as well as on themselves. As a general rule the ceremonies begin about the eleventh or twelfth day of April.

KAN WISAKHA BUCHA. This is the name of the holidays connected with a very important day in the Buddhist calendar--namely, the day on which Buddha was born. According to the tradition, it is also the day on which he died, and the day on which he attained Nirvana. This anniversary day has developed into a three days' celebration, of which the most noticeable feature is the extensive alms-giving that is then practised in imitation of Buddha's benevolent deeds. At night, illuminations on a small scale take place, but there is no great state function.

KHAUWASA is derived from the Sanskrit "Varasha", meaning "rain" or "year." The Wasa season lasts from July 8th to October 4th, and has already been mentioned as the period of Buddhist Lent or confinement. The priests only, fast and do penance, and even for them there are no fixed rules, except that which forbids them to remain outside the temple enclosure between midnight and dawn. Several forms of self-mortification have been invented, such as spending the night in a cemetery, thinking of death; sleeping in uncomfortable postures, and only eating once in twenty-four hours. But if the penitent gets tired of doing penance, he may give it up. He will still retain all the merit he has made by what he has already done, though of course the quantity to his credit is less than it would have been had he persevered to the end.

The general ceremonies for the people begin at the end of the period of confinement. The food given to the priests at this time is a first-class investment, as it purchases one hundredfold its value in heavenly entertainments in the very next existence. Everyone therefore is very anxious to secure a hungry priest for his guest.

KAW PRASAI. The ground surrounding the different monasteries is always covered with sand, so that in wet weather the feet of the priests may not get covered with mud as they walk from their cells to the temple. Once each year fresh sand is brought and built up into little hills in the temple grounds; hence the above name, "Kaw" meaning "to build," "pra" meaning "holy" and "sai" "sand." The building of these holy sand-hills is a substitute, amongst the poorer classes, for the more laborious and expensive way of making merit, involved in the erection of a prachadee. The sand is moulded as nearly as possible in the form of the spiral relic mounds, and is ornamented with small flags. The sand is bought from the monastery, which thus obtains money for building purposes, or for the purchase of more sand for the courtyard. Small coins are placed in the holy hillocks, and these become the property of those who find them when the hillocks are demolished.