Posted By: Anita Mui
Posted Date: Jun 15, 2007 (01:50 AM)
About the burial ashes, Thai custom is to cremate the death, then the bones will be crushed and ground to small pieces by the undertaker. The relative will keep the important part of the body, like skull (in pieces or in powder) in the small urn, to be kept in the house (immitate from Cambodia Civilization). The urn will be kept in the west wing, the altar must lower than Buddha altar in the North wing of the house, however, the urn can be put on the buddha altar but must be the lowest level. The other bones will be put in white cloth and kept in the small stupa in the temple. The cremated flesh and left over ashes from the cremation will be put in white cloth and then floated in the river.
Thais will not stuff any ashes in any statue, the powder you saw under the statue is gypsum cement. The status in Bangkok Period, always stuffed with holy powder (a mixture of holy plants, and/or anything that the maker of the stautue assumed that they have magic power). Some holy powder may make from broken ancient buddha amulets, ashed from the robe of famous monks..etc.. And then sealed with gypsum cement.
Thais will not stuff the ashes of the death under the holy statue, the spirits of the death will be trapped and will not cross-over to heaven or hell.
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