Saying goodbye in a small Northern Thai village - The Cremation of the Abbot of Wat Boonak ak

This post describes the ceremony surrounding the funeral of the abbot of Wat Boon Nak, Tambol Ngao, Amphur Thoeng, Chiang Rai, Thailand. Ban Boon Nak is
an agriculture based village comprising about 700 persons and is situated adjacent to the Ngao River and is in the shadow of the nearby Ian Mountain.

Most villagers farm rice, corn, tobacco and potatoes among other crops. The
villagers are primarily Buddhists and their temple, Wat Boon Nak, was first
constructed in 1826. The present temple was constructed during 1959 - 1961.

Wat Boon Nak

The temple combines the functions of a prayer hall (viharn) and ordination hall (ubosot). In 1967 a large Buddha image was constructed with the assistance of the famous Northern Thai monk Kruba Kamla. Like all temples Boon Nak temple is the product of the donations and labor of villagers and people from other locations who wish to make merit.

                            Large Buddha at Wat Boon Nak, Constructed 1967

On Monday July 1930 Boonmee Khantisaroo the future temple abbot was born in Boon Nak village. His parents were farmers though his grandparents were members of the Lanna royal family located in Nan Province. On Friday May 2, 1947 Boonmee was ordained as a novice monk. On May 3, 1950 he was ordained as a monk. In 1951 Phra Kru Sattha Bhirath (Boonmee)was installed as the abbot of Wat Boon Nak. His Pali name was given by the King Rama IX.
 

Phra Kru Sattha Bhirath

During the period 1957-58 he was resident at San Pa Khoi Temple in Chiang Mai to undertake Buddhist and Pali studies. In 1962 Phra Kru served as a Buddhist teacher at Hang Chat Temple in Lampang. In 1968 he taught Vipassana Meditation at Chetupon Temple in Chiang Rai. In 2000 in addition to the abbot of Boon Nak Temple he also served as abbot of Suan Dok Temple in Amphur Thoeng.
While there he built a library for the temple. 

From 2001 until his death at age 88 on July 14, 2018 Phra Kru Sattha Bhirath continued to serve as the Abbot of Boon Nak Temple. Under his guidance additions to the temple included a new Chedi to house the revered bronze casting known as Phra Songsee a replacement Chedi for the one originally housing the Phra Songsee image and the establishment of a meditation garden adjacent to the Ngao River. In total he was a monk for 67 years and as a well respected and well known senior monk he was honored with a Royal Cremation.

New Chedhi housing revered Buddha image - Phra Songsee

Replacement Chedhi for one originally housing Phra Songsee image

Meditation garden adjacent to Ngao River

Thus began a long series of ceremonies planned and funded by the Buddhist community. Initially the Abbot lay in state in the temple Viharn where lay people could pay their respects. Every Sunday until his cremation there was chanting by monks and lay people. On the 14th of each month there was chanting by the local monk community with representatives attending from every temple. 

Paying respects

The regional branch of the National Sangha Office in Chiang Rai helped the local Buddhist community by informing the procedure for a Royal Cremation. Sangha officials recommended that Kruba Boon Luang from Khok Klong Temple in Chiang Mai be engaged to assist as he was experienced in the design and execution of important cremation ceremonies. Phra Maha Teerawat of Wat BoonNak and Adjarn Taweepong Inwongsakul (Dr. James) a former monk and follower (luksit) of the abbot were the the chief organizers of the event. The cremation ceremonies were scheduled for February 14-17, 2019.

Khruba Boon Luang who oversaw cremation ceremony

As a large gathering was expected a suitable location (Pracha) needed to be determined. In the end the large playground of the adjacent Ban Boon Nak school was chosen. The first step in the construction of the Prasat or crematorium was to haul in sand to provide a surface on which to build the Prasat. The Prasat was ordered and design began 4 months before the cremation. The cost of the Prasat was about 400,000 Baht ($13,000).

School play field with sand base on January 21, 2019

There followed on February 8, 2019 the arrival of various components for the crematorium. Also arriving were experienced craftsmen who would erect the structure beginning with an internal support structure and ending with a variety of symbolic and decorative elements. The crematorium required 5 days to construct so as to be ready for the beginning of ceremonies on February 14th. 

Components of the Prasat trucked in from Chiang Mai

 

Constructing the internal framework to support Prasat

The Prasat begins to take shape February 10, 2019

Working on the upper portion of the Prasat

Prasat nearing completion

Local residents were busy volunteering with a variety of activities including cleaning the temple grounds, erecting shelters for visiting monks and guests, preparing areas for food preparation and service, making artificial flowers to decorate the crematorium. Local students were also busy practicing traditional dances they would perform on the final night preceding the actual cremation.

Local lay people making decorations

                               

Shelters erected by local lay people
 

Sign announcing cremation ceremony

 

Side view of completed Prasat

Front view of completed Prasat

On the night of February 11, 2019 monks and primarily lay family members had the opportunity to say their final goodbyes to the abbot. His corpse was discreetly removed from his coffin and dressed in new robes. Monks and lay people were then able to hold his corpse. His head and extremities were then covered in pure gold foil and the corpse returned to his coffin not to be seen again.

Monks with corpse of Phra Kru Sattha Bhirath

Lay people covering extremity with gold foil

Body of the abbot prior to being returned to his coffin

On February 14th the abbot's body was borne in a coffin three times around Boonnak Temple in a clockwise direction and then carried in a procession to the crematorium.
 

Procession of monks and lay men carrying coffin circling viharn

Local students who will perform a solemn dance as the procession arrives

Special items to be carried to the cremation grounds.

Procession of offerings.

Monk being carried and reciting Dhamma of the Buddha.

Traditional instruments in procession.

Arrival of coffin at cremation grounds

Upon arrival at the cremation ground the procession circled the crematorium three times in a counterclockwise direction. The coffin was then placed high into the crematorium. These circumnambulations were done to show respect for the abbot. 

Procession circling crematorium

Placing coffin in spire of crematorium

         
In the evening of the 14th,15th and 16th there was chanting and prayers conducted by monks. On the17th the Abbot's body was removed from the coffin and lowered into the crematory chamber to await the final rites. In the evening prayers and a program of traditional dance was performed. A traditional orchestra from Wat Khok Klong played at various times during the ceremonial period. 

Prayers

Traditional Dancing

 

Traditional Orchestra

 

Crematorium on night of cremation

To initiate the actual cremation a matchbox which had been delivered by members of the Royal Household was used to light a series of wire guided rocket which in turn ignited a series of fireworks and ultimately the crematorium structure.

Candle lit by Nai Amphur (District Chief) of Thoeng District

Gathered monks praying before cremation

Initiating the cremation.

Fireworks

The central part of the crematorium is engulfed in flames

The crematorium is consumed by fire

The following day the crematorium remains were searched by temple monks for relics of the Abbot to be collected and used in additional ceremonies. The relics were placed in a tray and then divided as some were scattered with ceremony in the Mekong River at Chiang Saen. Others were retained for placement in a small Chedi on the grounds of Wat Boon Nak.

Recovering the relics of Phra Kru Sattha Bhirath (Unknown Photographer)

                                    

Relics of the abbot (Unknown Photographer)

Prayers on day after cremation (Unknown Photographer)

                                 
Following the cremation day volunteers including students  helped to clean up the remains of the crematorium, take down the shelters, gather the tables and chairs and clean up the area. The underlying sand was removed and the area returned to its normal state by February 19, 2019.

Students policing up the cremation area.

The cremation area returned to normal by February 19, 2019


*Text and photographs by Steve Wilke save as noted.

 

Going back to the past.

Starting in the early1980's we made many trips to the Akha village Lipha, named after the village headman. Our first trip in January,1981 coincided with a move from Lipha 1 to Lipha 2. Enjoying a ridge top location the new site was chosen by dropping an egg into a shallow hole to see if it broke or stayed whole. If it broke it confirmed the suitability of the site. It is not known if this move was occasioned by population growth or a decline in the fertility of village swidden fields. 

One end of Lipha 2 village was marked by a series of large trees one of which was a twin tree which was venerated by the villagers. Near this tree was the village spirit gate (law kah) which marked the boundary between the safety of the human world encompassed by the village and the spirit world lying beyond. The gate consisted of uprights and a crossbeam with wooden effigies of birds as well as Taboo symbols made of woven bamboo (da leh). As the gate is renewed each year a nested set of gates evolves over time..Further in the village was the traditional swing used only at the time of the midsummer festival usually in August. Opposite was a small wooden ferris wheel which also provided entertainment at this time. In this general area was the dance ground where teenagers and young adults would meet to dance, sing and court.

Fig. 1 Twin trees, Spirit Gate and Village Swing at Lipha 2

The village proper consisted of a wide lane which served as a firebreak with traditional houses lining each side. Houses of typical Akha design were made of bamboo with thatched roofing made of imperata grass. Hardwoods tended to be used for piling and main beams.
Each house had a veranda where  daytime activities would be performed and foodstuffs dried. Each house tended to have its own rice pounder for husking the mountain rice grown in nearby swidden fields. 

 

Fig. 2 Houses closest to Spirit Tree and Main Gate

Fig. 3 Lipha 2 with Central Lane

On our first trip we could pick up village sounds from some distance away. The screams of children and the barking of dogs announced our arrival. The newly forming village (Lipha 2) was a beehive of activity with house construction and preparation of roofing materials taking place all over the village site. Subsequent visits too were filled with the play of children spinning tops or riding simple push carts plus the coming and going of women with burden baskets heading to or arriving from the fields. Sometimes small Akha horses would appear carrying supplies from a lowland market. As the afternoon wore on women and children would head out of the village to a nearby spring where bathing took place and large sections of bamboo were filled with water and brought back to the village for domestic use.

Fig. 4 Mainstreet Lipha 2

 

Fig. 5 Preparing Roofing for New House

Fig. 6 Supervising New House Construction

Fig. 7 Bringing in the Harvest

Fig. 8 Playing on the Rice Pounder

Fig. 9 Tobacco Drying on the Veranda

In the early 2000's each family in turn decided to relocate to the lowlands (Lipha 3) ahead of forcible removal by the Thai Forestry Department. There each family purchased a house site according to their means and for the most part left their traditional ways behind. Though some family members continued to raise crops or tend animals in the mountains others entered the cash economy as day laborers working to plant and/or harvest the crops of lowland Thai farmers. Others entered into construction jobs while a few advanced their education and became employed in salaried jobs in Bangkok or Chiang Mai. Unfortunately some also succumbed to the use and sale of drugs which has seriously impacted the community. The arrival of Christian missionaries has also resulted in the abandonment of many of the traditional beliefs and ceremonies. Traditional gates and swings are nowhere to be found in Lipha 3.

On December 19, 2015 I decided to revisit the site of Lipha 2 and to that end joined four Akha friends and friend George Daher for the hike up. I felt a close connection with this village having helped more than 30 years ago to fund the construction of a water supply system that brought water to each house thus improving sanitation and convenience. Also on the hike and acting as chief cook was Sa and her husband. On one of my early visits to the village we found Sa suffering from severe skin infections so we saw to her evacuation and treatment at Overbrook Hospital in Chiang Rai. Sa and her mother Meena have been forever grateful. As the Akha traditional head dress contained silver British or French coins dating to the late 1800's or early 1900's I gave Mina a Kennedy silver dollar which she proudly wore on her head dress and which on occasion she still brings out to show me.

Fig. 10 Our Group of Intrepid Hikers

Our outing began with a 4 or 5 kilometer motorcycle ride up a steep and winding footpath to the site of an Akha forest farmstead. We then began a 1 1/2 hour hike upward to the fog shrouded ridgetop site of Lipha 2. The trip up was like a moving botany lesson with each of the Akha pointing out economically or medicinally useful plants. We passed active bird snares and the remnants of bamboo which had been opened to retrieve grubs which live inside. Much like eskimos who have many words to describe snow and ice of different qualities we learned that many types of bamboo have unique names and are good for different purposes. 
On the way we passed many large bamboo groves as well as isolated large deciduous trees. At the higher elevations pine trees were also abundant though several had been cut to obtain pieces of wood rich with pitch which makes a good starter for wood cooking fires. 

Fig. 11 One of Many Bamboo Groves Along the Way

 

Fig. 12 Snare Set to Capture Birds

Fig. 13 Pine Tree Cut for Pitch

Upon reaching the site of Lipha 2 we observed that the main village site was still essentially clear of vegetation though there was some encroachment of weeds and bushes around the periphery. The running of cattle on the site has probably helped keep vegetation from obliterating the village site.The large twin tree had fallen over some time before and was not in evidence nor were there any remnants of the spirit gates, swing or houses though the wooden piling of Sa's former house were still there and upright. The water system which had been installed some decades ago was still there and working. What had been a community filled with the sights, sounds and smells of activity had now fallen silent. A stranger wandering through this area in future times would never be aware of the human dramas played out in this space. In that sense it was an emotional reunion with these grounds which for me not to mention its Akha inhabitants held so many memories.

Fig. 14 Former Site of Village School

Fig. 15 Former Site of Sa's House

Fig. 16 Remnant of Water System

Fig. 17 View of Village Site, Compare With Fig. 3

As lunchtime neared Sa and the others each went about starting a fire, cutting wild banana leaves and bamboo appropriate for cooking and serving the food that had been carried up.
One of the party fashioned bamboo tea cups and chopsticks for eating. All our food was cooked in bamboo -  kao lam or sticky rice and coconut was prepared in a smaller diameter bamboo now only found at certain places at higher elevation. A chicken and herb dish was cooked in a larger diameter bamboo. Everything was placed in the fire until done.
Serving was done in split bamboo trays. The end product was varied, delicious and filling and made maximum use of locally available materials. 

Fig. 18 Bamboo Tea Cup

Fig. 19 Bamboo Chop Sticks

Fig. 20 Preparing Kao Lam

Fig. 21 Preparation of Chicken and Herbs

Fig. 22 Cooking Underway

Fig. 23 Picnic Time at Lipha 2

Our repast over we explored the surrounding forest and in particular walked to a high point which afforded an excellent if somewhat hazy view to Chiang Rai town and environs. Below we could see the site of another abandoned Akha village (Ayoh) which now is a barren ridge top probably serving as a farm for someone. Here also the sounds of village life have long been silenced as the site slowly slips from memory. On the way down we passed another abandoned village  (Ajeuh) which was the home of Nid the other woman on our outing. We ended our day trip with mixed emotions about "progress" and the loss of place and memory but full in the friendship of our Akha hosts.

Fig. 24 View Looking Towards Chiang Rai

                                                                                

Fig. 25 Former Site of Ayoh Akha Village