Sunday, July 13, 2008

Boundary Markers - (Bai Sema in Thai)

Sometimes, when you see a Thai temple surrounded by 8 markers, it designate that the scared grounds where monk’s ceremonies, such as confession and ordination rites, are able to take place. The markers may only be installed with government permission.
The word Bai means "leaf" in Thai.

The construction of an ordination hall begins with the ceremonial burial of special stones called luk nimit in the surrounding courtyard at the four cardinal points of the compass and four points in between. A ninth stone is buried under the floor in the centre of the hall or under the main Buddha image. Standing above the ground where the eight stones are buried are boundary markers, always made of stone.

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