Keep ringing the bells, but not too loudly
Iam quite sure I am a minority, especially among Thais, but I cannot help but feel sympathy for a condominium resident who has been caught up in a temple bellringing drama. Many people have complained that she is ignorant of Thai culture and tradition, and some chastised her on social media. Bangkok governor Aswin Kwanmuang meanwhile is summoning her for an “attitude-adjustment” session.
Many netizens say they acted in defence of Buddhism and the temple, Wat Sai located in Bangkok’s Bang Kholaem district, in question.
We have to admit that Thais are not very sensitive to noise. Not many regard noise as pollution. Noises from temples of any faith can be tolerated.
My house in Bangkok is near a Chinese shrine, quite a famous one. And with every celebration, there will be several rounds of ear-piercing firecrackers. I don’t like it, but complaining could invite trouble. Besides, I can use ear-plugs. But my two dogs, who have no faith in any religion, loathe the noise.
We are used to the problem, so we hug our doggies, and keep saying, “It’s alright,” as they tremble in fear. The problem is off-season firecrackers when we are not prepared, or when we are not at home.
One time when we were out at work, the noises of the firecrackers terrified one dog so much she ran out of the house and got lost. It was a matter of luck that we found her. The other time, she became lost again due to her fear of fireworks during the floating festival. Our kind neighbours helped search for her and she came back home safely, but in shabby shape, after more than a week — after our hopes had dwindled.
Before I moved here I lived near a Buddhist temple whose monks and temple personnel had a strong passion for sound amplifiers and loudspeakers. At every temple fair, they would shout into the microphone, and tried to convince the residents to put more money in the donation box, so that “You will get richer and richer in your next life”. Excuse me, that is not the Lord Buddha’s teaching!
But as I said, no one seemed to mind and the monks thought incorrectly they could do it.
It’s not just Buddhist temples, or Chinese shrines, where people take issue with noise.
A few months ago, a reader who lived in Bangkok’s Ekamai area wrote twice to
the PostBag column complaining about loud prayers from a mosque near his condominium. His frustration worsened as the problem, unlike the Wat Sai drama, was not dealt with by the district office.
Though he should thank his lucky stars, as such a complaint in Indonesia could land him in jail for blasphemy, as in a recent case.
Back to the bell drama, even though the temple has agreed to compromise, it’s sad to see that some staunch Buddhist “guardians” are still hunting for the complainant. Her picture has been posted with vitriolic hatred. How could a good Buddhist do this?
What irritates me about the saga is the way the towering condominium has
dwarfed the temple. It’s not only visual pollution. This is an offence to the Buddhist faith.
Moreover, it should be realised that culture and traditions have evolved over time. I am not sure if anyone has ever noticed that temple drums, called klong pane, which are used to signal lunch time for monks, have quietly disappeared especially in Bangkok. Why is no one bothered? Will Buddhism lose its virtue without the drum beats as so many fear in the case of the Wat Sai bell ringing?
I hope the bell drama will soon fade, and people will learn something.
‘‘ It’s not just Buddhist temples, or Chinese shrines, where people take issue with noise.