BG "Bracelets"......

[kothandam]

Here is a question that has been driving me nuts. I see a lot of BG's wearing these yarn or sting woven bracelets. Some are quite elaborate, I asked my BG about it but got laughter and an answer regarding Buddhist monks and good luck. Maybe, maybe not. What do you say, do they "bracelets" have any meaning and if so, what? Do the colors in them meaning anything?

 

[armouror2000]

BG "Bracelets"......

hi mr fun, assuming your still alive, regarding the gold bracelets they wear, ive bought bracelets and neck chains, for previous b/g friends, but as i subsiquently found out, its just money in the bank to them, they cash the gold in, during the lean times i think ---keep your head down mate , cheers andy(or just keep your head!)

 

[Trevor]

BG "Bracelets"......

These aren't gold bracelets, they are cloth or fabric (hemp??) but definitely not metallic, and woven or made into patterns and designs. Maybe I should post a pic of one.

 

[danielle w]

BG "Bracelets"......

When they go to temple they make a donation and in return they get a bracelet for good luck. The colour designates what temple the bracelet came from

G

 

[santa sox]

BG "Bracelets"......

oh i see ,they tie them around my wrist, also, to ward off evil spirits and bring good luck if one is generous to them , they belive in bhuddism as you know, but it(the beleif) also contains animism and ghosts /evil spirits etc

 

[tinyavenger]

BG "Bracelets"......

So she was telling me the truth. Geez, now I feel guilty.

 

[Dllama]

BG "Bracelets"......

Also if you go upcountry you can get a union sort of blessed (like a country weedding or for us pikeys jumping over the broom) and have lots of little white ones presented to you.. They kind of rub them up and down your inner wrist and then tie them makeing a prayer / blessing..

If it is a 'serious' style country wedding you would have a monk (or more than one) and the whole village and a party that day and night...

 

[Alaa]

BG "Bracelets"......

(providing you pay!)

 

[smackxgarden]

BG "Bracelets"......

i went to a great temple up in the mountains with a tg and we both got those bracelets. what i found amazing, and i know its their culture, not mine. but i found it amazing, that i, a foreigner, could recieve the bracelet from a monk, but that the thai girl could not. had to get it form the helper. like i said, it's their culture, and it may have to do more with a monk's temptation that a thai women not being worthy of getting a bracelt from a onk, but i thouhgt it odd that a farang could

 

[?Mamibella]

BG "Bracelets"......

Been there done it got the t-shirt

The scary thing was I diddnt realise what was going on until it was over - lol

G

 

[Pompal 09.]

BG "Bracelets"......

got those tied on my wrist when we went up to issaan last trip to see teeraks family , didn't know about this though!!!

 

[Jessica L]

BG "Bracelets"......

The reason you could receive the bracelet directly from the monk, but the girl couldn't has nothing to do with you being a foreigner. In LOS, a woman can never touch a monk, nor can a monk touch anything directly from a woman, so she can not hand anything to a monk, but must give it to a man to give to the monk; the monk must give the bracelet to a man to give to her.

It has nothing to do with the woman's status which (in their religion) is not lower than a man's. It has everything to do with respect for the monk. It is not easy to be a monk, and it would be considered rude to put temptation in his path.

Monks can eat only twice a day, and both meals must come between 6:00 AM and Noon. For eighteen hours they can have nothing but water. Therefore, to eat food in front of a monk is the height of rudeness and it disrespects him, since he has the hard life every day of fasting from noon til dawn. How cruel it is for someone to put temptation before him.

So it is the same idea with women. The touch of a woman can be very sensual. If you can shake hands, then is a pat on the back OK? Then what about a hug? Easier to have no contact. Why make it harder than it already is? If a woman can not hand something to a monk, or receive something from his hand, then no chance to "accidentally" break the rule!

So this rule in no way reflects on the worthiness of a woman. In LOS, many of the statues and pictures of Buddha show him with the face of a woman. This is because women are considered to be born with a more spiritually advanced disposition than men. Bhudda resembles a woman because he became very spiritually advanced, and therefore his features and expressions show the kindness, compassion, and placid nature which are more like the way women are than men typically are. Of course, I guess they never met a modern farang woman.

JayBee

 

[Nicole_x]

BG "Bracelets"......

A girl I stayed with for a few nights in BKK tied one on me before I left for Patong, I thought it was cute and kept it. After the tsunami I returned to BKK and her bar and she took full credit for my safe return because of the bracelet.

Still wearing it, sentimentality I suppose, but how long before these things fall off?

Just wish she hand't tied it onto my watch wrist...

K.

 

[anony]

BG "Bracelets"......

I've had mine for well over a year....
I've been told that it's bad luck to take it off yourself, or have it cut by a sharp object. If you really want to get rid of it, you should have someone rip it off and burn it for you.
Fortunately, it's on my right-hand wrist. :ytounge:

 

[blueegg90]

BG "Bracelets"......

That is exactly what my wife did! :broken_he

Ha ha before asking for divorce when I came back last time! Well the divorce is blown off so is the bracelet, I am afraid!

 

[darachow]

BG "Bracelets"......

Know what you mean mate,when I was over in June,I was taken to the monkey temple(can't recall it's official name),which was up towards Krabi I think.hundreds of the little buggers(monkeys,not monks!!) around waiting to be fed bananas (which you could buy from strategically placed stalls)!!The temple itself was in a cave,with a massive reclining Buddha,the blessings/string bracelets were given by a monk who looked at least 70 years of age,and just as I was thinking what a moving religious experience it was,I looked down to see him picking up...........his mobile phone mg: ,no escape from them even there!!!
Cheers,
Bonnetti :cheers:

 

[Kelsi]

BG "Bracelets"......

He was texting...

"DR BDA PLS SND MOR STRNG - LUV GRSHPR"

K.

 

[javon]

BG "Bracelets"......

Ha ha , you did not visit their offices, behind the temples!

I did. They may not wear many clothes, but their office got all the latest technology, computers, internet, faxes.......

They do not live in the stone-age you know! l

 

[Walking with Prince Jesus]

BG "Bracelets"......

Well mine fell apart bit by bit till I was only wearing a wire on my left wrist. It lasted for about 4 months (cheap mountain bargain, so didn't expect the quality of a Cartier bracelet). I finally cut it off myself as people were asking me what kind of rubbish I was wearing on my wrist. Didn't burn it though, if only I had known what Shagrath knew already about the bad luck. mg:

Oh well I was born on friday the thirteenth as well.