The Temple: Buddha Statue and Spirit House

Thailand is a nation that's known for its beautiful travelers destinations, exotic dishes, and delightful individuals. Another pertinent element of any culture is religion, and Thailand is 95 % Buddhist. This 95 % figure could be revealed just by taking a stroll outside ones lodging, accommodation, or guest house; temples are everywhere in Thailand. A couple of temples are more well-known than others, differ in sAcale, and have different significances. Some temples serve the local populous by being a place of worship, while other temples are more geared toward tourists that come to Thailand. No matter what the aim of the temple is, or its attributes, all these temples have some variant of a Buddha statue and a spirit house located on the temple grounds.

Different types of Buddha statues and poses can be identified in these Buddhist temples; different poses mean different meanings for a Buddha statue. The most common style of Buddha pose a person will see of a Buddha statue is the calling the earth to witness pose. A person who's visited a Buddhist temple likely have seen this pose, but didn't know the term for it. The pose is of Buddha sitting with his legs crossed, and his left arm on his left leg. His right hand is pointing at the ground. This pose stands for enlightenment for Buddha; enlightenment being one of the most important periods in Buddhism. Other poses integrate the different stages of Buddha. Building these phases and poses of the Buddha statues for temples isn't done with major construction companies or private enterprises, but typically by the monks who live and stay at the temple. These monks devote themselves to Buddhism, and to reveal this commitment, they create splendid statues and care for the temple.

Outside of creating statues and taking care of the temple, monks will build a spirit house for the temple and for people's residential properties. Thai's who practice Buddhism believe that lands and properties have spirits. These spirits can be good or wicked, and people must consult these spirits and shelter these spirits when transforming, adding, or building anything on the spirits land. Sheltering and accommodating these spirits applies to Buddhist temples likewise. In most temples and houses, the spirit houses will have some food items, beverages, or flowers as offering to these spirits. Altering these "gifts" to the spirits can differ; some change these gifts daily, while others weekly. Buddha statues can also be designed to accommodate different kinds of spirits and tastes. Some spirit houses are VERY intricate while others are very simplistic.
No matter how simple or ornate a spirit house, they serve the same aim. There are allot of other complimentary states and practices that can accompany the spirit house, such as Singh statues and mirrors. These statues are placed in the front of the entrance of the temple to ward off hateful spirits, that's why these statues look very intimidating, and normally big.

Singh statues, the Buddha statue, and spirit houses all are fun and fascinating components of the religion of Buddhism and Thai culture. If one is aware of the reasoning behind many of these intricate pieces of cultural art, then perhaps people will take more time out of their busy schedule to admire these works of art!