I am doing my best not to trip my way through Thailand - - literally.
There is a general belief throughout the country that evil spirits can only travel in a straight line. Consequently, to protect homes and rooms within structures, all doorways have a very high jamb - - 6 to 8 inches isn't unusual. It is a bit like living in a submarine without hatches.
I find it VERY comforting that evil is so easily thwarted; I just wish that I weren't so easily thwarted as well. I would almost welcome a ghost or two if it meant returning to the U.S. with all limbs intact.
The first encounter with this tradition was at Jim Thompson's House (6 Soi Kasemsan 2, Rama I Rd.) which is one of the best-preserved traditional Thai houses in Bangkok and one of the finest museums in the country.
Jim Thompson is a colorful character of mythic proportions - - an American with the OSS (precursor to the CIA) who stayed in Thailand after WWII and is credited with reviving the Thai silk industry singlehandedly. Before he mysteriously disappeared in the jungles of Malaysia, he collected 6 teak Thai homes, reconstructed them along a canal in the middle of Bangkok and filled them with treasures.
His collection represents the finest sacred and secular objects from 14 centuries of artistic expression. You might think he had to be as rich as Howard Hughes to do all of this, but the truth is that objects most valued for their historical value today were worth nothing as religious objects. Jim's Buddhas are headless, armless, legless or just busts. And the belief throughout Southeast Asia is that once a Buddha image has been damaged, the spirit is gone.
I attemped to join the displays of the armless and legless when I nearly took a header through a doorway. The jambs in Jim's house are 8 inches high. In addition, I stubbed my toe because shoes are left outside the door. Don't laugh. It takes practice to deter evil without hurting yourself in the process.
Once the obstacle course was run, I visited the jungle garden where I bonded with Oscar, a very large fish who like his tummy rubbed. And if you don't believe me, I have the photo to prove it. (Photos will be posted as soon as there is enough internet time to do so.)
See? Oscar didn't have to worry about jumping over hurdles to be safe from evil spirits. He just had to float around getting belly rubs. Ah, if it were only that simple for all of us to feel safe from evil and loved by others.
There is a general belief throughout the country that evil spirits can only travel in a straight line. Consequently, to protect homes and rooms within structures, all doorways have a very high jamb - - 6 to 8 inches isn't unusual. It is a bit like living in a submarine without hatches.
I find it VERY comforting that evil is so easily thwarted; I just wish that I weren't so easily thwarted as well. I would almost welcome a ghost or two if it meant returning to the U.S. with all limbs intact.
The first encounter with this tradition was at Jim Thompson's House (6 Soi Kasemsan 2, Rama I Rd.) which is one of the best-preserved traditional Thai houses in Bangkok and one of the finest museums in the country.
Jim Thompson is a colorful character of mythic proportions - - an American with the OSS (precursor to the CIA) who stayed in Thailand after WWII and is credited with reviving the Thai silk industry singlehandedly. Before he mysteriously disappeared in the jungles of Malaysia, he collected 6 teak Thai homes, reconstructed them along a canal in the middle of Bangkok and filled them with treasures.
His collection represents the finest sacred and secular objects from 14 centuries of artistic expression. You might think he had to be as rich as Howard Hughes to do all of this, but the truth is that objects most valued for their historical value today were worth nothing as religious objects. Jim's Buddhas are headless, armless, legless or just busts. And the belief throughout Southeast Asia is that once a Buddha image has been damaged, the spirit is gone.
I attemped to join the displays of the armless and legless when I nearly took a header through a doorway. The jambs in Jim's house are 8 inches high. In addition, I stubbed my toe because shoes are left outside the door. Don't laugh. It takes practice to deter evil without hurting yourself in the process.
Once the obstacle course was run, I visited the jungle garden where I bonded with Oscar, a very large fish who like his tummy rubbed. And if you don't believe me, I have the photo to prove it. (Photos will be posted as soon as there is enough internet time to do so.)
See? Oscar didn't have to worry about jumping over hurdles to be safe from evil spirits. He just had to float around getting belly rubs. Ah, if it were only that simple for all of us to feel safe from evil and loved by others.
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