Muay Thai and it's Buddhistic culture

[Jared Traveler]

This is so true. I evaluate the temperament of people living in different U.K. cities by their driving. In Manchester (my home town), they now drive aggressively and are rude and pushy often not giving way when they should. That’s what Mancs are like! In Sheffield, drivers are polite and ‘give way’. In Devon (where I live now), they easy-going drivers. London? <shudders>

Oh they’d do well in London!

Nice!

Yes, life, especially the poor’s, is not valued in India. If you hurt a cow though…

The cow vigilante squads are operating again in India.

 

[Gyakuto]

The cow vigilante squads are operating again in India.

I think we know why…

 

[Jared Traveler]

I think certain places you go in the world where life is cheap, like Kenya, that is reflected in the driving. Extremely high risk taking, and very aggressive dangerous passing manueves. Driver's risking their own life all the time. Also the general culture of comet life hasn't offered me much, so I'm going to take what I can get. Don't get me wrong I loved Kenya, but I didn't enjoy being a passenger.

I think some of this can come down to the general level of education, as it pertains to understanding things like vehicle dynamics, reaction times, and realistic emergency stop times.

 

[Monkey Turned Wolf]

My experience in India was that if traffic wasn't moving terribly fast, pedestrians would just walk into any space that presented.

This has been my experience for most of my life in America. And what I've done. Granted, America is far from just one culture, and I lived in NY/NJ most of my life...This does not seem nearly as common less than a thousand miles south.

 

[Jared Traveler]

I think you could almost condense the study of culture, just by asking how to safely cross the street.

For instance in Thailand, you wait for a few people, so you have a small crowd. Or you place one foot into the road, then wait.

What happens is, someone will stop in the middle of the road (even though cars have the right of way). Other cars keep zipping around the car that stopped, so you can't cross just because one car stopped. But when people see that one car stopped, after a few seconds everybody else will stop also.

It's a courtesy they are allowing you to cross the road safely. When one person initiates that courtesy, if everyone else doesn't stop, they are losing face and being rude. So they stop and give you the right away, even though they have the right away.

 

[Jared Traveler]

On the other hand, for example in Beirut crossing the road is like playing frogger. You cross individually, at your own athletic ability, and at your own risk!

 

[_Simon_]

You’ve had it for a year and not read it?

Hahaha, have too many books on the "to read" list that I'm getting through, I am also a very... VERY slow reader

It's coming up soonish on the list!

 

[hoshin1600]

I think that to say Muay Thai is akin to a Buddist practice is a stretch. Thai land has a unique culture and Buddhism is infused into that culture but the Thai culture is very complicated and nuanced with many more facets other than Buddhism. That being said thier unique culture is also filled with superstition and mythologies older than Buddhism but were somehow all fused together. They belive in making "merit" which is most often considered a sin of sorts in other branches. They have no problem with eating meat, drinking heavily, gambling and infidelity (with certain caveat) all of which are prohibited in Buddhism. The culture is so heavily infused with superstition I wouldn't know where to begin on explaining that. One unique aspect is the Phayana or Naga snake mythology. the Naga predate Buddhism but was combined and the lore is that the Naga shielded the Buddha while in deep meditation, from a storm.

the pool of water is supposed to be how the Naga gets to the underworld. Its actually a pretty disgusting stagnent pool of green slime. The tree is supposed to be magical and if you rub your hand back and forth on the roots the winning lottery ticket numbers are supposed to pop into your head. There is a women who walks around the tree all day selling the gambling tickets. My father- inlaw was convinced he new the winning numbers. Of course he didnt win.

 

[Jared Traveler]

I think that to say Muay Thai is akin to a Buddist practice is a stretch. Thai land has a unique culture and Buddhism is infused into that culture but the Thai culture is very complicated and nuanced with many more facets other than Buddhism. That being said thier unique culture is also filled with superstition and mythologies older than Buddhism but were somehow all fused together. They belive in making "merit" which is most often considered a sin of sorts in other branches. They have no problem with eating meat, drinking heavily, gambling and infidelity (with certain caveat) all of which are prohibited in Buddhism. The culture is so heavily infused with superstition I wouldn't know where to begin on explaining that. One unique aspect is the Phayana or Naga snake mythology. the Naga predate Buddhism but was combined and the lore is that the Naga shielded the Buddha while in deep meditation, from a storm.View attachment 29618

the pool of water is supposed to be how the Naga gets to the underworld. Its actually a pretty disgusting stagnent pool of green slime. The tree is supposed to be magical and if you rub your hand back and forth on the roots the winning lottery ticket numbers are supposed to pop into your head. There is a women who walks around the tree all day selling the gambling tickets. My father- inlaw was convinced he new the winning numbers. Of course he didnt win.View attachment 29620 View attachment 29619

To be clear, I'm not suggesting it's Buddhist but rather Buddhistic. The average thai is not super interested in Buddhism, but they are extremely Buddhistic. Kind of like your average Christian in the 1950s. They weren't really Christians, but their lives were so heavily influenced by Christianity, Christian traditions, and Christian principles.

 

[Monkey Turned Wolf]

I think you could almost condense the study of culture, just by asking how to safely cross the street.

For instance in Thailand, you wait for a few people, so you have a small crowd. Or you place one foot into the road, then wait.

What happens is, someone will stop in the middle of the road (even though cars have the right of way). Other cars keep zipping around the car that stopped, so you can't cross just because one car stopped. But when people see that one car stopped, after a few seconds everybody else will stop also.

It's a courtesy they are allowing you to cross the road safely. When one person initiates that courtesy, if everyone else doesn't stop, they are losing face and being rude. So they stop and give you the right away, even though they have the right away.

Is saving face actually a big deal in thailand? I've read translated fantasy-esque novels from china/thailand/singapore, and they mention saving face constantly, but I never knew if that's actually a big thing in those areas, part of the genre, or just a common mistranslation.

 

[Steve]

This has been my experience for most of my life in America. And what I've done. Granted, America is far from just one culture, and I lived in NY/NJ most of my life...This does not seem nearly as common less than a thousand miles south.

In Seattle it’s common to see people standing at an empty intersection in the rain waiting for the light to change before crossing a street. People just don’t jaywalk all that often.

 

[Monkey Turned Wolf]

In Seattle it’s common to see people standing at an empty intersection in the rain waiting for the light to change before crossing a street. People just don’t jaywalk all that often.

That's bizarre to me, especially in the rain.

 

[Jared Traveler]

Is saving face actually a big deal in thailand? I've read translated fantasy-esque novels from china/thailand/singapore, and they mention saving face constantly, but I never knew if that's actually a big thing in those areas, part of the genre, or just a common mistranslation.

Anything I say involves some study, observation and a lot of best guess. I have lived here two years, enough to have more questions than answers. This is skewed by the fact that largely they give foreigners a pass on many culturally inappropriate things, because they know we are dumb and don't realize what we are doing.

With that said, I would say, YES saving face is a big deal. I have been warned that the smiling Thais have a different side if you shame them. But if you bow, smile and apologize, which I do, you are unlikely to ever see that side of them.

 

[Steve]

That's bizarre to me, especially in the rain.

Understandable. Natives here also don't use umbrellas for the most part. It's relatively rare to see umbrellas around. And we don't crowd the curbs, either... most folks will stand about 3 or 4 feet back from the curb while they wait alone at the empty intersection... in the rain... without an umbrella... for the light to finally change.

Just some of the weird things about this weird place in which I live. There are various theories as to why.

 

[Gyakuto]

Hahaha, have too many books on the "to read" list that I'm getting through, I am also a very... VERY slow reader

It's coming up soonish on the list!

Have you heard of the Japanese term ‘tsundoku’. I think it applies in your case

 

[_Simon_]

Have you heard of the Japanese term ‘tsundoku’. I think it applies in your case

Had to look it up, hahaha, I wish it was that! But nah it's moreso the inability to read as fast as I accumulate books. I do eventually read them but I've struggled bigtime with my reading focus the last few years. Getting better though!

 

[Gyakuto]

Had to look it up, hahaha, I wish it was that! But nah it's moreso the inability to read as fast as I accumulate books. I do eventually read them but I've struggled bigtime with my reading focus the last few years. Getting better though!

I’m a slow reader and have a pile of books. That’s why I have several on the go at once. I’ve taken to listening to audiobooks before bed too…I can stay awake for at least 30 mins!

 

[Gerry Seymour]

Had to look it up, hahaha, I wish it was that! But nah it's moreso the inability to read as fast as I accumulate books. I do eventually read them but I've struggled bigtime with my reading focus the last few years. Getting better though!

Once upon a time, I was a fast and voracious reader. I've lost my ability to stay in a book over the last decade. I'm sure some of it has to do with other media and how it affects me, but I also just fall asleep as soon as I start reading now.

I'm getting old - have been for most of my life.

 

[Gyakuto]

but I also just fall asleep as soon as I start reading now.

Ha ha…me too!

 

[Jared Traveler]

I'm told this is also reflected in the scoring. That is you get kicked but you don't let it show that it had an effect, it's a low score. But if you show pain or it disrupts your base/posture it's a high score.