The Temple as a Commons/ a center of Commoning in Thai Society.

A guest article by our commons’ correspondent in Thailand, Michael Commons.

1.

“If we are to undertake a post-material, post-growth, post-materialist shift in our economy and civilisation, can we learn from historical and contemporary non-capitalist social forms? Can these different worldviews learn from each other ?”

(Marisol de la Cadena — Uncommoning Nature)

2.

“Advances which erase the past and keep no memory of the identity of the territory or its contexts, cannot be considered a winning strategy, in contrast to solutions that merge with tradition. Deep down, each tradition is itself the result of an innovation. Each innovation emerges from a community and is considered important for the community’s survival. It is then decided it should be handed down to future generations. From an evolutionary perspective, tradition and innovation represent a hand over.”

( Alex Giordano )

The Context

This is the second article by Michael Commons in our substack. The first one discussed:

• Commons-based Savings Groups in Thailand

And looked at the ‘Wanakaset’ currency solidarity community and its self-reliant economic system.

Please note we have a modest section on commons-based projects in Thailand in the P2P Foundation wiki.

If you want to go deeper into this topic, see our section on ‘Neotraditional’ commons-based approaches, which combine premodern, modern, and trans-modern practices in an integrated manner.

This is an older editorial text in which I explain the rationale for such combined approaches:

• On the Importance of Neotraditional Approaches in the Reconstructive Transmodern Era. Michel Bauwens

The Text

The Temple as a Commons/ a center of Commoning in Thai Society. By Michael B. Commons.

While this may be normal life and community experience for millions of Thais, in a world of limited resources where we could greatly improve our quality of life and reduce our footprint by managing and sharing more goods, services, and spaces as commons, I wish to share with a wider public a bit about how this works and its many benefits.

I also want to start off by saying that I consulted with a good regenerative farmer friend from a Muslim community in Southern Thailand which I visit regularly and he said that this is very similar in his community with the commons being centered around the Mosque.

I can also say from experience that Thai Buddhists and Thai temples are most welcoming of people of any and all faiths. As long as one respects the norms, not doing something outright offensive, then all are welcomed. So non-practicing and non-Buddhist community members can and do join in temple events and may use common temple resources.

The temple as a commons (space and place)

In all Thai Buddhist communities/ villages I know of and have visited, there is at least one central village temple. The community I live in with my family is called Na Noi, and the village temple is Wat Na Noi, or Na Noi temple. This is the central community temple. When public education started in Thailand, it first started, largely restricted to boys, in these village temples. Boys could be sent to the temple and become “temple boys” who would help the monks with different chores and tasks and in return be provided food, lodging and teaching. Under the reign of King Rama 5, public education and schools were implemented as national policy. Elementary schools were set up on land adjacent to the village temple, providing initially a 4 year education to all children, girls and boys, which then was increased to 6 years with high school and more being added. My children all attended “Rongrian Wat Na Noi” or Na Noi Temple Elementary School that sits next to the temple.

As communities grow and expand, they may be divided with a new village being created surrounding a local temple. These village temples are the core of the community commons, however there are many other non-village temples such as “forest tradition” or “Wat Pa” temples and others which focus more on meditation and may play a more limited role in relationship to a village community.

Temple grounds and structures are built and maintained by the community commons. Community members and others linked to the temple may give money and resources to build, maintain and renovate structures. In earlier times, most of this was done with shared labor and resources following “Lohng Kaek” (Thai shared labor) principles. The community would come together to build a Sala or other temple building. While community members still decide, plan, and fund such, today there is less use of shared labor. This said, it is most likely that work will be done primarily by community members. Temples should work as non-profits and do not need to pay property taxes. As such donations in one form or another are considered a way of making merit, many Thais, even rather poor Thais, give a lot to their community temple or another temple they are connected with.

At Na Noi temple at least once a year, the community holds a temple fair and this is fully organized with commoning practices. Many community members help to create this event giving to the temple and the community. They come and bring or prepare on site different dishes, desserts, snacks and drinks. These are given freely to all who join and want to taste and enjoy them. There is no obligation as a participant to give any money, but for those who want to give money or something, it is given to the temple as part of making merit, normally adding to a kind of money tree offering. But in Buddhist understanding there are many ways of making merit and monks whom I listen to often stress the (greater) value of practices like kindness, compassion, and mindfulness over monetary donations. For the community members who spend their money, time and energy to prepare and share delicious foods in this festival, this is a way to give back to the community and its members, but also to indirectly support others – monks and laypersons- in their practices of mindfulness and compassion, which may be worth more value than the monetary contribution.

Temples share and cycle resources

One only needs to be out early in the morning in Thailand to see how temples and monks interweave with the communities where they are. One of the key obligations of a monk is to “Mintabaht” or to walk to receive alms. Just after sunrise, the monks (normally all who are in good health) will walk through the community with the “baht” or alms bowl, and many of the villagers will be ready to offer them rice and often other dishes. Most monks have a regular circuit, and there may be a few different circuits going out from the temple. This way every house in a community is visited (walked by), meaning everyone can give alms if they wish. My mother in law or wife prepares and gives alms almost every day (and sometimes this is done by one of our children, or myself or together). We are visited regularly by one monk from a local forest temple also in Na Noi, but closer to our home.

When I stayed at a temple for a period to focus on mindfulness and simplicity, I joined every morning with some of the monks on their walk for morning alms. We started off about 5 am, as the temple was some distance from the main village and made a circuit returning back to the temple about 6:30 am. In doing this circuit for a number of days, and passing by and connecting briefly with many of the villagers as the monks stopped to receive alms, I quite soon became familiar with the village and many of its residents. I noted that while this interaction was brief, as it was regular each day, it was working like a thread of connection for the community. If there was some change, like an older woman who did not show up that morning, there would be an exchange and the monks might learn she is not well, or maybe she went to visit her daughter in Bangkok. This I feel is quite an important part of a successful community or commons. The community being connected and from a basis of empathy, compassion, and mutual care. The monks who weave this thread daily, help witness and share this information. If Grandma Ploi doesn’t show up and there is no one to explain, I am quite sure they would inform others and someone will check on Grandma Ploi. And if she is suffering, help her get to the doctor or provide help directly if able. I have heard that in some places in the world where people only very rarely walk and meet neighbors, and are for the most part effectively isolated, that it may be days before someone knows that an elderly person is not well alone in their home. Thus, I want to stress the importance of this role of the monks in their daily routine, helping to keep the connection and relationship of all members of the community strong with shared empathy.

At the end of the alms round the monks bring back what they have received to the temple. And at the temple itself normally a number of community members will come each day, both to offer alms directly and participate in the morning prayers. With the prayers and the monks officially receiving the alms, the monks take their morning meal. At the conclusion of the morning meal, with the recitations of the monks followed by the laypersons, there is sharing of the merit and blessings. This I feel is also quite meaningful in the Thai Buddhist view of community and relationships. For the merit and blessing are not only shared with all who are there or have given, but with parents, relatives, teachers, animals, those who may hold anger towards us, and those who are suffering in this world or another. The blessing is transmitted into water that is poured during these recitations, and we may form a human chain of connection from the person pouring the water. After this ceremony is completed, this water is taken outside and poured at the roots of a tree, often a large tree with deep and wide roots. This I understand spreads this blessing far and wide with the roots, the soil, and the mycorrhiza. So while the physical community of human members who are connected to this place and village temple is the center of this commons, the care and relationship goes well beyond, to the animals and plants, to people who have left (passed away), to others who suffer, even to those who we may have wronged at some point.

Then after this, the monks leave, and all who are there are welcome to join in a meal together. Normally there is a great abundance of food, and a diversity of dishes both savory and sweet as most Thai people like to give what they see as best to the monks, and the monks only need a small amount. While not so many people avail of this beyond when they come to offer rice and join in the ceremony, one could not only survive, but eat very well every day without charge, just by joining daily at one of the many temples for the morning ceremony and meal. It is also quite common to not only eat but to distribute, share, and take home leftovers. This sharing goes beyond the human community as most temples receive unwanted dogs and cats, who they reside at the temple. They too receive a daily meal of leftovers of rice and other dishes.

To share a bit of how this goes even farther, in the Wanakaset network that I am part of every year in December they organize a Thammayatra, or Dharma walk, somewhere around the Eastern Forest which is the central forest of our area. This walk has a similar purpose to what I described above with the daily alms rounds of the monks, but at a larger scale. We call our network the Eastern Forest Wanakaset Network and the key active communities and members are in the 6 provinces that touch upon this forest. While the walk is a chance to practice mindfulness, it is also a time to connect with the forest and the communities that lie around the forest to see, observe and learn of the changes that have and are taking place and to connect with this greater community all connected to this forest.

Where we go and stay for the night is almost always a local temple. While the organizers look to choose a route and contact the head monks of each temple where the group wishes to stay to confirm welcome and permission, as a principle and norm, the temple welcomes and receives visitors free of charge. We set up our tents or our bedding if they have provided a room and can use their showers and facilities. In the morning some may join in the alms round and then we also take breakfast after the monks and some snacks or leftover food for the midday meal before we start our walk onwards. As the monks/ temples also often receive canned goods and raw rice, this is also shared and can be used to prepare an evening meal or supplement our lunch en route. For events like a scout camping trip, it is also very normal for the students to receive canned food and dry goods from the temple free of charge. These reserves can also be an important food bank, when crisis may emerge, like when communities are cut off by floods. The temple normally has a good store of different goods- all of this being given by community members as a way of making merit- but serving to support the larger commons.

The sharing and cycling that centers at the temple goes well beyond food. Where we see this most readily is with events. For one the temple itself serves as a public space that is open for local groups to use. When we started to develop what has become the Wanakaset Symbiosis Network in the South of Thailand, our place of meeting was Wat Tamot (Tamot Temple), where they have a nice meeting room with chairs and white boards and if needed mics and amplifier that groups like ours are welcome to use. Community members and others connected to the temple can donate chairs, tables, all sort of dishes, pots, kitchen utensils, coolers and such. The temples, like Na Noi Temple, have enough chairs, tables, and all to very well support an ordination, wedding, or funeral with even 500 persons. Whenever someone from the community is ready to host such an event, they have no need to buy or rent all of this. They just borrow all they need from the temple. As with commoning principles, they have a responsibility to care for what they borrow and should return it all clean and help to put it away properly, but if a glass or two breaks or does a chair, this would not matter. This is common property and meant to serve the community and as it is donated for merit, the more it is used and the more it serves benefit, the more merit the person who gave it would receive. Then in a sense, as there becomes a need, there emerges a new opportunity for someone to give glassware or chairs- and to thus make merit. This said the maintenance and care for these goods under the custodianship of the temple I find to be generally better than when one of our many extended family members borrow a tool or a ladder, sometimes without permission. This I think reflects how the commons of the temple is functioning, both in rights and collective responsibility. If someone trashes these goods, the whole village and community will know and they will lose a lot of face.

The Temple as commons during the final transition.

An event where we see many elements of this functioning together is with funerals. While there are some differences in customs in different parts of Thailand, in our community, as observed with the passing of my father in law, the temple became a centrepoint for this period. In Thailand the funeral usually takes place over a number of days, - 5 to 7 days is common. During this period, most of our extended family were at the temple. Extended family and neighbors kept the kitchen going all of the time so we (and any other visitor paying respect) could have a meal. And this work/ labor normally is given following “Loong Kaek” principles of helping each other in times of need- not through hiring. Some family slept at the temple. This both is convenient with no charge, but also in Thai Buddhism it is believed the soul of the deceased may have not yet moved on, and will be happier and more comfortable with family and friends around to keep it company. In the evening, people come to pay respect and join in prayer with the monks. Most people who come will give a gift of some money which helps the family with costs and the transition from this loss. After the prayer ceremony they are invited to have a snack or light meal.

There are also larger gifts. These can be from a group of friends, workplace colleagues, local politicians, and local enterprises that have some connection with the deceased or a close family member (like son or daughter) of the deceased. These traditionally included flower arrangements that are placed in support and as decoration around the coffin, but since at least 20 years ago there was an innovation in Thai society to make these arrangements out of something of long-term value and use. The first trend was to make these out of blankets, but now even more popular is to give decorated electric fans. So these gifts/ offerings to the deceased, then can go on to serve others to keep warm at night and cool on hot humid days. The larger gift may also be to help sponsor one night of prayer, which may include offerings to the monks as well as the water and food served to guests.

My read is that funerals in Thailand reflect the social capital of (or collective good will towards) not only the deceased but the children and even grandchildren of the deceased. The people who have contributed the most to the community, to society, to the common good, receive the most support at this time. So for my father in law’s passing, many of my colleagues from Earth Net Foundation came one day to pay respect, as did schoolmates of my wife from her high school, her college, and her university- reflecting our relationships. The funerals of the three community and movement leaders that I have joined were the largest and most dynamic, with the funeral of Pooyai Viboon Khemchalerm, the founder of Wanakaset, being given the honor of royal patronage, with Her Royal Highness Princess Sirinthorn, joining to light the flame.

Very unfortunately not long ago the husband of my sister in law passed away suddenly. I recall that she called my wife around 4:30 am who then quickly got ready and drove to support her. I took care of our children getting them off to school and when everyone was back from school, we changed and went off. We arrived about 5 pm, and everything was ready. Chairs and tables set up, neighbors were running the kitchen and food was ready for dinner. Already a number of gifts of fans and flowers, and the coffin and everything were ready for the evening prayer. I felt this was amazing and something I could not imagine happening in a similar way where I grew up in the USA. This was done by the community and thanks to the resources of the local temple. My sister in law, with her two children and her elder mother in law, did not have to prepare all of this on top of dealing with this tragedy and the required legal formalities. This for me demonstrated that the value of being part of a commons goes beyond just the functionality. For not only did the whole community immediately show up and support to get all that was needed together for the funeral ceremonies, but all of these people did this out of a shared relationship of respect, love, and care. I cannot say what my sister in law was feeling, but I can imagine that one may feel lost and alone from such tragedy, but when all of your neighbors, friends, and family show up and give their support like this, it would be a strong affirmation that you are not alone and there are many who will be with you going forward.

I think the workings and functionalities of the Thai village temple as a commons are similar to those of well-functioning commons in other contexts. However, I see one particularly interesting difference that helps potentialize this function. These are the values in Thai Buddhism such as the practices of mindfulness, empathy, and compassion, and the belief in karma and that when we leave this life we cannot take any of our money, or things with us, but what does go with us is the merit we have done or created. There is no merit in greed, hoarding, or just satisfying ourselves, but merit can come from giving and sharing. Money given or invested to purchase commonly shared goods, or gifts of labor, materials, really any act of kindness or compassion or support for the common good, returns merit. For those who have money to invest or share in this capacity, as there is not only merit in the giving of the gift, but the gift then serves others, a chair to sit on, a fan to keep cool, a beautiful space to meet or seek refuge, a food bank that supports children’s groups on camping trips and is also a reserve for times of need; the benefit and return of merit may continue long after the initial act. This promotes and enables a transference of monetary wealth into common wealth.