5 THETSAKAN KIN CHE ( เทศกาลกินเจ ) : THE VEGETARIAN FESTIVAL Thetsakan kin che, known in English as the “Vegetarian Festival” is one of the most
5.3 Pak Tao: The Northern Dipper
Fig. 22.
The group of Pak Tao (北斗) stars in the Chinese Tripitaka 21 (Junjirö 1924-35:425)
The Chinese word can be divided into two characters to elucidate its meaning. The first one is北 (pak, ปก) meaning “north” and the second is斗 (tao, เตา) meaning
“dipper”. This name came from the standing line of stars in the group. Seven bright stars form the dipper. Chinese and Thai people named this group of stars “the dipper”
or the “big dipper” and Thai people have also called it “the crocodile” (daochorakhe, ดาวจระเข). In European astronomy, this constellation is known by the name of Ursa Major or the “Great Bear”. This constellation always appears in the northern hemisphere throughout the year.
Fig. 23.
Picture of Ursa Major constellation, cf. Dustbunny (2005)
As can be seen by the naked eye, the seven stars are brighter than the other stars, and they all revolve counter-clockwise around the North Star, a result of the rotation of the earth. This phenomenon benefited the lives of the Chinese people. For example, the people used this group of stars to find the position of the North Star, which is a good
navigation tool. Experts could figure out the time of year and the people used the stars to their benefit in agriculture to calculate the times for planting and for the harvest.
They realized and appreciated the benefits of the stars in daily life and believed that the stars were associated with them, that they were supposed to decide the fate of the people and that they controlled their lives. For this reason they worshiped the stars according to their names below.
¾ 陽明貪狼太星君
(Iang Meng Tham Long Thai Seng Kin, เอียง เมง ทํา ลอง ไท เซง กิน)
¾ 陰精巨門元星君
(Im Cheng Ki Mun Yin Seng Kin, อิม เจง กี มุน ยิน เซง กิน)
¾ 真人祿存真星君
(Chin Loen Lok Chun Cheng Seng Kim, จิน เลิน ลก ชุน เจ็ง เซง กิม)
¾ 玄冥文曲紐星君
(Hiang Meng Bun Khwian Nio Seng Kin, เฮียง เมง บุน เขวียน นิว เซง กิน)
¾ 丹元廉貞綱星君
(Tang Yin Nim Cheng Kian Seng Kin, ตัง ยิน หนีม เจง เกียน เซง กิน)
¾ 北極武曲紀星君
(Pak Kek Bu Khwiak Ki Seng Kin, ปก เกก บู เขวียก กี เซง กิน)
¾ 天關破軍關星君
(Thian Kuan Pho Kin Kuan Seng Kin, เทียน กวน ผอ กิน กวน เซง กิน)
From: Pak Tao Sutra (北斗經)
A special numerology is associated with Pak Tao as Suthon Pratyaprueang explained:
“The Chinese believe the number “7” is an inauspicious number. It was the number concerned with the dead or the activities of inauspicious occasions. We try to evade using this number in auspicious ceremony”
(Personal interview. 20 November 2006)
To avoid the number 7 in the constellation of stars, a religious leader once tried to change the symbolic meaning of Pak Tao and added two stars, increasing the number from “7” to “9”, because the number “9” is a lucky number for Chinese people. After this change the number of Pak Tao included nine stars, the “new” two stars are named:
¾ 洞明外輔星君
(Thong Meng Wai Pu Seng Kin, ทง เมง ไว ปู เซง กิน)
¾ 隱光內弼星君
(Yin Kuang Nui Pae Seng Kin, ยิน กวง นุย แปะ เซง กิน)
From: Pak Tao Sutra (北斗經)
These two stars can also be explained in terms of astronomy. The first one one (洞明 外輔星君) is named Kochab, which is the first star of the constellation of Ursa Minor and the other one (隱光內弼星君) is the North Star in which the constellation of Ursa Major culminates.
The Chinese belief in fate is associated with the explanation of karma in Buddhism.
There are many influences of Taoism on Buddhism, which came in the form of the practice of divination, especially about the stars. Chinese people believe that everybody has a personal star based on his or her birthday. One’s fate and destiny is worked out by the system of Chinese astrology based on the twelve Chinese zodiac signs.
In the Taoist and Buddhist scriptures Pak Tao signifies concordantly the mystery of each Pak Tao deity. Each of the main seven deities has a year of worship. Then every person has his or her own year’s deity and should pray to the deity. According to this belief, being present with a pure mind and body during the Thetsakan kin che can bring good fortune and can assure people of a certain amount of luck.
Name of Deity
Transliteration in Thai Romanization
and Thai Pronounciation
The Year of Zodiac Animal
Signs in Deity Wardship
Earthly Branch Symbol45
Thai Year and Transliteration in Thai Romanization
貪狼 Tham Long,
ทํา ลอง Rat 子
(Chue,ชื่อ)
ชวด (Chuat)
巨門 Ki Mun,
กี มุน Ox and Pig 丑and 亥 (Wu, วู; Tue, ตือ)
ฉลู and กุน (Chalu
,
Kun) 祿存 Lok Chun,ลก ชุน Tiger and dog 寅and 戌 (How,โฮว; Kao, เกา)
ขาล and จอ (Khan
,
Cho)文曲 Bun Khwian,
บุน เขวียน Rabbit and rooster 卯and酉 (Thow,โทว; Koi,โกย)
เถาะ and ระกา (Tho, Raka) 廉貞 Nim Cheng, Dragon and 辰and申 มะโรง and วอก
45 Wikipedia (2007).
หนีม เจง monkey (Leng, เลง;
Kao,กาว) (Marong, Wok) 武曲 Bu Khwiak,
บู เขวียก Snake and Sheep 巳and未 (Chua,จั๊ว; Ia,เอี๊ยะ)
มะเส็ง and มะแม (Maseng, Mamae)
破軍 Pho Kin,
ผอ กิน Horse 午(Bae, แบ)
มะเมีย (Mamia)
Fig. 24. Names of Deities’ Warders in Chinese characters in each year of Zodiac Animal Signs
The cycles of the zodiac play a direct role in daily life and luck will follow the structure of each zodiac. The new Chinese generation in Thailand often confuses this birth year with the Gregorian calendar, especially when they are born in January or February. This is a misunderstanding with consequences, because the knowledge of one’s own zodiac year is used in the ceremony of “Dispelling Misfortune”, which is always joined to the Thetsakan kin che of Mahayana Buddhism.
5.3.1 The Incarnation of Nine Stars in a Buddhist Sutra
In Mahayana Buddhism, Thetsakan kin che is to worship the incarnation of seven Buddhas and two Bodhisattvas. Each of the Buddhas lives in a different world to the east of our present world and the two Bodhisattvas live in the west, forming the nine stars. The Sutra of “The Seven Stars of the Buddha in the Past, Longevity Sutra,”46 which is a very important scripture used throughout the Thetsakan kin che, refers to this belief. The Sutra gives the following names for the seven Buddhas and two Bodhisattvas:
1) The star of Tham Long (貪狼)
46 The full name in Chinese is “Huk Suai Thiang Tok Pak Tao Kwo Huk Siao Chai Iang Sio Miao Keng” (佛 天中北斗古佛 消災延壽玅經,
ฮุกซวยเทียงตกปกเตาโกวฮุกเซียวไจเอียงซิ่วเหมี่ยวเก็ง).
This star is the incarnation of the Mana Chon Buddha (written in the Longevity Sutra as 東方最勝世界運意通證如來佛) who lives in the eastern world called Wichai Lokkathatu.
2) The star of Ki Mun (巨門)
This star is the incarnation of the Prapha Khot Isuan Buddha (written in the Longevity Sutra as 東方妙寶世界光音自在如來佛) who lives in the eastern world called Su Rattana.
3) The star of Lok Chun (祿存)
This star is the incarnation of the Suwan Sitthi Buddha (written in the Longevity Sutra as 東方圓滿世界金色成就如來佛) who lives in the eastern world called We Punla Rattana.
4) The star of Bun Khwian (文曲)
This star is the incarnation of the Wichai Mongkhon Buddha (written in the Longevity Sutra as東方無憂世界最勝吉祥如來佛) who lives in the eastern world called Asok.
5) The star of Nim Cheng (廉貞)
This star is the incarnation of the We Punla Pratya Wiphak Buddha (written in the Longevity Sutra as 東方淨住世界廣達智辨如來佛)who lives in the eastern world called Wi Sutthi Asom.
6) The star of Bu Khwiak (武曲)
This star is the incarnation of the Tham Sakharachara Buddha (written in the Longevity Sutra as東方法意世界法海遊戲如來佛) who lives in the eastern world called Tham Mati.
7) The star of Pho Kin (破軍)
This star is the incarnation of the Phaisatkhuru Waithu Raya Prapha Buddha (written in the Longevity Sutra as東方琉璃世界藥師琉璃如來佛) who lives in the eastern world called We Punlachanthara.
8) The star of Meng Wai (明外)
This star is the incarnation of the Patthama Atta Alangkan Bodhisattva (written in the Longevity Sutra as西方妙喜世界華藏莊嚴菩薩) who lives in the western world called Si Sukka.
9) The star of Kuang Nui (光內)
This star is the incarnation of the Sukka Isuan Bodhisattva (written in the Longevity Sutra as西方妙圓世界安樂自在菩薩) who lives in the western world called Si We Pu Laka Sang San. From: Pak Tao Sutra
Parallel to the nine stars representing the incarnations of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, the Mahayana Buddhist designates the combination of the nine kings and the nine incarnations as Kio Ong Huk Chow (九皇佛祖, กิ้วอองฮุกโจว), huk chow meaning Buddha. Every year around the first to ninth days of the ninth lunar moon, Kio Ong Huk Chow comes to the human world, inspects the humans’ behavior and holds the benediction for those with good conduct. Then the people hold the benefaction festival for Kio Ong Huk Chow.
5.3.2 The Incarnation of Nine Stars in Taoist Belief
In the Taoist version, the nine stars are called Kio Ong Tai Te (九 皇 大 帝, กิ้วอองไตเต). Tai te means the great emperors. The names of the nine emperors do not appear but the meaning of the stars is an indication of the respectfulness of the people who worship the stars as the kings or emperors.
There are many legends concerning the nine stars as belonging to the kings and some legends are concerned with the admiration of the Chinese emperors.47 The people still believe that past emperors are always beside them and control their fate.
47The Chinese Emperors were considered to be of divine origin and they were entitled “Sons of Heaven.
The Taoist concept of yin and yang, the idea of the harmonious balance between yin and yang are always observed in the festival. Other Taoist practices are also compatible with Buddhism, as Creel explained: “Taoism also incorporates elements from Confucianism, Moism [Mahism],48 and Buddhism” (Creel 1970: 24).