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Much of the world community today is in thrall to scientific advances that violate the laws of nature. Techniques for genetically modifying plants and the deciphering of the human genome have been heralded as important milestones in man's quest to master nature. But in this enthusiasm to embrace new technologies, man is often blind to the moral and ethical questions that inevitably ensue. Mankind is so obsessed with his conquest of nature that he ignores spiritual concerns and destroys his relations with nature. But if we examine , Thai society, we will see a very different
way of thinking , one which manifests a profound respect for
nature. Passed down from generation to generation , native Thai
beliefs have evolved into distinctive customs and traditions
that reflect this respect. Not only in our worship or religious
objects such as Buddha images , the Buddha's footprints and the
wheel of the doctrine but in our reverence for objects not directly
associated with religion is the Thai concern for man's place
in nature clearly revealed. Rice seeds and gourds, for instance,
have always been held in high esteem for their vital role in
sustaining human life. Our rituals, too, are informed by the
interdependence, of man and nature. In the ploughing ceremony,
for example , farmers gather sacred rice seeds, which they believe
will bring them bountiful harvest. Gourds which because of their
shape were used to store, and carry water in the past, have come
to be symbols or good luck and prosperity. Forms such as these
are products of natural evolution that have enriched human life,
and because, of the bond that joins them to the human spirit,
they seem to possess a special power which induces Thavorn Ko-udomvit |
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