Baci

Yesterday at school we held a Baci ceremony which means “spirit enhancing or spirit calling”. It is tradition practiced for hundreds of years. It can be held for for both happy and sad times.  For V.I.S. it is held to celebrate the start of the academic year.

A pha khuan, marigold pyramid formed the centre of the space and we gathered around it.  Food such as eggs, fruit, nuts, beer and a chicken were placed around it.  A key times those or us closest touched the container and those around us touched our elbows. There was also a section where we held the string. 

The ceremony involves the tying of cotton strings (orange and white) around a person’s wrists. Here you can see the village chief tying a string around the wrist of our Director Jane McGee.  He had commenced the ceremony by chanting prayers in Laos and Pali.

As people tie the string the bless you and make statements of hope -  moving the string towards you may you have .... and away from you may .... be washed away.

It was very moving and even though I have only been here a short time I ended up with at least a dozen baci strings given with insightful and wise words from colleagues and friends.

FYI from the internet

Lao people believe that a human being is a union of thirty-two organs, each has a spirit or khuan (Lao word for spirit) to protect them. These spirits often wander outside the body causing unbalance of the soul which might lead to an illness. The tying of the white string represents tying of the 32 spirits to the body putting them back in harmony as well as bringing good luck and prosperity.

The baci ceremony is held on many different occasions or events through out the year. It can be held any day of the week though it has to be on a good day in the lunar calendar. These good days are known to elders, senior monks, or ex-monks. The ceremony can be held for both sad times and happy times.

The baci ceremony is held for happy occasions like weddings, welcoming guests, Lao New Year, house warmings, home comings and other such occasions. A mother and her new born baby are given a baci, after the mother has recovered, to welcome the baby as well as to call back the spirits of the mother’s that might be wandering away through the child baring.

The ceremony is also held to raise spirits when someone is weak (physically and spiritually). After someone in the family has passed away a baci ceremony is held as it is believed to enhance the spirits and reinforce the harmony of the rest of family members after having been through sad time.

The pha khuan is placed on a white cloth at the center of the room and everyone gathers round it. The host or the persons that the baci is intended for sit closest to the pha kuan facing the mor phon (master of ceremony usually a respected and knowledgeable person in the community), and other participants sit behind.

Starting by “mor phon inviting” session which is usually performed by one of the elderly men. He places a glass of Lao whisky and small amount of money, wrapped in banana leaf together with a pair of candles and flowers, on one hand and ties a white string around the wrist of the mor phon while murmuring words to invite good wishes.

After that, the mor phon starts by lighting the candle on the top of the maak beng and asks the host or the persons to receive the blessing to lay their hands (palms down) on the edge of the pha khuan. He brushes their hands with the white strings saying "hai kuard nee, dee kuard kao" meaning "bad is swept out, good is swept in".

After this he takes the white thread connecting the pha khuan, placing one end in his hand and the other in the hand of the person who is to receive the blessing.

They place the string between their palms and pray while the mor phon is chanting in the religious Pali language, sometimes quoting from Lao poetry and proverbs. During this time everyone is supposed to be quiet.

At some point during the chanting, the ceremony attendants say together “ma der khuan euy” meaning “please come spirits”. At the same time someone throws rice in the air so the rice grains fall down on everyone’s head. These rice grains represent the spirits and good luck that have been asked for.

After the mor phon has finished his chanting, he ties the first white blessing strings around the wrists of the main person being honoured. Then everyone else joins in to tie strings around the wrists of the main celebrants and other family members as well as among the guests themselves, while murmuring good wishes for receivers of the strings.