It was Songkran, when Thai people welcome the Buddhist New Year.

That year we had a double celebration in our village as the local temple was re-opening after a year of reconstruction.

Three days of prayers and parties and for me three more days of unanswered questions.

Questions that arose while I was watching what was going on inside and outside the temple!

Matches of Thai Boxing inside the temple compound while outside bets were taken.

People “making merit” at Buddha and at the Monks while just outside there were lot of stalls selling rivers of beer and whisky.

You could see people getting drunk under the smiling eyes of the wandering Monks.

At least 3 of the very simple precepts of Buddhism were just forgotten and cancelled. The most evident of these was … do not assume any substance which can alter your mind!

Later at night, a huge noise started to come out of at least 5 different loudspeakers, this until the “ritual” Mor Lam show started, until the very early hours of the following morning.

Where was the silence so much dear to the Buddha?

And the more I observed the crowd moving towards food, alcohol and the chance to spend (and waste) their hard earned money the more I saw them as a crowd of Zombies, half alive and half dead, wandering around goalless, without knowing exactly what they wanted and where they were going.

And at the same time I was wondering and I still wonder: what about me,  do I know what I want?

Do I know where I am going?

© – COPYRIGHT / CLAUDIO ROMANO