Wat Mahabut
Sunday afternoon I accompanied my friend Kwan to Wat Mahabut in Bangkok. Wat Mahabut has a legend attached to it that apparently the locals fervently believe. Check out http://www.tour-bangkok-legacies.com/wat-mahabut.html to read about this legend regarding a woman who died in childbirth while her husband was at war. It really is interesting reading, though it makes my heart sad to realize yet another aspect here that blinds people to the Truth.
While we were at the wat, a funeral was taking place. I took a few pictures from a distance as the funeral procession walked three times around the temple before going inside. Leading the procession were several people playing horns, followed by the men carrying the casket, after which came a line of monks.
In another area of the temple grounds, by the canal, people were buying fish to release in order to gain merit and to hopefully have their prayers answered. The people in the pictures below kindly allowed me to take pictures of them praying, then releasing their fish. Kwan told me a person buys different kinds of fish depending on the type of request being made. These fish were, I believe, symbolic of money.
Shine, Jesus, shine!