March 3, 2007
Last evening we hosted a team meeting at our place and had a good discussion about Buddhism and Thai culture. A couple of Ben Ryan's friends from the university came and shared about their beliefs and experiences. Both of them come from Buddhist families and even though they described themselves as less devout than their parents they still practice at least some aspects of that religion - and their values and beliefs have been strongly shaped by Buddhism. They graciously answered our questions and gave suggestions as to how we can relate sensitively to Thai people.
They talked a lot about the importance of respect for elders in Thai culture. It is something that is ingrained in children from the very beginning and they emphasized the importance of this for us as "outsiders" as well. It really is a different mindset for us (as Westerners) to adapt to. We're used to being independent, and we greatly value our ability to think for ourselves. For Thais, respect and consideration for others are stressed as the highest values - not independence and personal rights.
Another topic that I found very interesting was their observation that within the past generation Thai culture has changed drastically. They said that young adults (themselves included) are much less likely to believe all of the teachings about karma and the continuation of existence after death. Many of the traditional Thai Buddhist beliefs and values are fading as this generation is opting for a more Westernized set of values and ideals.
I think that for our work here this trend has important implications. Will we be relating to traditional Thai Buddhists or to people who are moving from that to a more secular, materialistic mindset? And what difference will that make in how they perceive Jesus and his teachings?
The discussion gave us a lot to talk about and was another small step in our learning process here.
-Tom
After the meeting Ben got the girls all riled up through a combiation of tickling, teasing, and a trick in which he convinced them that he was sticking a pen up his nose and pulling it out of his ear. Here he is trying to calm them down.
