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| Poi Sang Long (Mae Hong Son) |
Young boys are made-up
The ordainm.ent of young boys or the "Poi Sang Long Ceremony" as it is called in the Northern Tai dialect, is held for boys who enter the priesthood at a very young age. It is believed that parents who ordain their own sons as novices will obtain 8 aeons of merit. If they arrange an ordainment for other people's sons, they will receive only 4 aeons of merit. These parents are referred to as "Phor Sang & Mae Sang " (fathers and mothers of ordained children).
The ordainment of a novice is a very important event for the Tais. They believe that children are innocent and pure as a clear glass ball. When they become novices, they emerge even cleaner. Hence the reason why they call the ceremony "the ordainment of an innocent child" .
The ceremony is organized for children between the ages of 1 0 to 14 years old, who are usually students. An auspicious time for the ceremony is April , as it is the summer holidays. The duration of the ceremony is from 3 to 7 days, depending on the status of the host. However the core process can be completed in only 3 days.
On the first day, the parents will accompany their children to the local temple. After shaving their hair, their female relatives will help them make-up and dress nicely.
The Poi Sang Long Procession
Late in the morning , the escorts (or called "Ta-pae ") will carry the children on their backs to many different places. These children are eulogized as little saints , so they are not allowed to walk on the ground . The escorts will accompany them to ask for pardon from adults , who will wish them good luck and tie sacred white thread around their wrists . The Tais live as a big extended family ; they enjoy very close relationships between each other. The children therefore feel comfortable visiting every house in the village . At each house they stop at, the owner of the house will give them a warm welcome and present them with sweets , beverages, areca nuts, betel leaves and cigarettes .
On the next day , a big procession forms. The children are carried around town once again. Leading the parade is a horse assuming as a medium of Chao Phor Kor Mue Lek (The Saint with Iron Wrists) , the guardian of Mae Hong Son Province . The procession is trailed by groups of dancers . The bands play Burmese music and sound their percussion cymbals as a signal for the audience waiting along the roads.
The ordainment of novices
On the morning of the third day , the children will again visit the adults to ask for pardon . When it is over , they return to the temple whe re lunch is hosted. The ordainment begins with the chanting of the officiating monks . The children then receive the Triple robes (Ticivara) from their parents and present them to the monks. After sarana chanting and nissaya blessing , the preceptor(upajjhaya) return the Triple robes ( Ticivara). The novices' relatives will help them get dressed, remove their jewels as they are not necessary for the priesthood. The novices go back to the officiated monks who accept them and become the teachers.
These novices will then return to their local temples after the ceremony is over.
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