“It is considered of utmost importance in the Thai
tradition to have a teacher and to be initiated into the tradition,” says my teacher. “And to always honor and bring to
mind our teachers, and
those who have come before us, when studying or using our knowledge practically.”
“The reason for this ” continues my teacher, “is that
there is a line, like a blood line within a family; that links us to the
teachers of the past and allows us to invoke their knowledge and wisdom. It also gives us a form of protection
being initiated into the tradition.
By invoking the spirit of our teachers we are protected from negative
influences and other unknown sources of harm such as ghosts, demons, black
magic etc. It also gives us the
power to heal those afflicted by these same things. For these, and other reasons, we always begin by performing
the Wai Khru”.
This was my first formal lesson from my
Traditional Thai Medicine (TTM) teacher, Reusi Tevijjo. It is the first lesson, because the Wai Khru is, in his
view, (as it is with all of the really good teachers I have had) the keystone
to studying this art.
So what is the Wai Khru ceremony? We will go into great detail about this
later. In short, it is a ritual ceremony of gratitude offered to one’s
teachers: this includes one’s parents, present day teachers, teachers’ teachers
(and so forth up the lineage history), various possible deities, any deity or
ancestor who is seen as the founder of your practice, and of course, (this
being Thailand) the Buddha. The
Wai Khru ceremony is not unique to practitioners of TTM; there are in fact Wai
Khru ceremonies for nearly every aspect of life in Thailand that includes
direct instruction. “Wai” means
“respect”, and is also the word for the posture of hands held together in
prayer position that is used in showing deference. Many non-Thais relate to this position by the Sanskrit word
“namaste”, and have seen it as a form of greeting throughout Asia. The word “khru” comes from the
Pali/Sanskrit word “guru”, and means “teacher”. So a “Wai Khru” ceremony literally means to pay respect to
one’s teachers. More than just a
time of giving thanks, it is a time to connect to one’s teachers, and the
teachers who went before them, as well as to the energies, wisdom and
protection that comes from them.
Throughout Thailand people in all walks
of life perform daily, periodic, and yearly Wai Khru ceremonies; each tailored
to its individual purpose that is dependent upon who is doing the ceremony and
what walk of life they are treading.
The way that the Wai Khru ceremony is performed differs depending on the
setting, but all pay homage to the Buddha, all give offerings of flowers,
incense and candles, all ask that the performer of the ceremony tap into
something older and wiser. School children gather in the schoolyard for a Wai
Khru ceremony that honors (in addition to the Buddha, and their parents) their
current day school teachers. They
prostrate themselves before the teachers and give offerings of flowers
representing: respect, patience, perseverance, discipline and
intelligence. Similarly, Muay Thai
kick boxers honor their teachers in an elaborate dance that leads the fighter
to contemplate and thank his teachers, including the ancestral teacher seen as the founder of Muay Thai. Ceremonies
such as this are endemic throughout the land. Musicians thank the founding teacher of music with sacred
melodies, soldiers do a Wai Khru ceremony similar to the muay Thai fighters,
doctors, be they allopathic or traditional, practice Wai Khru ceremonies like the
ones encountered by students of Thai massage. It is this last one that I will elaborate on here. Due to the increasing popularity of
Thai massage, this, the healer’s Wai Khru, is the Wai Khru ceremony most
commonly known to non-Thais.
Most non-Thai practitioners of Thai
medicine practice only the bodywork component of TTM, known to the West as Thai
massage; in Thailand as nuad boran, or traditional massage. While Thai massage is an incredibly
complex and multi-faceted modality, in truth it is just one part of a much
larger system of healing that includes pharmacology, herbology, astrology, Buddhism,
magic (working with spirits etc.), midwifery and more. Regardless of what aspect of
Traditional Thai medicine one practices, it is believed that in order to be a
true transmitter of healing one must begin each day with the healer’s Wai Khru
ceremony. Most non-Thai, Thai
massage practitioners have been taught at some point to do the Wai Khru whether
they know it by name or not. A Wai
Khru practice is a bouquet of gratitude, blessings, protection and connection. According to the Thai people, without
it you can learn all of the Thai medicine techniques there are, but you will
not have learned the true healing.
You will have only empty techniques with nothing inside of them; nothing
to give the techniques spirit, magic, mojo if you will. Looking through the Thai lens, it is
the Wai Khru that gives the practitioner depth, divine inspiration, and ancestral guidance and protection. It is the substance behind the
mechanics, for it is in the daily practice of giving offerings and chanting
that one connects to the lineage of healing arts
“Ideally,” says Reusi Tevijjo, “a Thai massage therapist
should perform the Wai Khru daily, even on days when you will not be doing any massages. It’s not about doing it just for those
days (when you massage). Quite
frankly, that’s not enough. We don’t stop being a student, healer, teacher…so,
in order to invoke the spirits and teachers adequately it needs to be done
every day. If you can’t some days,
it’s no problem, but try to make the effort”. Until he
said this to me, I did the Wai Khru only on days that I gave massages or taught
classes. It was for me, a
wonderful perceptual shift to think in terms of being a healer and a teacher,
and of course, a student, even when I am not actively using those skills.
Through Reusi Tevijjo I have had so many of these
shifts in understanding that my tutelage with him has been an ongoing process
of unraveling the tapestry I have woven from the teachings of others, and
reweaving it into a more vibrant tapestry out of the same threads. The depth of information has been
staggering and invigorating and has connected me to my practice and teaching on
ever expanding new levels. I could
say this about nearly every aspect of Thai medicine that I have discussed with
him, and most certainly it holds true for my relationship with the Wai Khru
ceremony.
My introduction to the Wai Khru came at
the first place I ever studied Thai massage. It was a well marketed (even back then) school in northern
Thailand that had a printed curriculum, air conditioning and a large staff
(yes, these things were remarkable then).
Each morning would begin with the students chanting along to a tape
recording of the director’s voice saying the Wai Khru. Because it was a recording, there was
never the slightest variance in how the words were said. Morning after morning, for weeks on
end, we said the Wai Khru chant exactly the same and the sound and cadence of
that teacher’s voice were forever burned into my brain. We didn’t know the meaning of the
words, nor the purpose of the chant and there was something hollow in the taped
rendition. I don’t think we were
even told that the ceremony had a name.
We were told we should do this, but given no reason as to why. As is so often the case with non-Thais
learning the Wai Khru, we were left to decide for ourselves what the meaning
might be. Over the years I have
heard some amazingly inventive perceptions that grew from the lack of actual information.
Without a depth of understanding of the
Wai Khru, I quickly dropped it from my practice. Years later I would come to study almost simultaneously with
two amazing teachers who put a great deal of importance on the Wai Khru. One of them was able to explain it very
intellectually due to his Buddhist training as well as his academic work as an
anthropologist/historian. The
other explained it in the more esoteric form of morning dharma talks following
the most extensive Wai Khru ceremony I had yet encountered. (There were students who would leave
his classes simply because they could not stand the fact that the morning
ritual could take anywhere from fifteen to forty-five minutes, often followed
by talks about it). These two
teachers expanded my understanding and appreciation of the Wai Khru enough to
sincerely apply it in my practice.
More recently my study with Reusi Tevijjo has brought me a level of comprehension
that has inspired me to want to write about and share this knowledge with the
larger community.
Each of my teachers has done the Wai Khru
ceremony somewhat differently from the others. Each teaches slightly, or dramatically, different words to
the chant and a different way of approaching the ceremony. Some have required offerings, some have
not. Some have had very short
simple ceremonies, some longer more elaborate. There is no right and wrong in these differences, and in
truth the similarities have been greater than the dissimilarities. Here is a story that Reusi Tevijjo once told me: he had asked his teacher about an incantation that he read
in a book which was similar to one he learned with his teacher. His teacher said, “keep both, use
both, and see which works better.” Then
his teacher asked him “do you know why I write so many texts and keep all of
the good information I find, even if it’s not in accordance with what I was
taught? Because it’s all right and
it’s all wrong.” Reusi Tevijjo says, “there was once the original
incantations, then it was taught to some people. Then they taught it to some
people. Already, it went through
changes because people remember things differently. It’s still the same incantation but it’s a little bit altered. If it gets so altered that it loses its
power then we can throw that away but we don’t know until we try them. And in the end the most important thing
is our own minds and intention. Of
course there is right and wrong and somewhere in the middle. We’re talking about in the middle
towards right here. We should be
skilled enough to recognize wrong by the time we’ve studied some”.
Each Wai Khru chant I have been taught
has included an homage to the Buddha and homage to Jivaka (more on him
shortly). Each has been chanted in
a mixture of Sanskrit/Pali and Thai languages. And each has had at its core, a sentiment of gratitude. Here I am going to discuss one very common
form of the healer’s Wai Khru ceremony as well as the form that I currently
use. Of the very common form
of the Wai Khru, there have been a number of translations over the years and
you can find many of them in books and instructional manuals put out by
different schools and teachers. I
have read and appreciated many of these translations and offer here the
explanation of this Wai Khru as given to me by Reusi Tevijjo; this being the one that I
feel is most accurate based on my experience with other translations and my
personal understanding of Reusi Tevijjo’s vast knowledge.
It should be noted that the Thai
languages have never been consistently transliterated. This means that there is
no standardized system for putting Thai words into a Roman alphabet. Practically, this means that everyone
is just sounding it out, and therefore you will find the same Thai words written
in English many different ways, and none of these ways are right or wrong. They are simply the preference of the
writer. Similarly Sanskrit and
Pali are ancient languages that have no written form, hence they are
transliterated into each new language as best fits that language. About this combination of languages
here, Pali and Sanskrit are very similar, closely related languages and while
there is a little of each in this Wai Khru, it is mostly in Pali; the holy
language of Thailand. Pali to Thai
Buddhists is much like Latin to Catholics. While almost no one speaks Latin colloquially, it is used
predominantly in Catholic religious ceremonies. In Thailand no one speaks Pali colloquially, yet it is found
in all of the sacred chants.
Translating the Wai
Khru is not easy. There are
concepts that don’t exist in the Western world as well as cultural biases
against certain forms of paying homage.
In addition to this, there are parts to the Wai Khru that are
untranslatable, or should not be translated. The reason for this, Reusi Tevijjo says, that “it is the tradition
not to translate such an incantation because for one, it only makes sense to
the creator of it, and two, it will lose its power”. Caution must be used when reading translations
of the Wai Khru that seem to be complete - it is likely that the translator is
making bits up and even more likely that they are doing so with an aim to
please a Western audience. At
times this aim to please leads to not only creating translations for
untranslatable parts, but to changing the meaning of more easily understood
parts as well. At the very least,
the translator is not aware of or perhaps not respecting the tradition to leave
certain parts to the mystery.
Common
Thai Healer’s Wai Khru Chant
Namo
Tassa Bhagavato Arahato Samma SamBuddhasa (3x)
Om
namo Jivaka Sirasa Ahang
Karuniko
Sabba Sattanang, Osatha Dibbamantang
Pabhaso
Suriya Chandang Komarabhacco
Pakasesi
Vandami Pandito Sumedhaso Aroga Sumana Homi
Piyo
Tewa Manusanang Piyo Poma Namutamo
Piyo
Nakha Supananang Pinisiang Namamihang
Nama
Putaya Navon Navien Nasatit Nasatien
Ehi
Mama Navien Nawe Napai TangVien Navien Mahaku
Ehi
Mama Piyong Mama Namo Putaya
Na
A Na Wa Roga Bayadhi Vinassanti (3X)
Translation
Namo
Tassa Bhagavato Arahato Samma SamBuddhasa
“homage
to the Blessed one, the Arahat, the Perfectly and Completely Enlightened One”.
This is a common Buddhist chant that pays
homage to the Buddha. It is used
throughout the Buddhist world extensively. It is traditional to pay homage to the Buddha first, because
he is seen as the first and greatest teacher. Even in a specific field such as medicine, the Buddha is
seen as the ultimate healer and the first teacher to be acknowledged.
Om
namo Jivaka Sirasa Ahang
Karuniko
Sabba Sattanang, Osatha Dibbamantang
Pabhaso
Suriya Chandang Komarabhacco
Pakasesi
Vandami Pandito Sumedhaso Aroga Sumana Homi
“Om
I pay homage with my head to Jivaka”
“Who
out of compassion for all sentient beings has brought us to divine medicine”
“He
who shines as bright as the Sun and Moon, Komarabhacco”
“I
hereby declare my respect to the great pandit, the intelligent and wise
one. May I be happy and free of
illness.”
This section is paying homage to Doctor
Jivaka Komarabhacco; also known as Shivago or Chewoke. Doctor Jivaka is recorded in the
Buddhist text The Pali Vinaya,
as being the physician to the Buddha himself and as such is revered in Thailand
as being the “Father Doctor”. Because
there is a lot of confusion about Doctor Jivaka among non-Thai, Thai massage
therapists, I will go into a bit of depth about him here. Firstly, to clarify some common
misperceptions about him: Doctor Jivaka never went to Thailand, was not a monk,
and did not invent Thai massage.
His life was lived in India during the time of the Buddha some 2,500
years ago and it is only through Buddhist legends and texts, not through physical travel, that he
arrived in Thailand. His influence
as a figurehead of medicine, while very strong in Thailand, is not unique to
Thailand and in fact his story is told with local variations in Tibet and China
as well (he also did not travel to these countries as far as we know).
Assumptions that Doctor Jivaka was a monk
are likely based on his caring for the Buddha and his close association with
the monastery; however, in those days monks were never doctors and he was more
accurately a white-robed lay Buddhist who supported the monastic order through
his donation of medical services: a donation that led to a long standing
tradition of medicine in the monasteries and very likely increased the numbers
of people joining the monastery.
As a white robed layperson, he would have taken higher precepts and
practices than a regular lay person without actually becoming a monk.
As for the belief held by some that
Doctor Jivaka was the founder of Thai massage, it should be stated that while
there are many detailed descriptions of medical services performed by Doctor
Jivaka recorded in the Pali Vinaya,
there is not a single description of him doing any form of massage. Add to this the fact that there is
currently no form of bodywork readily found in India that resembles Thai
massage; whereas there is a strong oral history in Thailand that sustains an
understanding that Thai massage is indeed from South East Asia, and it becomes
ever more clear that while the origins of Traditional Thai Medicine are
debatable, it is likely that the massage component did not come directly from
Doctor Jivaka or even India. For
those who argue the clear Indian influences upon Thai massage, it is important
to remember that influence is not the same as origin and can come along and add
to or shift things at any time. It
is also notable that the honoring of Doctor Jivaka is not unique to Thai
massage practitioners. Healers of
all sorts throughout Thailand be they village herbalists, midwives, or even
practitioners of Western allopathic medicine, honor Jivaka. To assume based on his reverence in the
Thai massage world that he founded Thai massage, would lead one to believe that
he also founded midwifery, allopathic (western) medicine, herbalism and just
about every healing modality found in Thailand.
So why pay homage to him at all? Well, just because he did not invent
massage does not mean that there is no connection to him in the healing
arts. In a Buddhist culture, just
the fact that he worked directly with and healed the Buddha would be enough to
warrant him thousands of years of homage. Ultimately, he was a great healer;
and there is a level at which healing rises above the specifics of one medical
modality or another. It is also
likely that he had influence on traditional Thai medicine’s theoretical system
through knowledge that would have traveled to Thailand with the spread of
Buddhism due to Jivaka’s creation of a relationship between medicine and monks.
In
paying homage to Dr. Jivaka we are giving thanks to his great healing, and asking
that the energies of this esteemed healer be with us in our work, helping to
guide us and protect us. It is
important to realize that this is a fairly generic healer’s Wai Khru chant that
does not include all of the possible teachers and deities that an individual or
lineage may have a connection with and wish to pay homage to. Jivaka here is a figurehead of
medicine, not the specific endpoint for a Thai massage lineage. More important than the name is that we
recognize that healing knowledge does not come from us alone, that regardless
of who invented what, there are ancestors to be thanked. In this we do not work alone, but
rather with the support of generations upon generations of healers
Piyo
Tewa Manusanang Piyo Poma Namutamo
Piyo
Nakha Supananang Pinisiang Namamihang
“Adored
by deities and humans, He who is adored by Brahma I pay homage”
“Adored
by Naga and heavenly beings, Who is of pure faculties I pay homage”
It is not clear who this section is
paying homage to. It is composed
of Pali words and Reusi Tevijjo says that it could be in
reference to either the Buddha or Jivaka, or even the Reusi (more on them
soon). The word “naga” refers to
benevolent serpentine earth beings that are something of a cross between snakes
and dragons. Naga statues lead visitors
into all of the temples in Thailand with their heads down toward the bottom of
staircases leading to the doorway, their bodies running up like banisters; they
guide us into the sacred. What is
important to know about this section of the Wai Khru is that it is mostly used
as an incantation of attraction to ask for protection and luck of the deities,
and to be liked by others.
Nama
Putaya Navon Navien Nasatit Nasatien
Ehi
Mama Navien Nawe Napai TangVien Navien Mahaku
Ehi
Mama Piyong Mama Namo Putaya
This is the section that is not meant to
be translated. While some books do
offer translations of this piece, Reusi Tevijjo tells me that it has far more meaning
outside of what is found in them; the purpose of this part of the chant being
for attracting things, people, money or business. Since it is not the tradition to directly translate
this part, I am choosing to honor this by not including whatever translations I
have come across. Instead, I think
of this as a time to allow the mystery and magic of the chant to just be.
Na
A Na Wa Roga Bayadhi Vinassanti
May
disease and illness be utterly destroyed
This last part is simple enough and straight forward in
translation.
And so we complete our dissection of the
form of the Thai healer’s Wai Khru most commonly known to the non-Thai
world. As I have mentioned, it is
not the only version of the healer’s Wai Khru. How this one came to be so
widely used when teaching Westerners I am not sure, but I suspect that it began
with the Shivagokomarpaj Hospital (Old Medicine Hospital) in Chiang Mai. Shivagokomarpaj was one of the first
places to teach Thai massage to non-Thais, and many schools and instructors
have come from their halls. From
there I believe it spread until it became known to Thai schools and teachers in
northern Thailand as the one to use for foreigners. It is not a traditional northern style Wai Khru, but is
common among schools in the city of Chiang Mai that have a connection to Old
Medicine Hosptial. In the south,
the most common school teaching Thai massage to non-Thais is Wat Po, which uses
a different Wai Khru. The Wai Khru as I teach it, as my teacher has instructed
me, includes parts of this first one incorporated into a slightly longer
chant. It is as follows:
Second Wai Khru Chant
Araham Sammaa
Sambuddho Bhagavaa Buddham Bhagavantam Abhivaademi
Svaakhatto Bhagavataa Dhammo Dhamman
Namassami
Supatipanno Bhagavato Saavakasangho
Sangham Namaami
Maataa Pitu Gunam Aham Vantaami
Gurupaacariyam Gunam Aham Vantaami
Namo Tassa Bhagavato Arahato Sammaa
Sambuddhassa (3x)
Om
namo Jivaka Sirasa Ahang
Karuniko
Sabba Sattanang, Osatha Dibbamantang
Pabhaso
Suriya Chandang Komarabhacco
Pakasesi
Vandami Pandito Sumedhaso Aroga Sumana Homi
Om
Namo Jivako Kumarabhajo
Namassittavaa
Isii Siddhi Lokanaatham Anuttaram Isii Ca Bandhanam
Saatraa
Aham Vantaami Tam Isii Siddhi Vessa
Om
Sarvebhyo Rishibhyo Namah
Na
A Na Wa Roga Bayadhi Vinassanti
Metta
gunam Araham Mettaa
Translation
Araham Sammaa Sambuddho Bhagavaa
Buddham Bhagavantam Abhivaademi
Svaakhatto Bhagavataa Dhammo
Dhamman Namassami
Supatipanno Bhagavato Saavakasangho
Sangham Namaami
These first three lines are a
traditional Buddhist chant used throughout the Buddhist world and are known as
the Triple Gem. The first line
pays homage to the Buddha, the second to his teachings, and the third to those
who have carried on his teachings for all. After each line, the chanter should prostrate one time.
Maataa Pitu Gunam Aham Vantaami
This line pays homage to one’s mother and father. In Thailand great respect is paid to
one’s parents as being the original teachers. My most respected Thai massage instructors have all made
clear that this is not about what one’s relationship with one’s parents is; it
does not matter if they were good or terrible parents; one must still pay
homage to them as being the people who gave one life and were the first
teachers. After this line,
prostrate one time.
Gurupaacariyam Gunam Aham Vantaami
This line pays homage to the rest of one’s teachers including
current day human teachers as well as celestial guides. Prostrate one time after
this line.
Namo Tassa Bhagavato Arahato Sammaa
Sambuddhassa (3x)
This is the same line as is found in the more common Wai
Khru outlined above. It pays
homage to the Buddha and is used extensively throughout Buddhist culture. It is not unique to healers and can be
found in many incantations.
Om
namo Jivaka Sirasa Ahang
Karuniko
Sabba Sattanang, Osatha Dibbamantang
Pabhaso
Suriya Chandang Komarabhacco
Pakasesi
Vandami Pandito Sumedhaso Aroga Sumana Homi
Om
Namo Jivako Kumarabhajo
This is the
same as the section paying homage to Jivaka as is found in the more common Wai
Khru outlined above. The only
change is the addition of the last line, stating Jivaka’s name.
Namassittavaa
Isii Siddhi Lokanaatham Anuttaram Isii Ca Bandhanam
Saatraa
Aham Vantaami Tam Isii Siddhi Vessa
Om
Sarvebhyo Rishibhyo Namah
This section pays homage to the
Reusi. Reusi are Buddhist
spiritual ascetics, a bit like a mixture between a monk and a shaman, but with
a different set of rules and purpose than monks. Monks generally live in a monastery and it is their task to
work toward personal enlightenment.
In order to facilitate this they separate themselves from the layman’s
world; they do not marry, have children, or have jobs. Reusi on the other hand, are more like
Buddhist shamans. Traditionally
they work to be in tune with the natural world; receiving wisdom from nature.
As conduits of knowledge of the sciences such as the healing arts, the Reusi
must work directly with lay-people.
They do not have the same rules of separation that the monks have. While most Reusi are hermits,
technically they can marry and have children and work as teachers and medicine
practitioners. It is the ancient
Reusi who are credited with the transmission of much of traditional Thai
medical knowledge including Thai massage and other sciences. In truth, legend would attribute to the
Reusi of old, not to Dr. Jivaka, the discovery of both self massage techniques
and assisted massage techniques as found in Thai medicine. Old medicine paintings often will show
the image of the Buddha in the center, a Reusi to his right, and Dr. Jivaka to
his left. This positioning of the
Reusi to The Buddha’s right clearly indicates the Reusi’s high placement in
medical history.
The question that arises from this
is: if the Reusi are more closely
connected to the creation of Thai medicine, why is it Dr. Jivaka that gets all
the fanfare? I think there are two
main considerations here. One, Dr.
Jivaka worked directly with The Buddha and in a Buddhist culture this
automatically brings him to the forefront. And two, Reusi are traditionally
very hermit-like, preferring to live quiet lives in the forest; interacting
with others primarily for the purpose of providing service. They keep to the shadows so to
speak. Even in Thailand, where
there is still a living tradition and lineage of Reusi, many Thais are unaware
of their continued existence and believe the lineage to be dead. The overlooking of the Reusi is so
complete that even at the famous Wat Pra Kaaow, the Emerald Buddha Temple in
Bangkok, a statue that to the trained eye is clearly a Reusi, is labeled as
being Dr. Jivaka. Because this is a rather well known statue, the error has
been duplicated in many books on Thai massage that contain photographs of this
statue. Even more notably, a
recent publication in the West about self care exercises that come from the ancient
Reusi. has within it multiple photographs of Reusi; each and every one of them
with captions labeling them as photographs of Dr. Jivaka. It also contains Thai drawings of Reusi
performing the poses taught that are labeled: “archival drawing(s) of
Jivaka”. We can see that even in
the world of those purporting to make a study of the teachings of the Reusi,
knowledge of them is limited and riddled with error. I think that this is accepted, and possibly even preferred
by the Reusi as preserving the anonymity of the tradition yet I also think that
as a practitioner of Thai massage it is important to pay respects to this very
important part of the lineage of Thai healing.
Om
Na A Na Wa Roga Bayadhi Vinassanti
Sadhu
No Bhante (3x)
This again, is the mantra to combat
disease, with the addition of a second line that is a bit like saying amen.
Metta
gunam Araham Mettaa
This is a chant of metta. Metta is a Buddhist concept that
translates as good will; some translate it as universal compassion, or loving
kindness. There are many Buddhist
meditations aimed at generating metta, or good will. In the Thai healing arts, generating metta, and working from
a place of metta, is of utmost importance.
The Practice - Instructions
As stated above, the Wai
Khru is ideally done on a daily basis by any practitioner of Thai medicine. While a person can do the Wai Khru
practice at any time, the best times are one hour before sunrise, or one hour
before sunset as these transition times of day carry a special quality to them
that is conducive to this sort of practice. If a Wai Khru practice is done in the morning, it is best to
do it after bathing and using the toilet, but before eating, and it is
important to brush one’s teeth to have a clean mouth. The Wai Khru is performed before an altar with an image of
the Buddha as well as images of any other teachers and/or deities being honored. For details on how to properly set up a
Thai altar I recommend Pierce Salguero’s wonderful book, The Spiritual
Healing of Traditional Thailand. Traditional offerings given to the
altar include; incense, candles, water, food and flowers. Some also give tobacco, old money,
alcohol and fruit. Incense is
representative of the element wind, and the number of sticks of incense varies
depending upon the intention. Five
works well for most massage practitioners as it is representative of the Buddha,
the dharma, the sangha, ancient teachers, mother and father, and current day
teachers. The candle represents
the element of fire, water represents the element of water, food represents the
element of earth, and flowers represent the element of space.
The Wai Khru is performed
kneeling, feet pointed back behind the body (toes curled under foot for
men). In Thailand it is considered
impolite, especially for women, to sit in tailor position (lotus position,
“Indian” style). Once positioned, the practitioner bows three times. The way that Thais bow in this setting
is to begin with the hands in the prayer position close to the chest, elbows
close in at the sides. The head is
brought to the ground, with the hands above the head in prayer position, also
touching the ground. The idea of
prostrating oneself before an altar with statues and other images on it is
sometimes difficult for a Westerner to embrace. I would like to note here that the way it was explained to me
is that one is not so much bowing to the statue of the Buddha, but rather to
the qualities of the Buddha that one aspires to hold within oneself. The Buddha stated quite clearly in his
teachings that he was not a god, and so it is not to a deity that one bows, but
to an image created to remind one of the teachings of a wise human. The same can be said of any images of
Doctor Jivaka, Reusi, or other teachers that one may have upon one’s
altar. If you pay homage to any of
the deities, as is often done in a Wai Khru practice, this is a different
matter; but I will assume that this notion of prostrating to a teacher or
God/ess is not of issue to you if you include deities, and let it go at that.
Following offerings and
bows, one chants the Wai Khru chant of choice and finishes with three more
prostrations. When done, candles
and incense may be left to burn, but if they must be extinguished they may not
be blown out. One can use a candle
snuffer or fingers, but blowing out a candle is thought to disperse the
offerings. If a person is someplace where they do not have an altar they
can still practice the Wai Khru.
Face east, and proceed as usual.
Having an altar with images of the Buddha and teachers is helpful in
focusing our minds, but it is not the heart of the practice; it is merely a
tool.
For those who practice Thai massage yet
are faithful to a religion that does not have space within it for a Buddhist
Wai Khru practice; they can adjust their practice to more comfortably match
their belief system. For example,
prayers can be directed to Jesus, Allah, G-d, angels, saints, Mother Earth...
These prayers would be prayers of gratitude, and prayers for guidance and protection
in your healing work. You should
still be sure to give thanks for the lineage of training, your current day
teachers, and your parents. While
this is fine for the average practitioner of Thai massage, ultimately, the
Buddhist spiritual component of traditional Thai medicine is integral to this
healing system; to work on a deeper level with Thai medicine it would need to
be embraced. Traditional Thai
medicine without Buddhism simply isn’t traditional Thai medicine. Also along these lines, there is a
strength to having a practice that utilizes chants or mantras that are used by
others in the world. As Reusi Tevijjo says,
“This is the reason why certain incantations which are used all over the
world, like Om Mani Padme Hum, have so much power. It’s easier to use incantations which are used by many or
used in groups in the beginning to effect a change. Sometimes it’s hard to develop the concentration needed to
use an incantation on our own”.
My hope in writing this essay is to help
Thai massage practitioners have a deeper understanding of the Thai healer’s Wai
Khru, and to appreciate the importance of this practice. Reusi Tevijjo has spoken with me at length about
the traditional way of studying, which would be a one-to-one lifelong
relationship between a master and an apprentice student. These days most of us learn Thai massage
as one of many students in an occasional class. Even those who return year after year to Thailand to work
with a particular teacher are generally one of hundreds of students that that
teacher sees in a year; and so the traditional way is lost to us. Through a strong Wai Khru practice we
can bring an element of this ancient connection to teachers and lineage into
our lives that might be otherwise absent, and through the commitment to a daily
practice, experience a tiny slice of the true student commitment.
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