(21 Sep 1997) Natural Sound
With their economy severely rocked by financial crisis, Thais have turned to an age-old remedy to relieve their depression.
Millions of people joined with thousands of Buddhist monks for a nationwide pray-in, the centre-piece of which was carried live on across all TV stations.
More than a hundred senior monks gathered at the kingdom's most sacred venue - the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, in Bangkok - to lead the nation in an hour of prayer.
There have been few such occasions in recent times.
At exactly the same moment, the same thing was happening, in most of Thailand's thirty thousand monasteries.
It's a tradition that stretches back over centuries. Whenever the nation was threatened by enemies, mass chanting helped stir the people's resolve.
Today the foe is economic meltdown.
Thais, who've grown used to booming prosperity, have seen their currency tumble, prices rocket, and savings disappear, almost overnight.
The turn-out at temples, and the decision to screen the Bangkok ceremony nationwide, is the most powerful example yet of how deeply the current troubles have touched ordinary people.
The Supreme Patriarch - the head of Buddhism in Thailand - led the prayers. It was his idea to revive the tradition, as the best way to help the people.
A leading monk said that they were not trying to dispel evil.
They were trying to raise morale, and remind Thais to use their intellect and awareness to solve their problems.
The ceremony may well have come at an opportune moment.
The government has just claimed it'll turn the economic corner by the end of the year. The power of positive thinking may be just the extra push that's needed.
Find out more about AP Archive: [ Ссылка ]
Twitter: [ Ссылка ]
Facebook: [ Ссылка ]
Instagram: [ Ссылка ]
You can license this story through AP Archive: [ Ссылка ]
