PHRA PATHOM CHEDI.
About 60km to the West of Bangkok, in the town of Nakhon Pathom, stands probably the earliest Buddhist monument in Thailand, Phra Pathom Chedi. A few years ago, I had the great pleasure of visiting this place of worship and (even) took some photos. Recently, a friend sent me an official guide, published by the 'Office of Utility Management and Maintenance of the Great Pagoda'. Now that I have scanned in a few of my photos, I thought I'd take the opportunity of presenting a little tour to indicate especially how old are the roots of Buddhism in Thailand and also how the Buddha Dhamma can be seen in practice in such places. The historical notes are taken from the official guide.The roots of this pagoda are over 2000 years old. During his reign in India in the 3rd Century before Jesus Christ (B.C.), Emperor Asoka sent out missionaries to lands far away. One of these was what is presently Thailand, at that time called Suvarnaphumi. The evidence for this has been provided by the discovery of stone wheels of law (Dharmachakra), carved altars and the Buddha's footprints, all of which preceded the making of the first Buddha rupas (images) in 143 B.C. Phra Pathom Chedi means 'The First Stupa' (Phra used here as emphasis for the sense of 'holy'). The original stupa was 39 metres high and built in the style of the great stupa at Sanchi. It is considered sacred since it contains some relics of the Buddha Gotama that were brought over by the early missionaries. The orginal monument is still there, but has since been built over and restored under the guidance of various monarchs. This is indeed a very special chedi for the rulers of Thailand, since it has been the royal tradition the reigning monarch must offer candles and joss sticks whenever passing Phra Pathom Chedi.