Bai Sema
Encyclopedia
Bai Sema are the boundary stones which designate the sacred area for a phra ubosot (ordination hall) within a Thai Buddhist temple
(Thai language: Wat
).
that the Buddhasima (the area in which the monks perform the Sanghkamma or Buddhist sacred ceremonies) must be able to accommodate 21 seated monks, with a space the length of a forearm between each monk. The area should also not be larger than three yojana which is about 48 kilometers. This is probably meant to mean the maximum circumference. In other words, the Buddhasima should not be too small, nor too big.
It is also written that the Buddhasima can be marked by the following Nimitta (border markers): hills, rock formations, forests, trees, ant hills, streets, rivers and other waters such as the sea or a pond. The type of Nimitta that is mainly used in Thailand is a stone. The oldest stone Bai Sema in Thailand were found in northeast Thailand (Isaan) and are from the Dvaravati
period (6th - 9th century CE).
Double (or even triple) Bai Sema signify that the phra ubosot has been rebuilt or that the temple has a Royal connection (photo 1).
, the tree under which the Buddha achieved enlightenment
(photo 1).
Parts of a Bai Sema are described in Thailand as being body parts: "neck", "shoulders", "chest", "hips" and "stomach". During the Ayutthaya kingdom
and the following Rattanakosin
era, Bai Sema would sometimes be decorated with eyes (photo 2) and princely crowns (photo 3). The Thammayut order, which was founded by Prince Mongkut
(the later King Rama IV) in 1833, developed a three dimensional form of Bai Sema (photo 4).
Thai Temple Art and Architecture
This article on Thai temple art and architecture discusses Buddhist temples in Thailand. A typical Thai Wat, which is loosely translated as monastery or temple, has an enclosing wall that divides it from the secular world.-Wat architecture :The architecture of a Wat has seen many changes in...
(Thai language: Wat
Wat
A wat is a monastery temple in Cambodia, Thailand, or Laos. The word "wat" means "school".- Introduction :...
).
History
It is written in the Vinaya PitakaVinaya Pitaka
The ' is a Buddhist scripture, one of the three parts that make up the Tripitaka. Its primary subject matter is the monastic rules for monks and nuns...
that the Buddhasima (the area in which the monks perform the Sanghkamma or Buddhist sacred ceremonies) must be able to accommodate 21 seated monks, with a space the length of a forearm between each monk. The area should also not be larger than three yojana which is about 48 kilometers. This is probably meant to mean the maximum circumference. In other words, the Buddhasima should not be too small, nor too big.
It is also written that the Buddhasima can be marked by the following Nimitta (border markers): hills, rock formations, forests, trees, ant hills, streets, rivers and other waters such as the sea or a pond. The type of Nimitta that is mainly used in Thailand is a stone. The oldest stone Bai Sema in Thailand were found in northeast Thailand (Isaan) and are from the Dvaravati
Dvaravati
The Dvaravati period lasted from the 6th to the 13th centuries. Dvaravati refers to both a culture and a disparate conglomerate of principalities.- History :...
period (6th - 9th century CE).
Placing of the Bai Sema
Before work starts on a new phra ubosot, nine holes are dug: eight at the cardinal points, the ninth beneath where the principal Buddha statue will be placed. Luk Nimit , round stones the size of a cannonball, are placed in to these holes during a religious ceremony. Eight Sema stones are then placed over those Luk Nimit which are situated at the cardinal points.Double (or even triple) Bai Sema signify that the phra ubosot has been rebuilt or that the temple has a Royal connection (photo 1).
Description of the Bai Sema
The Thai words Bai Sema mean "Sema leaves" due to the shape of the flat Sema stones being somewhat akin to the shape of the leaves of the Bodhi treeBodhi tree
The Bodhi Tree, also known as Bo , was a large and very old Sacred Fig tree located in Bodh Gaya , under which Siddhartha Gautama, the spiritual teacher and founder of Buddhism later known as Gautama Buddha, is said to have achieved enlightenment, or Bodhi...
, the tree under which the Buddha achieved enlightenment
Enlightenment in Buddhism
The English term enlightenment has commonly been used in the western world to translate several Sanskrit, Pali, Chinese and Japanese terms and concepts, especially bodhi, prajna, kensho, satori and buddhahood.-Insight:...
(photo 1).
Parts of a Bai Sema are described in Thailand as being body parts: "neck", "shoulders", "chest", "hips" and "stomach". During the Ayutthaya kingdom
Ayutthaya kingdom
Ayutthaya was a Siamese kingdom that existed from 1350 to 1767. Ayutthaya was friendly towards foreign traders, including the Chinese, Vietnamese , Indians, Japanese and Persians, and later the Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch and French, permitting them to set up villages outside the walls of the...
and the following Rattanakosin
Rattanakosin
Rattanakosin may refer to*Rattanakosin Island, the historic center of Bangkokestablishment of Bangkok as capital, and continuing to the present day*Rattanakosin style , a distinct period in the Thai art...
era, Bai Sema would sometimes be decorated with eyes (photo 2) and princely crowns (photo 3). The Thammayut order, which was founded by Prince Mongkut
Mongkut
Phra Bat Somdet Phra Poramenthramaha Mongkut Phra Chom Klao Chao Yu Hua , or Rama IV, known in foreign countries as King Mongkut , was the fourth monarch of Siam under the House of Chakri, ruling from 1851-1868...
(the later King Rama IV) in 1833, developed a three dimensional form of Bai Sema (photo 4).
Sources
- No Na Paknam: The Buddhist Boundary Markers of Thailand. Muang Boran Press, Bangkok 1981 (Ohne ISBN, leider nur noch im Antiquariat erhältlich)
- No Na Paknam: Sima Gattha, Samut Khoi Wat Suthat Thepwararam ("Manuscript of Sima of Wat Suthat Dhepvararam"). Muang Boran Press, Bangkok 1997, ISBN 974-7367-82-3