Erawan
i’ve not been really personal in my blog, but i think this post deserves a bit more honesty than just a few lines of touristy sentences. Call me conservative but frankly – i would SKIP shopping for a visit to a temple named Erawan, located at the heart of Bangkok city. It’s said that there was once a lady who made a joke of the Brahma by boasting out loud, “If you let me win the lottery, i would dance naked for you!”
Some time passed and she won the lottery – a big one indeed. But she had forgotten about her insidious joke towards the Brahma until she noticed a string of horrendous bad luck assaulting her life; and they stubbornly stayed until the night arrived when she danced naked at the temple (in public) for the God’s viewing pleasure. From then on, people started talking about how ‘ling‘ this temple is. Here’s a note i found from the temple itself saying:
So i met a God of 4 faces, and these are my exact words to Him (somehow i always end up tearing during our heart-to-heart conversation ritual – my first visit to him was in early January, 2012) :
“Hi God, my name is Cindy. Cindy from Malaysia. i know there are many voices speaking to you at the same time right now, but i really hope that you can hear me out. i know i said this before but i really need your help. i’m lost; i don’t know if i’m going the right way. Please, please, please, show me some guidance and lead me back to the right path. i’ve always been ‘the giver’ in a relationship and i’m so tired of ‘giving’ to the wrong guy. i only want to meet someone who loves me as much as i love him, and to be loved as much as i deserve. If you think you’re making my life colorful by adding more wrong people into my life, please take them away; i don’t want to waste anymore energy. Remember my “Eat Pray Love” plan? You do? Right! i beg of you to give me the courage and patience to endure all the obstacles i face at that ****** company. Teach me how to save my hard earned money because i REALLY want to GET OUT THERE and i CAN’T WAIT TO LIVE. But first, i have to LEAVE. Lastly . . . would you let me meet him when i’m traveling and shall we live a mutual, balanced, healthy relationship that lasts forever? Yes God, i AM wishing for a happily ever after.
Oh wait! i pray for my family to always stay healthy and do let my parents live longer. i can’t show how much i love them so if you may, please allow them to feel that i do. Ok God, now if you would excuse me, i’m gonna have to talk to the next You, You, and You . . .”
So i performed the same prayers 4 times; each time citing the same thing, ‘caps locking’ or should i say, shouting in my heart every key word i’m too afraid the Brahma might miss out. And knowing that the Brahma will most probably only respond to prayers that come with a promise-in-return, i shamefully added:
“i promise i will try my best to visit you if i ever come back to Bangkok again. Next time, hopefully with that someone you’ve found me. We’ll come to thank you.”
Then i open my half teary eyes (it was completely teary the first time) and look around. It’s as if there’s only me and God. Me and the Brahma, having a heart-to-heart talk. i look at my joss sticks and realize that the poor incense has burned into sand of embers before i could plant them on the bed of ashes. Now i wonder if that still counts. My wishes! Maybe i’ll have to go back there again; this time with a shorter piece of ‘mantra’?
And you know, sometimes the best candidate to cheer you up, is yourself. So i bought 2, yes TWO, roasted coconuts by the streets, and slurp them all up to my stomach’s content.
