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The annual wai khru ceremony, held by the Federation of Thai Traditional Medicine Associations of Thailand,
at the Ministry of Public Health, in 2016.
time. The reason for using the applied form Wai Khru chants (mantras), as well as the
is that we are the healers who graduated Oath Word of Thai Traditional Medicine
from different schools and institutes, and Healer. Close to the end of the ceremony,
different teachers, however, we have the Buddhist monks are invited to give blessings
same great teachers as the afore-mentioned, to the participants. And at the end, senior
we work together, we know each other, we khru(s) are invited to sit side by side, where
got more good friends at the same time. By they give blessings to the participants, anoint-
doing so, we can help to preserve the Wai ing three spots on the individualûs forehead.
Khru culture, we establish the intellectual The left spot is known as aloka (Õ“‚≈°“), which
relationship between teachers and students, means brightness, where the mind is mind-
between students and students from the fulness; the right spot is mahapurisa (¡À“ªÿ√‘
[14]
same and different institutionsé. –), that stands for the person who follows
In a very short description, at the an- the five Buddhist precepts (to refrain from:
nual wai khru ceremony, a table is prepared destroying creatures, taking what is not given,
with various items. Every item has a mean- sexual misconduct, incorrect speech, intoxi-
ing, and of all them are connected to the cating drinks and drugs); and the upper spot
traditional wisdom. The ceremony is opened is udom panya (Õÿ¥¡ªí≠≠“), which means
by an orator, who gives a speech about the consciousness, knowledge.
importance of that day. An elder teacher (a With the example of the wai khru cer-
khru) is invited to lead the ceremony. He in- emony organized by the FTTMAT, it is in no
vites the participants to recite, after him, the doubt a human production, and therefore out