Page 35 - EH 73 May 2024
P. 35

FACE TO FACE  |  EASTERN HORIZON     33








           Going back to the issue of        prompted his search for the Truth.   becoming founders of new schools
           modernity, I think it is important   In a way, the Buddha’s entire   of divination. The ability to travel
           to understand that magic, so      path confirms the plausibility of   and to acquire books and materials
           to speak, is not disappearing     divination.                       from abroad makes this search for
           from societies worldwide. Quite                                     the exotic much easier these days,
           the opposite, in fact. Neoliberal   It is believed that divination in   resulting in a divination scene that
           economic policies have brought    Thailand is a unique blend of Hindu   is extraordinarily dynamic.
           about both financial uncertainty   and Chinese astrological traditions,
           and material aspirations that many   as well as local beliefs dating back   The reason why divination is
           seek to manage also by making     to ancient times. Can you explain   thought to work—the secret of
           recourse to religious experts.    this statement?                   its allure—is precisely that it
           At the same time, technological                                     supposedly comes from distant
           advancement produces new kinds    I think that you must be referring to   places. This makes it mysterious,
           of magic. Think for example about   a specific oracular discipline known   sexy, captivating, powerful. I think
           the awe we experience when we     in Thai as “horasat thai”, normally   that this is the case for practitioners
           go to the cinema to watch the     translated into English as “Thai   in Thailand and beyond.
           Harry Potter saga or superhero    astrology”. This is a unique form of
           stories. The kind of spectacle we   astrology developed in Thailand,   On a personal note, do you believe
           witness via modern technology is   which blends notions from the    in the efficacy of divination in one’s
           not in contradiction—and indeed   Siamese tradition with Vedic      everyday life?
           continues to support—the idea of   astrology, Chinese astrology, and
           a world inhabited by more than-   “western,” so to speak, astrology.   I have not really been persuaded by
           human forces. Divination and      Thailand has been cosmopolitan    the efficacy of divination, but do not
           related practices thrive in this   for centuries, the ancient Siamese   discriminate masters or clients, and
           context, also among the youngest.  polity of Ayutthaya (fourteenth to   indeed openly advocate their right
                                             eighteenth century), for example,   to engage in whatever religious
           I think that the ability of divination   hosting communities of settlers that   practice they deem useful, also in
           to fit within a Buddhist framework   came from China, India, elsewhere   interviews with Thai media. When
           helps to make it palatable to Thai   in Southeast Asia and even     I was doing ethnographic research
           people. We should also not forget   Europe. Thai astrology is a very   in Bangkok, I realized that diviners
           that the story of the life of the   cosmopolitan discipline that reflects   were always there, at any time of
           Buddha begins with the prophecy   the reality of a cosmopolitan society.  the night or the day, ready to give
           of a diviner. King Suddhodana, the                                  advice and to listen to people in
           father of Siddhartha, consulted   Beyond Thai astrology, the current   distress. They are an important
           astrologers after his son was born.   divination scene is characterized by   presence for many. Some of them
           Most of them said that Siddhartha   an even greater number of oracular   have become friends. When, in the
           would become a great king, but    disciplines that come from the most   course of our conversations, they
           one warned that he might become   disparate places worldwide. There   tell me something about my future,
           a renouncer. He urged King        are multiple Asian and European   I listen. Even if I find it hard to
           Suddhodana to shield Siddhartha   traditions of astrology, palmistry   believe, from time to time I allow
           from the outside world should he   (palm reading), cartomancy (tarot   myself to step out of my rational
           wish to prevent him from becoming   cards and the like), geomancy   self and be suggested and inspired
           an ascetic. Of course, the king went   (fengshui), and so on. Some   by them. Divination, as I see it, is
           ahead, and Siddhartha famously    masters actively look for foreign   a fundamental part of the human
           managed to leave the palace and   disciplines and seek to import    experience. EH
           encounter the four sights that    them into Thailand themselves,
   30   31   32   33   34   35   36   37   38   39   40