[themsrsdude]

Quote[/b] (emma @ May 04 2003,11:09)]That's a good point Vali - but how do we get people to see and understand that?

I think it’s a really good point too Emma but I don’t think there’s any need to get people to see it. There always have been people (in every culture) who will applaud change and others who will resist it. The Taoists have a lovely view on change – that change is a natural and inevitable characteristic of nature and that permanence is little more than an illusion. I think that a lot of unhappiness is caused by trying to preserve the unpreservable and I think culture falls nicely into that category. Culture is and should be a living thing.

[AlabamaBoyz]

I am not sure whether it is true that the younger thai generation is losing their culture. But I feel that in any upbringing in an society, losing touch with your culture is a very sad thing. Maybe i am exaggerating.... imagine a lion that has lost it's skill to hunt, or forgotten it's purpose to dominate the food chain.... Well, all the reasons that what our culture practice will become an ashram cat where the next generation will never get to know why....

[NickGrass]

I don't like or agree with any "losing culture" arguments. It is obvious that in every society, youth come upon new ideas and live life a bit differently from their parents and grandparents. Social norms are always changing in every society. Even in the hilltribes, a culture is not static. It is ever changing and is fluid like a liquid in forming the shape of its container.

Vali

[12Cickprior]

Many westerners have ideas about eastern religions that come from reading translations of old religious works. This is a trap; these translations are always missing something. Many of them are slanted by the translator's view. It gives you a very incomplete picture at best, and in most cases a wrong picture.

When people have a preconceived idea of how a belief system work, they will be disappointed by reality. It is better to give up the preconception and form your own opinion by staying in a country where that religion is practiced, watching people and learning about their culture. It takes a long time and is harder than reading a book or watching a TV special. You opinion will change several times before you make up your mind. It is very challenging.

For example, if you watch Taoism you will see something very different from "nothing really matters" and "life is meaningless". You will see life full of responsibility. You will even see an afterlife full of responsibility. At least, that is what I have seen. I'll bet others on this board have seen much more.

[AlabamaBoyz]

I have no doubts in changes but if it is for the worse....forget it.

[vqIo7X2U]

Emma, that is interesting research you are doing. I think you will see that problem right across Thailand. Have you read any of the Gor's World columns in the Bangkok Post on Tuesdays? Gor has covered many of these social issues in his column as he has personally experienced all of them. He is presently writing about his period of drug addiction. The following are some links you might find useful for your research:

http://www.gorsworld.com
http://www.thailandlife.com/a_thaiyouth.html

It may be true that the younger generation are forgetting their culture, but then do the older generation really understand and appreciate their heritage? Reading some of Gor's columns, it seems clear that although his parents follow tradition they don't always know why! I think the nature of culture is that it is always changing and evolving. The question here is whether it is changing for the good.

Please let us know how you get on.

[Oswczrdz]

Thank you so much for the new word! I had seen à¤Òþ in the dictionary but I am scared to use dictionary words that I have not heard people use. If you write your paper in Thai and English, it will help me a lot. Can't wait to see it.

It is very easy to put a paper on the Internet. All you need to do is to convert the text document into an HTML document. I will be happy to do that for you, just drop me an email at delawangMAIOWSPAM@aol.com (after taking out the MAIOWSPAM). You can also perserve formatting from a word document. If you want to try a test, just send me a short word document, I will "html" it and send it back to you.

Thanks again

del

[alexbookhyip]

Wow hehehehe veryyyy interesting!!!!

[dremucha]

No I do not take any special oath to become vegetarian. You know in Buddhist there is 1 rule or something to say that Do not take lives away from any living beings. I follow that rule.

And yea, every year around october, there are 10 days when most Chinese-Thai people become vegetarian then. They do not eat garlic, leeks, egg, etc that belong to animals.
However, most Thai people are not vegetarian. I think only active buddhist (Chinese buddhist I'd say) that become vegetarian.

Anyway yea, I think it is sad that Thai/Asian culture starts to erode away so slowly.

[Roorseprate]

I do not believe that Asian cultures will erode and this is my view, though quite subjective. Things will change for sure but the cultures will not die. Most Asian countries have not been independent in their thinking vis-a-vis the west, for historical reasons. (Few countries, like Thailand being affected much lesser than others) So, right now, most of us spend less time at evolving ourselves, but more time 'reacting' to the West. Either some people resist the Western influence strongly or some get swept away. And this allows for lot of useless results. I think this will pass, and an independent ( not anti or pro) thinking process will commence where the people will find better ways to adapt/evolve with the world today, in their circumstances and in they way they see the world (and by that I do not mean West, East, South or North). And I think that would be good for our world as a whole. At least, I think...

[kimaddison]

Bunnyondamoon. You are vegeterian. Is it because you take a special oath? Because, many people in Thailand are non-vegetarian?