Wai khru
Thai ritual honoring teachers in schools and traditional arts.
Wai khru is a Thai ritual in which students pay respects to teachers, expressing gratitude and formalizing the student–teacher relationship. It is regularly held near the beginning of the school year in most schools in Thailand and has long been an important rite in traditional martial and performing arts, including Muay Thai and Krabi Krabong.
Quick Facts
- Sarabhañña chant author
- Thanpuying Dussadee Malakul Na Ayutthaya
- Traditional day
- Thursday
- Traditional offerings
- Ixora flowers
- Cynodon dactylon (Bermuda grass)
- popped rice
- eggplant flowers
Facts from the source article.
History
The rituals of wai khru are believed to derive from ancient animistic beliefs, influenced by the spread of Brahminism from India. This is evident in ceremonies of traditional dance, music, and Thai Massage, where specific Hindu deities are mentioned. For most of history, wai khru existed as a folk tradition passed down through generations. The modern form held in schools today originated at Triam Udom Suksa School in 1941, with the sarabhañña chant written by Thanpuying Dussadee Malakul Na Ayutthaya.
Form
The wai khru ceremonies in most Thai educational institutions generally follow the same form. The ceremony often begins with a Buddhist devotion in institutions where Theravada Buddhism is observed, followed by students reciting the wai khru chant expressing respect and gratitude to teachers and asking for their blessing. Selected students, usually class representatives, present teachers with offerings of flowers, candles, and joss sticks arranged on traditional pedestalled trays. The headteacher then gives a speech offering guidance, and many institutions present student awards. Traditional offerings carry symbolic meanings: Ixora flowers represent sharp wit; Cynodon dactylon (Bermuda grass) symbolizes perseverance and the ability to learn; popped rice represents discipline; and eggplant flowers, which bow low when nearing fruiting, symbolize respect and humility. The ceremony is usually held shortly after the first term begins, on a Thursday, the traditional day of Brihaspati, Vedic god of wisdom and teachers. Wai khru ceremonies for Thai classical music may be held by professional or amateur ensembles, also on Thursday, usually annually and on a smaller scale for initiations. These ceremonies often begin with Buddhist rites the evening before or morning of, with monks invited for merit-making and almsgiving. The setting includes a Buddhist altar and musical instruments, with the taphon placed in a higher position, representing Phra Prakhonthap, god of the drums and grand-teacher of music.
Criticism
Historians Nidhi Eoseewong and Sujit Wongthes argue that modern wai khru ceremonies have shifted away from their original spirit-worship roots. Instead, they now stress the authority of teachers over students. Sujit contends that the practice of students bowing before living teachers was created to support the government's authoritarian agenda in the mid-1900s.
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