| marriage, every couple eagerly awaits the birth of | | | | children and grandchildren. Some old men become |
| its first child, children having a high position in rural | | | | ordained for a second time and spend their |
| and cultural values - obviously, there is strength in | | | | remaining years as Buddhist monks. Others, |
| numbers, a vital sense of continuity is ensured, | | | | eschewing idleness, busy themselves fashioning |
| and many hands make farming activities easier. | | | | fish traps or baskets and doing odd jobs within |
| Almost inevitably a child is born during the first | | | | the family com-pound. Old women continue to |
| year of marriage. Often there exists an unspoken | | | | care for grandchildren, and, In certain areas, spin |
| preference for boys since they alone may be | | | | and weave silk cloth. They are often sought both |
| ordained to gain merit for themselves and their | | | | for their wise counsel and their ad-mired culinary |
| parents. The pregnant mother frequently | | | | skills. |
| continues to per-form her household duties until. | | | | During sickness and imminent death, every effort |
| the moment of birth. | | | | is made to fix the sick person’s mind |
| Formerly, birth took place at home, the mother | | | | upon Buddhist scriptures or to per-suade him to |
| aided by the village ‘midwife’, an | | | | mentally repeat the Buddha’s name. It is |
| elderly woman with little or no formal medical | | | | hoped that if the deceased’s last thoughts |
| training, and an older household woman. Now, | | | | concern the Buddha and his pre-cepts, the karmic |
| however, babies are delivered at regional health | | | | fruit of such a meritorious act will be reaped |
| centres and infant mortality has dropped | | | | during his next, ideally higher, existence. |
| dramatically as a con-sequence. | | | | When death occurs, merit-making acts are |
| As the couple grows older, their social standing | | | | performed for the deceased’s benefit and |
| rises, particularly after they have succeeded in | | | | in reflection of the sense of loss felt by the entire |
| establishing their own house-hold and are | | | | community, villagers express social solidarity by |
| demonstrably their own masters. The wife enjoys | | | | helping the bereaved family in every possible way. |
| an important voice in family and village affairs, | | | | As soon as possible after death, the corpse is |
| sometimes representing her household at village | | | | bathed by family members and dressed In white. |
| meetings her husband is unable to attend. | | | | The left hand is an-nointed with water by family |
| Active adulthood continues through child-rearing | | | | and friends who mentally ask forgiveness for any |
| years, eventually slowing down at the age of 60, | | | | wrongs they may have committed against the |
| generally recognized by the Thais as the onset of | | | | deceased during his life. |
| old age. At that point village elders traditionally | | | | The death is officially reported to the village |
| turn over house-hold leadership to a trusted son | | | | headman and abbot. The first night, monks visit |
| or son-in-law. Thereafter, in a far-from-morbid | | | | the deceased’s house to chant services. |
| pre-paration for death, they concern themselves | | | | Villagers attend, and after religious services, adults |
| mainly with merit-making, temple activities and | | | | maintain an all-nightvigil, gossiping, reminiscing, |
| enjoyment of their grandchildren. | | | | smoking and perhaps passing the time playing |
| Whatever their position, all old people are politely | | | | chess. |
| deferred to, served and cared for by their | | | | |