Baci, communion
The Festivals are like lighthouses showing the way through the darkness of the months ahead while the Baci joins you on the journey. When the need is felt for some urgent reassurance in the pursuit of one's life, or there arises the occasion to invoke the spirits' benevolence for safety on the road and good fortune in business, a Baci is called for. Then it is time to make merit upon one's safe return home or recovery from sickness or out of gratitude for some good luck bestowed upon us. And there is always Birth, Engagement, Marriage and Anniversaries. Death is a different matter.
It's all very down to earth. Once the serious part, the invocation of the spirits, has been dealt with the mood turns festive; the time has come for the 'tying wrist' or matt kaen using a white cotton string. This is done between people who like, love and respect each other. There is a lot of chattering, laughing and moving about with people tying strings for each other while uttering best wishes like good luck, lots of money, plenty of children, long life and so on. When this 'tying wrist' is done by a highly respected elder, people sitting nearby will lay their hands on the receiving person's body to be included by way of vibes passing from one to the other. Living in communion with the spirits does not get more gratifying. Of course, it all needs to be auspiciously celebrated and properly concluded with food; khao poun is ready to be served.
The mo pohn leads the ritual of this ceremony, an occasion for joyfulness or at least hope, to reassure you and make you feel strong to face the world. Today we prudently take out fire, accident, health and even, wow, life insurance policies as a fallback, just in case. If the stakes are really high, you may want to add some (costly) monks to the Baci for extra assurance.
Bringing in the monks as a preventive measure makes sense but why in death, when it's too late? Somehow, presiding over the (very costly) funeral ceremonies is the exclusive domain of Buddhist monks. Why? It's The Custom, stupid, like the marketing of Johnnie Walker; no questions asked! Well, it's certainly their last chance to make money; for their temples, of course. In the name of Buddhism they proclaim abstract concepts threatening with Reincarnation and Karma: you never know what you've got coming next. Pay the bill, its better to waste money in this here life than to be sorry in its aftermath. The temple murals depicting Hell are persuasive enough.
Mo means 'doctor', mo dou means 'fortune teller', mo nouat means 'masseur', so I guess a suitable translation for mo pohn is 'master of ceremonies'. This person is most likely a former monk and highly respected village elder, knowledgeable about Buddhism and Spiritualism and acquainted with the people, history, customs and traditions of the area. The extension thereto is the mo song, a shaman or medium. This is a highly intuitive, emotionally receptive person who is able to let him or herself be temporarily possessed by a spirit 'speaking in tongues' or some dead body's vinyarn transmitting its messages to the living.
And then there are the wan phra (chan), the 'days of the exalted moon', set out in the Lao Lunar Calendar. They present the opportunity for the spirits to come out of their hiding places to take a well deserved break in the sun from their covert existence. These are the days for you, as well, to rest from work to spend time with your family, when the slaughter of animals, the catching of fish, frogs, insects and the felling of trees is forbidden. Undisturbed by any religion nature orchestrates this Rhythm of Life for mankind with the phases of the moon:
Sin Noi (waxing moon)
Sin Yai 15 Kram (full moon)
Sin Haem 8 Kram (waning moon)
Sin Haem 15 Kram Dab (black moon)
These are still the days-off for construction and other workers in the countryside, not this recent western import called Sun-day. Better stay home with all those phi on the loose.
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