Laos Religion
Theravada Buddhism is the dominant religion in Laos, with approximately 60% of the population practicing, most of whom are located in the lowlands with some midland folk. The pervasiveness of this religion is evident as sightings of orange and yellow clad monks performing their daily rituals and routines are common throughout the country. Buddhism was first introduced to Laos around the 8th century, but was officially adopted as the state religion by Fa Ngum during the establishment of Lan Xang, the Kingdom of Laos in 1353. Theravada is believed to be the most original and earliest teachings of Buddha, and was well preserved in Sri Lanka. Every Lao Buddhist male is expected to become a monk at some point in his life, usually prior to marriage, after school, or in old age. Unlike Sri Lanka, where becoming a monk is permanent and leaving is frowned upon, it’s perfect acceptable for Lao males to be ordained for only a few months. Having a monk amongst the family is looked upon very favorably. Lao Buddhist monks adhere to 10 vows, including prohibitions against stealing, lying, imbibing alcohol, sexual relations, eating in the afternoon, listening to music, dancing, wearing jewelry or perfumes, sleeping in high beds, accepting money for personal use and killing. One edict of monkhood is to become detached to the world and worldly possessions, so during ordination, monks rely on the generosity of people for their food and clothing. Early every morning, and especially during festivals, the Lao can be seen lining up along the street side to proffer food to the monks. It is believed that this generosity will generate good karma that carries over into the next life. The food gathered during the morning serves as the only nourishment for monks of the day. Most lowland villages contain temples or wats, which serve as the religious centre of worship. It can sometimes be used interchangeably as a school. Traditionally, Lao temples were seen as centers of learning for Buddhist monks from all around the region. During religious festivals, villages may be seen to observe specific rites and these are occasions for the town to give additional special offerings of food, robes and religious articles to the monks. Animist beliefs are the second most dominant form of religion in Laos, of which approximately 31% of the population still practice. Animist beliefs are amongst the oldest form of religion in Laos, brought in by the earliest inhabitants. The worship of animist spirits (phi) is evidenced by the presence of animist shrines throughout many parts of the country. It is also possible to see elaborate spirit gates designed to protect the village and ward off malicious spirits. Most commonly observed among the Lao Theung and the Lao Sung, animist beliefs are not mutually exclusive from Buddhism. Some families will integrate the two beliefs into their daily practice. As opposed to Buddhist practice where a wat serves as the central place of worship, animists altars are usually erected within every household and annual ceremonies may be performed to renew the general protection of a household. Illnesses are frequently attributed to the act of malevolent spirits, or from having offended the spirits of ancestors. Shamans may be employed to perform cleansings, or to renew the protective boundaries of the house and animal sacrifices may be performed to appease the spirits. Failure to act is believed to bring disease or even death. A small subset of the Lao (1.85%), particularly among the Hmong tribes, consider Christianity their religion. While the government officially takes the stance of open tolerance towards freedom of religious practice, there has been some documentation of religious persecution of Lao Christians. Small communities of Muslims (1.1%) also exist in Laos, mostly from Cambodia and from China They inhabit the region around Vientiane, as well as in the mountainous regions of Laos. A further 0.5% of the population observes various Chinese religions, and the remaining 4.3% are either non religions, or comprise other religions. Last edited Oct 15, 07 7:01 PM. |
