~ MAY 16 2005

I was wondering what are some of the sayings or prayers the presiding monk or elder says during ceremonies. Sometimes I can make out what they're saying and sometimes it's too fast or they use vocabulary I am not accustom to. For example, you see them at bouns, marriage ceremonies, after you buy/build a new house or when a woman has a new baby, etc.

Are there any books that I could purchase that would help me to learn some of these prayers. I can read Lao so any recommendations Lao or English would be appreciated.

Actually what the presiding monk or community elder says is sometimes ad-lib (in other words the make up or add to what is typically recited at the particular ceremony or event). Some of them use common Lao language and others use more Pasa Tum than others. Typically though the recitations are Buddhist in origin and are in Pasa Tum (Tum language/script).

There are books you can purchase that have Lao prayers for all sorts of ceremonies. For example, they will include what you would say when blessing religious flowers for ritual offerings to praying to Buddha, and the other ceremonies you mentioned in your inquiry, among others. These books are typically entitled "Kum Vai Pah Suut Mohn". They are plentiful at bookstores in Vientiane and some Lao communities around the world. They are easily identifiable by the accompanying cover that is usually a picture of a Buddha statue. Don't be worried about not being able to read tum as the books are written in Lao. However because much of tum is Pali vocabulary, you may not be able to understand a lot of it.

Additionally, if you are interested in some of the background information on these ceremonies, I'd like to recommend culture books that are usually entitled with the words "Heet Kong Papaenee Lao". These books tend to be geared towards cultural explanations rather than prayers and tum. They are easily identifiably because many of these books have a pakuan on the cover. Again these books are readily available in Vientiane and some Lao communities around the world. Happy reading!

I have read articles on slash and burn cultivation. I've also seen it being referred to with different words. Do they all mean the same?

Generally, yes they have all the same meanings. Depending on the author, they may refer to it as swidden agriculture, shifting agriculture, slash and burn cultivation, and some people, such as Thai, will somtimes say rai cultivation. All the names refer to what goes on in this type of agricultural method used primarily by mountain dwelling or hillside-hilltop ethnic groups otherwise called Lao Theung and Lao Suung.