Misa YamadaMarch 26, 2011

TSEA, P. 1TSEA Interview Reflection

Intended for the interview on religion and animist beliefs, I chose my

mother for many apparent reasons. Although my mother is not a nun or lives in a

temple, she extremely believes in Buddhism and strictly performs Buddhist

practices. Throughout the interview with my mother, I have learnt a lot about the

teachings of Buddha and Buddhist beliefs.

To conclude my mother’s beliefs, clearly illustrates how her beliefs are

rigorous to only Buddha’s teachings. Originally in Buddha’s teachings, animist

beliefs and amulets are not existent. In which, my mother follows to believe in

only Buddha’s teachings is to accept karma; the actions that determine future

states and that everything happens with a purpose. Also in the originality of

Buddha’s teachings is to also respect those of any spirits, and as Buddha once

said “We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our

thoughts, we make the world“, and that “No one saves us but ourselves. No one

can and no one may. We ourselves must walk the path.” In addition, before my

mother became a strict Buddhist, she has visited astrologers multiple of times as

astrology is a large part of culture and beliefs in Thailand, Buddha’s original

teachings is “Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the

mind on the present moment.”

Throughout the interview, it went by fairly fast and it was unproblematic.

It was easy to communicate and understand the interviewee’s (my mother)

prospect in the Buddhist religion and the many cultural beliefs in Thailand.

Overall, the interview was exceptionally appealing, as new ideas about animist

beliefs were exposed in a different light.