Buddhist Sacred cotton rope (Sai Sin) tying

Visiting Thailand you cannot miss people - from Thai origin but also from all different countries, cultures and religions - walking around with thin white cotton ropes around there wrists. Some call them bracelets. Actually it are ropes, blessed by a Buddhist monk, you get after or during a ceremony or blessing. The call them “Sai Sin”. Everybody, independent religion, can and is allowed to wear the Sai Sin. Why? Because Buddhism is no religion (there is no God involved). It’s a way of living life in which the Buddha is the honoured and high respected teacher.

A lot of guests, I worked with already, are very impressed by the use of ‘blessed rope’ in all kind of Buddhist ceremonies. In short I will try to give a little explanation of the use. My information I have out of working with the Buddhist University (Wat Suan Dok) in Chiang Mai, and my own impressions in the North part of Thailand, Chiang Mai countryside. So I will not suggest everywhere in Buddhism it has the same meaning and understanding.

The spiritual meaning of Sai Sin is one of connection, protection, good, health, bliss, prosperity, show merit and finally also of being aware of the art of letting go.

Most of the used sacred thread has the colour white. This colour represents purity. Especially here where I live, the North of Thailand, for the personal bracelets monks also use different colours such as orange, yellow or even red. In combination with a small piece of gold coloured metal it is also connected with the sun and with action.

Birthday Sai Sin (good health, happiness and protection):

People, men, women and children, early in the morning visit the temple to visit a monk and do so called ‘Tak Bat’ (early food offering) or offer a closed envelop with money. On the envelop they write down their name and their personal wishes, gratefulness and thankfulness for the coming year. During a prayer or chant of the monk the person who has its birthday gently pours water into a small jar. The meaning is that you let go of so called bad karma (action) during the praying.

After the prayer they get their blessing of the monk with holy water. As a remembering they get the Sai Sin. The monk does not touch a lady or girl when he ties the sacred rope. Some people also honour especially their ‘day of birth’ Buddha, After three days (three connected with the so called Triple Gem (Buddha, Dhama (teaching of the Buddha) and Sangha (group of followers)) they untie the rope (or cut it) and sometimes put it for a couple of other days under their pillow. Some people keep the bracelet because it shows that everything changes, gets older and finally drops / returns to nature again. An expression of letting go without any effort.

(Picture attached is showing a just five year old girl with her mother - their Sai Sins tied around their wrists - after the young girl got her birthday blessing.)

Car or scooter blessing (Safety and protection):

When Thai got their new car or motorbike they, most of the time their first trip with their means of transportation, also go to the temple. Much more is done by the monk. Not only a blessing with water but also Buddhist signs with sacred chalk are made and again sacred ropes are tied around the steer wheel of the car of bike. Especially asking for protection and safety. This ropes will stay till they, once the time is there, fall off.

Yearly Buddhist celebrations:

During several Buddhist national celebrations, starting at and connected with the Buddha’s hand of the main Buddha statue in the village temple, the sacred cotton rope is connected with grid-lines above the sacred centre place in the temple. Lots of times you also can see the white cotton lines through all the streets in the village. The villagers connect their ‘house Buddha’ with rope to this long lines so all the Buddha’s in the village are connected with the main village Buddha in the temple.

When people come to pray, chant or meditate in the temple they connect with a peace of rope to the grid-network above their head. Sometimes they connect with their hands (in wai position) or fingers, sometimes they loop it around their head. This last connection is even stronger because the circle is involved remembering on the ongoing flow of passing away and rebirth. To reach a state of again being for the soul to grow.

During the chanting ceremonies the monks, sitting close to the Buddha statue, first hold the sacred lines. After that everybody is connected what is the main idea of this connection. To be one altogether.

During weddings:

A Buddhist wedding really is a very special ceremony. The Sai Sin play a crucial role because bride and groom are connected by the sacred ropes looped around their head. Family members tie the bracelets around the wrists of the new married couple for luck, long life, happiness etc..

Cremation ceremony:
At the place where I live during the cremation not only has the meaning of protection and good luck during the journey of the soul to a next life. It also has a meaning of letting go.

In Western tradition a lot of times family members and friends are not able to let go of the connection. So in Buddhist tradition actually they do not grant the soul of the passed away person to be ‘free’ for the next step to again being. Monks and family members literally drop the rope connected with the deceased after praying and chanting and leave the open air cremation area just after the coffin and body set on fire.

Frans Captijn
Host / Catalyst / Talenteer at Captijn Insight

Captijn Insight: “Catalyst in your process to new sustainable flow. Whether you are an individual, couple, team or an organization.” 

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