https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/artemislives/1z6u4Unm-candle5.jpg
It *made practical sense* for local, rural temples in poor farming communities to offer shelter to itinerant jungle monks during the intensity of the flooding monsoon rains, and to offer them light - candles - for their cave or windowless meditation hut in the grounds of the temple, where they would wait out the months of flooding rain and spend the long, often dark days studying and in deep meditation.
Slowly modest temples became elaborate, wealthy, well lit and very comfortable, and the practical gesture of one sincere heart giving light to another morphed into something which is today almost-mandated by the *Sangha* - basically the College of Cardinals equivalent in formal Buddhism. Rather than have the people keep their much needed money (sweet goddess forbid!), the reason for giving candles was repackaged into a sort-of buying of indulgences - "making merit" or "ทำบุญ" as we call it in Thai - where your 600 Thai baht ($20) can 'absolve' you from your extra-marital flirtation or the fact that you steal from your boss. And so now, on Khao Pansa day which marks the Buddhist Rains Retreat - the first day following the full moon in the eighth month of the Thai lunar calendar (ie today) - the Thai (Theravada) Buddhist faithful bring massive saffron candles to their local temple, along with money and flowers and food offerings - to help make their next life easier and to wash away some of their misdeeds and oversights.
Presumably, the bigger the candle, the more merit is made and a higher status is accorded to the wealthy giver. The supermarkets and buddha shops are awash with saffron coloured candles this week, ranging from 18 inches to well over 5 feet in height. They cost anywhere from half a day's salary for the small sets, through to the equivalent of a month's salary, and more, for a working-class Thai person.
Every year I am troubled at Khao Pansa. Partly that the 'religious faithful' are so easily manipulated. Partly that no one questions these practices in temples that are now floodlit 24/7 and where most of the monks have better cell phones that I do. Partly I truly wonder what they *DO* with all those candles in their fluorescent-lit living quarters. And when I ponder *that* I am *always, always always* concerned about the health implications. . You see, I am a candle junkie *and* a purist. On my coffee table you will see this:
A ***beeswax*** candle. A health-giving, hand-made candle made from natural beeswax. How are beeswax candles *healthy*? Apart from the natural relaxation hormones released when one stares into the gentle light over a glass of wine, beeswax candles have a well-documented natural health benefit: as the beeswax candle burns, it releases negative ions into the air, which bond with and neutralize the free positive ions which trap and carry mold spores, pollens and odors. Burning beeswax candles *makes practical sense* during the damp rainy season when dangerous molds flourish. Molds and pollens are removed by burning beeswax candles, and so beeswax candles are said to be *hypo-allergenic* and to help induce easier breathing for people with asthma, colds and allergies. Conversely, the bright saffron-yellow candles are made from toxic paraffin wax - a by-product of the petroleum industry. A 2009 study by South Carolina State University [Source](https://www.scsu.edu/news_article.aspx?news_id=832) found that burning paraffin candles emits the toxic fumes, toluene and benzene, which are linked to both asthma and lung cancer. A 2004 study by Maastricht University published in the European Respiratory Journal [Source](http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4026537.stm) found church air to be considerably higher in carcinogenic polycyclic hydrocarbons than air beside roads traveled by 45,000 vehicles daily. It also had levels of tiny solid pollutants (PM10s) up to 20 times the European limits. That study attributed the hazardous air quality largely to the continuous burning of paraffin candles. Thai temples or European churches? same same but different. Beeswax candles burn clean, drip free and use natural cotton wicks. Paraffin candles, conversely, burn unevenly and poorly *and so the wicks are often treated with lead*. I can HEAR the question forming, *"But surely lead treated wicks are illegal now in most countries?"* Recent US studies (2018 and 2019) show as much as 30% of scented and coloured candles on sale still use lead-treated wicks. [Source](https://wellnessmama.com/22656/dont-use-scented-candles/). Inhaled lead fumes cause hormone disruption, behavioral problems, neurological damage and numerous other health problems. The scents (to mask the petrol sludge factor) and dyes in paraffin candles contribute to endocrine disruption, which is pivotal for everything from loss of sex drive to encouraging cancerous tumor growth. The symbolism of a candle in the dark, during a period of withdrawal, teaching and contemplation IS beautiful. It is profound and perfect in its simplicity. While there is a simple natural-spiritual-physical medicine to be found in this:
I struggle to see it in this:
While the pageantry and net tourism inflows might be amazing, I can't somehow forget that some poorly paid Thai (or more likely Burmese, Laos or Cambodian) workers labeled over - and breathed in - all that toxic paraffin. *It troubles me deeply.* And so no temples for us and no offerings of icky yellow candles. Closing out this first Khao Pansa day with a pensive glass of wine, gazing into my solitary, health-giving, modest little beeswax candle... and wondering what our friend Gautamo would make of all of this from his quiet spot under the Bodhi tree. *Wishing you health, wholeness and a fruitful season of reflection as the monsoon rains fall.*
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Originally posted here: https://steemit.com/naturalmedicine/@artemislives/buddhist-rains-retreat-shedding-light-on-the-symbolism-and-natural-medicine-of-candles
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