Pu Khwan Khao worship of Dehong Tai in Yunnan: fertility and Buddhist felicity.

This paper is a study of Lik Lu Pu Khwan Khao, a chant used in the worship ceremony to the god of rice Pu Khwan Khao of Dehong Tai in Yunnan. The ceremony is performed after the harvest to express gratitude to Pu Khwan Khao. Related ceremonies are found among other groups of Tai peoples. The ceremony is related to the rice myth of Dehong Tai in which Pu Khwan Khao claimed that his merit was comparable with that of the Buddha since nobody could stay alive without him, including the Buddha who could attain awakening only after consuming rice. The Buddha accepted this claim and told people not forget to worship Pu Khwan Khao. The myth reflects a compromise between ancient Tai belief and Buddhism. However, the compromise between and combining of these two sets of belief are also expressed in the Lik Lu Pu Khwan Khao chant. People express their gratitude to Pu Khwan Khao for providing them with rice, not only for nourishment but also for giving alm to monks, one of the most significant practices in Buddhism. Moreover, when people present offerings to Pu Khwan Khao, they form the aspiration to be reborn in the time of the future Buddha, Maitreya, and to attain Nirvana after listening to him preach. This traditional aspiration shows how the ancient ritual of Pu Khwan Khao worship is now intrinsically associated with the Buddhist practice of generosity as a kind of gift giving. From this we may conclude that, for the Dehong Tai in Yunnan, the aim of Pu Khwan Khao worship is not only fertility but also the ultimate Buddhist felicity, Nirvana. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]