San Don Ta comes from the Khmer language. The word “San” means offering or paying respect through rituals, while “Don Ta” refers to making merit for ancestors who have passed away. So, the San Don Ta is a tradition of making offerings to ancestral spirits, an important custom that has been passed down for generations among Thai people of Khmer descent. Besides dedicating merit to ancestors, grandparents, and parents, the festival also serves as a way to express gratitude and remembrance toward those who came before us. It brings together family members and relatives, fostering unity, harmony, and mutual support within the community.
Bai Bend or Bai Bat Trabor is one of the most important offerings in this tradition and holds special meaning for farmers in Surin and fellow farmers who are members of the OASIS. During the ritual, monks encircle the “Krachao Don Ta” basket and the “Bai Bend or Bai Bat Trabor” with sacred thread (sai sin). Incense is lit, and prayers are chanted to invite the spirits of ancestors to listen to the sermon. After the ceremony, the Bai Bend or Bai Bat Trabor is scattered across the fields, symbolizing good fortune, prosperity, and the dedication of merit to the spirits guarding the land.
Bay Ben: The Rice Path of Faith in San Don Ta
The “San Don Ta” tradition is the worship of ancestors, a ritual with a clear meaning in its name. “San” means “to offer” or “make offerings,” and “Don Ta” refers to ancestors, grandparents, and forefathers. This is an expression of gratitude to the deceased, deeply connected to the agricultural lifestyle and rice culture.
Belief and Faith: 15 Days When the Gates of the Underworld Open
According to the beliefs of Southern Isaan people, during the 15-day period from “Sart Lek” (Minor Sart) to “Sart Yai” (Major Sart), the gates of the underworld are opened. During this time, the spirits of deceased ancestors are allowed to return to the human world to receive the merit dedicated to them by their descendants.
This ritual, therefore, has two main purposes:
- San Don Ta: Making merit and giving offerings to deceased ancestors.
- Jun Don Ta: Showing gratitude and respect to living elders.
Preparing the Ceremony: When Rice is the Heart of the Offerings
The main day for the San Don Ta ceremony is the “14th waning moon of the 10th month,” which is considered the primary day of offerings. In Buddhism, this is known as “Petaphli,” meaning an offering dedicated to those who have departed. Preparations can take up to two days. On the 14th waning moon day, offerings are made starting in the early morning, and people prepare to go to the temple the following day.
The offerings include savory dishes and desserts, such as cooked fish. But the indispensable item and the heart of this tradition is “Khao Dam,” which in Southern Isaan refers to sticky rice steamed in a coconut leaf wrapper, along with other rice-based desserts like Khanom Thian.
This period also aligns with the agricultural cycle, as it is a time when farmers are free from their fieldwork because the rice in the paddies is “pregnant” (in its booting stage). It is therefore a suitable time for making merit.
“Krachoe Don Ta” and “Bay Ben”: From the Temple to the Rice Field
In addition to the offerings made at home, there are two important rituals that connect the community and the rice fields.
1. Krachoe Don Ta: The Basket of Abundance
In the evening, after the home offerings, villagers bring the “Krachoe Don Ta,” or ancestral basket, to gather at the temple. The basket is filled with household items, rice grains, taro, yams, consumer goods, and, importantly, banana and sugarcane saplings.
Including banana and sugarcane saplings symbolizes abundance, reflecting the agricultural wisdom that, “Wherever a banana tree grows… it means the soil there is fertile.” At the temple, monks perform the ceremony and chant the “Suat Ben” (Sart day chant) to dedicate merit.
2. Bay Ben: Sacred Rice Balls for Blessings
“Bay Ben” is a part of the San Don Ta ceremony that also begins on the 14th waning moon day.
- Preparation: Cooked rice (either white rice or sticky rice) is mixed with sugar, sesame seeds, and young coconut.
- Shaping: It is molded into small round balls, then arranged on a pedestal tray or bowl into a tall, pyramid-like shape. A conical banana leaf cover is placed on top, and an incense stick is inserted.
- At the temple: When brought to the temple, monks will chant and consume a portion of the “Bay Ben.” The remainder becomes a blessed item for descendants to take home.
- At home: The “Bay Ben” that is brought back is kept in the house for 3-4 days until the rice balls begin to turn green or grow mold.
- To the rice field: After the set time, the farmer takes the “Bay Ben” rice balls to their field, kneels, and prays for the “pregnant” rice (during September) to be abundant. They ask for an increased harvest and for the family to “have a field full of rice, and a pond full of fish.” They then toss the rice balls throughout the paddy, completing the ceremony.
Ancient Wisdom: “Bay Ben” and “Trichoderma” Fungus
In modern times, organic farmers have made an interesting observation: the “green mold” that grows on the Bay Ben rice balls after 3-4 days resembles “Trichoderma,” a “beneficial fungus” used in laboratories and promoted for use in organic farming.
This leads to the hypothesis that ancient people, perhaps thousands of years ago, discovered the benefits of this fungus and integrated this wisdom into the Bay Ben ritual to return something auspicious and beneficial to their fields.
Carrying on the Tradition: For Peace of Mind and the Future of Descendants
Although pure Buddhist practice may focus on escaping the suffering of samsara (the cycle of rebirth), these rituals help people “alleviate suffering in this world.” The most important outcome is that performing them brings a feeling of “peace of mind” (sabai jai) and “happiness.”
“San Don Ta” cannot be separated from “rice,” which is food.