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Growing up, my grandmother was the one who taught me right from wrong, since my mom lived out of town at the time. I remember her always saying to me in Lao, “Bohet, anaan pehn pibahp,” which meant, “Don;t do that, it’s bad luck.” She would say “bad luck” because we are Buddhist and we believe in good and bad karma, whether it would be for this lifetime or the next. Therefore, everything we did had to be “good” or done properly, or else we would receive bad karma. It never dawned on me that I was raised much differently from other kids. That was until I started to realize that when I did something wrong, it was bad luck. For other kids, it was just... bad. Now, thinking back on my childhood and how I was raised, I have finally realized how being raised as a Laotion Buddhist has impacted the way I view life and also how I interact with others.

As I mentioned, my grandmother raised me and taught me everything that I know today. She taught me to interact with people a certain way, just as she taught me to eat and sleep a certain way. However, one of the most important lessons I learned from my grandmother was simply how to greet people. The images above demonstrate how we greet others in my culture. It is the proper and respectful way of greeting someone, especially elders and monks. Being born and raised in America, I would usually just smile and say, “Hi,” out of habit. This is when my grandmother would look at me and say (in Lao), “Where did you get hi from? Say hello correctly.” So, I would do as I was told. I would put my hands together, bow down, and say, “Saibaidee kanoi.” Saibaidee means hello, but I never really learned what kanoi meant. I just know it is the term we use to greet someone in a more respectful manner. This saying and the actions that went along with it became second nature to me, and even though I never learned the meaning of this “respectful” word or term, I eventually learned why it was so important to greet people this way.

Respect is an extremely important concept when it comes to not only yourself, but to others as well. Understanding the simple task of greeting someone helped me to realize how easy it is to either respect or disrespect someone. Many people today, especially younger generations, describe it as awkward or weird to say hi to a stranger. They prefer to avoid eye contact and act as if the person was not there (like that’s not awkward). This is probably because of how they were raised or grew up, or even just because of how society is now. Every person is a threat, strangers are not to be spoken to, and if you don’t know them, why do you need to talk to them? This is how society and evolved throughout the past few decades. I, however, was raised much differently, I grew up with a very large family, which included my very religious grandmother. Because of this, I was always meeting and interacting with new and familiar faces. Whether it was at a birthday party, a house blessing, or even the temple, I was constantly having to greet people. Eventually, it became a habit to be respectful to everyone around me.

Because of my language and culture, I was shaped into an individual who views and treats everyone with the respect that I was taught to give. Never did I think that something as little as saying hello could affect my entire life. When I make eye contact with someone, I smile and say hello. When someone sneezes, I say bless you. When I am walking in front of or past someone, I say excuse me. When I ask someone for something, I say please. When they do it for me, I say thank you. These small interactions are all forms of being respectful. Making a habit of being kind and respectful goes a long way. Everyone wants respect, and the only away to receive it is to give it. Because I am Buddhist, all of these actions and/or sayings that I do/use every day reflect on who I am. The ultimate goal for Buddhists is to better ourselves, so that we will receive good karma in our next life (reincarnation). This is why my grandmother raised me to be a good, respectful person who knows to give and to appreciate. This is why little things like saying “Saibaidee” matters. It determines out future.

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This is the temple my family and I go to. It is called “Wat Brahmacariykaram”. Even though we are Lao, we go a Thai temple. The two cultures are very similar.

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Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.

Buddha (via quote-diaries)

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Lord Buddha (via ebay: oldbollywoodposters)

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“Meditation brings wisdom; lack of meditation leaves ignorance. Know well what leads you forward and what holds you back, and choose the path that leads to wisdom.” - Buddha

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Just as a snake sheds its skin, we must shed our past over and over again.

Buddha (via philosophyquotes)

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“Give, even if you only have a little.”

Buddha (via amargedom)

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You will not be punished for your anger, you will be punished by your anger.

Buddha (via naturaekos)

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Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth.

Buddha (via naturaekos)

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Whatever is not yours: Let go of it. Your letting go of it will be for your long-term happiness and benefit.

Buddha (via thoughtkick)

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📸 By @jackmartinphotoart Thailand

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These guys are on guard, watchout! Thailand ancient temple.