This was no ordinary Buddhist ritual, but part of a growing practice called tree ordination – a symbolic act that “ordains” endangered trees as monks to protect them from logging and development.
Part spiritual blessing and part environmental activism, the ritual is at the heart of a growing movement among Thailand’s “forest monks”, who are tweaking centuries-old traditions to confront modern ecological collapse.
“Buddhists respect monks very much. When they see the yellow robe and shaved head, they show respect … The yellow robe represents the victory of the Buddha and his teachings. It represents sainthood,” said Venerable Dhamma Caro, a monk at Wat Pa Mahawan in northeastern Thailand, who took part in the tree ordination ceremony.
“When we wrap the tree with this yellow robe, it becomes a monk – ‘a saint-tree’. That is why people don’t hurt it. In a Buddhist country, if you harm a monk or kill a monk, it is [considered] very, very sinful. That is why we ordain the tree,” he added. “It is very effective.”
