Talk:Phra Mae Thorani

Multiple issues

Let's enumerate some

1. Importance. Integral to Thai culture and religion, as exemplified by the ubiquity of her iconography, ie., inclusion in the Democrat Party (Thailand) logo, and at most wats.
2. Meaning. Thorani is from a Sanskrit/Pali word meaning earth, ground: dharáṇī 6744
3. References. Those on the web largely repeat Wiki's original article. Scholars appear to take little interest, and the Thai absorb her meaning by constant exposure, more so than by formal instruction.
4. Images. There are lots on the 'net, but I'm lousy at figuring out copy rites. I'm also a lousy photographer and am reluctant to post mine, but am uploading one.

   

• Description: Phra Mae Thorani mural in sala kan prian Thai Forest Tradition Wat Pa Ban Sadao, Mu 5, Tambon Tadthong, Amphoe Mueang Yasothon (Not having gone to Buddhist Sunday School, I don't know what the elements mean beyond Thorani washing out her hair.)
• Thai:พระแม่ธรณี ในศาลาการเปรียญ วัดป่าบ้านสะเดา ต.ตาดทอง อ.เมืองยโสธร
• Categories:Elephants in Thai art|Buddhist temple murals in Thailand
• Released to public domain

More issues? --Pawyilee (talk) 15:27, 17 January 2011 (UTC)

Expand scope

Quoting Guthrie, Elizabeth (2004). "A Study of the History and Cult of the Buddhist Earth Deity in Mainland Southeast Asia" (PDF 9.2 MB Content copying allowed). Thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of PhD in Religious Studies at the University of Canterbury. University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand. p. 1. Although no textual source for the hair-wringing earth deity has yet been identified outside of mainland Southeast Asia, her iconography and story are too ancient and widely distributed across the cultures of the mainland to be attributed to one particular location. Today the earth deity can be found guarding the vajrasana in Arakan, Burma, Cambodia, Kampuchea Krom, Central and Northern Thailand, Laos, and Sipsong Panna in Yunnan. It has been necessary to devise a methodology that can cope with the many different countries, cultures, languages where the earth deity is found. I have found that focusing on the motif of the earth deity, in Buddhist art, the Buddha's biographical tradition, and performative texts (donative inscriptions, sadhana, paritta, mantra, yantra) is an effective strategy. I also look at myths and stories about the earth deity and aspects of the contemporary cult of the earth deity gleaned from fieldwork in Cambodia and Thailand. {{cite web}}: line feed character in |quote= at position 440 (help)

So, yeah, there are multiple issues. I need some help here! --Pawyilee (talk) 13:23, 23 January 2011 (UTC)

Buddhist water libation

This is an important addition to the article. I've not only observed the same ceremony in Thailand, I also participated in one without any idea of what I was doing — until now. Not being Buddhist, I have no references. --Pawyilee (talk) 14:58, 27 February 2012 (UTC)

I believe you're referring to what is known in Thai as กรวดน้ำ (kruat nam). There's discussion at Libation#Buddhist water libation. It describes the Burmese tradition which appears to be pretty much the same as in Thailand. It also mentions Vasudhara which seems to be an analogue of Phra Mae Thorani. --Paul_012 (talk) 09:18, 28 February 2012 (UTC)

Phra Mae Thorani/Vasudhara

Guthrie Study of the History and Cult of the Buddhist Earth Deity in Mainland Southeast Asia PDF page 2 and note 2 say they are the same. Page 2 note 2

The earth deity's name changes in different countries, but is generally a form of a word for "earth," i.e. Pṛthivī, Kṣiti, Dharaṇī, Vasundharā, and so on. In Cambodia the earth deity is known simply by her title: nān ganhān (pronounced "neang kongheng") from nān, "lady," and gānhān, a Khmer word for "princess." In the Tai regions she is known as Nang Thoranee or Mae Thoranee: "lady earth" or "mother earth." In Burma and Arakan she is Vasundhara (transliterated variously as Wathundari, Wathundaye, Vasundari, and so on). Sometimes she is given the epithet Sundarī, "beautiful one," or Vanitā, "dear one." I use the name Vasundharā in this dissertation for consistency, but the reader should keep in mind that this particular form of the earth deity's name is unknown in Thailand or Cambodia. 3 Zepp (1997: 18).

Consider restoring lede as last modified on 26 August 2010 at 14:55, and adding heading Cult drawn from Guthrie, to say it is unorthodox in Theravada, but seems to some scholars to be an intersection of Northern India Vedic traditions with pre-Bhuddist practices. --Pawyilee (talk) 23:53, 28 February 2012 (UTC)

Stub?

Has not the article outgrown stub status? --Pawyilee (talk) 14:03, 8 May 2012 (UTC)