Kuti (temple)

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Kutis ( Thai : กุฏิ ) are the cells of the monks. Here they sleep and meditate.

All Thai temples ( wat ) have their own living area for bhikkhus (monks), in which no other holy buildings are allowed. Wat Phra Kaeo in Bangkok is an exception . No monks live here, as they are not allowed to settle within palace walls. Most of the time, the living area (Thai: Sanghawat , เขต des ) is located south of the “sacred area” (Thai: Phutthawat , เขต พุทธาวาส ) in which the sacred buildings are located. There are also some temples where the Sanghawat is east of Phutthawat.

The monks of a temple are grouped into groups of around six to ten people, so-called khanas . The leader of such a group is called Chao Khana . Around ten such groups are again grouped under the direction of a Raja Khana . The highest Raja Khana has the title Somdet Raja Khana . He is also the abbot of the temple.

If several monks live together in one house, this arrangement is called Khana Theo . This Khana Theo can be seen, for example, in Wat Mahathat , the Buddhist university in Bangkok near the Royal Palace. Here every monk has his own room, about 2.20 × 4.50 meters in size. These rooms are around 40 cm higher than the corridor that connects around six rooms. The monk cells are grouped around the room of the Chao Khana, which has a separate reception area next to the bedroom. In addition, there are two smaller rooms in the house where the Lug Sit live, the monks' students.

literature

  • KI Matics: Introduction To The Thai Temple . White Lotus, Bangkok 1992, ISBN 974-8495-42-6
  • Karl Döhring: Buddhist Temples Of Thailand . Berlin 1920, reprinted by White Lotus Co. Ltd., Bangkok 2000, ISBN 974-7534-40-1

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Döhring: Buddhist Temples Of Thailand , p. 14f

Web links

  • "Thai Architecture" - Floor plans and arrangement of kutis in various Thai monasteries (in Thai) [last accessed on February 13, 2014]