June, 2002
Near Udon Thani, Thailand
This picture was taken at a Buddhist monastery near Udon Thani ( a couple hours drive from here). There are some bushes near a shrine to a revered monk, and visitors had scratched requests to Buddha into the leaves of the bushes. The leaf in the center of the picture has the inscriptions "I want wealth and happiness." (on left side) and "I want my friend to have good luck.". The leaf next to it (at about 4 o'clock from the origin of the cluster) is inscribed with "I want to be beautiful" and the leaf just above it (at 2 o'clock) says "I want happiness for my family and beauty for myself."
Inscribing leafs, I am told is not unique to this site, but is not a pervasive practice either.
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