This entertaining and educational conversation between an elderly Thai monk and his female devotee touches on a fascinating intersection of local beliefs, popular legends, and Buddhist philosophy.

In Thailand, Luang Pu—meaning “venerable grandfather”—is an affectionate and respectful title used to address senior monks.

Set against the backdrop of the annual Mekong River phenomena, the dialogue touches on the legendary Nāgas, mythical serpent beings of Buddhist and Hindu traditions whose supposed fiery breath lights up the river each year.

The conversation also highlights “folk Buddhism,” where traditional teachings blend with local customs. While canonical texts discourage folk practices, it is common to see people petitioning Buddha images, Nāgas, and celestial beings for good fortune and protection through elaborate rituals and offerings of food, gold, or flowers.

Let’s look at the conversation now.

Do Nāgas Really Exist?

Laywoman: Venerable Luang Pu, there is a sign on the summit of Phu Kum Khao that says “Naga Serpent Cave.” It got me wondering whether Nāgas really exist. Recently, there has also been a lot of news about Nāgas. I would really like to pay my respects to them and ask for good fortune and wealth.

Luang Pu: Of course they exist. Nāgas are real.

Laywoman: How do you know they exist, Luang Pu?

Luang Pu picked up a bottle of fermented milk drink and asked her: What is inside this bottle?

Laywoman: Lactobacillus, Venerable Sir.

Luang Pu: What is this “Lacto…” thing?

Laywoman: That is what they call it, Venerable Sir. They are bacteria, tiny living organisms.

Luang Pu: Then how do you know they exist?

Laywoman: Scientists use microscopes to observe them, Venerable Sir. We cannot see them with our naked eyes.

Luang Pu: Exactly. To observe things like these, you need the proper equipment. To see Nāgas, you also need the proper faculties. Nāgas are beings of the spiritual realm, so you need the divine eye to see them. Without the divine eye, you cannot see things of the divine realm. Without the divine ear, you cannot hear sounds from that realm. Without a divine body, you cannot travel there. Just because we cannot see something does not mean it does not exist.

Laywoman: In that case, I can go and pay my respects to them and ask them for good fortune and wealth, can’t I, Venerable Sir?

Luang Pu: Ah! Now you’ve gone completely off track!

You are always waiting to ask other people for things. If you keep asking others instead of doing things for yourself, will you ever get anywhere? The Nāgas are our fellow beings in this world, fellow travellers in Samsara, the cycle of birth and death. We should respect one another and coexist according to our respective circumstances. They are not beings we need to bow down to and worship. Such practices go beyond the teachings of the Buddha. The more you bow and worship in this way, the further you move away from wisdom and the Dhamma.

Bowing to and worshipping Nāgas is not what the Buddha taught. Do not go beyond the Buddha’s instructions and teachings. Whether you want good fortune or wealth, if you keep holding out your hands and begging this person, that person, this thing and that thing for blessings, you are no different from a beggar. You are like a baby bird that does nothing but wait for its parents to bring food and feed it.

You have arms and legs, so why not work to obtain things for yourself? Instead, you keep asking others, asking and asking. In the end, you become someone who is always begging for things. Whatever you want, you ask for it. You just keep asking. You become a respectable beggar, an educated beggar! You study extensively and attain a high level of education, yet you end up behaving like a beggar.

Even pigs and dogs are our fellow beings in this world, fellow travellers in Samsara. Why don’t you go and ask them for blessings, too? They are living beings in this world just like the Nāgas.

Laywoman: But they are different, Luang Pu. Pigs and dogs cannot magically bring me good fortune and wealth.

Luang Pu: Exactly! And how do you know that the Nāgas can bestow good fortune and wealth upon you?

Laywoman: ……………………

Bodhi-Bowl Commentary: Taking Responsibility for Our Own Lives

This part really hits home for me. The monk is challenging the woman’s expectation that someone else, whether a deity, a Nāga, or another supernatural being, can provide her with the good fortune and wealth she desires.

His message is simple: instead of constantly asking others to make your life better, take responsibility for making it better yourself.

This brings us to a very practical aspect of karma. Our actions matter. The choices we make, the effort we put in, and the habits we cultivate all have consequences. If we want to improve our circumstances, we need to pay attention to the causes we create rather than relying entirely on blessings from outside. This is one reason I find Buddhism so appealing. It encourages us to examine our actions and take responsibility for our own conduct rather than placing all our hopes in external forces.

The monk’s description of an “educated beggar” is particularly biting. We can be intelligent, well educated, and familiar with Buddhist teachings, yet still behave as though our happiness depends entirely on someone else granting our wishes.

How to Make Good Fortune Out of Nāgas

Luang Pu: For an intelligent person, even animals can become a source of good fortune. Some people raise animals. They earn money and enjoy good fortune through their work. That is good fortune and wealth obtained through honest effort, not by holding out their hands and begging. Those people are not educated beggars. They are not highly educated people who behave like beggars.

As for the Nāgas, we know they exist, and so they do. But that does not mean we should worship them, bow down to them, and ask them for good fortune and wealth. Do you understand?

Laywoman: Then, Venerable Sir, is the Naga Fireball phenomenon real?

Luang Pu: Have you ever seen them yourself?

Laywoman: I have only seen them on television, Venerable Sir.

Luang Pu: Whether they exist or not, why do you need to keep asking about them? What do you gain by asking?

Laywoman: Some people say it is a hoax.

Luang Pu: Do not be so preoccupied with finding out whether it is a hoax or not.

At the very least, the Naga Fireballs bring income to the people in that area during the end-of-Buddhist-Lent festival. That is how intelligent people obtain good fortune and wealth through the Nāgas: they know how to earn a living. They do not simply hold out their hands and beg.

Bodhi-Bowl Commentary: Turning Belief into Opportunity

I find this response particularly practical. The monk redirects the woman’s attention from the question of whether the fireballs are real to something tangible: the income that the annual event brings to local communities. People travel to the area, businesses have customers, and local vendors have opportunities to earn a living. Whatever one’s beliefs about the phenomenon, these economic activities are real possibilities.

In other words, instead of merely praying for wealth, learn to recognise opportunities and make productive use of them. We shouldn’t be lazy.

There is a subtle difference between waiting for good fortune to arrive and creating the conditions for good fortune to arise. This is not to say that every religious ritual is pointless, or that people should never pray or express devotion. The point is that devotion should not become a substitute for practical effort, sound judgement, and personal responsibility. If we want to improve our lives, we should ask ourselves what we can learn, what we can do, and what opportunities we can create.

Rather than simply praying for good fortune, why not learn how to make good use of the opportunities life presents?

“You Have a Car? Then Go!”

Laywoman: In that case, should I go and watch the Naga Fireballs this coming end of Buddhist Lent, Venerable Sir?

Luang Pu: Do you want to go?

Laywoman: Yes, Venerable Sir.

Luang Pu: Do you have a car?

Laywoman: Yes, Venerable Sir.

Luang Pu: Then go!

Laywoman: ……………………

Bodhi-Bowl Commentary: Sometimes, the Answer Is Simply to Get Going

I was laughing my head off at this point.

The woman has spent all this time asking questions about Nāgas, divine powers, good fortune, wealth, and the authenticity of the fireballs. Yet when she finally asks whether she should go and see them, the monk’s answer is essentially: “You want to go? You have a car? Then go!” She seemed to have missed the Dhamma message entirely.

The humor lies in how straightforward his answer is compared to the elaborate expectations that preceded it. At first, I thought Luang Pu had simply reached his limit and was shooing her away! But perhaps he was also gently reminding her that she doesn’t need to turn every mundane decision into a request for religious guidance.

This reminds me of something we often encounter in Buddhist circles.

When we share a Dhamma teaching, some people dismiss it as mere common sense. They already know they should be patient, generous, honest, and mindful. They already know that greed, anger, and foolish choices create problems.

Yet, if we look at how we actually live, we quickly realize that knowing what is right doesn’t necessarily mean we can put it into practice.

We know that anger damages relationships, and yet we still lose our temper. We know that greed leads to trouble, and yet we continue chasing more. We know that our actions have consequences, and yet we repeat the same mistakes.

The problem isn’t always a lack of knowledge. Often, it is simply the gap between what we know and what we do.

Perhaps this is why the monk’s simple response is so funny. After all that deep discussion, the woman was still looking for someone else to make up her mind for her. Such behavior happens across all schools of Buddhism: instead of taking ownership of our lives, we prefer to leave decisions to an authority figure—be it an esteemed monk, a nun, or even the deities.

And perhaps we aren’t so different from her.

We can spend years listening to Dhamma talks, reading Buddhist books, discussing philosophical ideas, and collecting blessings. Yet, when it comes to making the necessary changes in our own lives, we may still be waiting around for a sign, an answer, or someone else’s permission.

Sometimes, we don’t need another blessing, another ritual, or another explanation.

We simply need to do what we already know needs to be done.

And perhaps, on some occasions, the wisest advice is also the simplest:

You have the means. You know what you want. Then go!

May all be well and happy.