![]() This ties into another important Thai cultural phrase, kreng jai, to be considerate or not impose oneself on another person in a negative way.įor better or worse, a fundamental point of Thai culture is to keep from “losing face” at all cost. In fact, many Thais go to great lengths to avoid what some might find to be nothing more than straight talk. Speaking to someone with an angry, raised voice is not done lightly. When it comes to confrontation in Thai society, the stakes are a lot higher. Of course, this might lead to a physical fight (or worse) anywhere in the world, but in the US (for one), it’s generally acceptable to speak with a sharp tone of voice that expresses a “controlled” amount of anger if, for example, a service is paid for but not performed to satisfaction. In many Western countries, it’s relatively normal to raise one’s voice and become verbally confrontational to a certain point. A person with jai rorn might “fly off the handle” and react with anger and violence. The opposite term, jai rorn or “hot heart”, describes one who has “lost their cool”. The ability to “keep cool” in tense situations is highly admirable in Thai society. Jai yen, then, is a heart characterised by composure, calm and patience. ![]() Like its English equivalent, yen denotes a soothing quality used not only in reference to temperature but also the way people think and act. The word yen literally means “cool”, as in akaat yen or “cool air”. To experience this fully is to experience enlightenment. It’s also an inherent connection with all earthly and cosmic phenomenon, or Dharma. Though it’s typically overshadowed by thoughts, judgments and emotions, the jai is believed to be pure and perfect in every way. In the Buddhist sense, the heart is one’s inherent “pure awareness”. The term “spirit” doesn’t quite capture it as this hints at some sort of “soul” or “self”, a concept that Buddhism firmly rejects. ![]() In this sense, it refers to something that’s believed to be intangible yet present in every individual. Jai is also a profound term in Thai Buddhism. To be told that you possess jai dii, or a “good heart”, is to receive one of the highest compliments a Thai can give. Son jai is “to care or be interested”, and to have nam jai is “to be generous”, or more literally, to have a “heart that flows like water”. Jai lai, for example, refers to one who is “mean-hearted”. In this sense, the word is similar to how it’s used in English expressions like “she puts her whole heart into it”, but the subtleties go deeper in Thai. Hua jai is the Thai term for “heart”, as in the anatomical organ, though jai alone is more often used in a psychological context to convey all manner of feelings and address issues of personality, attitude or disposition. Before getting into jai yen, it’s necessary to look briefly at the word jai.
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