Merit making

Josh and I are enjoying our last week in Chiang Mai, seeing friends for the last time, eating favorite foods and getting all of our last minute shopping done before we head back to the states. Last night we went out with Josh's Thai tutor for his birthday. I asked him if his parents had called him for his birthday and he said "yeah, my Mom called and said 'honey, did you go to the temple today and make merit?'" He said that he told his Mom that he had wanted to go to the temple, but that he hadn't had time.
In order to "make merit" Thai Buddhists do any of a number of things. They burn incense at the temple, donate money to the temple, donate food or clothes to monks etc. The goal of these actions is to guarantee that you will have a favorable rebirth. Cetain days are more auspicious for making merit than others, like holidays or your birthday, for example. I really like the way that Thai Buddhism has no pretensions about the goal of these "merit making" activities. Of course it is nice to do good things for other people, but Thai Buddhists also won't beat around the bush in saying that they do good deeds in order to guarantee a favorable rebirth for THEMSELVES. I am not sure that other religions are so up front about the fact that human beings do good things not only to serve others, but to serve themselves as well.
It was funny to hear that going to the temple and making merit was something that Thai mothers nag their sons about, because my own mother certainly has never nagged me about making merit!