The Concepts of Community & Family as it Relates to Thai Buddhism in Peaceful Property

I really really enjoyed watching this series. I am someone who grew disillusioned with Buddhism at a young age for very personal reasons, only to find my own version of a relationship with it as I grew older and learned to appreciate it from a different perspective. So the spiritual meaning behind this series really resonated with me.

I can only explain things to the best of my personal knowledge, so my apologies if anything is factually incorrect.

There are four basic tenets that one must cultivate in order to achieve true happiness. They are known as the brahmavihara (พรหมวิหาร). 1 - Metta (เมตตา): Literally translating to mean 'goodwill', it is a genuine concern for the well-being of others. 2 - Karuna (กรุณา): Literally translating to mean 'compassion', it is the recognition of another's suffering as one's own and a selfless desire for that suffering to end. 3 - Mutita (มุทิตา): Literally translating to mean 'kindliness', it is the feeling of experiencing sincere gratification from the happiness and success of others, regardless of self-contribution. 4 - Ubeka (อุเบกขา): Literally translating to mean 'equanimity', it is the ability to remain impartial combined with the understanding the we cannot mitigate the personal karma of others.

Essentially, the brahmavihara teaches us to always place others above ourselves... while realizing that they will be responsible for facing their own consequences if they fail to do the same.

How does this play into the "family" dynamics that exist in PP? Oddly enough there are certain facets of Buddhism that preach 'anti-family' values, as family can be one's primary source of attachment and suffering. There is a quote that states, "Family is the blood that burdens you." However, when a familial bloodline has lost its way (or in this case, has been "cursed"), Buddhism encourages surrounding yourself with a community that is organized on a familial basis... what we would call 'sangha' or 'found family'. Valuing the members of that found family above corrupt ideology would realign one's path toward enlightenment. Or in simpler terms, the people we choose to surround ourselves with can spiritually save us from ourselves.

Home's family has been "cursed" by the three poisons of Buddhism: greed, hatred, and ignorance. Phon's greed and value of worldly possessions over others has led her down of path of literal darkness, toward a belief in the occult. Somkid's hatred toward his father has fueled his deceptive behaviors... which he saw as a way to reclaim a father's love (that he believed he never received) from the people who didn't deserve it. Home's grandfather was ignorant as to how his actions, or lack thereof, affected the family that surrounded him.

Home's own version of ignorance would have led to his own karmic downfall. The series does a great job of having Home slowly discover the true meaning of home by integrating him within a 'found family' that teaches him the values of the brahmavihara... which ultimately leads to his spiritual 'awakening' (in a sense).

Metta/Karuna: Communicating with and healing the souls of the spirits the group encounter, requires compassion and understanding... a sense of community/sangha that these spirits and Chobkol (the magician) were lacking.

There were several instances of compassion born out of goodwill, the most obvious being between Home and Peach. Forgiveness is a big deal in Thai Buddhism. It is one of the cornerstones of what we refer to as "harmonious justice", as it promotes ideals of true selflessness. Peach forgiving Home because he's seen the changes in Home and how this one action does not define who Home actively wants to become was really really important. Home and Peach exist in balance of one another... keeping them on a shared karmic path where Home can no longer 'turn a blind eye' to his family's injustices (we could get into that more, but that'll make this even longer than it already is 😜😜😜). I think having Tay and New take on these roles to almost ease the minds of non-Buddhist viewers toward a more Buddhist ideology was actually quietly genius.

Sangha is also what heals the vengeance in Kan's heart, born of the teachings of Metta: "We must refrain from inflicting suffering upon one another and be free from vengeance." It could have been woven into the narrative with a bit more finesse... but I digress.

Ubeka: Home accepts the rightfully directed anger and complaints against him and his family for the harm they have caused. His partiality toward his family, simply because he is related to them, disappears. He stands against his aunt and fights against his uncle at the risk of his own life. And he does so by still allowing them to face the karmic consequences of their own terrible crimes... whether they are at peace with it or not.

Mutita: Home celebrates Peach's dreams above his own wishes... without knowing that they would eventually coincide. I could even argue that their eventual correlation could be a result of Home's 'good karma' paying forward.

Home had to reevaluate his core morals in order to be free of his family's curse (meaning within himself). All these representations of Buddhist notions, born from within his newfound family, are what define Home's idea of the true meaning of home... and happiness.

Why is the curse on the rich people never that they made shitty choices and chose to hurt people with their money and use of resources and always that they hate each other too much and don't give enough money to other rich people?

I mean, I suppose the curse is that frankly the grandfather sucked at being a parent and making his child feel loved but that's a shitty curse and it's not even the real curse. Sigh.

The real curse is that these shows are so determined to make the rich boys pitiful that they forget to do the part of the story where they give back to the places they hurt or help the people their money keeps hurting because if they admit the money is what's hurting people then you have to face what that means for the wealthy as well as the poor.

Respectfully, because I feel the criticism of wealth is important: Home did do that. Multiple times.

One of the key parts of healing most of the ghost’s wounds was uncovering how they died and healing their hurts. Giving respect to the construction worker who died. Finding out the truth about the wig and punishing the manager. Fulfilling the rider’s last delivery to the woman he loved. And with each round, Home’s demeanor became more respectful and less callous. The contrast of the very fake mediums for the construction worker to Home and Peach sitting very quietly as they deliver the crispy pork house from the rider to make sure his message of love and community was received.

But they didn’t stop just with the dead.

They didn’t sell the magician’s house. They made sure he was able to stay in his home where he was happy with his daughter, regardless of him not having the money. Home and Kan put that house into a trust for him, so he never had to leave.

Home saved Chef’s restaurant for Peach to eventually take over because that’s what Chef would have wanted and is likely to have been her plan had things not gone the way they did. Part of what Home owed to Peach is the three years of misunderstanding and missed opportunities that largely stem from the hit and run. He makes up for this through the uncovering of the truth of Chef’s death, the chef’s table and eventually opening their own restaurant. It’s also why he encouraged Peach to go to Chaing Mai even if he didn’t want him to go.

When confronted with the development, Jan’s betrayal, and the broken promises to Kan’s community, Home spent the entire back 1/3 of the story trying to fix that and nearly got murdered by his family twice for it. They hunted down the contract that proved his family had fucked over the community, twice, as well as uncovered his aunt’s crimes, Uncle Somkid’s crimes and Lawyer Yai’s crimes. And in the end they did change the tenancy laws of the development to get the community back in there. They had an entire montage of it.

Ultimately, the curse was their greed and their isolationist ways. Every member of that family, including Home at the beginning, was more focused on themselves than being in actual community with each other. His aunt was full of greed, even killing her maid and binding her in chains, evoking literal slave imagery, to fulfill her aims. She stole and bribed “for the family” but it was really for her own pockets. Uncle Somkid was so focused on the money he couldn’t see what his father was actually saying or see any of the love and joy his father found in him. I think it’s very telling the only child we see Gramps gift things to without being given something first is Somkid. And he gifts something Somkid values, a place to save money. Gramps isn’t innocent here. He was so focused with the ways he felt it important to connect and how he found joy in his relationship with Somkid, that he missed that Somkid wasn’t getting any of his messages of love. Ultimately the family was so isolated and self-centered they didn’t actually see each other. They were not in community and actively worked against community, including the one Home built with his friends. They undervalued it so much, Somkid and Yai underestimate our ghost hunting crew.

Home’s journey was to learn something the wealthy often ignore: the value and purpose of being in community with others. It’s in building his relationships with Peach, Pangpang and Kan that he learns to give without taking. He risks his life in order to bring justice in the face of his family’s crimes. He takes the deserved vitriol of Kan’s community without any complaint or argument and promises them to repair the harm, and does in the end. When the family points out this will be their undoing, Home welcomes the change. He doesn’t stop Peach from moving to Chaing Mai even if he wants to, because Peach’s dreams are more important to him. It is no surprise that the people they helped in earlier episodes were brought back to support taking down Uncle Somkid and on the board in their new restaurant. They participate in community.

It may not have been in all the ways that people wanted or not centered in the way that people might have liked. And I think that’s fair. We don’t explicitly know what he does with the money, aside from a few anecdotes as well as starting a business with Peach to help people find peace in their grief. The questions about is it enough or is there more he could have done are also important.

I also think it’s necessary to examine why there are so many stories that center the wealthy and their journey, because Home uncovering the meaning of his name made him the main character who had the most to learn and grow from (peach’s journey was mostly resolved in the first half). And I think objecting to that is fair, but that’s also how the story is written. And if you don’t like the story centering a wealthy character who needs to learn how to be in community with others, you shouldn’t watch.

I feel like Jack and Joker is doing a really interesting job of telling a very different side of this story right now that has wealthy characters learning to be in community but also centers the struggles of poor people who are being exploited.

But to say Home did not work to repair the wounds his family made through greed, or give back financially I feel is not textually accurate.

As much as I do love tragedy and romance and horror and action and drama, my personal favorite thing is when media is kind. And for me, this show was so kind. Peaceful Property made you laugh and made you cry and then took your hand and said:

“Look, the world is pretty grim. It is tough and mean, and most of us are helpless when forced to face so many things in it. And sometimes people die in horrible, unfair ways, often made worse by people so focused on themselves and their greed that they forget their humanity. Sometimes we ourselves are so focused on our shit that we make horrible, terrible mistakes. It's awful. It's sad.

But you can't just wallow in that fact, because all is not lost. There are still so many home cooked meals, and genuine words of appreciation, and kind gestures, and love, and healing, and forgiveness. There is friendship and community. There is family. There is peace, as hard as it is to believe, as unreachable as it seems, there is peace in the midst of all this. And sure, it won't make everything magically better. The world won't stop being unfair. But it's something good. And that matters. The small things aren't world changing, but they are life-changing. For you, for the people you love, for your neighbors, for the strangers around you. And that's good. That's enough.

Go eat your favorite meal, maybe share it with someone, and enjoy a moment of peace with us here at the table (under the Cok Long sign)”.

And it will remain in my heart forever for saying that. Thanks for the tears and the laughter, the stress, the memes, the theories and the queerbait.

Peaceful Property, you were made with so much love and care, and it definitely came through. I will miss you. A lot.

Goodbye, the best little ghost hunting family ever.

I know I made a lot of “why not BL if not BL shaped?” jokes about Peaceful Property early on.

But I love that it’s a platonic love story. Platonic love stories are incredibly important. Some of my favorite love stories are: the lead women in One Tree Hill have some of the best platonic love stories that exist.

More importantly, I need y’all to normalize platonic love between two men.

Another great platonic love story between two guys.

Because a lot of the discourse around two men with any level of affection beyond just causal sports talk and women talk is read as inherently romantic or sexual, and it’s not. More men should be able to connect lovingly with their friends and heal the wounds of toxic masculinity.

And you know, let the gays be gay.

Or read more into Peaceful Property. Because no matter what it’s a love story. They were enemies to family, and whether they’re romantic or platonic, the love is what matters.

If you don’t want him to go, why did you lie to him?

Kan, if it were you, wouldn’t you have let your best friend go and follow his life-long dream? Would it be right for me to tell him I don’t want him to go? Would it be right to say I want him to stay with me, that it’d be just us ghost-hunting?

Would it be right to say any of that?

Omg so Peach could see the ghosts but couldn't hear what they are saying but Home can HEAR THEM now? So they are two halves of one whole?

Are you not mad at me at all after everything that I’ve done? We’re not gonna hold anything against you when this spoiled brat isn’t.

PEACEFUL PROPERTY (2024) dir. Dome Jarupat Kannula

One can see the dead, and now the other can hear them.

I didn't believe the show would give Home a gift too when he came back from the dead because having two boys with the same power would be too much, right?

But the show didn't give him the same thing. Home has what Peach was missing.

Home is no longer just good for his money. He is now Peach's partner. Peach sees what Home can't, and Home hears what Peach cannot.

And I got Kan feeding Pang.

I love this color-coded (queer) family.

After telling Home he forgave him and begging him to come back to eat the food Peach made him, the last thing Peach said to Home before Home returned to his body was a plea for Home to come back for Pang.

Home isn't just a sugar daddy.

He is Pang's best friend.

When Home and Pang thought they lost their best friend, these normally loud and theatrical characters became quiet.

Because they are the same.

Which is why Home noticed what was happening with Pang even when her own brother didn't.

People mistake Home and Pang's behavior for silliness and dismiss their contributions, but Home and Pang actually try really hard all the time to fix problems even if their approach is out of the norm.

They are besties and siblings.

And Peach knows that Pang has already lost enough family.

So Peach made one last attempt to get through to Home by reminding him that even if he didn't want to come back for Peach, he had to come back for their little sister.

Pang and Home understand each other without having to speak a word.

They get each other when nobody else does.

And Peach knows that.

So even if the boys were actually upset with each other, they don't want to see Pang upset.

She just wants the best for them.

And they want what's best for her.

Pang has two brothers who love her dearly.

So much, in fact, that they both came back for her.

Someone come pick me up off the floor

I'm still on the floor which is where I have been since the last episode of Peaceful Property because Pang told Peach he could bring back Home with his food, which is how all of this started.

Because Peach taught Home how to cook. Peach shared his food and love with Home. Peach gave Home a family.

Then Gramps told Home in order to return to his body, he needed to think about what he was going back for and who he was doing it for, which was for his family, but his new family. He needed to return to Peach and Pang.

Because Pang was ready to go to battle to protect Home.

Yet still had kindness for her brother.

All so Peach could break me with this scene which he ended with screaming Home's name while his voice was breaking.

Then Home crying as he hears Peach crying over his dying body!!!!

But now I'm on the floor again because Peach was begging Home to come back for Pang who is crying in the corner. Home was eating Peach's food which is what guided him back to his family. HOME CAME BACK TO HIS FAMILY.

And the first thing out his mouth was Peach's name.

And the second was the apology he almost died trying to deliver.

I'M IN MY FEELINGS!

They are connected together. They are family.

And to end with Peach in his blue "More than Friends, Less than Lovers" shirt

To have Pang still wanting Kan there too,

And to know that Home wasn't always red,

Gives me faith that the love this little family has for each other will get them through the last quarter of this journey.

And Suradech can keep his glasses!

He is me, and I am him.

Don't look at me!

Should we talk about how Home’s grandfather apparently has access to the Be My Favorite time turner thingy??

Peach. I'm sorry. You don’t have to say anything.

PEACEFUL PROPERTY (2024) dir. Dome Jarupat Kannula

Broken hearts 💔

Peaceful Property Episode 6 👻

I wanted to clear a few things up regarding Home because I've seen quite a few people say he drank alcohol with his uncle or was "drunk driving."

Because he absolutely did NOT drink a drop of alcohol that night (or any other time, for that matter).

After his uncle poured Home some booze...

... it stayed between them with the same amount of alcohol still in the glass.

Home hadn't touched a drop of it.

There's also the dead giveaway in the next ep preview, of course:

Not only that, but the show has made it a point that Home doesn't drink and hasn't even before he hit Peach with his car (he even went so far as to pretend he was drinking in front of his party friends)

Like, this man really be out here throwin' drinks over his shoulder in order not to have to consume alcohol while at the same time trying to not lose face in front of his "buddies" and "baby nr. 13"

Anyways, this is all to say I have no idea where some people got the impression that he was drunk when he sat behind the wheel, but he was very much sober. Hope this post explains it.