Inside Looking Out, an Understanding

While doing walking meditation in a park that I learned while being a novice, something came to me. As I said to a friend, “All it is ...is deliberately and consciously being aware of every single movement...so it will transfer in time to everything you do. Leading to a keener mental awareness of every thing we do, from talking to our actions. So you can see in advance how your actions or speech will affect those around you. And thus, hopefully wisdom. Most of the time, they do it walking, then standing and seated last, a natural progression to quiet the mind down.” This mindfulness is at the heart of Thai Buddhism.


What I saw at the Wat where I resided, school kids coming for dhamma lessons, meditation, along with Pali. I saw families join them in back, or help with food. I saw new monks being ordained, and the sangha feeding the monks. I witnessed a lot of what comprises Thai Buddhism, and started to form a real understanding of why the language is also based on Buddha’s teachings. And how most everything is formed by this exposure in Thai’s day-to-day life. It just clicked. I had just a small taste, but at least now I feel I know a little more of my partner’s internal existence. I know I way far from knowing it all, but even this one experience has helped me understand a little bit more. Impermanence has shaped their lives along with wisdom from respected monks. Mindfulness is at the heart of it all and leads to more patience. I would become a novice again for longer time frame. This has also helped to quash my previous idea that Buddhism here is more about the rituals, which it is not. That offerings are based on merit and also have the unique capacity to help cut-down on our self-cherishing. I have gone four times to meditate during the day at various Wat’s that have spaces designated for this, some with ongoing dhamma talks, some just silent. Maybe I can learn all the Pali chants.

Two Worlds Meet

Today, I had coffee outside a coffee house, and a middle-aged man asked if he share my table. I said, “Of course.” So, I said chirped in, “So, how are you?” instead of being quiet and withdrawn as most people do when a stranger sits down. It started us on a conversation of sorts, I finding out he is Arab, and I American. I usually like to base a conversation on how Buddha’s ideas and particularly meditation has helped me. I make the statement that all religions had meditation in some form, and just meditating with or without being Buddhist is fine. We both agreed that Jesus, Buddha, Mohammad were all wise men who came up with similar teachings, and he said, “we as people, no matter where we are from, are more alike than not.” I learned his mother is in a coma for 8 years, and been taken to many hospitals around the world. Saying, “She is my mother, and you can not give up on your mother!” I thought this was a nice indication of where his heart is, and it did not take away from his masculinity. As we spoke further and he asked if I was ever married, and for his sake did not discuss being gay, said, “No.” He did not raise an eyebrow, and we continued taking and of course he knew I was gay. He was curious about me being a monk, and assumed it was peaceful and easy. I said the work is always in your mind and how you perceive the world and our suffering. Suffering in terms of the simple fact that sitting is painful, so you stand up and that becomes tiresome and you sit down again. If we can expand this to our tired old bodies that will get older and more painful than we have acquired some wisdom. I don’t preach my ideas, but offer them as a common bond we all share. He noted, while taking his mother to a US hospital, he saw poor homeless there and was shocked. We agreed that all the people with money should help the poor in some way, because we don’t know next where we will be. I offered that Buddha taught that we may be reincarnated as a lower form or animal, so it is best for our karma to help others. He was not buying the karma idea, but was gentlemanly still agreeing on helping others talking about South Africa where he worked at one time. The poor there live on less than 1 dollar and they will kill you if out late at night in Durban. It was overall a pleasant exchange and when he left, he said, “Nice to meet you, dear.” It was not said in a condescending way, just a subtle acknowledgement.

City of Peace

Two of photos two are on Monday when the village comes to feed the monks at the temple that I participated in twice. I will attempt to describe some of the wisdom that came out of this experience while being a novice. On the day before I left there, the abbot was walking to the sala, a big open air place with a huge white Buddha at the end, to give diplomas away to children that completed his dhamma course. He motioned to me with my camera in hand, that they needed one, and the guy who runs the dhamma radio station on the Wat’s grounds came and got it from me. Of course, it was offered freely and it made think about the whole experience there. It was really obvious that there was little or nothing that was owned by one person. Everything was community property, and one could walk into the abbot’s office and use his computer if he wasn’t using it. When they shot photos, they freely offered a disc copy to me. So, it became obvious that ownership is a source of delusions about our own perceived self-importance.



Another thing I felt coming out was that all the meditation, be it walking, praying or sitting along with the whole environment made the highs and lows of life less pronounced. It felt like a move to a more balance state of mind. Patom proved to be a good example of this as well. When I gave him my flashlight I bought and he used — he said thank you, but was not excited. And when I left he said bye, was not upset or show any emotion. All the extremes of life are nearly wiped out with all the mindfulness that was taught and existed at this Wat, nearly a small city of peace unto itself. And all this can be yours anywhere with meditation.

Hey Monk, Pick up the Phone!

I will try to fill in some details missing in the past month. I had to get ordained at another temple where the head monk had the powers of ordination available to him. At least I had seen it done, on a different day, as shown in the forth photo. When I was ordained in the temple pictured here, the monk’s cell phone rang. Fine, but in the middle of the reciting of Pali, my damaged brain can not handle any other input, so it made it painfully difficult, and I was almost at the point of wanting to yell, Stop it…and answer. It was set at least ten rings and I have the same tone on my Nokia so I know it well. But in my brain it took over what was the task at hand: reciting Pali precepts. Needless to say I survived, a bit frazzled, but this is Thailand and can be expected. It was a beautiful day that day and the monk was nice. So all it did was lead to more patience. We rode over in a pick-up truck in white and came back novices in orange.

Not Really a Conclusion

I am sitting here, in regular lay person’s clothes, and trying to pull out an impression quickly which is damn near impossible. But put it this way, I really don't want to leave. There is pervading peace here, it doesn't seem necessary to tell the whole story.
There are many posts, to go back and add in, as time was precious. It makes me happy to hear that the originator of this concept will take the robes, to get a feel for it. Hopefully, watching people change going through this made a great impression. I think it has finally hit him how lucky he is to be associated with a great wise person.
First, I have to say that the atmosphere comes from the top and that would be Dr. Apisit who inspires all with loving kindness. He doesn’t even get firm in any way, and things get done by the novices, and it never seems to be a difficult chore. He will let them have time off to play and rest when it is too hot. My last night and I watched the novices at play, combining work with it, and no one got cross. Guiding others with wisdom, calmness and respect. He made a great example of where I am trying to head in this lifetime.



On Friday, I went to go arrange for a time to talk to him, and he said, “Quickly, go pack a small bag and take alms bowl, I think this is rare opportunity to go (in robes) to a Dhamma camp in Mae ai.” He drove us there. So, both of us went arriving before lunch, after stopping a near-by temple. We ran into a ex-german monk who made it clear to the other guy with me, it was not proper to carry money in a pouch around his neck. I was happy that I was not the critical one in this instance. It has been a work in progress just dealing with the other participant in this program and now I will have to room with him for a night and share a towel. Later, he had to wake up and turn on the light like seven times to write his dreams down and they were not really that profound. I think this all done for me to accept all that comes to me. If I am lucky I can take this difficult experience and use as a base with my old age that seems to be creeping in fast.

While there, the Dr got a call to go back to his Wat because equipment arrived to trim some trees. So his driver friend, took us up to the “camp.” Just below Wat Tha Ton, sat a lodge with great view of a river, hills, and Wats, and Buddha images nestled in a nearly Shangri La layout missing the snowy peaks. We met the monks and novices attending this event, and I have never seen so many smiles. We ate lunch, served by people in white who had take the precepts. I watched in shock when the other “farang,” jumped into his food before prayers. But no one made any notice, and this went on for the whole time we were there. These were totally accepting and non-judgmental monks, with some more wisdom that can hopefully rub off on me. We did sitting, walking and laying meditation, and learn to practice mindfulness in each with a great demonstration on prostrating very slowly. On break we walked to the top of Wat Tha Ton, marveling at our great luck.
The following day, Saturday we walked in line mindfully to the top again at dawn, to say prayers to the relics in the crystal pagoda at the top. When walking the monks lead the white clothed(in precepts), and I loved talking to a couple of novices, but forgot to get their contact to follow their progress and to inspire me.
More later.

Blossoming Novice Artist

I saw novice, Nam from Mon-pin temple the other day drawing, so I met with him and asked him what he like to have for supplies. He said he did not want to trouble me, but I told him I come from an artist family so for me it makes sense. I had not seen a completed drawing from him yet before I asked him what he needed. So I bought him what he wanted— watercolor paper, watercolor sets, brushes, pallet and watercolor pencils.



I dropped it off at his temple and first he gave me his best drawing, and later after he saw what I supplies I brought, I got two more in appreciation. I knew from the moment I met him when we went to the hot springs and lake that he had an eye. Few novices would draw rather than swim, like Nam did that day.

Teacher Appreciation Day At Temple School

One of the great things about being in orange and older, the novices tolerate me when I sit around watching them create 3-D displays as gifts for their teachers. But looking at how this may sound to someone considering this program, it is not just a photo opportunity. You can personally connect with the novice, being one and work on personal growth while on the path.
It really seems foolish to me to be interested without being on a buddhist path, you are less likely to understand it all, and so participation will be not have your heart involved leading to pure intention. And Thai's sense this, which will fall back in your face in subtle ways. Sure you will be tolerated, and never confronted. Anyway, this is just my opinion.
First, quite a few novices, go around and outside temple ground to gather flowers and leaves, and find some clay soil. No one bought any art supplies, and they use jostick bamboo sticks or thin wire for support. They have no drawings or photographs to work from and little if any supervision. The novices just do what there are good at and with few disagreements. Sure, some chirp in what or how to do things, and most are working in groups of 5 or more. Some displays are based on old Thai style that are seen in many temples from lay people wanting to earn merit. All this, while the teachers are off for the day.