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.

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.

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.

Patom's Surprise

They say that a good story finds itself. Last night out of the blue while busy on the computer, Patom(said Paa-TUUM) came into my room, with a candle in alm’s pastry from Monday, singing “Happy Birthday to You!” It was a total surprise, and I know that is one easy way to commun-icate in English to me that he remembers. Any English spoken slowly and clearly in song is much easier to recall. I thought how sweet, and how ironic that after I made the start to become a monk on my birthday(which he doesn’t know), this happens. Ket has moved in once my roommate monk left, wanting to sleep under my platform as a sign of respect.



The first night on Sunday, he had an elder novice stay with him on the floor, but that novice was out of the net so he got bitten too much. We have to sleep in sarong and a one arm shirt, almost dressed inorder to keep with the precepts. So along with Patom, I see several novices for English and snacks before bed, it kind of wipes out meditation time…but when else will this ever happen?



Patom has made himself at home, grabbing a shelf locker to store his food booty for late snack and command-eering my flashlight. He uses my bathroom to wash his robes while singing Pali prayers. Here he is having warm milk, just before he crashes, saying, “Hey you, sleeping now!” to get me off the computer.






I had to snap the night shot of him under my bed, this morning, before the morning chime was sounded at 5am. Along with those photos are alms spread from this morning still warm in the bowl, and then Patom demanded we eat together before he took off to school. This does agree with what my partner said of the needs of the children everywhere for warmth, two posts below. But this also to say that there is no lack of love here at this temple, with the abott working right along side novices in a sweat digging to help build a new meditation spot along the main wihan.

Dear Novice,

This is an email from my partner reflecting on his experience as a novice when he was a boy.

Dear Novice,

I am proud that someone like you are interested, enough to become a monk. Your pictures remind me of when I have been a chunky monkey when I was 13-14 years old. I do understand about other persons needs more than other people understand me. After I finished primary school then I have been the chunky monkey for a year. The life was troublesome then, because I have to live with many monks who came from different families and different personal natures. Then, I was a child and still need warmth from my family. I believe that the novices in the temple with you will need the same things as I did back then. They are still being children and left their families to live with many people from different places. If in the Western countries, I think that the students leave their family to stay in the school the whole semester but they will have time to spend with their families when vacation arrives. The Thai novices don't have time to leave temple to spend the time with families to get the warmth that children need. I think some novices are come from poor families, family problem, etc. So, we as adult (monks) should be understand about children’s life and nature. We should treat them as children more than use them for work whatever we want.



After I left the temple then, I felt scared to be monastic again. Now, I feel that I would not trust in monks (some) as much like before (thinking), but I also trust more in other’s monks. When I was a chunky monkey, I was a servant of the monks. My feelings were based on the fact that the monks in the temple used make work for them a lot. But my experience taught me to be patient. I know you will practice within the ten precepts of rules. That will be your merit and another way you can give your knowledge to others by English teaching that I can't do.


From my experience then, I never got an English class in school in my temple. So, I think that is not my fate and decided to leave and come back to continue high school and try to continue schooling all time when I have chance. I think I was lucky to spend life for a year in the temple to learn how to spend life with others and more patient. And more luck that I decided to leave for continuing high school and now on to my masters. I am happy with you that you are happy.



Novice Ket came to clean and organize my room of respect for me since I am a novice, too. He was not forced to, obviously with love I see around this temple. Certainly there is some curiosity about what I have in my Kuti, too. He is a joker and we often help one another with robes. And he comes over to eat an evening snack away from his superiors watchful eye. Upon finishing he promptly fell asleep on my floor. The photo at bottom is the Abbott, Dr Aphisit with the camera with novices playing with their monkey.