A Royal Buddhist Monastery Make-Over

Wat Bowon Nivet Vihara buildings are being redone and are nearly finished. I can’t write better than this site on all the history of the buildings. So I’ll just accent it with some photos. A little bit more of historic Bangkok is saved!





Open the Doorway of Impermanence

Reflecting on our own impermanence helps us stop following the dissatisfied mind of desire whose impulses are seen as without meaning in the face of death. When we don’t face impermanence and death, our lives become busy, complicated, and stressful. When we do face them, our lives become simpler and more full of meaning. Our fear of, or aversion to facing these subjects is a trick that the mind plays on itself, which keeps us caught in the trap of self-centered, compulsive, neurotic egotism. The illusion that we exist as solid, permanent entities is in fact a trap or prison for our hearts; facing the truth about impermanence is the doorway out.
–Lorne Ladner, from The Lost Art of Compassion

Sleeping Cart

Is it true where you live? Not where I am from… strangers often talk, even in casual conver-sation. It is more rare here, but when I go out shooting at night people often are very curious and want to see the results. I have in all my visits begun to notice the destruction of old Bangkok historical buildings. The Thais embrace new things and value them more than old. This translates to 10 –15 year old condos just falling apart, with no viable maintenance done ever including paint. It would be a scary investment in them knowing that would fall apart fast, with no board to watch or care. So I like the old style buildings, whether Thai or colonial style. So I was out shooting them at night when the mystery is highlighted, the cool air refreshing and the cart vendors sleeping.