First Step with Precepts

After I got my head shaved by a novice, we made a sidetrip to some local spots on Saturday before I took the eight precepts. While driving we left got caught in the rain, laughing and chilled novices with me in back. No one got angry or upset. Driving on dirt roads in the back of a pickup truck we finally found it. The monk who was there was building it as well, so it just framed up. No stucco, or window frames in the building so the crickets just echoed pleasantly. The monk, Samnuksonk Ponpa was genuinely happy and I could tell he had an accent from another province. So I asked, through a friend, if he had seen the lotus temple, Wat Pha Nam Yoi in Isan? He said I had in fact painted some of the walls there. My partner and I had been there twice and I donated money for the construction, and fond of the design. I thought what are the odds of meeting a former monk from there? I thought it would be a good idea to go and meditate with him once I get the robes next week. He had some Thai/ English dharma books.



Came back in time to put on white clothes and to meet the abbot of my temple to complete the precepts with one other man. He guided us through, and was very forgiving of any mistakes with my speech disability. He said it is most important to have the intention, because everyone will make mistakes at one time or another.


The Eight Precepts:
1. Panatipata veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami
I undertake the precept to refrain from destroying living creatures.
2. Adinnadana veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami
I undertake the precept to refrain from taking that which is not given.
3. Abrahmacariya veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami
I undertake the precept to refrain from sexual activity.
4. Musavada veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami
I undertake the precept to refrain from incorrect speech.
5. Suramerayamajja pamadatthana veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami
I undertake the precept to refrain from intoxicating drinks and drugs which lead to carelessness.
6. Vikalabhojana veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami
I undertake the precept to refrain from eating at the forbidden time (i.e., after noon).
7. Nacca-gita-vadita-visukkadassana mala-gandha-vilepana-dharana-mandana-vibhusanathana veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami
I undertake the precept to refrain from dancing, singing, music, going to see entertainments, wearing garlands, using perfumes, and beautifying the body with cosmetics.
8. Uccasayana-mahasayana veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami
I undertake the precept to refrain from lying on a high or luxurious sleeping place.

Ghost Dancers

Fang provided some entertainment yesterday nearby Sri Boonruang Temple, when a local house hired a shaman to get rid of ghosts. The band did jam, and people filed in to get a blessing from the shaman and then dress up and dance. It went on all day and night and I can hear the music from the temple. It was fun to see a non-tourist event like this, and it not far from what I have seen in Isan in the past.


Well, we have been blessed with a happy schizophrenic in this program. A new age child, full of thoughts and weird segways…but harmless. I am not really sure how he got in, but it will be and has been a source of transforming adverse conditions. He is not really interested in dharma, but probably does not have capacity to focus. The great thing is the Thai’s don’t care about crazy farangs, and I am not very different looking than he, so I appear as crazy as is…which I find funny. I think they have one more like it in the program that has seen maybe 30 so far go though. It makes it difficult to discuss Dharma anytime he is involved in the conversation.

The best thing here is being around the youthful energy of the “chunky monkies,” innocent and funny, yet respectful, kids. One saw me walking across the grounds in the rain and ran out and put an umbrella over my head. Some of which are poor kids just here for an education and live here, some are bused in for school in their robes.



Tonight, we did chanting with monks in front and us three in the back of them, then a whole school of kids behind. One of the resident dogs that looks like a miniature Doberman pitcher at the beginning of the chants decided to jump at me at my hands in prayer, wanting to play. I hid my hands under my pants and he would nip at my arms, and I was busting up, and all the “monkies” were laughing. They just finally grabbed him and petted him as we started the chants then he fell asleep. Out of all the kids in the temple and he picked me, I guess because I play with him outside. I think petting him is where I got my eye infection.

Sideline Trip out of Temple and Alms Round

At dawn, I followed monks on an alms round to get familiar with what I will have to do. Then five of us went on a tour along the Myanmar border, and to see a few hill tribes, some of which provide this temple with novice Monks. We did this trip before two of take precepts. With us are two other participants that are studying Buddhism in university back in the US, and will hate to see them go, as they accent most everything we do with their knowledge and willingness to share. We saw a cave which monks use of and on for the cave tradition, three different villages with different languages, and visited the area near the border. Feeling that this took away from our studies here at the temple, but it was interesting and allowed as the program is unstructured. And with the great company of our Dharma teacher who is happy and funny. Upon returning we watched the novices and their monkey pet providing a funny ending to a great day. So with the living, breathing temple there is time for fun. I have an eye infection, and got drops so it makes hard to see.

Ringing In Peace and the Gecko Calls

Almost immediately after I got a tour of the temple and put my bag down in my room, I felt completely relaxed and totally disconnected from my life in the states. Because you lose at lot of yourself in the peace and happiness that pervades this temple, it seems like home. A working temple, with novices who help teach us Pali chants, and we join them with chants and meditation. They provide much lightness and joy. I meditated three hours today each in one-hour segments, and one of which in the afternoon by the Stupa, after three us did Qi gong before as prep. I also got to talk to several other people on this journey and everybody is calm and happy even when things are difficult like being sick. The people involved are interesting and helpful, without getting in your face. It can be as much as you put into it. So, it is really hard for me to want to get online and tease out a piece.



Especially after a novice named Joy was so kind to come and help me work on my Pali, tonight. These connections are so unique, getting to hear about his Palaung village and learning Thai is his second language and English which I tried to help him on a bit. We compared the similar prayers in Mayahana and Theravada and I showed him some of my photos of other temples in different countries. In the middle of a lesson, a gecko barked right outside the widow in my left ear and scared me not knowing the sound. Joy closed the shutters to reveal him biding behind, so I could photograph him high up on the wall.
I am wondering if the gecko is my partner checking up to see if I am ok, as he wanted one as a pet. It just seemed like his style of joking. There is so much to tell, but I am anxious to get to bed to go on alms round with the novices at dawn. A bit nervous to do blessings, when I do become a monk, on similar rounds to the people who will give us the nice food to get merit. It is not begging, and it is a honor to give, so I only hope to honor them with a good Pali rendition. It gives me yet another way to look at how I fabricate worry, when I have no idea. It is just a total waste of time. This evenings chanting is still ringing in my head and it is so lovely all while the birds chirping, cackling and beetles buzzing and the sun going down.

Island and Birthday Surprise

The mystery of leaving for the airport in the dark humid night is lost when I consider that it almost means leaving my partner. It is supposed to get easier and it does only somewhat. Last night he said he did not want me to go or to leave him for that matter. Saying, “this is your intent, so go.” It wasn't bitter tone and for the first time he said you don’t have to because I love you. If you have any trouble or anything call me. You would think I was going to war not a temple to be monk.



This past weekend was great in a few ways. Saturday, we went to Koh Kret to check it out. Going by boat to Nonthaburi, then on by bus for almost an hour to Pak Kret to take a small boat crossing ferry. Arriving just as the ominous clouds were going to soon give the island a wash. We walked up the plank and took a very short walk into the island where Mons make pottery, meeting a guy who showed us quickly around the kilns but said you had better hurry and get back. We made it back to the crossing and over in time to grab bikes and rush to where the buses stop just as the clouds unleashed their fury. On the way back to Bangkok by bus, I was talking with my partner about some details of our history. I asked him what year his grandma died, and in the process filled in some detail that I missed over the years. I knew about most but vaguely and he holds back much emotion from his past life’s troubles. Retelling his story that lead up to his good fortune now starting his masters with my help, he hit a few tough parts and tears welled up in his eyes. One could easily feel empathy and it was all I could to not burst out in tears myself, if it wasn’t for the fact that we were on this bus. There were few people aboard, it was raining hard and water running down the outside of the bus only highlighted his tribulations. I put my hands on eyes, to quiet the feeling, but he and I knew that there is a great ending to these past problems…our love.


On Sunday, my birthday, we went shopping for pants for university since he no longer has to wear a uniform. He found three he liked, and he said I tam booned(making merit) for him on my birthday, joking. Later I came home to pack a small bag for temple, and he would meet me after seeing if his friend could come celebrate his birthday and mine later. He arrived back and said his friend was too busy to come by, and we continued talking. My partner answered the door, and it was a surprise…it was his friend with a birthday cake for me. He had planned the whole out!

Intricacies of Love

As this month has rolled by, one thing sticks in my head through my experience at this time. That whenever a person loves you they are doing it their way. The moment you want something more or different is where we get in trouble. Pure love, I was taught over and over in Dharma lessons is wishing for the other person to be happy. Not with the idea that they have to make us happy in return. But this is done with wisdom, not masochism. Looking at the big picture instead of getting hung up on minutiae of your own insecurities. Maturation, even for me still comes in waves, with a few deviations along the way. If I am to light the path for my partner, friends and family, I have to be on the path. Not acting, talking or even just entertaining wise ideas. And believe me it is work in almost every instance. You have to act with some reflection as to why you are doing such. Look at why you are hurt over the most minor differences in thought and actions. Seeing success sometimes, and failures in others(not in a grand sense, it is usually in minor circumstances). I am doing better at this as time goes on, but I can’t really stop there when I have seen how well this works. I have experienced marked changes since last year, maybe not visible to others but my own internal experience.



And one thing I think that is so cute, is how my partner knows he will be thought of when I am at temple. He said he won’t tempt me with calls or a visit, although allowed to. It doesn’t quite register with him how strong my desire is for a sharper mental awareness. Tonight, he will take out my one earring in preparation. And if I am truly wise, I will leave it out.

Wandering Observations

from the desk of Was Once, after coffee:
If Thais are so close to their parents especially their mother then why does not translate to mother earth? Obviously, some of which can be attribute to Buddhist teachings.I see klongs full of sewage, and who knows what else to the point of popping on the surface. I have seen people walk their trash and dump it in the Chao Phraya river. One never really knows the origin of the fish they sell, and which klong it comes from. In some places birth defects have resulted and no one really is screaming. Is this survival of the fittest in action?


If I am walking around off the beaten path, I rarely get bothered as Thais leave you alone. A few hellos from kids or saweedees from adults. If I ever get approached out there, it is only for transportation mostly like motorcycle taxis that give you the heads up if need a ride. They come in real handy. It is in the tourist sections that I get hassled, but if I don’t give eye contact and look down and press on then I look like I have a clue. It is problem photographing, because I am inquiring with my eyes, and sometimes misread as naïve.


I am also aware of the daily costs here, even when living on the cheap, so I appreciate how hard is to live on my partners salary. He does it quite well, and rarely asks for help. He is proud of what he has done on his own, proud to share and has great respect for my love. One of his long range goals is a doctorate and travel so even while being funny and joking he has his head in the right place. He did joke about me being a monk to avoid his hugs. All I really provide him with is consistency and freedom to be himself. I am always learning how do this.