Small Bursts of Wisdom

It is 3 am, and I am laying on my firm platform bed, with a tatami mat on top, my knees on fire from the temple floor, my ankles full of bug bites And now my stomach feels hollow, not really growling and you know what all this does to you? You think, and reflect and revel in really how fortunate your life has been. The precepts are designed to make you more humble, and propel you to reflect and practice with a clean slate. They are NOT any harder than living your fears, and that I can attest to. Sure, everything is new, the robes, the kind of practice, the surrounding and the circumstances. But I have seen a lot more love and forgiveness in ten days, than a year at home in the comfort of supposed ideal conditions.



Most, if not all of these novices come from really poor backgrounds, so poor they cannot pay for school or food. Some even from the loss of parents or caretakers. The abbott at this temple does not rule with a iron fist, but instead with firm loving kindness. With the practice you have to gather respect, and that comes down to your mind and spiritual progress. It is not always easy, and the novices last night in temple were laughing with me, not at me.



We have spent the last couple of days teaching them English, on a casual informal way. The ones who want to learn come visit us, and bring their books and questions to us. It is truly amazing how they will even form the knowledge they want, and will practice with us, all they really need is some slow, concise English grammar, and lots of laughter. I would like to learn Thai this way as a child would. One student in particular, although there are many more similar, Sang was so earnest trying to get as much as he could get in the couple of hours with us..after school. His desire far outpaced his fear of losing face with natural speakers, that some kids experience.

I will use Sang as a role model, when things get difficult for myself, knowing that my desire to have wisdom and be happy far exceed my fears. I hope I can provide these kids some of the knowledge they want.


Alang on left and Sang

Border Village Photos

Us and Them - Myanmar Hilltop Guard post


Palaung woman sorting rice











"Friend" at home

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!