This past week my school, along with fifteen teachers and myself, took a field trip to a Buddhist temple and meditation center about an hour from our town. The temple is up away from the highway a little ways and in the middle of a nice forest with mountains in the background. The weather was beautiful and cool with a constant breeze blowing through. We spent three days and two nights at the center and slept in a dormitory building on straw mats with little square pillows. Traditionally, many monks here in Thailand will only eat a morning meal and then abstain from food until the following day. The students, teachers and I ate morning and lunch meals and then didn't eat until the following morning. The first night of not eating was definitely a challenge as I don't think I have ever in my life gone without eating when I was hungry. It's a funny thing to write, and it makes me realize just how lucky I am that I can even say that. That I have a chose to eat when I'm hungry or abstain from food that is sitting in front of me.
After an initial few hours of discomfort, I really felt normal. By the following morning I felt really light and clear and eating breakfast was enjoyable, but I was less hungry than usual. The center serves only vegetarian food as it follows the traditional teachings that people should not kill anything living. I know some of you may think, "Well, what about plants. They're living too." At the moment I can't remember what the Buddhist text says about this, but they have a reason. Of course. It seems that all religions usually have a reason to justify something.
We all woke at 4 a.m. each morning to go down to the temple to pray and meditate. I'm not sure why, but I was really awake each morning and found the meditation to be pleasant. Breakfast was served around 8 a.m. and lunch at noon. Between these times there were various presentations for the students about the history of Buddhism, being a good person, son/daughter and student and other various lectures pertaining to morals and religion. We also had the chance each day to participate in walking meditation, where we would take off our shoes and walk in long lines, silently, following three leading monks. This, I almost liked better than sitting meditation, but as the head monk was telling me, it's important to have a combination of the two. That makes sense to me. Here are some pictures from our time there.
After an initial few hours of discomfort, I really felt normal. By the following morning I felt really light and clear and eating breakfast was enjoyable, but I was less hungry than usual. The center serves only vegetarian food as it follows the traditional teachings that people should not kill anything living. I know some of you may think, "Well, what about plants. They're living too." At the moment I can't remember what the Buddhist text says about this, but they have a reason. Of course. It seems that all religions usually have a reason to justify something.
We all woke at 4 a.m. each morning to go down to the temple to pray and meditate. I'm not sure why, but I was really awake each morning and found the meditation to be pleasant. Breakfast was served around 8 a.m. and lunch at noon. Between these times there were various presentations for the students about the history of Buddhism, being a good person, son/daughter and student and other various lectures pertaining to morals and religion. We also had the chance each day to participate in walking meditation, where we would take off our shoes and walk in long lines, silently, following three leading monks. This, I almost liked better than sitting meditation, but as the head monk was telling me, it's important to have a combination of the two. That makes sense to me. Here are some pictures from our time there.
No school bus, no problem. The vehicle we drove to transport students. Lawsuit?
Safety third.
In ya go.
This was one of a long row of little houses where the nuns and monks stay. It was one person to a house with the men and ladies divided on the grounds. The nuns also shave their heads and wear white robes instead of orange like the men.
Students listening to the abbot of the monk give a lecture. This monk also has a temple in Chicago where he teaches about meditation and Buddhism. He said mostly Thai and Lao people visit, but he also gets others interested in learning.
Organizing ourselves before going out on a walking meditation session.
I had the chance to sit and talk with this man one night and it turns out he attended high school in Nashville, Tennessee and worked in New York City for a number of years. He was a very nice man and is interested in having me back out to the temple to discuss religion a bit more.
Walking meditation.
Practicing bowing before starting prayer. If I've figured it out right, most of the times before you start a prayer session, you bow three times and your head touches the floor.
Our walking meditation leaders.
Sign for visitors.
Teachers having a good time while the students sit inside :)
A group of teachers from my school.
The word "wat" means temple and Santinanachat is the name of the temple. It means, I think, temple of many nationalities.
A monk sporting a digital camera taking pictures in order to do a video for the students.
Last night closing ceremony. We each had a candle and a leaf from the Bodhi tree, which is supposedly the tree under which the Buddha gained enlightenment. The principle of our school lit his candle first and then proceeded to light my candle and I lit the next person's and so on and so forth. The leaf was used to catch the wax from dripping.
Frame the face.
Putting candles in the sand pit at the front as the ceremony was closing.
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