Big smiles, beautiful beaches, snorkeling and diving, full moon “raves,” hill tribe trekking… Thaliand is known for many travel delights. But what about a ten-day Buddhist retreat? A growing number of travelers are opting for spirtual Thailand.
“I want to give you the best of Thailand,” the abbot of Suan Mok told us several times, his kindness and goodwill obvious. For ten days the 130 or so interim monks–we even took vows–contemplated dharma talks, meditated while sitting or walking, ate and slept–all in silence–and did not much else.
The first challenge comes early, 4:30 am to be exact, when the bell ringer incessantly clangs the bell for wake up. He keeps at it for 15 minutes, building loudness, always with a touch of noisy creativity. I would stagger out of my “room”–more aptly called a cell for its barred-window, boarded-over concrete cot, and view of the courtyard–and in less mindful moments, made jingles to amuse myself:
“Woke up, got outta my cell
Cursed the man who rang the bell
Took a walk outside and had a sit
The abbot spoke and I went into a trance…
Ahhhhhahah…”
At that point my mind would, for some reason, “play” Genesis’ “Supper’s Ready” rather than a continuation of that Beatles classic.
The days passed from meditation session to meditation session. From a day one or day two perspective, ten days seemed a veritable mountain of time, a massive stretch of bleak, but potentially fascinating desert. Nothing but ten days of unstimulating sameness and the chatter of my own mind.
The abbot introduced “Anapanasati,” which can be translated, “to take one truth or reality of nature and then observe, investigate, and scrutinize it within the mind with every inhalation and exhalation.” The Anapanasati system is at once simple and profound. Certain concepts, like seeing the breath as a sort of body are difficult to grasp, but the main idea is for the practitioner to try. With ten days of unbroken silence the chance is there to find a space within that’s deeper and quieter than normal.
This ten-day retreat is a lighter version of Vipassana courses offered throughout the world, including one in Kyoto. Suan Mok has less required sitting, offers bananas at dinner time, and takes a more lenient view towards speaking. We certanily had time to rest evidence by the whopping 25 naps I snagged (yes, I counted). The naps were a natural consequence to mindfully laying down after meal times. Thus Suan Mok, while it provides a worthwhile challenge, is the best place for first time retreatants to start.
Suan Mok is not far from Koh Samui where many go to party. Like the mainland, these island paradises offer something for those inclined for spirituality or cleansing. Some travelers opt for sipping coconut juice on the beach while trying a one or two or even three week-long fast at the Healing Center. The Center is particulay popular with Kyoto’s foreigner community. Whether a traveler works these in between raves, or makes it his path, either way I’d say that spiritual Thailand is the very best of a great country.
Ten-day Anapanasati meditation retreats are offeed from the first of every month in the town of Chaiya.
Tag Archive for 'buddhism'
You see them all around Kansai–O-jizo-sama statues-on street corners, in unlikely nooks and busy intersections, all decked out in red or yellow aprons. These stone statue are believed to protect children, as well as beings suffering in hell. O-jizo-sama, which has combined with ancient native deities, comes from the Sanskrit word ksitigarbha or ‘womb of the earth’. These boddhisattvas give Kansai cities a special feeling, putting spirit into what would otherwise be concrete dullness.
On the Path of Philosophy in Kyoto, a group of special o-jizo-sama, mizugo-jizo, make their home. These stone statues stand silently in a moving tribute to unborn children who, for whatever erason, were denied a chance at life. There’s a sadness in their gathering, for their garb gives the stones a child-like quality; their stillness and silence, their resemblance to tombstones, naturally remind the observer of mortality.
A pilgrimage of sorts awaits those with an affinity for stone Buddhas. Gohyaku Rakan, “Five Hundred Stone Buddhas”, about ten kilometers north of Himeji, is the home for about 500 stone buddhas–a legion of sacred stones, spirtually inspiring, emotionally moving, and artistically impressive.
The Five Hundred Rakans of Hojo–which actually number 454–stand in a quiet village that makes an ideal sidetrip on the way to Himeji Castle. Rakan comes from the Sanscrit word Arahat, or realized one. Austerity and disciplined practice brings the Arahat to buddha-nature.
Like the aura of mysery that surronds the temples and shrines of the area, the origin of these carved statuary is lost to history. Wakasugi Kei conjectures that the images were carved in the 6th century–although even that much isn’t known for certain.
Many disasters–your standard Japanese fare of earthquakes, wars and famines–befell the locals causing countless deaths. The stone buddhas are presumed to stand in memory of the dead. Besides 500 Rakans, the grounds host a shrine with three monkeys–famed in the West for seeing, hearing, and speaking no evil.
“Go to Gohayku Rakan to the west of Hojo to see parent” goes the Japanese saying. It might take a particularly good imagination–or an enlighened one–to see your parent’s face with any degree of clarity, but the interesting aspect of these buddhas is that each one, like the individual buddhas on a Mandala scroll, is different.
This gathering of buddhist statuary provides a fascinationg and uncomercialized look at Japanese buddhist history. They will easily impress buddhism buffs for both their number and for the fact that their style differs from that of the typical O-jizo-sama. Collectively, they form a stirring tribute to art, religion, life and death–the gamut of emotions that special places evoke.
On the Path of Philosophy in Kyoto, a group of special o-jizo-sama, mizugo-jizo, make their home. These stone statues stand silently in a moving tribute to unborn children who, for whatever erason, were denied a chance at life. There’s a sadness in their gathering, for their garb gives the stones a child-like quality; their stillness and silence, their resemblance to tombstones, naturally remind the observer of mortality.
A pilgrimage of sorts awaits those with an affinity for stone Buddhas. Gohyaku Rakan, “Five Hundred Stone Buddhas”, about ten kilometers north of Himeji, is the home for about 500 stone buddhas–a legion of sacred stones, spirtually inspiring, emotionally moving, and artistically impressive.
The Five Hundred Rakans of Hojo–which actually number 454–stand in a quiet village that makes an ideal sidetrip on the way to Himeji Castle. Rakan comes from the Sanscrit word Arahat, or realized one. Austerity and disciplined practice brings the Arahat to buddha-nature.
Like the aura of mysery that surronds the temples and shrines of the area, the origin of these carved statuary is lost to history. Wakasugi Kei conjectures that the images were carved in the 6th century–although even that much isn’t known for certain.
Many disasters–your standard Japanese fare of earthquakes, wars and famines–befell the locals causing countless deaths. The stone buddhas are presumed to stand in memory of the dead. Besides 500 Rakans, the grounds host a shrine with three monkeys–famed in the West for seeing, hearing, and speaking no evil.
“Go to Gohayku Rakan to the west of Hojo to see parent” goes the Japanese saying. It might take a particularly good imagination–or an enlighened one–to see your parent’s face with any degree of clarity, but the interesting aspect of these buddhas is that each one, like the individual buddhas on a Mandala scroll, is different.
This gathering of buddhist statuary provides a fascinationg and uncomercialized look at Japanese buddhist history. They will easily impress buddhism buffs for both their number and for the fact that their style differs from that of the typical O-jizo-sama. Collectively, they form a stirring tribute to art, religion, life and death–the gamut of emotions that special places evoke.