I knew that living alongside the Buddhist monks would be something not many would have the chance of experiencing and I feel incredibly privileged to have had the opportunity to do so. I do like the principles of buddhism - the lack of desire and therefore the lack of suffering and the discipline shown by the monks is admirable. I'm not sure I could cope with the 5am starts every day (not being a morning person) or the fasting between midday and dawn, but I felt strangely peaceful during my stay. The monks have no possessions and rely on others to survive but in a hugely devout buddhist country, there is obviously no lack of support from the lay Buddhists. We began each day by walking the streets in the dark collecting alms - the respect given by a lay Buddhist to a Buddhist monk. The monk then prays for the giver's family and although I did have some doubts as to whether this could be portrayed as charity, it became obvious that the act of alms giving helped to connect the giver to the monk and all that he represents. It surprised me how much we had collected in an hour and a half, and although only ten monks were living in the Wat Songphinong temple I was assured that none of the food would go to waste and it would be distributed to those in need. Before we ate the offerings we took part in the chanting, the traditional means of preparing the mind for meditation. I have used meditation before but had forgotten how effective it is in calming the mind. Walking meditation was a new practice for me and the hectic Western world became a distant memory as I passed time in this way. The days were spent cleaning, chanting and meditating and I felt as though I was cocooned in a land far away from the one I know. My stay has encouraged me to explore the buddhist way of life in more detail so I am now engrossed in text books.
I'm finding it difficult to keep up with the pace of my travelling and the next week will see me trekking through central Thailand, so an entirely different experience again.
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3 comments:
After hearing about your adventures from Pete and Liz, we're really enjoying reading your blog - a far cry from the drunken west London days. Hope to catch up with you on your return. Much love Andy, Jo, Issy, Lucy and Molly
Hi Kate
Sounds like your experience with the monks has left you feeling very chilled - long may it last! Like you I couldn't be doing with those early morning starts but like the idea of travelling through life a bit lighter...
love Catriona
xx
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