N. Thailand : through a future/present/past monk from America

[phuketbound]

Great thread, Bustak. Would you do it again?

[bustak]

darn, I forgot about this thread, I need to update it!

Great thread, Bustak. Would you do it again?

not in the near future, but like the past, the future means nothing.

[bustak]

once this is through, I went off to shower & put on a white outfit. After that I went to the temple to request to be a monk:


to be continued.

better late than never.

after I put on the white outfit w/ my head shaved, people tied white string around my wrist. After that I turned to my master to request to become a monk:


During the break a friend & myself talked about how hard it was reciting pali (I read 99.9% off of a piece of paper):


then I was able to go off to the side & put on part of the robe:


then the monk gave permission to put on the rest of the robe, so a couple of monks helped me put on whole thing:


I then went back & chanted w/ my master for 20-30 minutes:


then we left the main hall & went to a little area where the ordination is completed. This is my master & I:


^ this is my favorite picture by far. I didn't take it of course.

to be continued.

[phuketbound]

^I also like that last picture. Is that CMN in one of the photos?

Looks like a very interesting experience for you.

[bustak]

yep, that's CMn, he was there for support, & to see a bald bustak.

It was an interesting experience. If you're interested you should look into doing a Zen thing in Korea, I wonder if there's any short-term ordination opportunities for women there.

[Fuzzy Bob]

Very proud of you bustak
I'm crying big time, well done

[phuketbound]

yep, that's CMn, he was there for support, & to see a bald bustak.

It was an interesting experience. If you're interested you should look into doing a Zen thing in Korea, I wonder if there's any short-term ordination opportunities for women there.

I have attended a few temple stays in Korea. They have also been quite an experience. I would be interested in doing some meditation retreats in Thailand in the near future. Have you been to any in the Chiang Mai area?

[bustak]

^

I've been to this a few times:
:: Monkchat @ MCU-CM ::

I highly recommend it.

When I was a monk I was out in the forest, 40 minutes outside of CM practicing vipassana. The 2nd to last day before I disrobed, I saw the lay-person area & it was pretty swank, looked like a sabai-sabai place to practice a silent retreat. I can't find a website in English, I'll have my gf do a google search in Thai to try & find the url.

I have attended a few temple stays in Korea. They have also been quite an experience.

Was it a Zen temple? If so did you learn/practice zazen?

[phuketbound]

^It'd be great if you could find the website, but thanks for the monkchat link.

Here is where I did the templestays.

Naesosa Temple
Official Site of Korea Tourism Org.: Naesosa Temple

Korean Buddhism is a cross between Mahayana, and Zen.
In case you want to read more.
Buddhism in Korea - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I have many friends that have done the Vipassana meditations retreats in Thailand. There is a well known retreat in Surat Thani too.

[ShilohJim]

Why is it that westerners have to make a mockery of a foreign religeon and tradition to massage their own egos?
Can you not just observe from afar? I guess you would not get any bragging rights then.
Religeon should be a life time decision not a holiday theme park ride or a photo opportunity. I did not realise that there was room for ego in Buddhism.

If you read the post you would know he is a Buddist, stop spouting off to hear your head rattle. Quite an honor to accomplish, good on ya mate for imersing yourself in a very different religion. Not bad just different.

ShilohJim

[Cujo]

So is this for life (monkhood) or just a passing phase you'll grow out of?

[bustak]

^ some people are short-term monks, others stay for many years & leave, while others stay in till they die.

this is after I came out of the hall, completing the ordination process:


I stayed at Wat Doi Saket for a few days, I took this soon after the ceremony:


this was my room:


here are a few pictures I took around the temple, I didn't take too many.


I was fascinated w/ seeing my shadow, with no hair & wearing a robe:


after 2 days they sent me off to the forest to practice vipsasana for a week, this was my guti (monks house):




this was in late December, so it was very very very cold at night.

to be continued.

[Bobcock]

This pic floats my boat.

bustak, i am in CM on august 10th for one day, wife kids the lot. have a van hired to go around. Doi Suthep, Wat Phra Singh and dinner with ant robertson. Anywhere else you'd recommend?

From a seriously selfish photographic point of view, sod the other tourists.

[Bobcock]

by the way, the pic above......do a HDR +2 0 -2 from the RAW, i'd love to see how it looks.

[bustak]

^ I'll try that out, I took that one w/ my now dead Canon p&s.

bustak, i am in CM on august 10th for one day, wife kids the lot. have a van hired to go around. Doi Suthep, Wat Phra Singh and dinner with ant robertson. Anywhere else you'd recommend?

From a seriously selfish photographic point of view, sod the other tourists.

You & your 5d are going to love Doi Suthep. I say skip Wat Phra Singh, goto Wat Suan Dok & Wat Umong instead. Beautiful temples, especially Umong (it's a forest temple), it's near Wat Suan Dok & on the way to Doi Suthep. Both not far from the downtown area, so the driver can get you there without a problem.

[Bobcock]

We arrive at 9.10 am and depart about 24 hours later. I'm hoping the van will collect us at the airport, so we can go straight from there. Should have plenty of time for various stuff. I've been to CM several times and I remember several temples that are disappointing, Wat Jed Yot I think is one and another that has a crumbled chedi with some remodelled elephants around the base is not worth it. Wat phra Singh i remember for the activity around it for people shots....

Wat Suan Dok is that the big old one with the large old Ubosot and the white prangs with remains of the wives of old Kings behind it?

I definately haven't been to wat Umong unless it was on my first trip in 1987.

[bustak]

Wat Suan Dok is that the big old one with the large old Ubosot and the white prangs with remains of the wives of old Kings behind it?

I definately haven't been to wat Umong unless it was on my first trip in 1987.

yes, that's Suan Dok.

you have to go to Wat Umong. It's amazing how peaceful it is for being 15 minutes outside of the downtown area & near CMU.

Here are a few shots taken around there:





your kids will love it, because there's a pond/bridge you can feed birds & fish, along w/ a back area (only went there once) where you can see deers running around. There are plenty of monks & temple cats/dogs around, along with a tunnel temple under the chedi.

It's a visual feast.