Thai 12
Ko Samui
Saturday, April 17, 1999
It's been about a week since I left Suan Mokh and the Thai Buddhist retreat, and I have had some time to let my thoughts settle down a bit. Actually, I have been having quite a hard time concentrating on my mind because of this little knot in my small intestine. I have located the exact place where it causes the blockage, and I have been fasting and massaging the area to see if that helps. So far it seems to be still there. Pain as an example of something we mu right?
In the past I would fast to make my body shape a certain way because it feels better, gives more energy, and allows one to move with grace. That is one facet, whereas the other facet for fasting is that is helps meditation and spiritual search. If you're trying to sit still and breath with a T-bone steak in the gut, it can make sitting very uncomfortable. Besides, we all know those spiritual seekers use fasting as a method for preparation for meditation. Buddha fasted, Jesus fasted, Muhammad fasted, and all sorts of ascetics, saints, and seekers fast to cleanse the body to receive liberation of suffering, so it must be useful. Enough of this, onto the stories.
I intimated last time about my psychic development. Now don't get me wrong- I have no aspirations to voodoo anyone- if anything I want to avoid such manipulation of power. I think those that claim such psychic abilities have the responsibility to not intervene in other people's affairs on the hocus-pocus level. That is just trickery and leads people to not see their own abilities which we all have.
To try to frame this bit has been a challenge. I would like to communicate it, but it is difficult. I thought I should just not say anything and keep it to myself, but that would be denying a whole area of growth. And you know by now, I subscribe to the "Henry Miller" approach, which is to describe the whole man.
Well, in this instance, I saw Ajarn Po, the abbot at Suan Mokh, as a skeleton as he spoke. It was the last night of the retreat and when he addressed us he appeared to me with transparent flesh and tissue and I just saw a skeleton speaking. His eyes were luminous gold disks. As I knelt in the zazen posture and looked, I tried to think of how the light might be playing tricks on me. I squinted, opened them wider, and tried to write it off as a delusionary fancy. But, meditation teaches us to really explore our perceptions, thoughts and feelings, and so I just went with it and there he was, a skeleton. I was not freaked out or scared or anything like that, but accepted the fact I could see a skeleton. His voice was normal, his body transparent, and it became clearer to me that he was very advanced in his spiritual path for some reason. I knew that already by watching him last time, and by talking with him, but this night gave me a deeper understanding of the power of spirit.
Back to the day-to-day perceptions now. Ajarn Po and some of the other monks came to Ko Samui for Songkran to pay respect and bless Ajarn Po's parents and the village elders after the retreat. Songkran is the Thai New Year (hey, the third New Year I've celebrated so far this year!), and it is a water throwing, three day affair. I went to a the small ceremony with others from the Spa who also were at the retreat. It took place at 7:30 in the morning, out behind his parents' house. The monks sit on a raised covered piece of wood called a "sala", and Ajarn Po read prayers and talked to the elders who sit on straw mats on the ground in front. The original purpose for the water throwing was lived out at this ceremony. After the monks gave their blessings, the elders get up and take seats to the front of the sala and sit facing the crowd. The men, women, and children in attendance form a line and take small cups of water to the elders, and pour a bit of water into their hands and the elders rub the head as a new year's blessing. Everyone can get involved and so did I. It was really great to feel this community and be accepted as part of it. Three or four generations of people all gathered to respect the aged. A real difference from our western tradition where the elders are not respected and shuffled off to old age homes to die. These folks had as much a role in the vitality of the village as anyone else. Now doesn't that make sense? We've got a lot to learn form such cultures that still value our parents and elders.
Rodney Dangerfield, the American comedian, made a whole career out of about "not getting respect". My father used to say respect is earned. I wholeheartedly disagree- respect is our solemn duty no matter who or what we are in contact with. That is part of loving kindness, which emulates the unconditional love god or whatever you want to call it gives all life. The sun shines on everyone and everything. We should take that as our cue not to discriminate on who earns or doesn't our respect. It is to be given to all things. I learned that from meditation and listening to the dhamma talks. "dhamma" is the Pali word for the Sanskrit translation "dharma", which is translated in English as "the law of nature". Just as naturally, giving respect to everything is easier said than done. But becoming mindful in our every moment alive helps us realize when we lose respect for others and things, we have the power to remedy our selfish indulgences through right speech, action, and thought.
After the ceremony, we had breakfast and left. On the way back to the Spa in the back of a pick-up truck, the town continues the Songkran festivities by throwing water on everyone. It is unavoidable to not get soaked. Luckily on the beach village I am staying, the celebrations took place only on the first of the three days of Songkran. The Bangkok papers showed photos of a real water fight for three days. Even the firemen get involved and use the water cannons to soak people. I'm just glad I wasn't there. Unfortunately, I did have one small injury. In the back of the truck, getting drenched with water along with everyone else, I also received a bag of ice that hit me square on the head. Ouch! I thought I had a concussion all day, but it proved to be alright.
The day before this ceremony, two of the hired help at the Spa got married. It took place outside on the cement floor of the Spa's restaurant. It was a real low key affair, mostly because these two were dirt poor, but filled with as much happiness and festivities as the typical wedding that costs the bride's papa a ton of money. The bride was dressed in a modest silk sarong and stood by herself by the flower arrangement on the ground. The groom borrowed the Spa's owner's white jacket and was lead in under an umbrella with men around him singing and dancing, and taking big chugs off a Mekhong whiskey bottle. They were all pretty drunk before this affair began.
Comments? Email Gaga
Saturday, April 17, 1999
It's been about a week since I left Suan Mokh and the Thai Buddhist retreat, and I have had some time to let my thoughts settle down a bit. Actually, I have been having quite a hard time concentrating on my mind because of this little knot in my small intestine. I have located the exact place where it causes the blockage, and I have been fasting and massaging the area to see if that helps. So far it seems to be still there. Pain as an example of something we mu right?
In the past I would fast to make my body shape a certain way because it feels better, gives more energy, and allows one to move with grace. That is one facet, whereas the other facet for fasting is that is helps meditation and spiritual search. If you're trying to sit still and breath with a T-bone steak in the gut, it can make sitting very uncomfortable. Besides, we all know those spiritual seekers use fasting as a method for preparation for meditation. Buddha fasted, Jesus fasted, Muhammad fasted, and all sorts of ascetics, saints, and seekers fast to cleanse the body to receive liberation of suffering, so it must be useful. Enough of this, onto the stories.
I intimated last time about my psychic development. Now don't get me wrong- I have no aspirations to voodoo anyone- if anything I want to avoid such manipulation of power. I think those that claim such psychic abilities have the responsibility to not intervene in other people's affairs on the hocus-pocus level. That is just trickery and leads people to not see their own abilities which we all have.
To try to frame this bit has been a challenge. I would like to communicate it, but it is difficult. I thought I should just not say anything and keep it to myself, but that would be denying a whole area of growth. And you know by now, I subscribe to the "Henry Miller" approach, which is to describe the whole man.
Well, in this instance, I saw Ajarn Po, the abbot at Suan Mokh, as a skeleton as he spoke. It was the last night of the retreat and when he addressed us he appeared to me with transparent flesh and tissue and I just saw a skeleton speaking. His eyes were luminous gold disks. As I knelt in the zazen posture and looked, I tried to think of how the light might be playing tricks on me. I squinted, opened them wider, and tried to write it off as a delusionary fancy. But, meditation teaches us to really explore our perceptions, thoughts and feelings, and so I just went with it and there he was, a skeleton. I was not freaked out or scared or anything like that, but accepted the fact I could see a skeleton. His voice was normal, his body transparent, and it became clearer to me that he was very advanced in his spiritual path for some reason. I knew that already by watching him last time, and by talking with him, but this night gave me a deeper understanding of the power of spirit.
Back to the day-to-day perceptions now. Ajarn Po and some of the other monks came to Ko Samui for Songkran to pay respect and bless Ajarn Po's parents and the village elders after the retreat. Songkran is the Thai New Year (hey, the third New Year I've celebrated so far this year!), and it is a water throwing, three day affair. I went to a the small ceremony with others from the Spa who also were at the retreat. It took place at 7:30 in the morning, out behind his parents' house. The monks sit on a raised covered piece of wood called a "sala", and Ajarn Po read prayers and talked to the elders who sit on straw mats on the ground in front. The original purpose for the water throwing was lived out at this ceremony. After the monks gave their blessings, the elders get up and take seats to the front of the sala and sit facing the crowd. The men, women, and children in attendance form a line and take small cups of water to the elders, and pour a bit of water into their hands and the elders rub the head as a new year's blessing. Everyone can get involved and so did I. It was really great to feel this community and be accepted as part of it. Three or four generations of people all gathered to respect the aged. A real difference from our western tradition where the elders are not respected and shuffled off to old age homes to die. These folks had as much a role in the vitality of the village as anyone else. Now doesn't that make sense? We've got a lot to learn form such cultures that still value our parents and elders.
Rodney Dangerfield, the American comedian, made a whole career out of about "not getting respect". My father used to say respect is earned. I wholeheartedly disagree- respect is our solemn duty no matter who or what we are in contact with. That is part of loving kindness, which emulates the unconditional love god or whatever you want to call it gives all life. The sun shines on everyone and everything. We should take that as our cue not to discriminate on who earns or doesn't our respect. It is to be given to all things. I learned that from meditation and listening to the dhamma talks. "dhamma" is the Pali word for the Sanskrit translation "dharma", which is translated in English as "the law of nature". Just as naturally, giving respect to everything is easier said than done. But becoming mindful in our every moment alive helps us realize when we lose respect for others and things, we have the power to remedy our selfish indulgences through right speech, action, and thought.
After the ceremony, we had breakfast and left. On the way back to the Spa in the back of a pick-up truck, the town continues the Songkran festivities by throwing water on everyone. It is unavoidable to not get soaked. Luckily on the beach village I am staying, the celebrations took place only on the first of the three days of Songkran. The Bangkok papers showed photos of a real water fight for three days. Even the firemen get involved and use the water cannons to soak people. I'm just glad I wasn't there. Unfortunately, I did have one small injury. In the back of the truck, getting drenched with water along with everyone else, I also received a bag of ice that hit me square on the head. Ouch! I thought I had a concussion all day, but it proved to be alright.
The day before this ceremony, two of the hired help at the Spa got married. It took place outside on the cement floor of the Spa's restaurant. It was a real low key affair, mostly because these two were dirt poor, but filled with as much happiness and festivities as the typical wedding that costs the bride's papa a ton of money. The bride was dressed in a modest silk sarong and stood by herself by the flower arrangement on the ground. The groom borrowed the Spa's owner's white jacket and was lead in under an umbrella with men around him singing and dancing, and taking big chugs off a Mekhong whiskey bottle. They were all pretty drunk before this affair began.
Comments? Email Gaga
posted by Gaga | 11:22 PM
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