If this week has taught me anything, it is that everyone can be mindful,
both of their surroundings and of themselves, if they just take the time to
try. Personally, I cannot imagine a better way to learn about the culture
of a foreign country than to attempt to immerse yourself in it, which is
precisely what we did. Having had time to reflect on our experiences during
the trip upon our arrival back in Chiang Mai, we had the opportunity to
discover more about the religious traditions of Thailand at a Monk Chat in
a local temple. The friendly and approachable attitudes of the monks
definitely made us feel more at ease when asking them questions concerning
their own personal motives for becoming a monk, as well as ones regarding
the general practices and customs of Buddhism. Their answers, I found were
interesting as well as incredibly useful in helping me form a basic
overview of their religion.

Having been rested after a comparatively lazy start the next day, we spent
a bit of time after breakfast discussing what we hoped we would each get
out of the next two days at our meditation retreat, whether it was an
escape from modern every-day distractions or simply Enlightenment. After
having a few of the fundamental aspects of Buddhism clarified during an
introduction speech by one of the monks hosting the retreat, we drove to
our retreat, arriving at four o’clock, just in time for a spot of
meditation practice before dinner.

Of course everybody’s individual experience of the retreat differed, but I
have no doubt that these few days certainly left a lasting impression on
people. Based on the notion that these two days were to be ‘technology free
days’, we were really treated a full immersion into the monk way-of-life,
as well as meditation practice. Our activities consisted of chanting before
eating as well as, during the morning and evening, offering alms, and a
quick session of pilates-like exercise, a slight contrast to our lives back
home. The basic living conditions and structured schedule certainly kept us
aware and interested in the fundamentals of Buddhism.

Personally, I thorough enjoyed the retreat, perhaps more than I
anticipated, and I think I will try to incorporate meditation into my
every-day life. These last few days have definitely encouraged me to want
to learn more about the history and development of Buddhism in Thailand, as
well as the ways that it influences the country’s politics. Our first-hand
experience, despite its brevity, definitely made an impact on everyone’s
perspective of Thailand.

- Rebecca Steele

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Author Rebecca Steele Posted

Category Thailand Departure 2013