My monk friend,
Luangpi Cherry, asked me a few days ago if I'm interested in visiting his master, Luangta Puang together. What's so special about this? Well.. Luangta Puang is an old blind monk who lived in a cave for years and now living at the temple (the name is Wat Tum Hin Pa Daeng) on the cliff with no electricity. Luangpi Cherry helped installing the solarcell system for the temple so that at least he could live more comfortably. Not that Luangta Puang is living alone, there are also a few monks at them same cave temple too. I donated some to help with the system installment. Now I would like to visit him and check if there's anything I could help further.
So the trip started at 6 am on April 8th. I didn't have enough sleep that night coz I was finishing up my work till 2 am. Then picked up Pam (aka Hiney Helsinki) at 5am before driving through the damn redshirt mob who were destroying my country, then.. arrived at Wat Rajasitaram temple 6 am.
There I met 3 others people I couldn't remember the names (super sorry) who drove us to the place. They were very kind to Pam and me. Thank you very much for letting us to come along.
After a few hours, we have arrived at Wat Yai Chai Mongkol Temple, Ayuthaya, to pick up my other monk friend,
Maha Oat.
BEFORE: Pig blood soup I had for breakfast. The name might sound scary, but it tasted great.
AFTER
Motorbike in Ayuthaya
Temple cat and dog
Very cozy looking monk house at Wat Yai Chai Mongkol temple. Very traditional Thai style.
Symbol of the temple
Nice morning
Glamouring up
Morning Walk
After a few hours sleep, we woke up to realised that we were almost there.
Stopping by for lunch
Rice noodle with dumplings. To be honest, it didn't taste nice -0-
Alittle bit further through some very rough roads, some fields, then bamboo wood, we finally arrived at Wat Tum Hin Pa Daeng Temple. This temple is actually hidden behind the field and the wood. When the driver drove through it, I felt like, shit! There were no way further.. how could he drive through.. but well.. there is a temple here after all.
My 2 monk friends. The road here was built by a few monks. It must be a very difficult job without electricity.
Bamboo Bamboo Bamboo
Pam
Words of wisdom, it said.. "Buddhism practice is all about practicing our mind. Good or bad things started from inside. If we lack of consciousness, then we might cause more bad deeds. All causes of suffering started from inside. We must use our consciousness to destroy all OUR defilements, not others."
Around the temple
"Delusion, desire, and attachment lead to suffering. Getting attached to ourselves and egos leads to misery"
Up there is where Luangta Puang lives. I wonder how could he get up there. He told me that living here require lots of consciousness. And I totally bought that. It's already difficult for me who has both eyes function properly.
Up there.. inside the temple. Somebody came and built this giant Buddha image. Nice isn't it?
Luangta's book shelf
Luangta's sleeping place. Back there, you could see lots of buckets people gave to him.
Me.. sitting by the door listening to his teaching -- 3 hours and a half, non stop! He was very kind. Listening to him didn't make me get bored a bit. It was all the great stuff about his experience in practicing. I don't want to assume his level. But I could feel it that this old monk is extra ordinary. I feel really great that I got a chance to meet him and be taught by him in person.
He told me that.. our body is like a car.. we drive a car to somewhere.. when it got old and broken that we couldn't drive it anymore.. we leave to another vehicle. That's how our mind do to our bodies. Ourselves is just some material things we borrowed and will return when we die. He also told me to be nice to my mom (how could he know that????? when he didn't see me or my face!)
But you know, listening to him, how could I say no. I considered his teaching and came back home to my mom right away. I apologize her for all things I have ever made her sad. And I will not do it ever again in the future. I felt like I have a clean new start with my mom now ^-^
On the way down... still can't imagine how he got up there...
"Rich or poor, one day we all shall die. So be nice to each other and keep doing good."
Down there is the cave where Luangta stayed, mediated for years. Luangpi Cherry also stayed in there for a month as well.
Entrance
Further in
Inside the cave.
Where the monks stayed.
Way out.
Around the temple.. It looks so peaceful isn't it?
So calm that I can't imagine how crazy Bangkok would be. That day (8th APR) was the day the damn Thaksin organized the big mob to destroy my country. Seeing this kind of scenery and listening to Luangta, I realized that everything is all illusion... illusion that people find it hard to let go. Maybe we really do live in the matrix of some kind.
People crave for happiness that we couldn't bring along when we die. Some realised it, some don't. Some are ready to do everything to destroy others for their illusions.
Anyway.. I arrived home 11 pm that day. Got super tired. But I feel so full inside. Thank you all for making this trip happen. I had a great day.
