The Monk and Cigarettes

Life in Bangkok   is in-complete for me as a Buddhist by birth and die as die-hard Buddhist follower only until I get enlightened fully. If I don't visit temples and explore in-depth of their philosophical values embraced by society that was purely gifted from Lord Buddha to Thai people to have peace and harmonious life.

The Thai society have placed the highest respect for the monks residing in temples by paying their homage and receiving blessings every morning hours. Even the cold military man will refrain from harming or shooting at monks under any dire circumstances of conflicts. Since it is considered as the greatest sin to commit crime and harm to monks in Thai society and this value is embedded in every ones heart and purely upheld. The girl and women cannot even touch the monks saffrons for it will soil their celibacy and vows of the monks during an offer of alms too. If touched, the monks will have to undergo very rigorous purification process to retain its vows of celibacy and purity. I also noticed that women usually keep safe distance while talking and offering alms with monks. I salute for that and hope this culture will live for generations to come. The opposite is happening in Bhutanese monasteries where monks have girl friend and hidden wife and kids at home  to enjoy. This made me wander, how come,the same Buddhist monk could have two different ethics and etiquette?  Are our Bhutanese monks really upholding such pure celibacy or is already broken into pieces and just wearing the monk's dress to earn the livelihood and some respect from the Bhutanese society.

Sitting on the Chair under the cool shed of giant umbrella in front of the temple where the donation box is frequented by Thai people writing their names on the golden name plate with their wishes and prayers made for the success in life. What wish they seek from Lord Buddha is very mysterious to me as ordinary human being. My estimation could be; they did wish for family happiness, wealth, peace, prosperity and lottery winning. To me, such wishes are shortsighted and selfish intentions that does not fetch much merits in the long run.

To my surprise, sixty five years old, a retired single women, who was my humble guide in the temple declared, " Buddha did not give me any wishes as of now". Indeed it was the most frustrating voice ever she declared in front of me. I consoled her by quoting from Rigzin Jigme Lingpa "The true Buddhist practitioners/Yogi will never and ever wish in kind or benefits from Buddha and patrons". Such practitioners will receive the support of Gods and Goddess and mankind finally. Oh! With this words, she was really convinced and  she felt relief by placing her faith to Lord Buddha and never to break five precepts and try her best to meditate for the rest of her life. She was about to lose faith in Buddha indeed by hearing her frustrations yelled out to me. I, heard many such complaints from Thai friends during my conversation with them in the College leaving behind the Buddha forever. The people pray to Hindu Gods for winning lottery which is not the real Buddhist precept and doctrine. We human beings are looking for economic gain not for enlightenment to end our subtle suffering.

The Culture shock that I experienced in Bangkok is that monks smoke freely in the temple. In contrast, smoking by monks in Bhutan is strictly prohibited and is banned in the monasteries and Dzongs.  To quote one practical experience during my visit to temple; the senior and old monk would come out from his room and sit nearby me and talk with other caretakers in Thai. He would rarely utter an English word for me. But I am very happy to say to him that" I come from Bhutan" and he would raise his eye brow and gaze at me. Further, I would explain him by quoting our King's name" Jigme" and finally I would convince him that I am Bhutanese. With smile on his wrinkled face, he would open his cigarette cover and light one of them to satisfy his addiction for smoking. He would puff off the smokes in front of Buddha statue without any hesitations and guilt at his heart. I could see his eyes turning red  and starts coughing "Oh Oh Oh" after he inhales the smoke. I felt very sorry for him, as his lungs must have already gone black and blocked by the smokes. The fact of the matter is that, he is really addicted to these cigarettes and he would not live without it until and unless he is taken to rehabilitation center to quit smoking to live long life.

It is really disturbing and sad to see monks smoking freely instead of teaching other commoners to live happy and healthy life as the up holder of Buddha Dharma in such a wonderful country. The monks  represent always good and pure in the eyes of common people like me and Thai citizens. I have my full respect and obedience to their way of life but my trust breaks down when I see them cigarettes in their mouth dangling freely. Scientifically, smoking is injurious to our health. The second Buddha, Guru Rinpoche said that smoking hurts everyone nearby since it's is the product of evil forces. We have choice to live short-life or long life? No one can dictate someones life style, change should happen within ourselves and we can be the ruler or servant of our mind.


Mindu Wangdi

My Thai Friends!

I am blessed with two days, three hours, class to attend at the College of Management Mahidol University, and rest of days free to do my private works at home and loiter nearby shopping malls for window shopping and trying to make my self engaged fully. Sometimes, I am hooked inside my room whole day with my research works as assigned to look for by adviser. Nevertheless, I don't want to become a jailed man but want to explore more on Thai culture and Buddhism practiced for many centuries. This inner quest for exploratory  feeling on Thai Culture and Buddhist values push me out of my door with my small hand bag that contains my slim pocket, mobile phone and few garlands to be offered to Lord Buddha at temple. As we Bhutanese popularly say" Even a small flower can be treated as an offering item to Buddha". So, is the case happens to me as a student who has few bahts to spare to buy few garlands available in the market, supposed to be offered to Lord Buddha to gain huge merits in my life.

Hanging my bag on my shoulder, I would always walk away from my room to the place where I could catch up the scooter to reach me nearby the temple. I, would keep my ten baht inside my T-Shirt pocket for the scooter charge as ritualistic way. Passing through, a fly over bridge could take me near the busy street of Ding Daeng Road in morning hours with street hawkers and beggar freely spread out to make their day successful. Meandering through the street watching the different activities left and right would make me rejoice at heart for Thai way of life. I would be dashing through such busy street and finally reach the temple gate. Firstly, I am welcomed by three Buddha statues facing the temple gate, to whom I fold my hands and offer my respect through gesture mixed with Thai-Bhutanese way. I am trying to transform and assimilate Thai culture into my traditions bit different even we are Buddhist by birth.  

My  sixty five and sixty two year old lady would be happily smiling and welcoming in front of the temple whenever I visit. I would greet them with the word" Swadhi Khap" meaning "Kuzuzangpo" with my folded hands placed on my chest. Then, firstly, I would visit the big statue of Lord Buddha and make my garland offering with my lay man's prayers for all sentient beings as dedication of my small drop of merits that I gathered for the day. Nevertheless, there are many small chapels that I visit and make prayers for the well being of all sentient beings. I would also check my future forecasting with shaking the lucky numbers written on flat bamboo stick and matching with  written paper pasted on the wall. 

It says in this way; "Just like an orchard tree not yet yielding fruits, awaiting for rainfall. Do not make a hasty decision to move away from the place. Wait and see. Some development under way. No child forthcoming. Meeting companionable persons and relatives. Good lucks approaching. Love not being satisfied in immediate future." This my latest futuristic prediction came from the omniscient Lord Buddha after I requested with my deepest devotion and reverence. It is this predictions which gave me courage to fight with hard times of sickness and obstacles encountered in my here in Bangkok. The power and blessings given by Lord Buddha pushed me further to meditate constantly  and study in-spite of the fact that I am weak and troubled deeply. This is not the end but just begging of my life and Lord Buddha will never deny me and in return I will be his faithful and dedicated follower too.

After all temple visit are said and done, I would sit on the chair outside the temple and chat with my Thai old lady friends with my few Thai words. One of my Thai ladies can speak English well and she is now my guide and best friend. They treat me as their son from Farang" Foreign" land. Many visitor would pass by and we continue with our talks on Thai culture and beliefs. Indeed, I became the listener and they are my teachers who teach me the complex culture of Thailand and she always introduces me to different monks and other Thai people with her English translation which I never pay for it. 

Indeed, I don't feel any cultural shock as other foreigners did since I could sink in lot of new cultures without much struggles and avoidance. The senior monks would come and talk with me for few minutes and share their dreams to visit Bhutan one day. In the minds of Thai people, Bhutan is the Happiest Country in the world where there is a peace and harmony and successful democratic Nation. Even my clinical doctor would happily share her wishes to visit Bhutan one day as tourist inside the Doctor chamber. On the other hand, Bhutanese people are denying our, religion, culture and traditions and Philosophy of Gross National Happiness (GNH) and looking always towards US and Australia to make money and settle there forever. 

To conclude my writing, I would say that if we are good at heart, we also meet good and supportive people anywhere.To get friendship and support, we don't have make any special gift but understand the other people well and let them know yourself well. Be open heart always wins the hearts of many people and they are always with you for anything. Be always frank and direct, never hide your feelings, it would spoil the friendship. Friend is need indeed. May my  Thai old women live long and happy life.

Mindu Wangdi

The Patient

On 9th September 2014, I had an appointment with doctor for my hyper acidity check up at Ramathibodhi hospital that I waited for one month long to seek medical advice. Ridding on the scooter from V.M Mansion to hospital is very interesting and dangerous travel too. As the scooter moves between the huge buses crammed in jam roads to reach faster to the destinations. Having reached the hospital and I was asked to do blood pressure check up in different counters. I was sitting on the chair and nurse  asked me in Thai which I could not understand anything and I heard word like "Time". Therefore, I took off my wrist watch and kept on the table. To my surprise the nurse  started laughing at me which made me feel so embarrassed and shy in front many fellow patients behind me. Oh! It was such bad hospital service I received as foreigner. A senior English  speaking nurse attended me and she made me feel as deserving patient with her smiling look and caring way. The quality of nurse and behaviors in the medical service is not that developed as expected. Such small incident could bring down the great image of Ramathibodhi hospital in the eyes of foreigners who always trust Thai medical services and care.   

Having done the blood pressure check up and waited for doctor for more than two hours to call my name by the assisting nurse in the long line. I had good nap for while on the chair when everyone is chat with their friends. I am foreigner, no one speaks to me but they stare at me which made feel more discomfort to sit on the chair for that long hours. Some young lady patients are busy with their mobile chat with their friends on Facebook and lines to keep ourselves engaged fully. Surprisingly, one man came with pushing his wheel chair loaded with young boy patient holding magazine on his hand. Looking at this boy's outer appearances, I was him watering his mouth frequently whereby his mother used to clean with handkerchief every now and then. His hands looked like half paralyzed.  Sometimes, this boy used to read magazines silently on his wheel chair. The father and mother get few minutes to rest on the chair peacefully. 

Oh! This boy becomes restless frequently  and starts pulling his wheel chair after few minutes of reading. The sad looking father has no option to pull his wheel chair slowly and make the round before turn comes to visit the doctor in the chamber. The mother too look very sad and gloomy in her eyes. How much pain and agony is undergoing with his parents I could see by their physical look and facial mood. Indeed, these parents are suffering more than the patient (son) because of psychological trauma and torture given by the ailing son. Both of them try their best to cope with the worse situation and hide their sad feeling underneath and I as a parent could detect their pathetic situation  that they undergo. 

When the disease symptom attacks his brain, the boy shouts like "an elephant" in front all these waiting patients. This really made the parents feel worse and embarrassed  in front of us. They both try to cool down the boy but it is beyond their control. The boy is a patient and he has no control over his disease which is very strange in this modern world. Such type of disease and symptom of  shouting as " an elephant" by human being is scary and confusing to me. Immediately, I prayed to Guru Rinpoche for his help to this boy's sickness to cure as fast as possible since the parents are traumatized equally and the boy looks so weak and unstable mental state.   That was my inner and silent prayer  dedicated to the boy's health. How do we feel if our kids suffer in the same way? The  parent showers unlimited love and care for their kids when I saw these sad couples trying their best to treat the boy with lot sacrifices. May their suffering be reduced and enjoy the happiest moments thereafter was my sincere and humble prayer dedicated to this unknown parents and ailing son.

Mindu Wangdi

  

Buddhism in Thailand.

The world knows that Thailand is a Buddhist Nation and its citizens are Buddhist by birth. Lord Buddha was born in Nepal and got enlightened in India and spread his Dharma in Asian Countries to help sentient beings to end their suffering in this hellish realm by practicing Dharma  and was considered as the light of Asia. 

To my surprise, I being another Buddhist follower hailing from Country so called kingdom of Bhutan located at Himalayas capped with snow fall and icy winter and mild summer season. To be frank, I am very poor in the tradition of Theravada  Buddhism being practiced at Thailand. I could understand few concepts of their depth meaning of Buddhism which have volumes of teaching being taught in Thai language by Lord Buddha, the omniscient one who could speak out all languages of Gods, Nagas and Pretas, animals and different human languages while he discoursed the pith instruction to his followers. Lord Buddha did not hire any language experts to translate his teachings to different followers but it got translated into their own language by his magical powers. The modern Google translator can translate only one language at one go but Lord Buddha translated into many languages at one go and essence of his teaching were not lost in the translation.

I am very happy to see many old temples in Thailand filled with monks wearing yellowish robes and begging with their begging bowls with bear foot. Seeing their shaved heads, robes and begging bowl  at hand makes me feel at earlier days of 2500 years ago life style; so called Lord Buddha introduced in India and spread far flung Asian Nations. The common, business and travelers offer their offering of food items to these old monks who recites some prayers to the sponsors which I could hear only but could not comprehend anything. I am silent watcher to these activities that happens everyday in the morning rush hours at Ding Daeng Road. It is the sign of Buddhism is still flourishing in Thailand at this busiest days of life. The market is filled with business hawkers with different  cooked meals and  meats items are displayed for sale on the roads side. 

 The busy street is filled with joyous heart of hawkers ringing their bells to notify the customers. But on the other side, I can also see plenty of chickens, fishes, frogs hanged on their stalls for consumption. This makes me feel like, I have reached a slaughter house. According me, hell is represented by the display of meats being  roasted at ovens and heaven  by begging monks who is following the good path. I need not go underground to dig out the hellish life and use space ship discover the heaven. The highly qualified people of today will never accept that hell and heaven do exist after life. To be practical, this way of slaughter and commercial way of life itself is the definition of hell to my understanding where the greed for money is highly involved and bloated out leaving behind the concept of cause and effect.

Attending one of the water purification ceremony at this temple made me conclude that old, children and monks are the attendees to such Buddhist sacred celebration that happen annually. The energetic and highly qualified people like scientists, engineers, doctors, business tycoons are not found any way during the celebrations. This shows that Buddha Dharma in Thailand is left for older generations and innocent youths to make happy days with some free pick ups.  The qualified sections of Thai society has already denied the Buddha  and his teaching and never want to come back and keep the Dharma wheel turning forever. One of class mates has said " He already left Buddha for almost thirty years back and never want to embrace him" and he no longer to wanted to be Buddhist either. Hearing his words made me feel pain at heart since Buddha Dharma is dying in Thailand if such qualified people chose to deny him and his teachings. Many of my class mates are happy to declare that I am " Christen now". The Buddha Dharma is facing "slow death" in Thailand with encroachment of other belief and faiths. There are many converts taking place into Muslim and Christian and some does not have any faith but neutral populations. 

It was really shocking to hear from my old silent hair cutter at Rangnam asking me " Are you Muslim?". With light smile, I replied no " I am Buddhist" and he got silent  and resumed cutting my hair with his slow motion. And he said, I am "Thai Muslim" and smile with his wrinkled face. It was so strange that day he asked me that question and I could understand his belief and faith. I am loyal customer to his saloon for this long years and we never could share our faith and beliefs. 

An old women, Thai Muslim who sells alive fishes to temple visitors to earn money since  the Buddhist followers do save animals as an act of compassion by throwing into the rivers.  For her these fishes is nothing but just commercial product to earn money and want to visit Mecca, the holy land of Muslim world. She sells these fishes in front of Lord Buddha temple without any guilt in her heart and mind. I am one of her loyal customer to save those fishes and frogs costing ninety bahts for few numbers with my slim pocket as student. It is my belief and faith to Buddha mad me save at least some fishes before they are killed for meals being served for deadly eaters so called human beings.

With this incidences at my hand as proof to show; Lord Buddha is now denied by his own followers at this degenerated age with extreme conversions from different faiths. His true followers could be few old people and some monks doing out of no option to exist. This is the real sign of Buddha Dharma is retarding from its influence and impacts on their followers. When Buddha Dharma fails and retards, there will be more chaos and disorder in the society as people never want to live happy and peaceful co-existence with their environment but want to destroy everything with increased greed and lust for money and power. The nation will experience famine and wars when Buddha Dharma is phased out due to our concept of enemies and friends. 

My sincere prayer to young Thai society not to deny the Buddhism at any circumstances.  As Buddhism is not the doctrine or faith but it is the way of life. It teaches us to live and exist happily with what we have and teaches to prepare for the next life and continuity. There is no God in Buddhism and everyone is Buddha by its innate quality. It is the mater of being discovered by oneself through constant practice. There is solution to any problems in Buddhism, it is the matter of hunting down with our zeal. May the "Buddha Dharma flourish in Thailand like wild fire and revive from its slow death like the desert plant reviving after the rainfall." to its original shape and help all the sentient beings enjoy ever lasting peace.

Mindu Wangdi