Oct 2006

So, I am sure that you are aware that I am breaking a rule or two by writing right now. There are 8 Precepts that I am to abide by while here at Wat Chom Thong, then many other rules that are in my best interest (meditation) to follow, but I just needed to get out.
The Temple is wonderful, to put it in a single word. I arrived and was given a guest room, with a private bath, a mediation mat, two sets of white clothing to wear (must be worn, and are much like pjs), and a rule book. I have been assured that the rules have been in place to better my meditation practice, and I am sure that is true, but some rules just need to be broken.
So let me paint a picture of my day. I wake up at 4am (or I am suppose to) meditate in my dark room until 6am (which convienintly a rooster starts to crow around 5:30 to announce day light), which from there I go to the dinning hall to have breakfast. Breakfast, hmmm. Yes, we are not talking eggs, or pancakes, or cereal even for that matter. We are talking Thai breakfast, so rice and veggies, served one way or another. From there, off to meditate, or wash my yesterdays clothes in a bucket for tommorrow. Then I meet with Kate, my teacher to discuss my meditation, answer any questions, and to give me more guidance. From there off to meditate before lunch, which is served at 11am, and will be my last chewable meal until tomorrow morning. Then, I am off to meditate.
So the question is, "Tara, how is your meditation going? Are you enlightened yet?"
Uh....good days bad days, and nope not yet.
Yesterday proved to be a very hard day for meditation. I was questioning if I will be able to last 2 weeks. But I heard the voices of those that love me, hearing your encouragement and support.
hmm, let me see, how can exlpain what it is that I am doing with my hours every day.
You see, Vipassana is unlike other forms of meditation. I am not just trying to calm the mind, but except the mind. Other meditation is like placing a rock over some grass. Without sun, the grass stops growing and dies. But if you remove the rock, the grass grows again. Vipassana is like a shovel, digging deep to remove the roots so that the grass with never grow.
So far I have three types of meditation. Prostrating, walking and sitting. Prostrating is much easier, because your mind easily focuses on the movement, and therefore isn't easily distracted. Walking meditation is a bit more difficult, but then again, you are moving so it is easy to focus on the movement.
Sitting has proven to be the most difficult (literally, it hurts). So as I meditate a thought may come into my head, and I am to acknowledge it (thinking, thinking, thinking), or my knee may hurt (hurting, hurting, hurting). Most of the time once these are acknowledged they go away, they are imperminant, which is a large focus of the practice.
There is much I have learned, and heaps more to come.
It is difficult to still the mind and the body, though I am finding it far more difficult to still the body then the mind.
So one last note. This is a blog. I want you to communicate with me. Now please for a moment understand that I am in Thailand, where the people speak Thai, not english. So not only do I listen to myself all day, I listen to the Thai speak there language, so really all I hear is myself. So what I am trying to say is, please talk to me. I want to know that you haven't seen the sun in days, or that my house is still standing, or that you are bored of my babble, anything. That is partly why I have been doing this, to stay connected with you, so throw me a bone here!!!! Ok, enough said. I hope all is well. You are in my thoughts, yes, even my meditation thoughs. Wishing you all well, happy and peaceful.

As to date, I have only seen an elephant here in Thailand, though I am sure that will change. Doug, I will keep my eyes peeled for your pet monkey!
So I caught the bus, right outside my guesthouse to Chiang Mai. There was 6 other foreign travelers that the bus picked up, maybe a quarter of a kilometer down the road...for them it was standing room only until others departed the bus. Once some people left, Fabian, one from the group filled the empty seat next to me. His group is from France, and will be here for 2 weeks. This bus ride was long, with no toilet or snacks along the way, but at least I had an english speaking companion on my left. When the bus arrived in Chiang Mai I joined the group in a red taxi truck to find a guesthouse. The group includes, Fabian and his girlfriend Sofie, Fredarick and his girlfriend, then Antuan, and another that I cant say that I have ever understood what his name is...though out of the group he speaks the best english. (compements of Stevo, of Jackass, or so I am told). We found a beautiful guesthouse, for 600 baht a night, which is a bit more then I wanted to spend, but still quite reasonable.

Today we rented another red taxi, and went to see Wat Phrathat and a mountain tribe. When we arrived up top, to see the mountain tribe it was still a bit foggy, and therefore comfortably cool. Up the hillside there were stalls all selling handmade goods, from jewelery to clothes, tableclothes made from silk, and spices hand ground. The children ran around in their tribal attire jinglining as the played. The garden was beautiful, oh and the bamboo!!If only I could have you understand how HUGE the canes were around...probably 8 inches in diameter! Everything is so lush, and large...then again, this is considered a jungle.

So here I am in Chiang Mai, preparing for my journey to the monestary tomorrow. It seems that everything is set. My only instructions, show up after 1pm, and make sure to have eaten, for no food will be served until morning. Uh, good thing I wont be physically expending energy, since two meals is all I will be getting in the next 2 weeks. Hmmm, I think ice cream sounds good about now!
Anyway. I don't want to get into too much detail about the trip to come. I will make sure and give you the details once they exist.
Off to get a Thai massage before I take the next big step in this adventure.
Thank you all for your love. It is magnificent! I can feel it, even thousands of miles away. Much love to you in return.

Hello all!!! Ah, I can breathe! The air is much less humid, there are FAR fewer people, and I can actually see the sky! I was intending on just leaving a little blurb about my Tuk Tuk ride to Sukhothai, which was brillant, but there is just SO much to tell!

As you know I bailed out of Bangkok, with all smiles and glory, and hoped on a bus to Sukhothai. Without noticing I sat in the seat that suited me rather than the one that I was assigned to. The bus driver politely showed me to my proper seat (please keep in mind that NO english is being spoken here). I then asked for a bathroom, a toilet....without any understanding. I looked around and the entire bus was full of Thai, only I was the one with blue eyes, and a funny language. No worries though (or mai pen rai), it all worked out. On the bus they served us a goody bag complete with a bottle of water, a hamburger bun filled with a sweet bean paste, and a peanut type snack. Through out our travels they served soda in plastic cups, and we stopped and a roadside buffett for dinner. As you can tell, this was one LONG bus ride. As we continuted north the reminants of flooding became apparent. It was beautiful, a stranded tree here and there, nothing else around but meters of water. Homes built on stilts, just barely hoovering above the water.

Once I arrived in Sukhothai it was about 10pm, but the temperate was perfect (though still a bit humid). I caught a ride in a Tuk Tuk to the guesthouse that I had arrangements to stay at. Wait, let me desribe this Tuk Tuk (slightly different then the ones in Bangkok). Imagine a motor bike, but instead of a front wheel, it has been replaced by two wheels and a covered type platform to sit on. Note to self, wear a sportsbra next time. The ride was magnificent! Because of the flooding, parts of the road was covered in water. No more than a couple inches, sometimes less. You could see little minnows tryng to swim accross, though they looked like they were skipping. Dogs would be chasing them, totally oblivious to the Tuk Tuk. Locals were fishing in the flooded ditches, or over bridges. The air was fragrent, with both fish and flowers...(it was much more pleasant then it sounds!) And and a adventure would not be complete without some action. At one point a cochroch appeared out of no where and landed on my shirt...probably at least the size of a kiwi fruit! I arrived safely to the guesthouse, and slept a marvelously until about 6:30am.
Shower, breakfast, and off I went on a rented bicycle. The cost, 20 baht, or about 55 cents for the day! The goal was to leave early before the blistering heat set in, and I thought 7am was grand...come 8:30 I realized I was dead wrong.
I went to the old city, or what use to be the first capital of Thailand. There are many ruines here dating back to the 12th and 13th centuries, though many have been restored over the years.
The first Wat that I came to, Wat Mahathat (royal temple) was spectacular. Around many of the main temples there is a moat, then a brick wall. I hadn't even made it over the bridge to that temple before being totally awestruck. The entrance starts at the south side, and as you weave through you walk around the temple counter clockwise. I was so consumed with taking photos, that the energy of the place didn't hit me until I was on the Northside. I can't put to words the feeling. No sounds, except birds chirping, or fish jumping. The sun was warm on my shoulders, and a large butterfly grazed my hand as it passed by. I stopped. It was as if time stopped. Truely unexlicable! From there my tour of the temples got a bit muddled, by tourist buses, though the bike ride was grand!
I returned to my guest house, covered in sweat. I think I could have rung out my clothes, and it was only 11am! One of the employees of the guest house took one look at me and handed me a towel and pointed me in the direction of the shower! After an iced thai coffee, and green papaya salad for lunch, I was feeling much more revived.


Sukhothai was a huge change of pace from bangkok, and welcomed at that. But I must keep moving, Chiang mai anyone?