After a week of meditation study in Chiang Mai, I wanted to write down my experience and insights, only to realize how pale these incredible experiences are to express in words and pictures.
At the beginning of the year, I realized that my mental health was no longer suitable for continuing to work, so I resigned and took a rest. I just saw Ms. Zaojian share her meditation in Bali , only to find out that there is a temple in Chiang Mai, Thailand that provides meditation learning. So I found the temple that night and booked a flight to Thailand.
Before I set off, I kept thinking about whether this trip could meet my expectations and learn “real” meditation techniques. At the end of the week, I feel that what I have learned and experienced this week has far exceeded my expectations. Not only did I practice meditation under the guidance of my teacher, but I also gained a new understanding of Buddhism.
where is the road to happiness
The first temple I went to was Wat Umong, which should be translated into Wumeng Temple in Chinese. I stayed here for five days and four nights. Umong is basically practiced by oneself without systematic teaching. This temple is in the jungle, so it is very close to nature.
Although the temple does not force you not to use your mobile phone, I try not to use it from the first day. I only limit myself to check for important information, and spend the rest of the time in airplane mode, using my phone as a camera.
When there is no medium around you that can divert your attention (mobile phone, computer, Internet), it is like a megaphone is placed in your heart, and every tiny thought will be amplified and extended. This allowed me to really get to know my inner voice.
The night before leaving Umong, I drank tea in the dark with another Chinese and a Russian. This Russian friend brought Pu’er and a teapot, and taught us two Chinese people about the tea ceremony. We chatted from 9 o’clock to one o’clock in the morning, about our meditation experience and our respective troubles. I said that when I meditate, I always think about the future. After practicing meditation for the past few days, I realized that my heart has been entangled in the future I imagined. I have not been able to find my happiness and Where is the happiness, so I am in pain.
A Russian friend (to the effect) said: Don’t think too much. Focus on where you are, what you have, and what you can do with what you have.
I got a lot of inspiration from his answer. I was always looking for joy and happiness, thinking they were ahead and I needed to walk some way to find them. But I ignore the “now” and feel them in what I already have and what I do now. I also finally understood the meaning of a sentence hanging on one of the trees in the temple: There is no path to happiness, happiness is the path.
We talked a lot that night. At that moment, I hoped that time could pass more slowly, and I could spend more time in such a peaceful night. Fireflies were flying around us, and there were insects chirping in the distance, as well as gecko calls (the first time I heard gecko calls).
The next morning we went to the cave of the temple together. At that time, no tourists came in. I meditated for a while in the cave. Then our Russian friend took us to a nearby zoo, where he said there was a bird that could speak Thai. I don’t know what this bird is called (it should not be a parrot), but we heard it say a few different words and sing the same melody.
Before I left, my Russian friend even gave me a teacup.
In the afternoon I left Wat Umong and headed to Wat Suan Dok.
Buddhism Between Philosophy and Faith
Arriving at the Monk chat office in Wat Suan Dok, first of all, Phra KK, our teacher for the next three days, taught us the basics of meditation and Buddhism. KK talked for almost an hour and a half, and I learned a lot. Later, I chatted with other students on the way to the meditation center, and we all agreed that we learned more than we expected. This also gave us confidence in our studies for the next three days. We have a total of 15 students in this session, from all over the world, such as the United Kingdom, the United States, China, Spain, India, Singapore, South Korea and so on.
In meditation centers we are asked to slow everything down. Walk slowly, even if you ring the bell to gather, you must not come in a hurry, you must walk slowly. When eating, you need to eat mindfully (it should be “mindful eating” in Chinese), slowly put the food into your mouth, chew slowly, and feel the food.
This is a small change, but after three days, my inner state has changed drastically. Staying away from social media and slowing things down has given me peace of mind. Since we were young, we have been urged to do everything quickly, to “make time” – the class bell rings, we have to run back to the classroom; Obviously not in a hurry, the pace must be fast.
When I started to slow down my pace, I found that the physical slowness would make my heart calm. Conversely, when the mind starts to think wildly, the body movements will start to speed up unconsciously. There have been a few times when I started to get distracted while walking slowly, only to find myself walking faster and faster.
In the discussion session on the second day, KK answered many of our questions. It was these discussions that gave me a new understanding of Buddhism.
I used to think that Buddhism was a kind of superstition, because the things related to Buddha that I came into contact with around me were nothing more than “praying to gods and worshiping Buddha”. Now I know that Buddhism is against superstition. Buddhism does not explain how man was created, there is no god like God who created the world. Buddhism teaches people how to get rid of suffering . Buddhism makes you believe in yourself, not others or Buddha. Only you can help yourself out of pain, not trusting a god to help you. You can only believe it if you experience it yourself.
The teacher said that everyone can achieve epiphany, just keep practicing (meditation). Buddha is called Buddha, which means the awakened one, and everyone can be Buddha.
Buddhism is something between philosophy and faith. I was fascinated by the philosophical part.
The well-known investor Naval called his philosophy of life “Rational Buddhism”, which is what I intend to continue to explore in the future. I want to learn the understanding of life and pain in Buddhism, and form my own life steering wheel.
To me, Rational Buddhism means understanding the inner practices that Buddhism advocates in order to become happier, wealthier, more present, more in control of one’s emotions—becoming a better person.
So, my philosophy of life consists of these two aspects: On the one hand, the theory of evolution, which is the binding principle, because it explains many problems about human beings; on the other hand, Buddhism, which is about the spiritual state of each of us. Philosophy is the oldest and most time-tested philosophy. I think these two points are not contradictory, they can complement each other and complement each other.
——Naval
Buddhists who become monks need to follow many precepts, because Buddhism believes that suffering comes from desire. The more you desire, the more you suffer (The more you desire, the more you suffer). Today you buy a Casio, tomorrow you want a Rolex, so you suffer. One day you get a Rolex, you will find that it is nothing more than that, your desire makes you want something else, so you suffer.
Of course, I am just an ordinary person, an ordinary person who lives with a little ambition, and I will not abide by strict precepts, but through meditation practice, I seem to be more able to observe (aware of) my impulse at the moment from an objective perspective source, so as to calmly consider whether to take the next step.
Wisdom is the ability to think about the long-term consequences of an individual’s actions.
——Naval
mind-bending meditation
During the week of meditation, I barely spoke much. But when I meditate, I actually talk to my heart thousands of times. Meditation can exercise our awareness of emotions. In the first few days of my meditation practice, I was able to clearly observe my inner world for the first time by observing what I unconsciously thought when my mind wandered. On the third day, I wrote a sentence in my diary: “I am too entangled in my imagined future”.
I exchanged our meditation experience with some students who studied together. Some people will think of many past events, but I will think of many things that haven’t happened yet. I imagine things: what should I do next? How will others judge my behavior? What book am I going to read next? What to learn? Etc., etc.
Buddhism also believes that pain comes from entanglement with the past and the future. The past has passed, and the future has not yet happened. All we have is the present, and we should be enjoying the happiness of the present. And I realized that I was always looking for happiness in the future—the happiness of reading these books, the happiness of buying these things, the happiness of writing these things. However, once it is truly realized, I still feel unhappy, because when the future has come, I look for happiness from the future. I’ve been neglecting to feel the moment.
It is very common for people to wait all their lives to start a new life. Waiting is a state of mind that means you want the future, not the present; you don’t want what you have, you want what you don’t have. Waiting in any form allows you to unconsciously create an inner conflict in your present moment: you don’t want the present moment, you place your hope in the future. Losing awareness of the present moment can greatly reduce the quality of your life.
There is nothing wrong in itself with setting goals and working towards them, what is wrong is seeing them as a substitute for your sense of life and Being.
—— “The Power of Now”
In this week’s meditation, I only remember a brief 2 seconds, as if I really felt the present moment. I don’t think about the past, I don’t think about the future anymore, I just feel the present moment, hear the birds chirping, the insects chirping, the wind blowing on my face. For a moment, I felt surrounded by an unknown bubble, and there was a great sense of security in this bubble, and I felt that I was invincible in this moment, because the past is past, and the future me is no longer thinking about it, I can do it now anything.
You can also create that void in your mind by bringing your attention to the present moment. It’s about being fully present in the present moment. This is a very worthwhile thing to do. In this way, you draw awareness away from thought activity and create a thoughtless void. In this void, you’re hypervigilant and focused, but you’re not thinking. This is the essence of meditation.
—— “The Power of Now”
at last
A week is short, but I think I will remember this week for the rest of my life. Leaving the temple, I still do everything more slowly than ever. Walk slowly, eat slowly, nothing is so urgent, and the phone is not so anxious to look at. Not having to use everything to fill my time, and not having to look at my phone while eating doesn’t lose anything. Keep up your meditation practice and stay aware of your emotions.
The last three days I just used my phone to take a photo with my teacher before leaving. KK is a great teacher. He taught us a lot of Buddhist knowledge, took us to do meditation exercises, took us outside in the evening to enjoy the sunset and the tranquility of nature, and took us to listen to the sound of rain and birdsong at 5 o’clock in the morning when it rained heavily Meditation, and on the last day, each of us was given a bead chain with his blessing.
He said, monks get no salary in Thailand, I’m teaching you for free. Before leaving, I donate all the cash on me to him.
Here is an interview he did on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3g7TUT1kjC8
FAQ
What is the language of instruction?
English. I think the level of English grades in high school is not too bad to be able to understand.
Where can I sign up?
Wat Umong does not need to register in advance, you can register before 8:30 every morning.
The monkchat of Wat Suan Dok can be reserved on the official website . 3 days a month. Although there are 2 days, I recommend 3 days.
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