Ajon And I

An Amazing Week At A Rural Thai Buddhist Temple

When I couchsurfed at Michaela’s place in Prague, she could not stop ranting and raving about a Thai Buddhist temple she visited. As I got closer to Thailand and more interested in spirituality, the more I found myself drawn to this place.

In the next few posts, you’ll understand why this place is so amazing and transformational.

Arrival At The Temple

I arrived at the temple at about 7pm. It was already dark outside so I couldn’t tell how gigantic it really was. I just saw the prayer hall at the entrance.

The monks were chanting as I arrived, which I later discovered is a nightly activity that starts around 6:45pm (sunset). It was quite a beautiful start to what would be a beautiful week. Below what it looked like.

Once the chanting was over, a couple monks approached me. They noticed me as I came in and were curious why I was there. None spoke more than a few words of English, so I just said “Ajon Saifon” which was the name Michaela gave me.

Ajon is the master of the temple and all of a sudden I was face-to-face with the master. He called over the Australian girl who has been there for 1.5 years and is fluent in Thai. I forgot her name as she never gave me her original name, just the one she uses in Thai. Something like Yith-nee.

Michaela And I In Prague in Jan 2011

Michaela And I In Prague in Jan 2011

Anyway, she asked what I was there for and then I took out a paper with the picture to the left printed. It is Michaela and I from when I was in Prague in January 2011.

His first reaction was one of love, of reverence for Michaela. He asked how she is doing, what she’s up to now, etc. I did my best since I haven’t seen her for almost as long as they haven’t seen her. I told them that she couldn’t stop talking about this temple when I visited her and that she told me I had to experience it for myself.

First, the master told me I looked much more handsome in the picture (presumably because my short hair would blend in perfectly among the monks). Then he asked what I was interested in finding in my short time there. I explained that I wanted to stay for much longer, but my 15-day visa limited my time. But I wanted to learn how to turn off my mind and live from my heart.

He laughed as, in many ways, from what I understand enlightenment is kind of exactly that – eliminating the suffering and desire the mind causes and living in the bliss one’s consciousness offers.

But he told me I could learn many things in such a short time and he didn’t disappoint…

The Master

Ajon And I

Ajon And I

As I mentioned above, Ajon is the master. He is the kind of guy who, upon meeting, you know has a greater purpose guiding him. That is, he is full of determination, strength, and character.

I was lucky enough to get two opportunities to ask him questions while I was there. He is a busy guy and many students there never really get much of an opportunity to interact with him one-on-one.

Many Buddhists go off on their own at some point to meditate and practice. In Ajon’s case, he spent 7 years in solitude. He did things like live in cemeteries, in forests, etc. He survived on alms giving, which I’ll discuss in a minute.

He has been the master of this temple for eight years.

Buddhism

I am definitely not qualified to speak about Buddhism. I still don’t know too much about it. But it focuses on how Siddhartha Gautama detached from the material world (a big feat given that he was a prince in line for the thrown in an Indian kingdom). Through meditation, he achieved enlightenment – supreme bliss free of suffering.

Suffering is a core part of Buddhism, actually. Life really is about suffering; we need to eat, use the bathroom, feel pain, lose loved-ones, and eventually die.

Buddhists believe in reincarnation and karma is the idea that bad deeds committed in this life may come back to haunt you in a subsequent life. Put another way, good deeds may reward you in a future life. So in general, Buddhists are very kind and giving people by nature.

This leads to the next point: alms giving. The monks would leave every morning at sunrise to receive alms from the people of Bang Mun Nak. It almost sounds crazy, doesn’t it? People getting up at dawn to give food to monks? But they do, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. It’s an amazing sight to behold.

People may give something simple like rice, or something complex like cooked gourmet food. It all depends. Vendors in the local market are also a common source of food donation.

Lunch Of Donated Food

Lunch Of Donated Food

A Donated Coffin In The Temple

A Donated Coffin In The Temple

People can also donate money to the temple, as there are expenses like electricity and water usage. And when I was there, a coffin was donated by a local family. Since everything was in Thai, at first I thought was witnessing a funeral. But no, it was a family giving alms in the form of a coffin to be used in the future by an indigent person unable to afford one, or by a monk when he passes away.

Again, I’m not terribly knowledgeable about Buddhism, but I’d say where it differs from most religions is its focus inward. The point of Buddhism is to help guide you to enlightenment. The energy you put into the religion all helps get you to that point. With other religions, you put your time and effort into complying with and pleasing a god that may or may not exist.

That said, it still looked like a lot of energy was focused at worshiping Buddha, not for being a deity but for his knowledge and teachings. Still, I’d think he wouldn’t want to be worshiped in any way, but I don’t know what I’m talking about…

Monks

Monks Gone Wild.. With My Camera

Monks Gone Wild.. With My Camera

I had a very different impression of monks before coming to the temple. I thought they were very somber, rarely talked, intense, and philosophical.

Instead, I found they were quite like normal people. Some had cell phones, some watched TV, some smoked, some even leave the temple for a “normal” life.

I guess it depends on the temple in terms of the rules. All monks follow the same code of ethics, some 200 principles of Buddhism. Among them, no sex, no meat (though this is broken daily as the monks receive food from the city and it usually has meat in it.. the act of giving is more important than the restriction on consuming meat), no connection with your family (though I learned they can attend funerals, for example), eating twice a day, sleeping on a hard surface, peeing sitting down, etc.

So becoming a monk is a relatively big sacrifice. That said, in the old days it was often the only way for a young man to get educated. Even today, many young men become monks for a similar reason. I was told most of the monks at the temple I visited were uneducated.

Some monks seemed to work hard, others seemed quite lazy. It was hard to tell since I was only there such a short time and I didn’t speak the language. But all seemed to smile as much as possible. The man in the picture above would approach me after dinner every night and say “Sap Lai?” which I knew from Laos meant “Very delicious?” I confirmed it was “Sap Lai” and he gave a big thumbs up and laughed every single time.

I guess when life is simple, it’s easy to find joy and pleasure in the simple things.

Students

Me With A Fellow Student

Me With A Fellow Student

This temple accepts students.. a lot of them.

I asked Ajon why he accepted so many students and he said his own progress toward enlightenment was stalled because he needed to teach more. So being me, I kind of thought the whole teaching thing was maybe a bit selfish since he feels it’s an obligation to advance further. But I’m sure it’s also something he feels deep in his heart – the desire to spread all he has learned.

The students are 99.999% Thai. In fact, I was the fourth foreigner to ever be a student at the temple. My friend Michaela above, the Australian mentioned above, an American in town teaching English, and now me.

You stay in very simple accommodations. Below is where I stayed – a tent erected on a cement floor.

My Tent

My Tent

Inside My Tent

Inside My Tent

The blankets and pillow came from a bag full of donated stuff. In a past life this would have freaked me out – sleeping on unwashed stuff with an unknown origin. It didn’t bother me here though.

Me And Bunny Rabbit

Me And Bunny Rabbit

Some students are “weekend warriors,” coming every weekend to learn and progress. Others stay for months or years. My mentor while there, Bunny Rabbit (yes, that’s what she calls her self), has been at the temple for over three years. Presumably, if she were a man she’d be a monk. I asked her about it and she didn’t care. The goal is enlightenment and the fact that she wears white clothes instead of orange is quite trivial. In all other respects she’s a monk.

The temple is unique, from what I understand, due to its relatively liberal ways and its “extreme” meditation. You’ll hear more about that in the posts to come..

Natural Paradise

The temple sits on a 100-acre site. It seemed like every day I discovered a new dimension to the place.

On two different days we went and worked in what would become the future garden. Basically, they dug huge trenches. One trench will be a water storage basin, and the others will form the on-site cemetery.

With the new hilltops, they decided to plant trees, fruits, and vegetables. I’m not a huge fan of getting dirty, but count me in when it comes to planting life-sustaining food and CO2 breathing plants and trees!

Below are some pictures of this beautiful place.

Conclusion

I really wanted to stay and continue learning, but the Thai visa, previously booked flights, and desire to reflect on what happened this past week all helped me leave.

That said, when my shared van arrived to go to Bangkok, I put my foot in my shoe and there was something inside that wasn’t supposed to be there… I guess he was doing his best to keep me there, but ultimately I took him out and hit the road 🙂

A Frog In My Shoe

A Frog In My Shoe

29 replies
  1. Tanim
    Tanim says:

    Found your site when searching for Thai temples to stay. Looks like you had a nice week there. I’ll definitely visit one and stay for one month or so in the next couple of years. I’m not a buddhist, just need to pick myself up.

    Reply
  2. Daniela
    Daniela says:

    Hi Adam!
    I found your page looking for ways to stay at a temple in thailand in google and I have to say, it seems almost incredible to me what you experienced and seem to have achieved within a week! Must have been an incredible experience – do you still practise meditation?

    I am right now in Cambodia, and somehow the idea of staying at a temple and learning how to meditate got stuck in my head – I too, just finished reading The power of the Now and my feelings about this book are quite contradictorial (is this even a correct engl word ?) on the one hand I have to agree with a lot of it, on the other I feel like this book is trying to brainwash me – which sounds probably stupid; Anywho – I found that the only way to find out was to experience it myself, so I embarrased the idea and tried to follow some instructions given by the book. And in the end I decided to further deepen it and go stay in a temple for a week. And since my flight to Burma is not leaving before the 14th I might as well do it now.
    So long story short: Do you know if I could just go there and ask if they would receive me as a student? Or do you know if there are temples that do? Id be glad for any help.you can give me- because the last thing I am looking for is a tourist put up temple where noone really seems to take it seriously.

    Thank you a lot beforehand – Hope you enjoy whereever on thr world you re possibly be (.

    Reply
    • Adam Pervez
      Adam Pervez says:

      Hi Daniela,

      I showed up unannounced, but my Czech friend was the first foreigner to ever visit the temple. When I was there, there were only two people out of maybe 200 that spoke English. So it’d be a bit of a roll of the dice. You might show up and no one there will speak English. It’s still a beautiful place in the middle of rural Thailand, but you’d miss a lot. That said, in places like Chiang Mai and Bangkok I think most temples receive foreigners but I’ve never tried.

      I have a friend in Bangkok. If you want, email me through here and I can ask her if she knows any authentic temples there that that teach in English.

      Also, just a word of warning since I found out the hard way – you only get a 15-day visa when you enter Thailand by land. So if you leave on the 14th, plan accordingly. And you will love Myanmar. Lots of articles on here about it if you want a preview 🙂

      Good luck from Hungary!

      Reply
  3. Kimberly
    Kimberly says:

    You’re experience sounds amazing! I’m heading to Thailand next year and have been looking for a monastery to stay at. Can you please send the name and contact information for the temple! Please and thanks in advance =)

    – Kimberly
    [email protected]

    Reply
      • Sonja
        Sonja says:

        Hey Adam,
        I just finished reading your blog and it sounds amazing. Exactly what i looking for, you do not need much of talking to find the way to yourself. I also read a new earth and the power of now which hoghly inspired me. As i no fly to thailand and have about three weeks left i am looking for exactly what you have written. Somewhere of the beatrn tracl, quiet to find out more about me. As there are so many “tourists” temple i would love it if you could send me the contact details as well. I looked so many up and they all say you have to preebook in months, but thats not possible because i always foolow wherever i feel to go and its just not possible to so so far in advance.
        I would be so happy ig you could share the information. My email is [email protected]
        Thank you so much and keep blogging it is really inspiring.

        Greetings sonja

        Reply
  4. Jessica
    Jessica says:

    I truly envy your bravery and commitment to travel. I too have the same desires to explore and adventure and discover the world, I just feel stuck and unable to do so. I want to know how you became able to separate from your business life and dedicate yourself completely to your passions. I’m at a mind-numbing desk job and as much as I hate it, I feel chained to this desk as well as my unfulfilling lifestyle. Please let me know how you were able to let everything go and ultimately start your life.

    Reply
  5. Heather
    Heather says:

    What an incredible adventure you have been on! I came across this page while searching for monasteries to stay in and that spiraled into me reading all about your Happiness Plunge and digging into your other posts. Thank you for being so inspiring! I plan to go the Thailand at the end of this year and am wondering if you can send the contact info for this temple? Thanks so much! I look forward to reading more of your postings.

    Reply
  6. Mary
    Mary says:

    Can you email me information on this temple or any similar you may know off? I am looking to go to a place like this soon.

    Reply

Trackbacks & Pingbacks

  1. […] been carrying around for years.  There are several Buddhist temples in Thailand that allow you stay with monks and participate in daily activities with them.  It is a great way to learn about Buddhist […]

  2. […] applied research. Many topics are ones I came across on The Happy Nomad Tour – mindfulness (meditation), breathing, empathy, compassion, cultural differences, and more. Other topics, such as engagement […]

  3. […] person doesn’t have to hide who they are and can still have a fair shot at life. At the Thai Buddhist Temple I stayed at, for example, there was a ladyboy student. Hard to imagine a ladyboy being accepted at […]

  4. […] I was there I saw many offerings people have made. In Thai temples I often found fruit, though I also saw whole baby pigs and fish as well. In any case, offerings are […]

  5. […] it for you, or you haven’t seen the movie, I present a more concrete example. Buddhists are very fond of butterflies. Well, who isn’t […]

  6. […] passing the first stage of meditation at the temple, you then take on another […]

  7. […] the biggest splash in the lake; rather, aim to create the biggest ripples. Or, as the master at the Thai Temple I visited said, “Keep on helping people, but don’t expect or want anything in return. Be […]

  8. […] had a hard time answering her. I could feel why Thailand felt so awesome, and my experiences at the Buddhist Temple certainly helped cement Thailand as a special place in my […]

  9. […] Adam Pervez’s superb blog (and story) Happiness Plunge deserves a much bigger post than this.  More correctly it deserves a series of posts since it played a big part in inspiring me to set up this blog and Mr. Pervez has written a wonderful series of posts about meditating at a Thai temple. […]

  10. […] such a wonderful experience at the temple in Bang Mun Nak, I quickly found myself needing to rejoin the “modern” world. I had to […]

  11. […] be honest, I had never really meditated before visiting the temple. But I think there are many ways to meditate. Doing yoga in my apartment in Denmark, focusing on […]

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