Since the topic arises frequently, this post is skipping its way to the top… (especially as someone called me ‘Vulnerable’ recently)

Addressing Monks:

a quick guide to speaking to, about and calling monks:

This is a question that arises frequently so it is worth writing up in full. People are afraid of being impolite or doing things the wrong way. Of course, if you are trying to be polite that is enough to be polite – and Thais especially are good at picking these things up. On the other hand, they are not so good at telling you what you have done wrong.

As usual in Thai culture it is somewhat blunt to call someone just by their name. You would normally put ‘Khun’ or ‘Dr’ or ‘Ajahn’ etc before the name to be polite. Same with monks – you generally don’t use the name without an honourific first. But you can’t use the usual ‘Khun’ as with regular people. Here are the main choices :

The easiest word is ‘Bhante’. It just means something like ‘Vernerable sir’ and it is a term that monks use with each other a lot in all Buddhist countries. For some reason Thai monks don’t use it so much, but it is still polite. Most Thai monks who can speak English or who have been abroad will use the term with each other. You can call any monk Bhante – no matter their position, rank, age or nationality. You would not usually put their name after it – just ‘Bhante’ is correct already. Which is handy when monks have Pali names you can’t remember even seconds later. So this one is recommended, as it is so easy. Unless there are several monks in the room of course….

‘Venerable’ can be used in the same way, and is again is fine for laypeople to use, and for monks to address other monks. You can add the name afterwards or not – up to you. But best not to use ‘venerable’  with very senior monks such as abbots.

You would not use ‘khun’ before a monk’s name as you would with Thais commonly. You can use the word ‘phra’ (meaning monk) or ‘tahn’ – both equally valid and usable. ‘Tahn’ is rather like ‘khun’ but higher status, and is sometimes used with high ranking officials or important people.

Thais will often use ‘luang pii’ which means ‘venerable brother’ or ‘luang phor’ which is ‘venerable father’. The latter is properly used with people older than yourself . ‘Luang Ta’ is also used, and means ‘venerable grandfather’. Children might use ‘luang naa’ which means venerable uncle.

‘Ajahn’ means teacher, and comes from the Pali/Sanskrit word Achariya. These days it is used with just about anyone who does, or has, or even looks like they might, teach something. You can use with monks both on its own, or followed by the monks name.

‘Bhikkhu’ is also used sometimes, either before or after the monks name, but best not to use this one unless the monk is commonly referred to in that way, such as the eminent Bhikkhu Bodhi.

 The Wai

The Wai (or anjali) is another story. It is common to wai monks. It does not have to be excessive, it is just a way of saying hello, and is something akin to a simple handshake. Monks will wai each other all the time, but in Thailand a monk cannot wai a layperson – so don’t think they are being impolite, they just are not culturally supposed to wai to lay people, even the King. Bowing is similar. Monks bow all the time and it is no big deal to them. We bow to other monks who have been ordained longer, but not to those who have been ordained for a shorter period, regardless of rank or age. bowing is sometimes a bit of a jolt to start with, either to monks or to Buddha Statues, but it quickly becomes perfunctory. After a while it feels like a really nice thing to do – to respect something.

When bowing to monks, it is important to know that it is the Sangha you are bowing to, not the individual monk. Monks know this too – that when people pay respect it is to the robes, and the office of the Bhikkhu, and not to the person wearing the robes. So while laypeople respect the office of the monkhood by bowing, the monk has an even greater obligation to respect the robes by means of proper behaviour and renunciation. Thai people have a knack of separating the office from the person – they can respect someone’s rank, while not liking the person. They see the two as separate. Thus a parent might bow to a newly ordained son, to pay respect to the office, and then lecture the son on behaviour. They respect the rank, and lecture the son!

 If all this is confusing, use Bhante to call someone (like a polite ‘hey you’) but use ‘phra +name’ when speaking about them.

Report on the talk by Marcus:

Ajahn Jayasaro started his talk last night, to over 200 people in the Baan Aree Library, with the story of a scholar willing to go through any hardship to find the perfect teaching. Eventually he’s directed to a great Master and he bows before him. “Tell me” he asks, “the highest, the most profound Dharma, the one single verse that encapsulates all that we ever need to know”.

The Master looks at the scholar and says, in the Pali with which they were most familiar, “Sabbapapassa akaranam. Kusalassa upasampada. Sacitta pariyodapanam. Etam Buddhana sananam. Avoid evil. Do Good. Purify the mind. This is the teachings of all Buddhas”. “That’s it?” the man complains. “That’s it? What kind of answer is that? Even a child of five can recite that verse.”

“Yes” replies the Master. “But even a man of fifty finds it hard to practice”, and the rest of Ajahn Jayasaro’s talk focused on that practice. He started with the part about training the mind, saying it is best done in what he called the ‘classroom’ of the present moment, but also said that it is inseperable from the earlier part about avoiding evil and doing good.

In fact, he suggested, sila is itself a perfect practice. Mindfulness needs to be mindful of something and what, in daily life, could be better than the precepts? “Keeping the precepts” he taught “is not just the foundation of practice, keeping precepts is itself the practice of liberation”, and he went on to give an example.

“By taking on as a life principle the intention not to harm” he said, “we immediately illuminate the intention to harm”, and he explained that by observing the precepts we can more easily see when our intentions run contrary to them. This, in itself, he said, is mindfulness meditation. It is not a preliminary to practicing the Dharma, but is the actual practice of the Dharma.

Talking about his own efforts over the past thirty years following rigorous monastic precepts, precepts that include, he said, rules over even such things as how to place your bag when sitting down, Ajahn Jayasaro compared keeping precepts to playing music. Watching a violinist in concert, we don’t think “you poor musician, every note was decided for you hundreds of years ago”.

Rather, we see how the notes, far from restricting him, are the means to his creativity, and Ajahn Jayasaro emphasised again that the practice of sila is liberating, not least in the way it eliminates remorse and builds confidence and self-respect. Only then did he turn to look specifically at the practice of samadhi.

Through meditation, he said, we can find inner refuge, stability, and integrity. Not, he said, by looking for blissed-out states, but by seeing things as they actually are. And not, he said, through studying theories, but through stepping into the classroom of the present moment. You can even do this, he said in response to the first question, for just a single minute, any time you like.

Click here to link to the talk on video

Link to Marcus Blog

The last week has seen a spate of controversy coming from Australia, and the ordination of 4 Bhikkhunis. Hoping to stay out of it …. too many people have sent comments to leave the topic unmentioned here.

What Happened

4 practicing lay women from Ajahn Brahm’s temple in Perth took ordination with several Bhikkhunis. According to tradition they first ‘go forth’ in ordination with the Bhikkhuni preceptor, and then go for a second ceremony with the Bhikkhu Sangha, which kind of puts its seal on the ordination.

Note that Ajahn Brahm, and the monks at the temple in Perth did not ‘perform’ the ordination. Nor did they ‘reintroduce’ Bhikkhuni ordination.

This sparked controversy, and Ajahn Brahm was called to Thailand to account for his actions – or more correctly for the actions performed in his temple.

Ajahn Brahm is part of the Ajahn Chah tradition, which has its own style and code of conduct. The heads of this grouping, cut Ajahn Brahm off their list – which means his temple is no longer a ‘branch temple’ of Ajahn Chah.

Bhikkhunis

The Bhikkhuni ordination lineage is sometimes said to have died out. Since women can only be ordained by other Bhikkhunis, then it is not possible to restart the ordination line. This is actually complete nonesense. The Bhikkhuni line of ordination was maintained in the Mahayana (Dharmagupta) tradition – which traces its ordination back to the Buddha himself. And there are thousands and thousands of fully ordained Bhikkhunis to prove it. The ordination in Australia was preformed by several of these Bhikkhunis, so Sadhu! to the new nuns and best wishes to them.

In the Theravada tradition, the ordination of women died out. But Theravada was only one of the many Nikaya schools of Buddhism that arose in the centuries after the Buddha. Note that you ordain as a Bhikkhu or a Bhikkhuni only, and not as a ‘Theravada’ or ‘Mahayana’ monk or nun. So there is no reason for women not to ordain in the existing Bhikkhuni lineage if they wish – all suitable women can ordain and thousands do. The idea that women can’t ordain as nuns is frankly wrong, as the thousands of Bhikkhunis worldwide demonstrates.

Theravada/Mahayana

When one is ordained, there is no restriction on what style of Buddhism you practise. Mahayana monks nuns are free to study and practise Theravada - in fact you don’t have to be ordained at all – anyone can study practise Theravada Buddhism. And the same goes for Mahayana. Many Thai monks go abroad to India/Nepal/Bhutan to practise. Thus there are a growing number of women ordained as Bhikkhunis, who practise in the style of Theravada Buddhism. No problem there.

As Ajahn Brahm repeatedly pointed out in his talk after the ordination, he sanctioned the ordination of 4 women as Bhikkhunis in the Buddhist lineage - not Theravadans or Mahayanists. He is not even the ‘first’ to do so in any way. The new Bhikkhuni’s preceptor Ayya Tataaloka for instance, was similarly ordained in the US. Ajahn Brahm might be the first in the little tiny sub-group of Western temples in the Ajahn Chah tradition (totalling some 20 temples), but on the wider scale of things, this sub-group is very small.

Thai Sangha Elders Council

The position in Thailand on Bhikkhunis is somewhat dubious. Officially, the Supreme Patriarch declared that Bhikkhunis were not an official part of the ‘Sangha’. In fact, the laws in Thailand regarding the Sangha relate to the ‘Bhikkhu’ Sangha, and not to the ‘Bhikkhuni’ Sangha so the position is somewhat unsure.

What about ‘Mahayana’ Bhikkhunis ?

In fact the position is the same for both Mahayana Nuns as it is for Mahayana monks. It is just no one really bothered about the official ’status of Mahayana monk, because it simply is not really a problem. There are lots of religious sub-sects in Thailand that have no ‘official’ status. Christian monks, Islamic priests, Nichiren Buddhists, Korean Buddhists … there are hundreds of religious groups of real monks/nuns that have no ‘official’ status relating to the Thai Sangha.

This is why there are in fact a number of Bhikkhunis practising both Theravada and Mahayana styles of Buddhism in Thailand. Many Mahayana Bhikkhunis for instance, study degrees at the monk’s Mahachula. University.

In fact the Santi Asoke monks – also ordained Thai Buddhist monks, are not part of the official Thai sangha, yet thrive nonetheless. They really were excommunicated, but still continue as a religious group.

Excommunication

The media, always in need of a controversy, called the recent event an ‘excommunication’ which of course means that one is cast out of the religion (and condemned to hell). Silly.

The Ajahn Chah tradition, which probably totals about 200 temples worldwide, with 20+ branches run by Western monks, had discussed the issue of Bhikkhuni ordination and decided that they would follow the Thai Sangha Elders in not participating in such ordinations. Since Ajahn Brahm went against this group decision, he was expelled from the group.

Just like McDonalds sells burgers in all its branches. If one franchise branch took to selling chinese food, it would no longer be a branch of McDonalds.

It does not mean that Ajahn Brahm, or any of his monks, were expelled from the Sangha. They are still official, real, and respected Buddhist monks – just not part of the Ajahn Chah sub-group.

Our own Little Bangkok Sangha is not a part of the Ajahn Chah Tradition either, and it is no problem. There is always respect.

So the Problem?

The Sangha does things as a group. There is a huge emphasis on group decisions, tradition, openness, and harmony. Lay people cannot really be aware of how strongly this is emphasised in the monastic circles, from the time of the Buddha. Ajahn Brahm emphasised this point several times in his talk after the ordination. He felt (with justification) that too many decisions were made by ‘Elders’ behind closed doors.

Yet this ordination was conducted in virtual secrecy. Even members of the Perth group were not told in advance. This is not how the Sangha of monks/nuns conducts its affairs.

Their justification was that if they had been open, they would have been prevented. But this is the whole point of the ‘harmony in the Sangha’ rules that are in the Vinaya. That the monks/nuns do not act out of accordance with each other. For instance, some temple might decide that jeans are better than robes when working outdoors – and they might well be right. But to act alone in changing the interpretation of the convention would be disharmonious.

This is why Ajahn Brahm was admonished, even by those who support the ordination of Bhikkhunis strongly. It is a monastic issue, that should not overly concern lay people.

Blowing Over

Please do not be sucked in by the silly headlines. Ajahn Brahm and co., despite having been admonished by (some of) the Thai Sangha, are still official  Buddhist monks. He is still a great teacher, an inspiration, and definitely one who has acted respectfully and sincerely with the best of intentions. It will make practically no difference if his temple is an official branch of Ajahn Chah tradition or not. It is still recognised by the Thai and worldwide Sangha as an exemplary temple.

He had been cornered in a difficult situation – of several women in his group wanting to ordain as Bhikkhunis. They could have gone abroad and taken ordination, but they were part of his group and he could hardly send them off elsewhere.

In all, the issue will blow over pretty quickly. There are thousands of Bhikkhunis all over the world; which means there have been lots of ordinations in many countries, that have gone by without controversy. There is nothing particularly landmark or special about this case, other than an internal issue for the Ajahn Chah sub-group of temples. And even that likely blow over without further issue.

It is a hot topic right now.  The Bhikkhuni contribution to Buddhism … (Bhikkhuni is a fully ordained nun in Buddhism)

Visiting professor from the University of Leeds will be presenting some of the findings of his current research project on female saints in Thai Buddhism at Chulalongkorn university Nov 21st 2009.  Dr Seeger has been presenting several lectures on Western Buddhism also at the Monk’s university, and has spent a lot of time in Thailand researching the role of female saints from an academic standpoint. He even learnt to read Thai during his studies. He is very amiable and approachable.

With the recent controversy over the Thai/Western temple in Perth ordaining 4 Bhikkhunis this is a highly relevant topic ..

Event is free of charge and there is no need for reservation in advance.

Sainthood and Gender

in Thai Buddhism

By

Dr Martin Seeger

University of Leeds, United Kingdom

Saturday, November 21, 2009 09.00-12.00 am.

Boromrajakumari Building, Room 708

Location

It is a 10-15 minute walk from Siam BTS Station. Go along Henry Durant road until you get to the footbridge. Turn right at the Chula university entrance after the footbridge, and turn right again once inside the compound. The Building you want is the tallest in the area, so it is easy to spot.

Click images to enlarge them:

Here is the view as you come through the correct entrance to the university. Turn right as you enter (taxis are forced to turn left and circle round).

Wednesday 25th November

Dhamma Talk with

Ven. Chong Go Sunim

(American monk – Korean lineage)

and

Phra Pandit Cittasamvaro

(British Theravada monk)

The Nature of Buddha Nature

Celebrating its 10th anniversary in Bangkok the Korean Soen (Zen) One-Mind  temple is arranging a number of activities (See here for celebration and dhamma talk on Sunday 22nd Nov 09).

On the Wednesday 25th of November Venerable Chong Go Sunim - an American monk of the Korean Seon (Zen) lineage, and Phra Pandit Cittasamvaro – British monk of the Thai Theravada lineage, will jointly give a Dhamma talk on Buddha-nature and consciousness. The event is free of charge, in English and open to all. No reservation is needed.

Topic

The nature of consciousness is the great unexplored realm of humanity of the modern age. Only in the last decade has it even become an acceptable topic of research. Despite cracking the organic cell and mapping the neural pathways, science still has practically no idea of how or what consciousness is. And yet it is the very foundation of human life!

Essentially this was the quest of the Buddha, and was the basis of his ultimate discovery. He followed consciousness to its source in what we would now call a replicable experiment – that is anyone can do as he did. Of course, it takes discipline and dedication in training the mind in the right way. ( see the recent Littlebang blog on the Skeptic’s Dilemma)

‘Buddha-nature’ is a Mahayana Buddhist name for the basic nature of the mind. It is not quite a ’shared consciousness’, but nonetheless is the same for everyone. Much of the Korean One-Mind school of Buddhism meditation approach focusses on this nature, and ones relationship to it.

Though the term does not appear in Theravada, the theory sits well with standard Theravada teachings. The Buddha himself was an explorer of the conscious experience, and claimed to have found an Unconditioned base to the mind that is Enlightenment. And he described these resulting experiences in different ways.

Speakers

Venerable Chong Go Sunim:

Venerable Chong Go Sunim, originally from the United States, was ordained in the Korean Jogye Order (the largest Buddhist Order in Korea) in 1993. He completed an MA in Seon Studies in 2003 and received 3rd level certification from the Jogye order in 2002 allowing him to ordain others and serve as an abbot.

Ven. Chong Go Sunim’s Dharma teacher is the Venerable Seon Master Daehaeng KunSunim and he practices at the Hanmaum International Centre where he helps translate the works of Master Daehaeng into English and other languages. He also runs several Dharma groups and gives regular talks in English and Korean.

Venerable Phra Cittasamvaro Bhikku:

“There is a beautiful place in the mind, peaceful, bright and aware, that shows itself when you put everything down. It is free to all who undertake the search.”
- Phra Cittasamvaro Bhikku

Venerable Phra Cittasamvaro Bhikku, originally from England, has been an ordained member of the Thai Sangha for over 13 years and is the founder and continuing inspiration and guide behind what has come to be known as The Littlebang Sangha, the community of English-speaking Buddhists in Bangkok.

The Bangkok Hanmaum Seon Center:

The Bangkok Hanmaum Seon Center is an overseas branch of Hanmaum Seon, established by Seon Master Daehaeng Sunim, a female Seon master widely respected throughout Korea, and part of the Jogye order of Korean Buddhism. Seon is the Korean word for Zen, and Master Daehaeng’s teaching is to realize and awaken to our inherent nature, sometimes called Buddha-nature, inherent mind, or Juingong.

The Bangkok branch of Hanmaum Seon was established ten years ago and is very much a centre of the Korean Buddhist community. The centre is run by two resident Sunims and holds regular ceremonies and teachings in Korean, and a monthly English-language Seon group that usually meets on the evening of the first Saturday of the month.

A point to note:

•  There are no bare feet in Korean temples, it would be much appreciated if those wishing to come will remember to bring socks!

The Details:

Date:
Wednesday November 25th

Time:
6.30pm onwards – Arrival
7pm to 8.30pm – Dharma talk by Ven. Chong Go Sunim and Ven. Cittasamvaro Bhikkhu

Location:
The Bangkok Hanmaum Seon Centre
86-1 Soi 4 Sukhumvit 63
BTS – Ekamai, Exit 1

Leave the Ekkamai Skytrain station at exit 1, on the side opposite the Bus Terminal. The temple is in Sukhumvit 63. A short way down 63 on the right you will see soi 4. Go all the way to end of soi 4 and it’s on your left.

You can get a motorbike taxi from the BTS station, just ask for the Korean Temple (‘wat gowlee’). It’s only a few minutes away and should cost just 10 or 20 baht.

Click map for a lager version:

The final social gathering and movie at the Tai Pan Hotel of this decade!

The Conscious Experiment

Lunch/movie at the Tai Pan Hotel

Saturday 28th November

Film: The Illusion of Consciousness

Dr Susan Blackmore

Followed by a 15 minute summary of the Buddha’s own ultimate experiment in consciousness according to The Way of the Elders (Theravada)

Finally we’ll leave the floor to Dr Georges Dreyfus to define some of the concepts, problems and theoretical solutions according to the great Mahayana Buddhists of history.

Everyone welcome! These events are a good chance to meet some of the other faces in an informal setting and swap some viewpoints later after the documentary. We are always a diverse crowd so everyone will fit in ..

Lunch

The usual 206 baht buffet lunch at the Tai Pan Hotel – good food, wide choice. With soups, salad, make-your-own pizza, and Thai & Western dishes.

Come any start time between 11:15 and 12:15

If you can’t make lunch you are also welcome to come just for the film (or just for lunch as skip the movie). It’s an informal day so feel free.

Film

A thoroughly interesting 45 minute taped lecture of Dr Susan Blackmore (Wikipedia biography . And  her homepage here) called The Illusion of Consciousness that was presented at the Skeptics conference on consciousness in 2005.

Susan Blackmore is a skeptic, psychologist and student of consciousness. Not to mention a long time student of Zen Buddhism, and prolific writer including authoring 3 books on consciousness :

 Conversations on Consciousness
Consciousness: An Introduction,

and A very short introduction to consciousness

…

…

Consciousness in Buddhism

Any ultimate experiment in consciousness must be subjective – only you can taste and feel it. The Buddha followed consciousness to its roots and discovered what he called the Unconditioned, or the Amata (deathless) – a base of consciousness, the attainment of which is perfect enlightenment.

We will rattle through a 10 (ish)  minute presentation of this discovery, and purportedly replicable experiment, according to The Way of the Elders (Theravada Buddhism)

Then we will leave the floor to the very interesting Georges Dreyfus – Sanskrit scholar and former Tibetan monk of 15 years. Georges gave a very lively and stimulating talk on the nature of consciousness in Chulalongkorn university last year, which left an impression on a number of us Little Bangkok Sangha who attended. He is an experienced lecturer in top US universities, and an enthusiastic speaker.

Schedule

Saturday 28th November

11:15 – 1 pm Lunch (arrive any time)

1:15 – 2pm The Illusion of Consciousness

2:00 – 2:15 Consciousness according to early Buddhism

2:15 – 3:15 (ish) Presentation and discussion led by Dr Georges Dreyfus.

Finish around 3:30 (people welcome to stay later and chat afterwards)

Directions:

Goto Asoke BTS or Underground line. Walk East and go down Sukhumvit 23 for 336 meters (thanks Google Earth). Turn left into the Tai Pan Hotel. Restaurant is on the ground floor as you enter the building. Make sure to come and announce yourself – or they might not give you our discounted price for lunch!

Cat banned from visiting Buddhist inmate

A Buddhist bank robber has been refused permission for his cat to visit him in jail – even though he says it’s the reincarnation of his mum.

Peter Keonig, 46, is serving five-years for armed robberies in Whirl, Germany, reports the Daily Telegraph.

He went to court to demand the right for his cat Gisela to be allowed to visit him in jail “because she is my dead mum”.

Buddhists believe that people come back as other animals after death.

He said: “I know it is mummy. She looks after me just the way she did. I need to see her like other prisoners see their wives and children.”

The court ruling said: “While we respect the religious freedom of individuals, the accused has not been able to furnish proof that his deceased mother has been reborn in a cat. Therefore, the request for visiting rights for the feline is rejected.”

The court did say he would be allowed to write to the cat.

Find out for yourself

…is the oft repeated saying from the Buddha.

and don’t just believe me

A look around the world’s great spiritual teachers reveals something interesting – none of them really wanted to be worshipped. All of them had discovered something and wished others to recreate the experience. We might cite the exceptions of Moses and others, who claimed to be simply passing on a message whispered in their ear by God. But even they did not want to be worshipped. It is a curious trait of people in the world to venerate their teachers, rather than the teachings. Buddhism is no exception.

The Dhamma taught by the Buddha is supposed to be universal law. That means that it is the nature of the universe whether there is someone who understands and points it out or not. He claimed to have rediscovered it, like a traveller might rediscover an ancient path in the forest, that leads somewhere interesting (Buddha’s own analogy). That is: he rediscovered the Unconditioned or the Deathless (amata) base of consciousness.

In the way of a pure science, the experiments have been done, the conclusion reached and the details laid out for anyone to follow and recreate the results. Just like it is somewhat difficult to recreate nuclear fusion experiments, until you have learned all the necessary background (not to mention secured a big budget) it is also difficult to follow the advice laid out in the Suttas for how to reach this Unconditioned for yourself. Purification of morality, of view, of understanding, of knowledge and vision, of meditation etc.. this is a difficult experiment to replicate for those caught up in the world and in desire.

Yet along that path that you call difficult, the noble ones make their way

(advice to Kamada)

So if we are to take the path as a grand experiment, does that leave room for the skeptic ?

A student of nuclear physics must take a certain amount on trust and follow the text books. Doubting and arguing every step of the way will ensure they never reach the goal of recreating a nuclear fusion experiment by themselves. Similarly for Buddhism, while you should certainly keep your wits about you, and should never leave your intelligence or understanding far behind, you must at the same time take a certain amount on trust. To recreate the experiment you can’t rely on anyone else. You have to be willing to get on the cushion and put aside your thoughts and desires and train the mind in the way recommended. Only then can one go beyond skeptical doubting. Until then, the skeptic will always be faced by the classic dilemma:

The skeptic is unable to accept solutions to questions they are unable to dismiss as unsolvable

****

This Friday we will be joining Georges Dreyfus at Chulalongkorn univeristy for a lecture on Skepticism in Buddhsim. He is a warm and interesting speaker. Those who can join early – we will be meeting for lunch before hand at 10:45 outside the building where the talk is held.

This month Thai monk Ajahn Wimoak will lead his usual monthly workshop in English/Thai on Sunday 29th Nov. 

Interested foreigners are welcome to attend – the day is kind of ‘Thai style’, which means a little ‘fluid’ in schedule. There will be a dhamma talk in the morning session, and some walking meditation and meditation interviews by visiting lay practitioners for those who want it. The day is officially in English, but depending on the participants there will be periods of Thai language teaching also. 

The program, including lunch, is kindly provided free of charge by Ariyasom Bangkok Boutique Hotel.

Ajahn Wimoak is a Thai monk, currently finishing a PhD in Buddhsim in English. He is also an accomplished meditator and has good English. He is able to put dhamma into accessible words based on direct experience, which is in contrast to the formulaic approach of most Thai monks.

Note: the schedule is rarely adhered to, except for check in and lunch which is at the correct time.

• 8:30 – 9 am Registration
• 9 – 10 Talk on Kayakatasati (mindfulness of body)
• 10-11:15 refreshments and meditation
• 11:30 Lunch
• Afternoon session will (usually)  include short Dhamma talk, sitting and walking meditation, and one-to-one interviews.
• Finish between 4 and 5 pm

Ariyasom Villa
65 Sukhumvit Soi 1, Sukhumvit Road,
Klongtoey Nua, Wattana,
Bangkok 10110
Tel. 02 254 8880

Click here for further information on Ariyasomvilla

Directions couldn’t be easier. Go down Sukhumvit Soi 1 straight to the very end, and you will see Ariyasom Villa on the left.

For Skytrain users, take the Ploen Chit Station.

Map to Ariyasom

Click for larger view-

(Click here to go to Ariyasom Villa’s map)

Here is an interesting video about the ‘Monk Police’, a crack FBI style squad of heroic defenders of the faith. At least that is how the documenters present it.

These monks have taken it on themselves to catch ‘fake’ monks who beg for food or money via the robe and bowl. Some of them are drunk, others are not even ordained monks.

These kinds of story make it look like Thailand is crawling with ‘fakes’. In fact the opposite is true. While there will always be opportunists, for the most part the Thai Sangha has avoided much controversy. Sometimes someone is ‘caught’ drinking or going to a Karaoke bar. While it is wrong behaviour it is fairly tame. In such times the person, if not given a second chance, will be quietly disrobed and returned to lay life.

As for the giver – when one gives to any monk it should be with the intention to support the Sangha as a whole, rather than  a particular individual. Of course, if the monk is a family member or someone you know well then there is the personal element. Yet the base intention is to support the Sangha, which protects and maintains the religion. Therefore most people who offer alms in the mornings feel quite rightly that they have done their part. If a monk lets the Sangha side down, it is their own Karmic lookout.