When they came back, I followed them to an outdoor covered area of the temple where Leang introduced me to a man he calls ‘Pa’. I learned that when Leang lived here, this man, his wife and their family became very close to Leang and were a second family to him. As a young man, and now a monk, Leang studied diligently at the temple in his small village. He really wanted to study at a higher level than the education available to him in Cambodia, and so the Abbot in his village advised him to contact the Abbot here at Wat Bonpong. The Abbot here accepted him as his student and invited him to come live at this temple and learn about Buddhism. Leang enthusiastically accepted, and he bravely ventured away from his small village and the world he knew in Cambodia. He moved to an entirely new and very different country to pursue Buddhism here in Thailand.
He said he was very nervous about this, since he never has traveled much in his life. At Wat Bonpong, Leang was younger than both the Abbot and the one other monk living there. As strong as he was in his Buddhist beliefs, he still was a bit scared and alone at first. Ma and Pa helped him not feel this way while being so far away from his own family. The looked after him and became quite close to him. Leang told me that when he lived here before, he had even went with Ma on a trip to visit her family in Bangkok as well as relatives in the north of Thailand. Ma and Pa also took Leang to visit Chiang Mai when he was applying to the university at Wat Suan Dok, and requesting to live at his current temple Wat Phan Aon. Leang's sister in Cambodia has even come to this village and stayed with Ma and Pa while Leang lived here. They are very important to him; he cares about them a great deal.
On the bus from Laos, Leang had called and asked them if I could stay with them while we were in this village for the Songkran Festival. They said they were happy to have me and welcomed me with open arms. They welcomed a foreigner and stranger into their home with no questions asked based on the love and trust they have for Leang. I immediately loved them for this, and grew to love them for so much more.
This is a photo of Leang standing by the entrance of Ma and Pa's house. In the background of the photo is the entrance to the Wat Banpong; as you can see it is just across the street.
When I first arrived, Ma was in Bangkok visiting family, but she called that first night and asked for Leang to translate a welcome message to me, and ask me to stay long enough for her to arrive back in the village because she can’t wait to meet me. We arrived at the begining of April into the village, and Ma was to come back around the 10th.
The monks took me to Ma and Pa's home where I would be staying. They had to translate for Pa and I about arrangements for me, and making me feel welcome. Pa was also very concerned about what I like to eat. I discovered there is a noodle soup lady down the street. But Leang told Pa for me that I love noodle soup and rice soup. Funny...the weather is so hot in Asia, but I really like soup! I asked the monks to tell him I will eat anything they make, and I am happy to try everything, and I don't want to cause trouble or make them worry if I would like something. Besides, I know the types of food I have already tried, but there are so many dishes I have no experience with….maybe I will love other food more than the noodle soup? Only one way to find out! Pa was so kind to me and I just want things to be easy for them while allowing me stay with them.
Before dinner at the house, I decided to go for a walk and let Leang and Jerry settle into their rooms at the temple and take a rest.. It had been a long day for all of us, and I could see they were exhausted. Monks just aren't accustomed to this much activity!
On the other hand...I wanted to explore the area.
Bonpong was so different from the places I had been to so far in my travels. In Ton Sai, it was a small place too, but it was based on tourism due to the climbing and the island beaches in the south. There are hundreds of climbers that trickle though Ton Sai every season, not to mention Railey Beach next door with tourists by the boat load.
This village is not like that at all, it is rural because there is no tourism. Korat, which is the city about a half hour from here along the highway is an industrial center. The majority of Thailand’s factories are located in this region. They are so numerous I cannot even begin to list all the varieties but some are rice production, car manufacturers, silk factories, gem factories, computer factories, even tire factories. Miles and miles of the highway are lined with these never ending buildings that provide the nations exports.
Bonpong is so different even from everywhere I have been. It is a diamond in the ruff. I wandered the dirt paths and streets. Every turn I took, the landscape became more and more breathtaking.
I walked past farms with livestock; chickens, ducks, pigs, water buffalo. In this photo, a man is moving his water buffalo from one field to another to graze.
There are a couple of lakes and rivers nearby that the community will fish at. The people hang the nets on bamboo when not using them to keep them from tangling or tearing.
I began walking down a path approaching houses and less farms. On my way I passed this man who had just finished fishing in one of the streams by a farm, and he had collected some herbs to cook the fish with.
The pinkish-purple plant in his hand is the flower from a banana tree. It is used to make a delicious curry...so good!
While nearing houses I realized there began to be people gathering in the streets staring at me. I was new here so I wasn't sure how people would react to my coming here. I was a bit afraid of them being unhappy of entry into this precious little community. I was worried they would think I’m ruining their culture by just my presence here. Songkran is the most important Buddhist holiday and I wasn't sure if they would feel I was intruding, or dishounoring their traditions with my presence. In my little world inside of my head it is great to be a traveler, but you never know how you will be received by locals when invading their homes and villages. Leang and Jerry had reassured me they I am welcome, but still. On one rare occasion in Bangkok I once wandered into a part of town where there were no tourists. A little girl running stopped dead in her tracks when seeing me, and dropped the small bag of ice she was carrying. She just stared. I smiled and waved to her and kept walking. She was as motionless as a statue. Next, I stopped at a food stall to get a snack and immediately the woman yelled 'No speak English! Go!' I then proceeded to answer her in Thai apologizing, and saying I just wanted some dang muong (watermelon). She was surprised, and gave it to me. I paid and left, but it bothered me all day of how ill mannered she was. I wasn't accustomed to this, and I sure didn't like it. This is for sure not the normal behavior of the Thai people I had encountered in my travels, but still…it happened…and I was terribly worried it would happen again here in Bonpong, the uncertainty was making me feel ill. After our Laos experience, my thinking was a bit skewed as well...the people are not as nice there as Thailand, but you spend that much time around people like that and you begin to think that’s how people are everywhere.
This is not at all how Bonpong turned out to be. The people were lining the streets to see me because they were interested in me. When the two old women in the photo saw me taking pictures, they clearly didn’t understand what I was doing, so I showed them the photo I just took and they became excited. They spoke rapidly in Thai and I suppose they had never seen a digital camera before. They wanted me to take their photo and they posed for a few pictures. After taking it, I showed them, and they thanked me profusely. How different!! How wonderful!
This village is amazing. After visiting so much of SE Asia, I really have gained an appreciation for this place. It is beautiful. The sunrises and sunsets were my favorite time of day in Bonpong. Staggeringly beautiful every time. As I was walking it began to grow darker, and I knew I needed to get back to the house for dinner. I was so eager to see everything that I really thought it would be a pity to turn around and go back the same way. So I kept walking hoping that maybe the streets would connect up. I walked around a bend, and came to this rubble. It was once someone’s home, but has been reduced to what you see in this photo. Not sure the story behind it, but it was breathtakingly gorgeous. I feel lucky to have had the opportunity to have taken this photo at sunset.
Bonpong is a very small village, with a simple way of life. The more I saw of it, the more I realized this. Much of Asia is this way; unfortunately, tourists rarely see this type of lifestyle while visiting Asia. I was so happy to be here! I immediately loved this village.
The road I was walking did indeed connect up with the road near the temple, which is where Ma and Pa live. I took this photo before going in for dinner.
Pa and Ma have a small grandson named Nan who is living with them for awhile. When Leang, Jerry and I first arrived, Nan immediately took a liking to Jerry. I learned that for awhile now, he had been telling Ma and Pa that he wants to be a Novice, and then a monk someday.
The first night we arrived after calling Ma in Bangkok, Leang, Jerry and I were visiting with Pa, and Nan came out from having a shower. He got his blanket and approached Jerry and held it out to him. Jerry took the blanket and smiled not really knowing what the small boy wanted. He held it out in front of him. Nan began to wrap himself in it. We all started laughing and realized what he was doing after we saw the way he was winding it around himself. He wanted Jerry to dress him up as a monk…so cute!
The next day, Pa and I woke up early to give alms to the monks.
The monks walk barefoot through the paths of the village at 6am, and the lay people come outside and offer rice to them in their alms bowls. The Abbot is the one in the front in this photo. Then the monks return to the temple, and set aside the rice. They then clean the temple, and care for the plants and animals that take refuge there. I'm not sure if I mentioned this before in an earlier blog or not...but I distinctly remember thinking about it while in Ayutthaya, that at all the temples I had visited it SE Asia, there are always animals at the temples. Perhaps it is because the monks care for them and do not harm them. But Nan back in Chiang Mai says they were monks in past lives, and they come to the temples to look after their friends and guide the novices to make good choices. The monks are kind to the animals, and one time I remember one of my monk students waiting for me at Wat Chedi Luang in Chiang Mai. As I approached, I realized he was talking to one of the dogs the same as I would talk to a friend. I asked him what he was saying, and he said it is his friend, and he was telling him about the exam he had that day, and how he felt he did. I have grown to really love this quality in the monks, I talk to animals all the time and they listen. In Sukkothai I was riding my bicycle and I passed a temple where there was a mixed group of dogs, cats, and even a few chickens laying in the shade under a Buddha statue. I stopped my bicycle and just stared and laughed. What a combo! Here at Wat Banpong, there are a few dogs and cats living at the temple. Near one of the buildings quite a few pigeons live, and there will be a group of them all over the ground, and a cat will casually be laying among them totally relaxed and basking in the sunshine.
There are only 2 monks that live at this temple full time: the Abbot, and one other monk. They both lived here when Leang lived here before, so they were all so happy to be reunited during our stay. During this time there is the Abbot (Achan), the other resident monk, Leang, Jerry, and 2 other visiting monks from another city a few hours away. The Abbot requested the 2 monks to come assist him here during Songkran festival, just as he did with Leang. Songkran is the Buddhist New Year, and it is very busy at the temples throughout SE Asia. I was so excited to be here at such a special time! Leang told me to relax and enjoy myself while we are here, but informed me that he and the other monks would be very busy in the coming weeks to prepare the temple and make ceremonies for the lay people during this time. I was prepared for this and would do my best to help as much as I could, or conversely, stay out of their way if I couldn’t help.
Every morning after the monks clean the temple grounds, care for the plants and animals, the lay people would come and bring food and water around 7am.
The food would be anything the lay people can offer: curries, fish, meats, eggs, fruit, deserts, bread...etc.
Then we would all gather in the breakfast hall, and we would show respects to Buddha, then the monks would come and sit on a raised stage in the front of the room. Us lay people would then show respects to them, and follow them in chanting the 5 precepts in the Pali language. After we are finished chanting, the monks would eat in silence.
Pali is the language of ancient language of Buddhism. By having these precepts in this language, as well as the teachings of Buddhism, it stays true in form. Monks sometimes study the Pali language aside from the teachings, and then can be certified to speak and write in Pali. This language is very complex, time consuming, and very difficult from what the monks have told me about it. The Abbot has studied Pali and has taken the Buddhist exams to be qualified as an interpreter. Leang has taken the first 3 exams, but still has more to go.
The 5 precepts are as follows....and it took me a few days and the help of the monks, but, yes I have them memorized in Pali! Woo-Hoo!
The five precepts (pañca-sikkhāpada) or five virtues (pañca-sīla) in:
Pali
1. Pāṇātipātā veramaṇī sikkhāpadaṃ samādiyāmi.
2. Adinnādānā veramaṇī sikkhāpadaṃ samādiyāmi.
3. Kāmesu micchācāra veramaṇī sikkhāpadaṃ samādiyāmi.
4. Musāvāda veramaṇī sikkhāpadaṃ samādiyāmi.
5. Surā-meraya-majja-pamādaṭṭhānā veramaṇī sikkhāpadaṃ samādiyāmi.
English
1. I undertake the training rule to abstain from taking life.
2. I undertake the training rule to abstain from taking what is not given.
3. I undertake the training rule to abstain from sexual misconduct today.
4. I undertake the training rule to abstain from false speech.
5. I undertake the training rule to abstain from drinks and drugs that cause heedlessness.
This is a photo all of us lay people were sitting outside of the building while the monks are eating. You don't have to leave while they eat, but if you stay it is normally respectful to not speak. Also you cannot point your feet at the front of the room, especially not at Buddha, or the monks. So when sitting you can straighten your legs after the monks leave our presence, but while there it gets uncomfortable after a while so we would often go outside to stretch a bit. The entire breakfast events are usually over by 9am. So we start the daily process with alms at 6am, but the sitting with legs tucked is from 7-9am, so you can see why a nice stretch while the monks are eating feels so great!
Also traditionally the monks would leave the building when they are finished eating, and the lay people would then gather and bring the food from the stage down to the floor where we sit, and we would all eat what is left of the food. The following photo shows us all gathered on the floor eating breakfast. Pa is in the yellow shirt, and Nan is the little boy in red.
There was always so much to go around. It's a great way for the community to pool together to make sure everyone has enough. However because this is a small temple, and I was there; breakfast usually became a time when Leang would translate questions the Abbot, monks or villagers had for me.
Nan, Nongkim, and I sharing fruit.
This is one of the wonderful, and beautiful old women of the village. She looked so pretty with the flower in her hair that I asked if I could take her photo; they all were more than happy and thanked me profusely if I took photos.
That first morning when Pa took me to breakfast, I was surrounded by the old women and the children. They all were so happy to see me, touching my arms and face. They couldn't get over how beautiful they think my skin is because it is so much whiter than theirs. Funny how that works...they want white skin, western people want tans. Leang and Jerry always laughed, and were translating for me.
All day, every day, and any day that there were old women of the village were near me, they swooned constantly. 'Dton Mai con Suay!!!!!' they would say. That means they think I am beautiful. They taught all the children to say it too.This is a place where the older people may never have seen a person with white skin before, or if they had, it was long ago. I would say also that the younger children had never seen a foreigner in person, only on TV. The people that may have seen a farang before, is the age group between 22-40 since many of them work in the city and are more likely to see one now and again. But it’s still unlikely they have had a conversation with one before.
The little children immediately followed me around and loved me. There was one little 2 year old girl that particularly adored me. She would smile huge and giggle when she saw me. That first day she was so shy but her great-grandmother was very encouraging to her to come to me. Her name is Nongkim. She would sneak and touch my arm or bracelets ever so lightly, and giggle if I noticed.
Nongkim and her sweet great-grandmother; I think she is in her late 90's now. She taught Nongkim how to say 'Dton Mai con Suay!' hahaha. Nongkim's mother works in the city, so everyday either her grandmother or her great-grandmother will babysit her.
She's the most adorable little girl who brightened my everyday with her company. She would come to the temple and see me and giggle and run to me. We instantly developed a bond and became very fond of each other.
During all this, the Abbot was amused, and so happy to have me there. He made a joke (that Leang and Jerry translated) when during that first breakfast he told one of the old women to open the school, because Dton Mai is here and the children can learn English now. The entire room laughed and was happy for me to be there. On the weekly Buddhist holiday (every 7th day) the number of people that attend the temple for breakfast increases exponentially. On the first one I was present for; the Abbot wanted me to give a speech to the people about myself, and my impression of this temple and the village. I was so shy but with the help of the monks, I was able to convey my journey and my heartfelt thanks to these kind people who have welcomed me into their home, village and place of worship. There was so much excitement from the children about English (in Thai they say sanskit) language, and I reassured them all that I was more than happy to teach anyone who wanted to learn from me.
This is the common area and the monks set up a sting system for the festival where they are all connected together and then connected to the Buddha statue at the far side of the building. The net has strings hanging from it, and the monks wind the stings up into little bundles for a ceremony during Songkran.
I really needed to email some people and inform them of my change in plans. Last I told anyone was that I would be going to Vietnam 3 days ago. Being in Thailand again, sure is not what was planned, and so they needed to know. Jerry told me that the resident monk has a computer set up in the common area outside that I can use. He connects it to his cell phone for internet. It for sure looks like a bit of a fire hazard, but it worked.
In this photo, Jerry is checking his email and Leang is standing nearby. Right after this photo was taken, Jerry told me he had some bad news. His mother emailed him and told him his sister's family was having some problems. He spent the next 2 hours on the phone trying to figure out what happened and what to do. The result ended up being that he was going to leave immediately for Cambodia to see if he can help his family through these difficult times. His village was about 3 days away if he hurried, and Songkran was approaching. Songkran is such a huge event in these Buddhist countiries; travel is near impossible during the festival. If he was going to make it, he needed to leave straight away.
It was so sad to see him leave; he didn't want to go, but his family needed him, so we all supported his decision.
As a monk, you don't have an income of money. Yet to attend university as a Thai monk, you can attend for free. As a Cambodian monk like Leang, or Jerry you have to pay fees for classes. Not much to a western person, maybe $50 per semester, but to a monk that's huge. Songkran is a time when the community makes good merit, and it is when the largest influx of money is donated to temples. The money the Abbot will then budget for the rest of the year to pay for things, supplies, travel, festivals, education, guests and visitors, electricity, cell phones and so forth. The Abbots give money to the resident or visiting monks for travel expenses when going home, and this is not required, but it is common. The Abbot at Wat Bongpong (Achan) gave Jerry 700Bhat ($20) to get him home and help to get him back to Chiang Mai. In Thailand as a monk, you can ride the train for free, buses will be roughly half price, but in Cambodia, this is not the case. Jerry will have to pay his expenses while traveling there, and will most likely have to take the bus since time is limited for this travel. The plan for Leang and Jerry in coming to Wat Bonpong, was to assist Achan here with the festival, and in turn Achan always gives a monetary gift to the monks that they then budget throughout the year for school fees, phone cards, snacks, travel, transportation, visas, food while traveling, toiletries, pens, paper, dictionaries, books, and anything else that they need for school or daily life. Aside from goods that the community members donate, they often also donate money. This can be done with money trees where you can attach money to a fake tree, or give directly into their alms bowls, or in envelopes, or you can offer it directly to the Abbot. It is also an option to donate to the monks directly where a ceremony is held, and you offer the money from your family and give it to the Abbot. The Abbot then will divide it equally between all the monks that attended the ceremony. All of this included is so important since this festival only comes once a year. The monks basically don't receive money the rest of the year. Money for monks is so tight, that while in Chiang Mai Leang hadn't spoken on the phone to his mother in more than 6 months. He hadn't been home in a year and a half since it is so expensive. Before we left on this trip, I bought him a phone card and we called her and told her he was coming home. She cried from happiness. As a Cambodian monk, they have to buy a student visa for Thailand, and it lasts a year. If they leave Thailand with out paying for a re-entry visa which is $30 USD each time, then they loose their visa for school, and will only be issued a 14 day visa upon entry of Thailand. So they are allowed to leave, but they have to spend an additional $30 before they exit Thailand each time. Not only that, but Cambodian monks have to spend even more money to apply for a new yearly student visa.
To add some perspective, Leang received roughly $500 USD during Songkran. Jerry going home means that he was missing out on this opportunity for this money that he would desperately need in order to return to Thailand, and to attend classes at Wat Suan Dok. I was so worried about him. I bought him a $300 Bhat phone card to call his mom and make arrangements and to let her know when he would be arriving. Leang gave him 700 Bhat ($20 USD) for travel. I sure hope he has enough money to get back to Chiang Mai now.
After Jerry departed, I began to write some emails. I didn't get far however, because my fan club showed up and demanded attention. This is me sitting in front of the computer. When I turned around this group of little girls had gathered and were looking at my photos over my shoulder on the computer and giggling. They began to ask me all sorts of questions of how to say things in English, and colors, numbers, everything. They spoke no English at this point, and my Thai was very limited. We all spent a few hours in the afternoon teaching each other almost every day. I am so totally down with my colors in Thai now. I learned the colors in Thai so much faster than they learned them in English. What’s up with that?!
Ma showed up the next afternoon while I was in the shower. Leang had been so busy preparing and cleaning the temple that he forgot to tell me she was coming early. I was just getting out of the shower when she was in the living room cleaning. I jumped and almost dropped my towel. She doesn't speak English (no one but Leang now) so I wasn't sure if it was Ma or if it was a friend or maybe a family member of theirs.
I went to the temple and asked Leang, and he immediately went to the house to find out. It was Ma! He was so happy to see her, and she him. She paid her respects by bowing on the ground in front of him 3 times. Then she gave me a hug and welcomed me into her home. She wanted to make sure I was comfortable and happy in her home, that she canceled her plans in Bangkok where she was visiting her daughter and grandchildren and came home a week early to be with me! What a wonderful woman. Never in my life had I met someone like Ma or Pa that are as completely self-less as them. When I think back about them now, and how kind they were to me, it makes me start to cry from missing them.
While in Bonpong, Pa and Ma welcomed me into their home with open arms; feeding me, caring for me and worrying about me all the time. If I thought the monks cared about me a lot, boy, oh, boy, this was a whole new level of loving kindness. In fact, the more people I met in this village, the more I realized that these people are all so incredibly welcoming and loving. Never have I been to such a warm, and wonderful community before.
That night Ma made a delicious dinner for us all...man I wished I could speak more Thai so I could have learned to cook more from her!
This is Ma preparing to give alms early the next morning. Everyday the sunrises were spectacular, tropical and wonderful.
As you can see, no Jerry in this photo.
So much more to come....
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