Many travellers visit Thailand for meditation retreats lasting from a few days to a month in Buddhist temples. Mélanie Fafard, a Canadian living in Thailand, tells of her visit to a Thai temple.
Wat Tum Tong
I’ve lived in Chiang Mai, Thailand, for much of the last three years. On the recommendation of a Thai friend, I journeyed to Wat Tum Tong, 85 kilometres southwest of Chiang Mai. I was welcomed by smiling nuns dressed in white, who had shaved heads. Only one spoke some English. We followed a path through a narrow valley of luxuriant vegetation enclosed between two cliffs, where a small river flowed in lovely sounds. My accommodation was a kuti, a wooden house no bigger than a Canadian bathroom, without furniture or accessories. It had screened windows and a small bathroom with an Asian-style squat toilet and a tank of water for bathing and laundry. After changing into the obligatory white clothes I went to the temple for lunch, which was one of only two meals per day. The rule is not to eat after noon.
The head monk (abbot) sat on a cushioned bench. The nuns were seated on a large mat with the visitors and the monks in their orange bikkhus (robes), hairless and barefoot, lined up holding their food bowls. A half-hour ritual of mantras and prayers began. We bowed three times toward the shrine with its seated Buddha and then toward the abbot. The bow requires bringing the hands, palms together, to the heart, the lips, the forehead, and then placing hands and forehead on the floor in a gesture of respect and humility. During my stay, I would perform that bow 15 times a day.
The monks went to the table where the meal was set. The Thai visitors moved to the other side of the table to serve them. Theravada Buddhists believe that giving food to monks grants religious merit, which guarantees a good reincarnation. The nuns helped themselves, and then the visitors. The female visitors ate with the nuns, sitting in rows on the ground before a shrine. At this moment, I realized I was the only farang (foreigner) at the temple!
Meditation occurred three times daily, in one-and-a-half to three-hour sessions. At Wat Tum Tong, they practice Vipassana, or insight, meditation. It is based on mindfulness—staying in the moment and observing the self without distraction. This is one of the main foundations of the Buddha’s teaching.
Walking meditation helps to attain mindfulness. We walked very slowly in rows, describing aloud what we were doing. With each step, we repeated (in Thai): “I lift my heel, I lift my foot, I extend my leg forward, I lower my leg, my heel touches the ground, my toes go down.” The words were almost chanted—it was beautiful and soothing. Walking meditation makes the body relax and the mind still, so it is easier to sit and meditate. Nevertheless, sitting in the half-lotus position is not easy for inflexible Westerners. It requires concentration to reach a higher level of awareness. Sometimes I felt frustrated; my mind wandered, leaving me remembering, worrying, planning…forgetting to be.
Before my departure, I thanked the abbot and was told I was part of the family now and can return whenever I want, even to spend a year or two, all for free. I was touched, but I secretly wondered if I could do it. Throughout the week, I learned much about the monastic lifestyle, and I am filled with admiration for those who can renounce worldly things, and be content living such a simple life.
Learn more:
Theravada Buddhist Community
What is Vipassana?