Hello.
This might be my last trip to town and to an internet cafe.
I've come to inform/invite my friend Kulshaan in Bangkok for my Novice
ordination on the 18th of June '02. It'll happen early in the morning at
Wat Nong Pah Pong, the main monastery in our tradition located close
to where I am (Wat Pah Nanachat). I'm not excited. It feels so natural,
so normal.
The reason its done rather secretively & early in the morning is to avoid
a rush of incredibly generous (& curious) Thai laypeople from hording
the monastery with offerings if/when they learn that a foriegner is
ordaining :)
Its amazing, the Northeast happens to be the poorest part of Thailand,
but its also known for the spiritual zeal of its inhabitants and some of the
greatest Monks and meditation masters of this century have come from
this region. Every week, on 'Uposatha' (Observance) day the monastery
filled of householders who come to meditate through the day AND the
night (even I can't manage that yet!).
I'm not a monk yet, just a bald headed layman in white, still people
go out of their way to help me...I'm offered a free drink by a shopkeeper
while I wait for a bus; get breakfast offerings on the train; and (this
might be hard for some to appreciate!:) women jump and dive away
from me in all directions to ensure they don't accidentally touch me
when I walk down a crowded street (as Monks aren't allowed to have
physical contact with women).
Its real humourous and fun (even the women have a good laugh while
they are up to their acrobatics) to be treated with all this reverence and
respect despite being nobody special...yet it is a reminder that they are
actually honouring Buddha's teaching and I happen to represent it as a
dedicated layperson.
Whatelse? I'm happy. Still a fairly knotted and nutty individual; but
moving on the road to knotless land! And nut-thing else matters.
take care all...
h

PS: I discovered a website with several photos of Nanachat taken by a
visiting parent of one of the novice monks. Check them out at:

http://communities.msn.com/InstituteofEasternWisdom/watpahnanachat.
msnw?albumlist=2

and

http://communities.msn.com/InstituteofEasternWisdom/watpahnanachat.
msnw?Page=2

(This really might be the last time I use email, so you're welcome to
write to me if you want to be in touch. I'm admittedly slow, but I do
eventually respond to the letters I receive.)