Dear friends...

Just what is the "purpose of life"?

There are many different opinions on the subject. The following are
some that I can think of now...(no particular order as such)

- life sucks! its a cruel joke

- life is strife

- life has no purpose! its a random event

- the purpose of life is to keep busy ("don't just sit there, do
something!")

- the purpose of life is to be and see ("don't just do something,
sit there!")

- the purpose of life is simply to live

- the purpose of life is to get by

- the purpose of life is to struggle to survive

- the purpose of life is to stop asking boring questions and have a
good time

- the purpose of life is to keep up with the latest
(news/fashions/technology...)

- the purpose of life is to eat, sleep and be merry

- the purpose of life is to make lots of money

- the purpose of life is to be accepted and appreciated by others

- the purpose of life is to be famous

- the purpose of life is to be humble

- the purpose of life is to see the world

- the purpose of life is to seek within

- the purpose of life is to stop seeking

- the purpose of life is to stop becoming and start being

- the purpose of life is to have lots of fun and pleasure (while one
can)

- the purpose of life is to be powerful and able control to
people/things

- the purpose of life is to go with the flow

- the purpose of life is manifesting abundance and fulfilling all
ones desires

- the purpose of life is to have as many experiences as possible

- the purpose of life is to live sustainably and in harmony with the
earth for the benefit of all future generations

- the purpose of life is to preserve the family/cultural lineage and
tradition

- the purpose of life is to serve the nation

- the purpose of life is to always keep learning

- the purpose of life is personal growth

- the purpose of life is to be efficient/ competent at what you do

- the purpose of life is to understand life

- the purpose of life is to gain knowledge

- the purpose of life is to live and let live

- the purpose of life is to just be oneself

- the purpose of life is to purify oneself

- the purpose of life is to burn off karma

- the purpose of life is to find the purpose of life

- the purpose of life is to live a life of purpose

- the purpose of life is to leave a legacy

- the purpose of life is to eat when eating, sleep when sleeping

- the purpose of life is to learn to live fully - in the now

- the purpose of life is to learn to be truly happy and make others
happy

- the purpose of life is to care

- the purpose of life is to share

- the purpose of life is to dare

- the purpose of life is to learn to inwardly smile...come what may

- the purpose of life is to serve wholeheartedly, without attachment
to results

- the purpose of life is to understand life

- the purpose of life is to discover "Who am I?"

- the purpose of life is to learn the laws of life/nature/the
universe

- the purpose of life is to understand how everything is
interconnected

- your life purpose is where your values, talents and passions meet

- the purpose of life is to learn love and forgiveness

- the purpose of life is to accept, forgive and learn (AFL code!)

- the purpose of life is to do the work that one is passionate about
(or atleast interested in!) and always...to have a heart of love

- the purpose of life is to fully exercise and develop all ones
faculties/capacities for the highest benefit of all beings

- the purpose of life is to love what is!

- the purpose of life is to surrender to the Divine and be an able
instrument

- the purpose of life is to grow in wisdom and compassion

- the purpose of life is to learn to let-go of attachment

- the purpose of life is to be enlightened

- the purpose of life is to heal oneself and heal the world

- the purpose of life is to see things as they truly are

- the purpose of life is to seek ultimate truth

- the purpose of life is to distinguish truth from falsehood;
reality from illusion

- the purpose of life is to go beyond the ego

- the purpose of life is to go from sel-fish to self-less to no-self

- the purpose of life is to put an end to discontentment

- the purpose of life is to learn to count ones blessings and abide
in gratitude

- the purpose of life is extinguish the fires of greed, hatred and
ignorance in ones heart

- the purpose of being born is to learn hoe to stop being reborn! (-
Ajahn Chah)

- the purpose of life is to escape from the cycle of rebirths/samsara

- the purpose of life is to stay in samsara to develop ones
spiritual perfections and serve living beings (bodhisattva)

- the purpose of life is to consciously evolve from human to Divine

- the purpose of life is to learn to live happily and dying
peacefully

- the purpose of life is to realize that you were never born and
will never die (...'cos all that is subject to birth and death is
not really you or yours anyway)

- the purpose of life is a mystery!


Whew! Thats quite a list. And I bet there are an infinite other
possible life purposes. The point is to find one that is meaningful
and inspiring to oneself.

I spent some time recently doing an interesting exercise called "How
to discover your life purpose in about 20 minutes"
(www.stevepavlina.com). Its essentially just this much:

1) Take out a blank sheet of paper (or type on your computer)
2) Write at the top, "What is my true purpose in life?"
3) Write any answer that comes to your mind. It doesn't have to be a
complete sentence. A short phrase is fine.
4) Repeat step 3 until you write the answer that makes you cry.
This is your purpose!

(note: don't give up even if this process takes more than 20 min.)


So I tried this and I came up with the phrase, "Being like a sun,
serving is such fun, spreading delight, then merging into light".
(Well, I confess I didn't really cry once I wrote that, but I did
feel really tingly all over!)

Then I decided to elaborate on that succinct phrase and came with a
poem which I'm pleased to share with everyone (maybe my secret
purpose of life is to be a great poet! )... I hope it inspires you
to clarify your own life purpose and vision so that your
mission/goals/priorities are aligned with your highest/truest
calling.

"Being a Sun, Loving Everyone"

The purpose of this life
Is to fill the world with light
Being like a sun
Loving everyone

When wisdom dawns from silence
All actions glow with love
Then shadow "I" well seen
The universe is clean

All of us are one
And serving is such fun
Dark oceans of despair
The light of love ray-pairs

The greatest work of art
Is life lived from the heart
And the wisest brightest way
Is to bathe in light all day

Till oceans are ray-filled
Till shadows lurk nowhere
Till every single heart
Is a sparkling jewel of art

Live life spreading delight
Then merge back into light
Being a sun
Loving everyone!



May you all be happy and well! May your life glow with meaning,
purpose and your unique genius...for the benefit of all beings!!

Peace

Nyanasanti

PS: when you get a chance, please check out the site www.wanttoknow.info ... not
only does it have some advise on finding one's life's purpose, it has some
pretty startling information that has been hidden from general public and that
everyone ought to know

...be positive, be happy

Dear Friends...

I have been given a real gift recently, and I want to share it with all of you. It is simply one of the most powerful healing and transformational tools I have ever encountered (after meditation).

It is called EFT, (Emotional Freedom Technique). It is deceptively simple to learn and apply, but the results are simply stunning. Emotional and physical healings occur in a manner which is fascinating...unbelievable even. EFT is based on a very different understanding of why negative emotions are caused in our lives. Its probably going to challenge some beliefs and assumptions that you have (just as it did for me) ...but the results are unmistakable. This stuff really works...I've tried it on myself and others in my monastery with results that are too good to be true...and yet true!

I'll warn you though, EFT is perhaps one of the strangest / funniest looking procedures you'll ever see. When first encountered it seems ridiculous...until you try it and see for yourself how beautifully it resolves the most complex of psychological / emotional, and even physical problems.

I'm amazed at how I got this gift -- and it is REALLY such a GIFT! -- here in a remote monastery in Sri Lanka. A senior monk returned from abroad and brought along the complete DVD set of EFT teachings. I'm truly grateful to him for sharing them with me and giving me a chance to learn this teaching. One way to show that gratitude is perhaps to spread the word about EFT.

This is very likely a tool I'll be using for the rest of my life. In all my years of learning various meditation techniques, studying healing systems, self-development methods, plus the wide array of methodologies I've been exposed to during my training in Psychology and Human Resources Management ... I've never come across anything as potent as EFT for rapidly diffusing complex emotional problems and associated physical issues. Infact for dealing with specific emotional issues (e.g. phobias, addictions, grief etc.) it's probably a more appropriate tool than meditation...it resolves these 'deep-rooted' issues, sometimes in minutes ... usually with lasting results.

Anyway...I don't want to say too much (I think I already have!). If you are interested, please download and read the "EFT Manual". You can download it for free from :

 http://www.emofree.com/downloadeftmanual.htm 

You can learn EFT just from this simple manual. There is also lots of other helpful material on the EFT website. However to really appreciate the power of this tool you'll have to order the DVDs from http://www.emofree.com/products.htm  Its a great set of DVDs...educational, entertaining and indeed transformational . These EFT people are altruistically motivated and allow the original buyer of the DVD set to make 100 copies for free distribution. Even though they are situated in USA, and that means having to order these DVDs from abroad (unless you can contact an EFT practitioner near where you live through their website), its definitely worth the investment. I've watched taped EFT sessions and have seen how severely emotionally scarred people (e.g. Vietnam War Veterans who were in therapy for PTSD for decades ) were healed, sometimes in -- hold your breath -- under 15 minutes!

And these teachings are easy and even fun to apply. I feel its going to help many of you in lots of ways. Thats why I'm sending you this email.

So please accept this precious gift and read the EFT manual. And, if you can, order the DVDs  ... b'cos they are really worth it (better than Hollywood Blockbusters actually!).

So I'll end this...wishing you Emotional Freedom !

May you soar...

Nyanasanti Bhikkhu

PS: It's somewhat unusual for a Buddhist monk to be recommending a transformational tool that wasn't explicitly taught by the Buddha. I venture to do so only because I've found that EFT has the potential to significantly reduce psychological and physical suffering. It does not promise Nirvana or Enlightenment (atleast I don't think so!). It does promise freedom from debilitating negative tendencies...and delivers fast! And to that extent perhaps it is congruent with the Buddha's teachings that aim at the complete ending of all suffering. 

Hello everyone,

A quick email to share something truly revolutionary I recently
encountered. It offers a fascinating new paradigm on physical and

spiritual healing, and living harmoniously on this planet.

Its about a man named Hira Ratan Manek (HRM) and the fact that he
has been living on just sunlight and water since 1995! Its been

verified by atleast three independent scientific studies in India
and the US, each running into hundreds of days.

Whats more, he's not unique. He says anyone can learn to do so in
about nine months if they follow a simple process of sungazing at
sunrise or sunset (details on the website www.solarhealing.com).
Apparently atleast 3000 people have now learned this art of living
on solar energy alone.Many more have reported physical,
psychological and spiritual benefits.

This may sound far fetched, but I can believe this because I
personally knew a yogi in Delhi who would sungaze. I have seen him
meditating for hours concentrating on the rising sun. He could also
look for many minutes unblinkingly at the mid-day sun. He had
perfect vision and was very wise. But he could not teach this
practice to others. Now HRM and a few others are doing so, and
the results are truly astonishing.

So for everyone's benefit, I'm pasting some writeups from the
internet below. I hope it widen your horizons of whats possible, as
it did mine:

Introducing Hira Ratan Manek and Sungazing

From: http://www.SolarHealing.com

Hira Ratan Manek was born on 12th of September 1937 in Bodhavad,
India. He grew up in Calicut, Kerala, India, where he received his
Mechanical Engineering degree from the University of Kerala. After
graduation, he joined the family shipping and spice trading business
and continued working there until he retired in 1992.

After he retired, he began to research and study the ancient
practice of sun gazing in which he had been interested in since his
childhood. This method was an old but forgotten method, which had
been practiced, in ancient times in many different parts of the
world.

After working on this method for 3 years, he was able to re-discover
the secrets of sun gazing.  During his study, he was mainly inspired
from the teachings of Lord Mahavir of Jains, who was also practicing
this method two thousand and six hundred years ago. Other
inspirations for sungazing came from ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and
Native Americans.

Since June 18th, 1995, HRM has and continues to live only on sun
energy and water. Occasionally, for hospitality and social purposes,
he drinks tea, coffee and buttermilk.  Until now, he had three
strict fastings, during which he had just sun energy and only water
and was under the control and observation of various science and
medical teams.

The first of these fasting lasted for 211 days during 1995-96 in
Calicut, India directed by Dr. C.K. Ramachandran, a medical expert
on allopathy and ayurvedic medicine.

This was followed by a 411 day fast  from 2000-2001 in Ahmedabad,
India directed by an International team of 21 medical doctors and
scientists led by Dr. Sudhir Shah (Dr. Shah's synopsis report) and
Dr. K. K. Shah, the acting President of Indian Medical Association
at that time. Dr. Maurie D. Pressman, MD also describes his
experience with HRM in an article he wrote and later joined the team
for the next observation on HRM.

After the excitement of the findings at Ahmadabad, HRM was invited
to Thomas Jefferson University and University of Pennsylvania in
Philadelphia where he underwent a 130 day observation period.  This
Science/Medical Team wanted to observe and examine his retina,
pineal gland and brain, therefore this observation team was led by
Dr. Andrew B. Newberg, a leading authority on the brain and also
featured in the recent movie "What the Bleep Do We Know", and by Dr.
George C. Brenard, the leading authority on the pineal gland.
Initial results found that the gray cells in HRM's brain are
regenerating.  700 photographs have been taken where the neurons
were reported to be active and not dying. Furthermore, the pineal
gland was expanding and not shrinking which is typically what
happens after mid fifties and its maximum average size is about 6 x
6 mm, however for HRM, it has been measured to be at 8 x 11 mm.

There have been many other sungazers who have achieved similar
results and have volunteered to be tested, however due to lack of
funding and other lifestyle restrictions the results have not been
documented.  The uniqueness of HRM is that he has surrendered his
living body for observation and experiments to the scientific
firmament for several extended periods of time.  Although scientists
and doctors have agreed that hunger is being reduced if not
eliminated, due to the complexity of the various brain functions,
they have not been able to explain how sungazing has such positive
effects on the human mind or body, however more research is
underway.

In 2002 Hira Ratan Manek gave over 136 lectures in USA and has been
invited by government agencies of many countries to help them
understand this process at which point he established his
International Headquarters in Orlando, Florida.  In 2003 HRM gave
over 147 lectures in US, Canada, Caribbean and UK and nearly 400
newspapers all around the world have published articles on him.
Additionally, many television channels have broadcast stories about
him and he was most recently interviewed by BBC World Services.  In
December, 2003 HRM traveled to India for 4 months and delivered 70
lectures to various cities such as Chennai, Pondicherry, Mumbai,
Ahmedabad, Baroda, Palitana, Kachchh, Jodhpur, Pali, Balotara,
Lucknow, Delhi, Chadigarh, and other areas.  Additional lectures in
Delhi , Mumbai, Lucknow and Dhadigarh were sponsored by Times
Foundation whose Chairperson Smt. Indujain has taken a keen interest
in spreading the universally popular HRM Phenomenon
(Suryanamaskar).  Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Founder of Art of Living
Foundation and Surya Foundation of International Naturopath
Organization and Salila Tiwari doctor of Indian Prime Minister
Vajpayeeji have also taken a keen interest in HRM Phenomena
spreading all over the world.  It was at the house of Salila Tiwari
that ZTV interviewed HRM and where Surya Foundation made a detailed
film on him.  ZTV released the HRM interview on March 25th in their
Hindustan Hamara Program and has repeated it many times since then.
BBC World Services also repeatedly broadcast HRM's interview on July
22nd, 2003. Other media groups from all over the world have reported
on HRM including those from Europe, Russia and Gulf Countries.

There are now Solar Healing Centers coming up all over the world and
facilitating a global group of HRM Phenomenon practitioners.  For
those who are interested in learning more about the sun energy is an
effective healing source, HRM recommends these books:

      - "Light, Medicine of the Future", by Jacob Lieberman
      - "The Healing Sun: Sunlight and Health in the 21st Century",
by Richard Hobday.


***************************************************

Hira Ratan Manek  - Not Eaten Food for 7 years

by Bineeta Mishra

From: www.jsocf.org/hrm1.htm

In an exclusive interview with India Post Shri Hira Ratan Manek said
that he has not eaten food since 1995. World famous doctors,
engineers, scientists etc. are engaged in studying this phenomena to
find out how Manek has sustained himself only on water, and on a
little tea and coffee for short duration's.

             Shri Hira Ratan Manek, a mechanical engineer from
Calicut, Kerala, says "this is not something new or that I have
discovered it." This is a scientific ritual  - the Surya Namaskar,
originating from Lord Mahavir's Atapna principle, Gayathri mantra,
Bala - Atibala, Ramayan mantra which is gaining popularity and world
acceptance.

The scientific technique practiced by Manekji is simple - deriving
his energy from the cosmic source or the solar energy of the sun.
The sun being the most powerful source, has been used for energy by
sages and rishis since ancient times including Lord Mahavir, Tibetan
Lamas and rishis. Mankind is also using solar energy for running
solar cookers, solar heaters, solar cars etc. he says. Similarly
Manekji has converted himself into a solar cooker.

The brain and the mind are the most powerful recipients in the human
body. The retina and the pineal gland (the third eye) are equipped
with photoreceptor cells and may be considered photosensitive organs
he says. As the plant kingdom thrives on chlorophyll and
photosynthesis, which is directly dependent on the sun, similarly
some kind of photosynthesis or photo analysis must be taking place
when we assimilate the sun's energy.

There is a pathway from the retina to the hypothalamus called the
retinohypothalamic tract. The method adopted by Manekji is to
initially look at the early morning sun for a few seconds and every
week to increase by a few seconds which should ultimately reach
several minutes. After about 3 months he says the brain gets charged
and mental strength increases that heals fears and many
psychosomatic diseases.

At the end of 6 months all physical disease go away he says. And
gradually after 8 to 9 months there is a decline in hunger, which
ultimately disappears. This is the utilization of energy mathematics
and is different from food or calorie mathematics he said. He calls
this micro or mind utilization food.

Manekji says most people utilize only 3 to 10% of their brains, but
he has utilizes 25% of his brainpower. Manekji says he is the only
person to come forward and has attracted medical attention. CT scans
and MRI scan reports say that his 66-year-old pineal gland is
comparable to a man in his 20s.

He also says one should walk barefoot on mother earth for 45minutes
every day to recharge the energy in the body.

             He has 25,000 people around the world that have started
to practice his technique. According to him food is a secondary
source of solar energy. He is also planning to write a book. At
present he is in the US where a team of medical doctors are going to
conduct tests. In the mean time he gives several discourses to
explain on a scientific level how he has sustained himself for seven
years and says will continue.

To arrange lectures contact: Cosmic Energy Center, 582 Ridgeline
Run, Longwood, Florida, 32750, USA, Phone #: 407-260-2303, Fax: 407-
260-5249.

In India his contact information is: HF-2-131 KSHB, Vikas Nagar
Colony, Chakor Tha Kulam, Calicut, 673-006, Kerala. Phone #: 0495-
369928


****************************************************

LIVING ON LIGHT

From: www.chrysalisyog.homestead.com/manek.html

What would you say if I told you that I actually met someone who is
literally "living on light"? Someone who says he has no need for
food  anymore? Someone who actually has been under medical
supervision in a hospital in the US for 120 days, during which he
consumed no food, only drank water and still went about his normal
activities? What if  he has actually, at one time, lived for 414
days without food, and
then able to climb a hill to offer prayers at a temple on the top,
and that too get up there faster than someone who was eating and
drinking as usual?


You would think that either I was crazy or that this person was a
great conman. Unfortunately, neither of these is true. I have met
this person  his name is Hira Ratan Manek in Bombay last week. Let
me tell you his story.


Mr. Manek is about 60 years of age. He has been researching the
subject of drawing nourishment DIRECTLY from the sun, instead of
getting it "second-hand" as he says, by eating plants, or
"third-hand" by eating animals that eat plants. After ten years of
study and experiments on himself, he has perfected a simple method
that works.


His belief is that we don't need food, we need the energy food
provides, which in turn it has derived either directly or
indirectly  from the sun. He says that if you can tap the source
directly, there  is no need to eat any food any more. But living
without food is not the basic objective. That is only a side issue.
It just happens, your  hunger goes down until you no longer feel
hunger or fatigue and can live without food  but this is not what we
are getting at. The basic objective is to live a happy, peaceful,
healthy life, free of all mental ailments, tensions and physical
problems and diseases. All  this can be achieved by the simple
expedient of sun-gazing. Of course, there is a specific method he
has prescribed, that has to  be followed in order to get the results
and ensure that no harm is done to your eyes. Few more things are
very important
- The whole thing has to be done regularly i.e. every day. You can
do it for 3,6 or a maximum of nine months. It should be stopped
after nine months, because then it is no longer required to do it
any  more.
- The `auto-suggestion" to be given to yourself, when you are doing
it, is that the sun is the provider of energy, the divine healer and
that the sun-rays are healing yourself. You must believe in this
implicitly. Any skepticism or doubt will cause the system to work
less effectively.
- You must surrender yourself to the divine force of the sun, and
let it do its work on you. You need not do anything else except
surrender. This attidude of surrender, of dropping your ego, is
important. You are not doing anything or getting anything out of the
sun. It is giving it to you, if you surrender to it.


If you are interested in the exact method please click here or you
can even email Mr. Manek directly at

hiraratanmanek@...

He  travels extensively, both in India and in the US,so may not
reply  immediately. He has already given 60+ lectures in the US on
this topic and he has been examined by the Indian Government,
defence forces etc to see how this miracle is happening.


I have seen a few conmen in my life and my spiritual guide, Ganoba
Date, has seen many more, including many men "pretending" to be
enlightened. He came along with me to meet Mr. Manek, and he too was
convinced that he is genuine. Why?


- He is not trying to sell us anything. There is no vested
interest  no financial involvement

- He does not claim that he has done something special or that  he
is something special. He says we all can do what he has done, and in
fact that many people have and are doing it

- He freely parted with the information, on his technique, without
asking for anything in return  no money, no respect, no need to
become his disciple  nothing at all

- He is not egoistic, and a very simple person.

- He does not claim that he did anything, or that this process does
anything. All he says that, if you surrender to this divine energy,
it just happens.


So it has happened with him. He no longer feels the need for food.
Ocasionally he drinks a cup of tea, coffee or buttermilk,
for "hospitality purposes" when he is entertaining guests. He feels
little or no fatigue, and sleeps just for a couple of hours a day.
Sometimes he goes for a whole week without sleep and without ill
effects. He has no bowel movements unless he has something to eat,
which is very occasionally. He is normal in appearance, slim, but
not very thin, his eyes and face are radiant, and he is active,
living an  ordinary life. Doctors have observed him and observed the
phenomenon and they accept this is happening, but cannot explain it
at least not as per the laws of the science they know.


Funnily enough, I wrote about Mr. Manek several months ago, in one
of my earlier newsletters, when I read about him in a newspaper
article. Now I was lucky enough to meet him, thanks to my friend
Manju. Since I have an eye problem, he suggested an alternate method
for me, which he assured me will heal my eyes, that are suffering
from what has been diagnosed as an "untreatable"
and "incurable"problem  macular degeneration. I have started the
practice and I will keep all of you posted of the progress.


More Sources of Info on the Art and Science of Sungazing:

http://www.SolarHealing.com
http://www.sunyoga.info
http://www.sungazing.com
http://www.suryayog.org
http://www.rawpaleodiet.org/sungazing/
http://www.newtreatments.org/sungazingsites

For an comprehensive e-Book on Sun Gazing:

http://www.lifemysteries.com/assets/LIVINGONSUNLIGHT2ndEditionNew.pdf

************************************


Meanwhile everything is fine in my peaceful monastery here in Sri
Lanka. Needless to say, I've begun experimenting with sungazing. I

find it wonderfully energizing for the entire day.

May you all be health, happy and awake!

May you attain Nirvana.

Love,

Nyanasanti.

"Penetrating the Illusion of a Separate Self"

by Stephan Bodian

(Originally published in Yoga Journal. Copyright 2004 by Stephan Bodian)

Like most meditators, I began my spiritual journey with a single,
time-honored technique: counting my breaths. After six months of
practice, bored with counting, I transitioned to following the
sensations of the breath and, a few years later, graduated to "just
sitting," the relaxed, focused, all-inclusive awareness considered by
many Zen masters to be the complete expression of enlightenment itself.

Just sitting succeeded in relaxing my body and calming my mind, but it
never brought the breakthrough insights this young Zen student eagerly
longed to experience. Sure, I could concentrate for extended periods
of time and bend spoons with my laserlike focus (just kidding!). But
after five years of intensive retreats, I hadn't yet achieved kensho,
the profound awakening that Zen folks herald as the pinnacle of the
spiritual path.

So I changed teachers and took up the study of koans, those ancient
enigmatic teaching stories like "What is the sound of one hand?" that
aim to baffle the mind, force it to let go of its limited perspective,
and open it to a radically new way of perceiving reality. With the
help of the Zen stick and "encouraging" words like "Die on your
cushion", I succeeded over the years in producing satisfactory
responses to several hundred koans. Yet I still hadn't experienced a
breakthrough glimpse of my Buddha nature!. Assuming I must be poor
koan material, I returned to "just sitting" and eventually drifted
away from Zen entirely.

After meditating sporadically for several years, I came upon a teacher
of the Hindu Advaita ("nondual") Vedanta tradition, Jean Klein, whose
wisdom and presence reminded me of the great Zen masters I'd only read
about in books. From Jean I learned a simple question, "Who am I?"
that immediately captured my imagination. Several months later, as I
gently inquired, this question suddenly revealed the answer I had been
seeking for so many years. For some reason the clarity and directness
of the question, along with the relaxed receptivity of the inquiry,
allowed it to penetrate deep inside and expose the secret that lay
hidden there.

Both koan study and the question "Who am I?" are traditional methods
for peeling back the layers of mind stuff that hide the truth of our
essential nature the way clouds obscure the sun. Called kleshas by the
Buddhists and vasanas or samskaras by the Hindus and yogis, these
obscurations are the familiar stories, emotions, self-images, beliefs,
and reactive patterns that keep us identified with our limited
ego-personality and seem to prevent us from opening to the nondual
enormity of who we really are: the timeless, silent, ever-present
ground of being, which the Hindus and yogis call Self and the Zen
masters call true nature.

Most basic meditation techniques, such as following the breath or
reciting a mantra, aim to relax the body, quiet the mind, and
cultivate mindful awareness of the present moment, but they don't
encourage "the backward step" described by Zen Master Dogen "that
turns your light inwardly to illuminate" your true nature. In the
terms of a traditional metaphor, they calm the pool of mind and allow
the sediment to settle, but they don't take us to the bottom where the
dragon of truth resides. For this we need what the great 20th-century
Advaita sage Ramana Maharshi called atma vichara, "self-inquiry,"
probing questions like "Who am I?" or provocative Zen koans that plumb
the depths of our being.

Now, you may be quite content with your meditation practice and feel
no particular motivation to "plumb the depths" or meet the "dragon of
truth," thank you very much. Admittedly, self-inquiry is only for the
spiritually adventurous, those who are obsessed with finding the
answers to life's deepest questions. People like the Buddha, who sat
down after years of asceticism and vowed not to get up until he knew
who he was, or Ramana Maharshi, who, when overtaken by the fear of
death at the age of 16, fervently inquired into who he was if not his
physical body and spontaneously awakened to his identity as the
deathless, eternal Self.

Not everyone has profound and transformative experiences like these
renowned spiritual masters, but each of us in our own way has the
potential to catch a life-altering glimpse of the radiant sun of true
nature. In fact, only such awakening glimpses have the potential to
free us from suffering once and for all. Traditionally, self-inquiry
is an advanced practice often reserved for the spiritually mature. In
the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, for example, practitioners may spend
years developing concentrated presence, known as "calm abiding," or
shamata, before proceeding to the penetrating practice of "insight,"
or vipashyana.

In my experience, the twin practices of "abiding," or "resting," and
"inquiring" work together like the left and right foot in walking.
First we rest in the calmness and clarity of our basic sitting
practice, whatever it may be. Then, when the waters are relatively
still, we inquire, and the inquiry may reveal a new level of insight
into the silence and stillness of our essential nature that allows us
to rest even more deeply. And so, from this deeper resting, we have
the capacity to inquire even further.

To begin the practice of self-inquiry, sit for meditation as usual. If
you don't have a regular practice already, just sit quietly and allow
the mind to settle naturally. Don't attempt to focus your mind or
manipulate your experience, just rest as awareness itself. (Your mind
won't know what I'm talking about, but your being will.) After 10 or
15 minutes, when the mind is relatively open and present, introduce
the question "Who am I?" The point of this question is not to engage
the mind, because the mind inevitably gnaws on questions endlessly
like a dog on a bone, with little nutritional benefit. Instead, drop
the question into the stillness of your being like a pebble dropped
into a still forest pool. Let it send ripples through your meditation,
but don't attempt to figure it out!

When the pond is tranquil again, drop another pebble and see what
happens. Set aside any conceptual answers, such as "I am a child of
God," or "I am consciousness," or "I am a spiritual being of light,"
and come back to the question. Though true at a certain level, these
answers won't satisfy your hunger for spiritual sustenance any more
than a picture of a cake can satisfy your longing for sweets. As you
continue your self-inquiry, you may find that the question begins to
catch fire and you notice yourself asking it not only during
meditation, but at unexpected times throughout the day.

Instead of "Who am I?" you may prefer asking, "Who is thinking this
thought? Who is feeling this feeling? Who is seeing through these eyes
right now?" These questions direct your awareness inward, away from
the external world and toward the source from which all experiences
arise. Indeed, anything you can perceive, no matter how intimate,
including the cluster of images, memories, feelings, and beliefs you
take to be you, is merely an object of perception. But who is the
experiencer, the perceiver, the ultimate subject of all of those
objects? This is the real question at the heart of "Who am I?"

For the practice of self-inquiry to work its magic, you must already
recognize at some level that the word "I," though superficially
referring to the body and mind, actually points to something much
deeper. When we say "I feel," "I see," or "I walk," we're talking
about the experiencer or doer we iimagine to be inside. But what does
this I look like, and where is it located? Sure, your body walks and
sees and registers feelings, but is this bundle of physical substance
the I to which you refer, the self you spend so much time protecting
and expressing? Yes, your mind thinks, feels, and perceives, but do
you really believe you reside in the brain? If not, then who are you
really? Let your inquiry be fervent but effortless, without tension or
anxiety. Here's a hint: You definitely won't find the answer in the
file folders of spiritual beliefs you've amassed over the years, so
look elsewhere, in your actual, present experience. Ask yourself:
"Where is this I right here and now?"

Eventually, the question "Who am I?" reveals the answer, not as a
thought or a particular experience, but as a vibrant, timeless
presence that underlies and infuses every experience just as light
infuses and illuminates the visual field.When you awaken to this
presence, you may be surprised to discover that it has been there all
along, as the unacknowledged context and space in which life unfolds.

Both Zen and Advaita masters teach that this awake, aware presence
that gazes out through your eyes and my eyes right now is the very
same awakeness that peered through the eyes of the sages and roshis of
old. Though your realization may not be as clear or as stable as
theirs, this timeless presence is actually the Buddha nature or
authentic Self to which the great scriptures point.

Once you know who you really are, you can never forget it, though the
mind will do its best to obscure this truth with its urgent demands
for your attention. As you keep returning to rest in the silent
presence you now know yourself to be, your habitual identification
with the body-mind gradually releases, and you begin to taste the
peace and joy of true spiritual freedom. In the words of another great
Indian sage, Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj, "You merely need to find out
your source and take up your headquarters there."

Former YJ editor-in-chief Stephan Bodian is a psychotherapist and
spiritual teacher and the author of several books, including
Meditation for Dummies. He leads workshops at Omega Institute and
offers phone counseling to seekers worldwide. He can be reached at
www.stephanbodian.org

Send instant messages to your online friends http://uk.messenger.yahoo.com

greetings!

i should be in India between 25th march and 8th may '06.
first trip in four years or so.

broad itinerary:
25-26 - chennai
26-27 - calcutta
28-08april - bodhgaya and vicinity
08-13- lucknow and maybe lumbini (nepal)
13-17 - lucknow (saket gets married)
17 night - delhi
18-07 may - pune and vicinity
07-08 back to sri lanka via chennai

why maybe?
'cos I still haven't got a visa
(i'm a US passport holder)
and then there is always the ghost of
uncertainity :)

so there's the plan!

take care ^ be aware

nyanasanti bhikkhu

Everytime i send a message, something seems to go invisible!

True to their reputation of being supernatural beings who are shy of
humans...the attached photo of the naga didn't got sent.

So if you want to see this mysterious naga, you'll have to go to:

http://members.tripod.com/arahan/dragon_1.jpg

or click on the photos page of the 'So There' yahoo group.

While I'm at it I'll also tell about a strange annual phenomenon that
occurs at the Mekong river that has been very well documented. Its
about fire balls which emerge from the water on the precise day that
the monks end their annual rains retreat each year. They are said to
originate from nagas living deep in the river to celebrate this
occasion. They have been photographed and filmed by national thai
television crews and there is no adequete 'rational' explantion for
this phenomena so far (suggestions that they are military signal
flares have been disproved). You can see some photos and learn more
from the tourism authority of thailand's website:

http://tatnews.org/emagazine/1611.asp

guess thats enough supernatural information from this strange forest
monk for now!

Send instant messages to your online friends http://uk.messenger.yahoo.com

hi everyone
in case you were wondering...yes, i'm still alive
post-tsumani. but then it's only a matter of time...:)
needless to say, this is one of my rare net sojourns
so i can't respond to (m)any emails...but yes, when
people snail mail, I make a point to reply.
meanwhile,
>happy new year...year is a long time, i hope we find the time and
remember to BE happy in the midst of all the becoming :)
>remember to lift the corners of your lips ever so often...why?
it lifts your mood, just try
>and now for a serious tsunami warning:
great changes have been predicted for the future.
so if you wish to avoid earthquakes and waterquakes,
the advise is simple: when you find a fault don't dwell
on it!

guess i've reached wit's end...

know peace

nyanasanti



postal add.:
na uyana forest hermitage
pansiyagama 60554
sri lanka

Hi All

I know its a little late, but nonetheless...

just to let all of you know, that Harsh (ven. Nanasanti) is okay in
Sri Lanka.

No damage due to the tsunami.

I had recently visited him (pre-tsunami), and will post the pictures
soon.

With regards!
Saket
saketkhanna@...

hello everyone

got a brief chance to use the net after a long time

i am healthy, wealthy (ie content) and still not wise

but happy, very happy

saket (brother) just spent 2 weeks at the hermitage

and developed meditation

i'm suddenly out of things to say :)

take care...be aware

with metta (loving-friendliness)

nyanasanti bhikkhu (harsh)


my address

na uyena forest hermitage
pansiyagama 60554
sri lanka

(dont have email access)

Hello everybody...after about two years!
Hope you are all abiding in well-being.
In a few days I plan to leave for Sri Lanka.
Thought I'd let people know...
Nyanasanti Bhikkhu (Harsh)

PS: To begin with, I'll be at :
International Vipassana Meditation Centre
108 Vijerama Mawatha,
Colombo 00700
Tel. 694100.

hello all sothere-ians...

To those who don't know me, I am Harsh's (now Nanasanti) younger brother.

Recently I did a trip to thailand, and met harsh... it was a great experience to say the least... as you may well imagine.

Anyway... I have a lot of snaps to share, and have kept a journal of events on the trip... i will be putting them up shortly.

I have only just got the password for this site, so now I will be able to send updates.

Anyway, this is just a message to say, 'watch this space'.

Regards to all!

Saket

__________________________________________________________
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Dear All
You'll find attached a letter sent by harsh quite some days back.
The pages are stored in tiff format, and are zipped.
You can unzip using winzip, and a utility such as windows paint, can
be used to view the images.

With best wishes
Saket Khanna
PS: The mail is sent in two parts... the next part follows

__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Yahoo! - Official partner of 2002 FIFA World Cup
http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com

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.)

Hello all!
Trust you are all well. I'm back to so called 'civilization'
after spending over two months in a remote forest in western
Thailand (where the whole Wat Pah Nanachat community goes for
retreat each year). Its been an awesome experience and I suspect
I've learned & changed (for the better hopefully) a lot.
While I was there I wrote a letter home with some details of my
forest experiences and my brother might be posting that here
sometime.
So for now I'll just give a quick roundup of what I've been up to
the past couple of months and days:
> Overview: Lived in one of the last remaining pristine forests of
Thailand spending time in relative seclusion and with a schedule that
allowed plenty of autonomy (to meditate/read/work/sleep!).
> My home: A bamboo platform to protect from ants/ crawling
creatures; a mosquito net to protect from mosquitos/ spiders and
horseflies; a plastic fly sheet to protect from tropical rain storms;
a blanket for the cold nights and to use as a meditation cushion
during the day!
> Community: About 12 monks; 5 novice monks; 4 pakhows (white robed
laymen; including me)
> Daily challenges: Self discipline to wake up early with no one
there to play policeman; walking down mountain 45min. for daily meal;
eating meal without being too greedy (!); walking back up mountain
with a full stomach and afternoon sun; using rest of day purposefully
(I define that as meditation/ community projects); dealing with
rain/leeches/snakes; learning from ones own ever changing mind states
and being mindfully equanimous with all that life can dish out at you!
> Experiences: Plenty...both external & internal. Everyday was full
of learning as one sees ones own mind/motives/responses very clearly
living in a relatively secluded, undistracted setting. Faced various
fears, obsessions, habits, perceptions and I believe let go of a lot
of unnecessary baggage. I'll leave specifics for another time, but
suffice to say that I find that suffering has reduced.
> Wild encounters: Just one...saw a large (7-8ft) black bear 70 feet
from me...but he was the first to run away! But that was nothing
compared to the frightful wild beast I encountered everyday...my own
mind! I found that the effort to tame it was a highly worthwhile use
of time and a most direct way to real happiness.
> Mishaps: No one in the community had any major injuries etc.; but a
lady who cooked food for us got cerebral malaria and almost died.
She's moderately better now.

So much for my time at Dtao Dum Forest Monastery. I'm in Kota Baru,
Malaysia now to renew my visa for (hopefully) the last time before I
ordain as a novice monk in June '02. Its amazing to be moving around
this Islamic country with a bald head and white robes...but whats
more amazing is my utter lack of self consciousness despite
attracting plenty of stares and the occasional giggle/jibe.
Day before yesterday (11th May'02) we drove out of the forest (got
nicely wet & sore sitting at the back of a pickup truck!) and went to
an ancient Khymer temple ruin where some lay people had arranged to
offer us food. Sitting there as the lay people offered food and monks
chanted, under the blue sky and in that gracefully aged monument it
truly felt like we had all been magically teleported to another time.
From there we were taken to this remarkable monastery which has
been "naturally" attracting wild animals of all kinds to the point
that its almost a zoo! It has 7 tigers (some were HUGE) which are
perfectly friendly with humans. I actually petted and fed one of them
when the abbot brought him out of his enclosure...it was just like
feeding a cat - only a 6 foot long one!
We then visited the hospital where our cook had just recovered from
her long stint in the ICU. Felt wonderful when all of us chanted for
the blessing of health in a room full of sick people.
Took a train to south Thailand with a couple of other Pakhows. Got
just a 3rd class unreserved ticket so it was a pretty uncertain and
adventurous night with plenty of sitting in the ailes/ buying time in
the train pantry car for the price of a coffee! Even had a couple of
gentlemen try to persude me to try Islam instead of Buddhism, but who
were nice enough to let me have their seat for a while. Eventually
and quite miraculously we did get seats to sit thru' the night; but
till that time all my accumulated 'meditative calm' of the last 2
months was put through the most through test (& I think I didn't do
too badly!).
So today after going to the visa ofice and having Indian food after
months I'm here in this netcafe. We'll be returning to Thailand
tomorrow and back to Wat Pah Nanachat in the next 2-3 days if things
go as planned.
I just got the letters that some of you had written over the last 2
months. I'll be responding to them individually once I'm back in Wat
Pah Nanachat. I believe some of you have also emailed me. Thank-you,
however checking/replying to email is not proving easy given my
constraints of time & the state of internet connections I've been
experiencing, so writing to me physically (even if it means printing
the email!) remains the best way to be in touch with me if you need
to.
Thank-you all for your many kindnesses in deed, speech and thought
that have helped me in one way or the other to get to where I am
today. I have thought of you in gratitude over the past 2 months and
will continue to do so in future...wherever I am.

BE where you are!

So I'm in Thailand!
Have been at the monastery for two weeks now. Its an incredibly
beautiful and peaceful place (for those who can appreciate living
surrounded by some 100 acres of forest and 30 bald people) .
Came into town to extend my visa and thought I'd post a quick note.
There are almost as many nationalities as there are people here...
a truly international place - yet they adhere strictly to the Buddha's
monastic discipline in the Thai cultural context.
The day starts at 3:30am. There is chanting to awaken our sleepy minds
to the Buddha's wonderful teachings (done in Pali and English) for a
while and then we meditate. This is followed by morning Pindapat or
the alms round (the monks eat only what they get through the generosity
of peole each morning). I usually accompany them these days as they
walk in a silent line of bare heads and feet with orange in between. Its
incredible to see men and women and even children waiting outside their
houses to offer food to the monks (the time is dawn & they must have
woken atleast an hour earlier to prepare the food...and they do this
everyday!). The whole atmosphere in this country is one of
incredible 'lightness' probably an effect of the great generosity and open
hearted nature of the people here.
We return to have what will be the only meal for the day after some
chanting wishing for the well being of those who made the meal possible.
Let me add that just 20 monks get enough food to support some 50
people - and though I'm not used to it, its about the best food I've ever
eaten (my biggest challenge these days is dealing with the tendency to
overeat!) Even though its the only meal we get, I haven't felt hungry even
once...and I easily do twice the amount of physical work here that I was
accustomed to before .
I've been assigned a 'kuti', a wooden hut raised on stilts to keep
the snakes/insects away. Its pretty idillic, though the complete darkness
and solitude is a challenge sometimes (and I thought I was not scared of
the dark!).
There is a cremation area at the entrance of the monastery (one of the
reasons it was offered to the monks was because the villages were afraid
of the ghosts here!). It was very interesting for me to witness a cremation
here a few days back. The Thai people have taken the Buddha's
teaching of accepting death so much to heart that there was really no
fuss at all. People were sitting around and chatting like it was just another
day. the relatives were serving everybody around refreshments - it was
like we were about to see a movie! Not a single person was crying.
Though in this case the dead man was old, I'm told that even in the case
of more untimely deaths there is not much change in the equanimous and
accepting attitude of these people about the reality of life. We all went up
and paid our final respects to the body and it was burnt. Really no
significant ceremony or fuss at all.
On this occasion, after about an hour of  burning;  the corpse
very unusually turned around and the upper part of the body almost sat
up. The monks were all very impressed as they got  to see a rare view of a
human body being consumed by the flames in complete view. It was a
great lesson in impermanence and the final destiny we all share.
I sould be getting back to the monastery now and do my duties (its
cleaning the shower block these days!). The schedule here issomewhat
different everyday but we all do 1-2 hours of chores. I have many waking
hours of the day to do exactly what I want with them. Yesterday I used
them to learn sewing.
I'll be spending the next 2 months in Northern Thailand. The community
stays in a remote jungle region to practise meditation and get away from
the comforts(!) and complascence (however u spell that) that sometimes
sets in a quiet monastery...with your own little kuti ;)
I'm having a great time and learning a lot. Its not an easy life, but very
rewarding. I hope to ordain as a monk when we return in May.
Wish you all wellness and happiness in your own jungles and kutis
wherever you are! And I appreciate your continuing good wishes.
peace
h

One of the reasons people tend to know less about
the Teachings of the Buddha is that some of the
finest books are not commonly available for sale.
These liberating Teachings are simply priceless.
So out of a deep sense of gratitude and reverance, these
books are distributed free of cost to anyone requesting
them.

In case you would like to request these books, you may
write to:

The Corporate Body of the Buddha Educational Foundation,
11th Floor, 55, Hang Chow S. Rd. Sec 1,
Taipei, Taiwan R.O.C.
Ph: 886-2-23951198
Fax: 886-2-23913415
Email: overseas@...

The books may take a few months coming, so patience might
be a nice idea.

Meanwhile a photo of a Future Monk is available at:

http://photos.groups.yahoo.com/group/sothere/lst

I leave for Thailand in a day, so I'd like to convey
my very best wishes to all.

So There...I go.

One of the unexpected effects of my decision to become a monk has
been that some who hear about it feel ignited to find and follow
their own true calling. These sparks of hope, courage and aspiration
are too precious to lose. Below are some thoughts that helped me not
only kept my own little sparks alive but fueled them into an all
consuming inner inferno of conviction demanding to be acted upon.

Think about it:

- Whatever you can do or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has
genius, power and magic in it. Begin it now!

- Sometimes there is no next time, no second chance, no time out.
Sometimes it's now or never.

- To think too long about doing a thing often becomes its undoing.

- This above all: to thine own self be true, And it must follow as
the night the day; Thou canst not then be false to any man: Be true
to the highest within you.

- Live your dream do it now...if you wait till tomorrow...your golden
chance would be gone.

- Do the work by which your deep gladness and the world's deep hunger
meet.

-  Death is not the greatest loss in life, The greatest loss is what
Dies in us while we are still alive

-  A Truth known and not lived becomes a Poison

-  O ME! O life! of the questions of these recurring,
Of the endless trains of the faithless, of cities fill'd with the
foolish,
Of myself forever reproaching myself, (for who more foolish than I,
and who more faithless?)
Of eyes that vainly crave the light, of the objects mean, of the
struggle ever renew'd,
Of the poor results of all, of the plodding and sordid crowds I see
around me,
Of the empty and useless years of the rest, with the rest me
intertwined,
The question, O me! so sad, recurring-What good amid these, O me,
O life?
The Question,
O me! so sad, recurring-
What good amid these, O me, O life?

Answer.
That you are here-that life exists and identity,
That the powerful play goes on,
and you may contribute a verse.

- Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveller, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I -
I took the road less travelled by,
And that has made all the difference.

-  To be nobody but yourself - in a world which is trying
its hardest, night and day, to make you everyone else –
is to fight the hardest battle any human being can fight;
and never stop fighting

- - DECIDING HOW TO LIVE
There was once a young man who, in his youth, professed his desire to
become a great writer. When asked to define "great" he said, "I want
to write stuff that the whole world will read, stuff that people will
react to on a truly emotional level, stuff that will make them
scream, cry, howl in pain and anger!" He now works for a software
company, writing error messages. Those beautiful dreams we have for
the rest of our lives too often don't materialize. And, again too
often, we look back dissatisfied with the direction we took or the
place we finally reached. Frederick Buechner, in his book THE
HUNGERING DARK (New York: Seabury Press,1968), talks about looking
back at high school yearbooks. He plays a sad game, remembering what
all his classmates hoped and dreamed of becoming. "In my class, as in
any class, at any school," he says, "there were students who had a
real flair, a real talent, for something. Maybe it was for writing or
acting or sports. Maybe it was an interest and a joy in working with
people... Sometimes it was just their capacity for being so alive
that made you more alive to be with them. Yet now, a good many years
later, I have the feeling that more than just a few of them are
spending their lives at work in which none of these gifts is being
used. This is the sadness of the game...." Matt Lamb could have been
one of those people. Until 1987, Matt owned and ran his own funeral
home in Chicago. But that year, a doctor told Matt that he had a
fatal disease. So he closed up the funeral home and pursued his true
passion, painting. Soon, Matt's art drew national attention. He
became quite successful. Only after Matt had found success in his
dream career did doctors discover that they had misdiagnosed him. He
wasn't going to die after all. A misdiagnosis may have saved him from
a life of meaninglessness. Not that owning one's own small business
is in any way unworthy, But it simply was not Matt's true passion. In
his heart, he wanted to paint, and he would never be truly happy
until he pursued that dream, wherever it finally led him. What does
it take to move us to follow our passions? Must we face a crisis
before we step off the safe, known path onto the unknown trail of
adventure we've dreamed of following all our lives? Singer Joan Baez
reminds us: "You don't get to choose how you're going to die. Or
when. You can only decide how you're going to live."
That decision is too important to put off another day.


So There are some thoughts that forced me to be honest with myself
and eventually scorched away every last defense/excuse I gave myself
for not living the life that made me feel alive! Incase you have been
deluding yourself like I was, may it have the same effect on you!

PS: I suggest you visit http://www.bestinspiration.com  if you'd like
a daily shot up your arm.

Enter your vote today!  A new poll has been created for the
sothere group:

Do you think it is right to leave ones
job, ones family, ones friends, ones
country, ones every support - just to
follow the quiet voice within ones
heart?

   o Yes
   o No
   o Maybe, but not now!
   o You're an escapist
   o Unsure


To vote, please visit the following web page:

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I've pasted below a brief biography of Ajahn Chah, Principal Teacher
of the monastic tradition I am joining.
Following that is a disciple's question-answer session with him,
which might give you a feel for the teachings.
I've also pasted at the bottom of the page a web link you can follow
if you want to explore his teachings in greater depth.
(You can see Ajahn Chah's picture in the 'Photos' link of the egroup)

Brief Biography
Ajaan Chah was born in 1918 in a village in the northeastern part of
Thailand. He became a novice at a young age and received higher
ordination at the age of twenty. He followed the austere Forest
Tradition for years, living in forests and begging for almsfood as he
wandered about on mendicant pilgrimage.
He practiced meditation under a number of masters, among whom was
Ajaan Mun, a highly respected and accomplished meditation teacher of
the time. Ajaan Mun had an indelible influence on Ajaan Chah, giving
his meditation the direction and clarity that it lacked. Ajaan Chah
later became an accomplished meditation teacher in his own right,
sharing his realization of the Dhamma with those who sought it. The
essence of the teaching was rather simple: be mindful, don't hang on
to anything, let go and surrender to the way things are.
Ajaan Chah's simple yet profound teaching style had a special appeal
to Westerners, and in 1975 he established Wat Pah Nanachat, a special
training monastery for the growing number of Westerners who sought to
practice with him. In 1979 the first of several branch monasteries in
Europe was established in Sussex, England by his senior Western
disciples (among them Ajaan Sumedho, who is presently senior
incumbent at the Amaravati Buddhist Monastery, England). Today there
are ten branch monasteries in Europe, Australia, and New Zealand.

Ajaan Chah passed away in January, 1992 following a long illness.



Questions & Answers with Ajahn Chah

Question: I'm trying very hard in my practice but don't seem to be
getting anywhere.

Answer: This is very important. Don't try to get anywhere in the
practice. The very desire to be free or to be enlightened will be the
desire that prevents your freedom. You can try as hard as you wish,
practise ardently night and day, but if it is still with the desire
to achieve in mind, you will never find peace. The energy from this
desire will be a cause for doubt and restlessness. No matter how long
or how hard you practise, wisdom will not arise from desire. So,
simply let go. Watch the mind and body mindfully but don't try to
achieve anything. Don't cling even to the practice of enlightenment.

Question: What about sleep? How much should I sleep?

Answer: Don't ask me, I can't tell you. A good average for someis
four hours a night. What is important, though, is that you watch
andknow yourself. If you try to go with too little sleep, the body
will feel uncomfortable and mindfulness will be difficult to sustain.
Too much sleep leads to a dull or a restless mind. Find the natural
balance for yourself. Carefully watch the mind and body and keep
track of sleep needs until you find the optimum. If you wake up and
then roll over for a snooze, this is defilement. Establish
mindfulness as soon as your eyes open.

Q: How about eating? How much should I eat?

Answer: Look at your food as medicine. Are you eating so much that
you only feel sleepy after the meal and are you getting fatter every
day? Stop! Examine your own body and mind. There is no need to fast.
Instead, experiment with the amount of food you take. Find the
natural balance for your body. Put all your food together in your
bowl following the ascetic practice. Then you can easily judge the
amount you take. Watch yourself carefully as you eat. Know yourself.
The essence of our practice is just this. There is nothing special
you must do. Only watch. Examine yourself. Watch the mind. Then you
will know what is the natural balance for your own practice.

Q: Are minds of Asians and Westerners different?

Answer: Basically there is no difference. Outer customs and language
may appear different, but the human mind has natural characteristics
which are the same for all people. Greed and hatred are the same in
an Eastern or a Western mind. Suffering and the cessation of
suffering are the same for all people.

Q: Is it advisable to read a lot or study the scriptures as a part of
practice?

Answer: The Dhamma of the Buddha is not found in books. If you want
to really see for yourself what the Buddha was talking about, you
don't need to bother with books. Watch your own mind. Examine to see
how feelings come and go, how thoughts come and go. don't be attached
to anything. Just be mindful of whatever there is to see. This is the
way to the truths of the Buddha. Be natural. Everything you do in
your life here is a chance to practise. It is all Dhamma. When you do
your chores, try to be mindful. If you are emptying a spittoon or
cleaning a toilet, don't feel you are doing it as a favour for anyone
else. There is Dhamma in emptying spittoons. Don't feel you are
practising only when sitting still, cross-legged. Some of you have
complained that there is not enough time to meditate. Is there enough
time to breathe? This is your meditation: mindfulness, naturalness in
whatever you do.

Q: Why don't we have daily interviews with the teacher?

Answer: If you have any questions, you are welcome to come and ask
them anytime. But we don't need daily interviews here. If I answer
your every little question, you will never understand the process of
doubt in your own mind. It is essential that you learn to examine
yourself, to interview yourself. Listen carefully to the lecture
every few days, then use this teaching to compare with your own
practice. Is it still the same? Is it different? Why do you have
doubts? Who is it that doubts? Only through self-examination can you
understand.

Q: Sometimes I worry about the monks' discipline. If I kill insects
accidentally, is this bad?

Answer: Sila or discipline and morality are essential to our
practice,but you must not cling to the rules blindly. In killing
animals or in breaking other rules, the important thing is intention.
Know your own mind. You should not be excessively concerned about the
monks' discipline. If it is used properly, it supports the practice,
but some monks are so worried about the petty rules that they can't
sleep well. Discipline is not to be carried as a burden. In our
practice here the foundation is discipline, good discipline plus the
ascetic rules and practices. Being mindful and careful of even the
many supporting rules as well as the basic 227 precepts has great
benefit. It makes life very simple. There need be no wondering about
how to act, so you can avoid thinking and instead just be simply
mindful. The discipline enables us to live together harmoniously; the
community runs smoothly. Outwardly everyone looks and acts the same.
Discipline and morality are the stepping stones for further
concentration and wisdom. By proper use of the monks' discipline and
the ascetic precepts, we are forced to live simply, to limit our
possessions. So here we have the complete practice of the Buddha:
refrain from evil and do good, live simply keeping to basic needs,
purify the mind. That is, be watchful of our mind and body in all
postures: sitting, standing, walking or lying, know yourself.

Q: What can I do about doubts? Some days I'm plagued with doubts
about the practice or my own progress, or the teacher.

Answer: Doubting is natural. Everyone starts out with doubts. You can
learn a great deal from them. What is important is that you don't
identify with your doubts: that is, don't get caught up in them. This
will spin your mind in endless circles. Instead, watch the whole
process of doubting, of wondering. See who it is that doubts. See how
doubts come and go. Then you will no longer be victimized by your
doubts. You will step outside of them and your mind will be quiet.
You can see how all things come and go. Just let go of what you are
attached to. Let go of your doubts and simply watch. This is how to
end doubting.

Q: What about other methods of practice? These days there seem to be
so many teachers and so many different systems of meditation that it
is confusing.

Answer: It is like going into town. One can approach from the
north,from the southeast, from many roads. Often these systems just
differ outwardly. Whether you walk one way or another, fast or slow,
if you are mindful, it is all the same. There is one essential point
that all good practice must eventually come to--not clinging. In the
end, all meditation systems must be let go of. Neither can one cling
to the teacher. If a system leads to relinquishment, to not clinging,
then it is correct practice. You may wish to travel, to visit other
teachers and try other systems.Some of you have already done so. This
is a natural desire. You will find out that a thousand questions
asked and knowledge of many systems will not bring you to the truth.
Eventually you will get bored. You will see that only by stopping and
examining your own mind can you find our what the Buddha talked
about. No need to go searching outside yourself. Eventually you must
return to face your own true nature. Here is where you can understand
the Dhamma.

Q: A lot of times it seems that many monks here are not practising.
They look sloppy or unmindful. This disturbs me.

Answer: It is not proper to watch other people. This will not help
your practice. If you are annoyed, watch the annoyance in your own
mind. If others' discipline is bad or they are not good monks, this
is not for you to judge. You will not discover wisdom watching
others. Monks' discipline is a tool to use for your own meditation.
It is not a weapon to use to criticize or find fault. No one can do
your practice for you, nor can you do practice for anyone else. Just
be mindful of your own doings. This is the way to practice.

Q: I have been extremely careful to practise sense restraint. I
always keep my eyes lowered and am mindful of every little action I
do. When eating, for example, I take a long time and try to see each
touch: chewing, tasting, swallowing, etc. I take each step very
deliberately and carefully. Am I practising properly?

Answer: Sense restraint is proper practice. We should be mindful of
it throughout the day. But don't overdo it! Walk and eat and act
naturally. And then develop natural mindfulness of what is going on
within yourself. Don't force your meditation nor force yourself into
awkward patterns. This is another form of craving. Be patient.
Patience and endurance are necessary. If you act naturally and are
mindful, wisdom will come naturally too.

Q: Is it necessary to sit for very long stretches?

Answer: No, sitting for hours on end is not necessary. Some people
think that the longer you can sit, the wiser you must be. I have seen
chickens sit on their nests for days on end! Wisdom comes from being
mindful in all postures. Your practice should begin as you awaken in
the morning. It should continue until you fall asleep. Don't be
concerned about how long you can sit. What is important is only that
you keep watchful whether you are working or sitting or going to the
bathroom. Each person has his own natural pace. Some of you will die
at age fifty, some at age sixty-five, and some at age ninety. So,
too, your practice will not be all identical. Don't think or worry
about this. Try to be mindful and let things take their natural
course. Then your mind will become quieter and quieter in any
surroundings. It will become still like a clear forest pool. Then all
kinds of wonderful and rare animals will come to drink at the pool.
You will see clearly the nature of all things (sankharas) in the
world. You will see many wonderful and strange things come and go.
But you will be still. Problems will arise and you will see through
them immediately. This is the happiness of the Buddha.

Q: I still have very many thoughts. My mind wanders a lot even though
I am trying to be mindful.

Answer: Don't worry about this. Try to keep your mind in the present.
Whatever there is that arises in the mind, just watch it. Let go of
it. Don't even wish to be rid of thoughts. Then the mind will reach
its natural state. No discriminating between good and bad, hot and
cold, fast and slow. No me and no you, no self at all. Just what
there is. When you walk on alms-round, no need to do anything
special. Simply walk and see what there is. No need to cling to
isolation or seclusion. Wherever you are, know yourself by being
natural and watching. If doubts arise, watch them come and go. It's
very simple. Hold on to nothing. It is as though you are walking down
a road. Periodically you will run into obstacles. When you meet
defilements, just see them and just overcome them by letting go of
them. don't think about the obstacles you have passed already. Don't
worry about those you have not yet seen. Stick to the present. Don't
be concerned about the length of the road or about the destination.
Everything is changing. Whatever you pass, do not cling to it.
Eventually the mind will reach its natural balance where practice is
automatic. All things will come and go of themselves.

Q: Have you ever looked at the Altar Sutra of the 6th Patriarch, Hui
Neng?

Answer: Hui Neng's wisdom is very keen. It is very profound
teaching,not easy for beginners to understand. But if you practise
with our discipline and with patience, if you practise not-clinging,
you will eventually understand. Once I had a disciple who stayed in a
grass-roofed hut. It rained often that rainy season and one day a
strong wind blew off half the roof. He did not bother to fix it, just
let it rain in. Several days passed and I asked him about his hut. He
said he was practising not-clinging. This is not-clinging without
wisdom. It is about the same as the equanimity of a water buffalo. If
you live a good life and live simply, if you are patient and
unselfish, you will understand the wisdom of Hui Neng.

Q: You have said that samatha and vipassana or concentration and
insight are the same. Could you explain this further?

Answer: It is quite simple. Concentration (samatha) and wisdom
(vipassana) work together. First the mind becomes still by holding on
to a meditation object. It is quiet only while you are sitting with
your eyes closed. This is samatha and eventually this samadhi-base is
the cause for wisdom or vipassana to arise. Then the mind is still
whether you sit with your eyes closed or walk around in a busy city.
It's like this. Once you were a child. Now you are an adult. Are the
child and the adult the same person? You can say that they are, or
looking at it another way, you can say that they are different. In
this way samatha and vipassana could also be looked at as separate.
Or it is like food and feces. Food and feces could be called the same
and they can be called different. Don't just believe what I say, do
your practice and see for yourself. Nothing special is needed. If you
examine how concentration and wisdom arise, you will know the truth
for yourself. These days many people cling to the words. They call
their practice vipassana. Samatha is looked down on. Or they call
their practice samatha. It is essential to do samatha before
vipassana, they say. All this is silly. Don't bother to think about
it in this way. Simply do the practice and you'll see for yourself.

Q: Is it necessary to be able to enter absorption in our practice?

Answer: No, absorption is not necessary. You must establish a modicum
of tranquillity and one-pointedness of mind. Then you use this to
examine yourself. Nothing special is needed. If absorption comes in
your practice, this is OK too. Just don't hold on to it. Some people
get hung up with absorption. It can be great fun to play with. You
must know proper limits. If you are wise, then you will know the uses
and limitations of absorption, just as you know the limitations of
children verses grown men.

Q: Why do we follow the ascetic rules such as only eating out of our
bowls?

Answer: The ascetic precepts are to help us cut defilement. By
following the ones such as eating out of our bowls we can be more
mindful of our food as medicine. If we have no defilements, then it
does not matter how we eat. But here we use the form to make our
practice simple. The Buddha did not make the ascetic precepts
necessary for all monks, but he allowed them for those who wished to
practise strictly. They add to our outward discipline and thereby
help increase our mental resolve and strength. These rules are to be
kept for yourself. Don't watch how others practise. Watch your own
mind and see what is beneficial for you. The rule that we must take
whatever meditation cottage assigned to us is a similarly helpful
discipline. It keeps monks from being attached to their dwelling
place. If they go away and return, they must take a new dwelling.
This is our practice--not to cling to anything.

Q: If putting everything together in our bowls is important, why
don't you as a teacher do it yourself? Don't you feel it is important
for the teacher to set an example?

Answer: Yes, it is true, a teacher should set an example for his
disciples. I don't mind that you criticize me. Ask whatever you wish.
But it is important that you do not cling to the teacher. If I were
absolutely perfect in outward form, it would be terrible. You would
all be too attached to me. Even the Buddha would sometimes tell his
disciples to do one thing and then do another himself. Your doubts in
your teacher can help you. You should watch your own reactions. Do
you think it is possible that I keep some food out of my bowl in
dishes to feed the laymen who work around the temple? Wisdom is for
yourself to watch and develop. Take from the teacher what is good. Be
aware of your own practice. If I am resting while you must all sit
up, does this make you angry? If I call the color blue red or say
that male is female, don't follow me blindly. One of my teachers ate
very fast. He made noises as he ate. Yet he told us to eat slowly and
mindfully. I used to watch him and get very upset. I suffered, but he
didn't! I watched the outside. Later I learned. Some people drive
very fast but carefully. Others drive slowly and have many accidents.
Don't cling to rules, to outer form. If you watch others at most ten
percent of the time and watch yourself ninety percent, this is the
proper practice. At first I used to watch my teacher Ajahn Tong Raht
and had many doubts. People even thought he was mad. He would do
strange things or get very fierce with his disciples. Outside he was
angry, but inside there was nothing. Nobody there. He was remarkable.
He stayed clear and mindful until the moment he died. Looking outside
the self is comparing, discriminating. You will not find happiness
that way. Nor will you find peace if you spend your time looking for
the perfect man or the perfect teacher. The Buddha taught us to look
at the Dhamma, the truth, not to look at other people.

Q: How can we overcome lust in our practice? Sometimes I feel as if I
am a slave to my sexual desire.

Answer: Lust should be balanced by contemplation of loathesomeness.
Attachment to bodily form is one extreme and one should keep in mind
the opposite. Examine the body as a corpse and see the process of
decay or think of the parts of the body such as the lungs, spleen,
fat, feces, and so forth. Remember these and visualize this
loathesome aspect of the body when lust arises. This will free you
from lust.

Q: How about anger? What should I do when I feel anger arising?

Answer: You must use loving-kindness. When angry states of mind arise
in meditation, balance them by developing feelings of loving-
kindness. If someone does something bad or gets angry, don't get
angry yourself. If you do, you are being more ignorant than they. Be
wise. Keep in mind compassion, for that person is suffering. Fill
your mind with loving-kindness as if he were a dear brother.
Concentrate on the feeling of loving-kindness as a meditation
subject. Spread it to all beings in the world. Only through loving-
kindness is hatred overcome. Sometimes you may see other monks
behaving badly. You may get annoyed. This is suffering unnecessarily.
It is not yet our Dhamma. You may think like this: "He is not as
strict as I am. They are not serious meditators like us. Those monks
are not good monks."; This is a great defilement on your part. Do not
make comparisons. Do not discriminate. Let go of your opinion as
watch your opinions and watch yourself. This is our Dhamma. You can't
possibly make everyone act as you wish or be like you. This wish will
only make you suffer. It is a common mistake for meditators to make,
but watching other people won't develop wisdom. Simply examine
yourself,your feelings. This is how you will understand.

Q: I feel sleepy a great deal. It makes it hard to meditate.

Answer: There are many ways to overcome sleepiness. If you are
sitting in the dark, move to a lighted place. Open your eyes. Get up
and wash your face or take a bath. If you are sleepy, change
postures. Walk a lot. Walk backwards. The fear of running into things
will keep you awake. If this fails, stand still, clear the mind and
imagine it is full daylight. Or sit on the edge of a high cliff or
deep well. You won't dare sleep! If nothing works, then just go to
sleep. Lay down carefully and try to be aware until the moment you
fall asleep. Then as you awaken, get right up. Don't look at the
clock or roll over. Start mindfulness from the moment you awaken. If
you find yourself sleepy everyday, try to eat less. Examine yourself.
As soon as five more spoonfuls will make you full, stop. Then take
water until just properly full. Go and sit. Watch your sleepiness and
hunger. You must learn to balance your eating. As your practice goes
on you will feel naturally more energetic and eat less. But you must
adjust yourself.

Q: Why must we do so much prostrating here?

Answer: Prostrating is very important. It is an outward form that is
part of practice. This form should be done correctly. Bring the
forehead all the way to the floor. Have the elbows near the knees and
the palms of the hands on the floor about three inches apart.
Prostrate slowly, be mindful of your body. It is a good remedy for
our conceit. We should prostrate often. When you prostrate three
times you can keep in mind the qualities of the Buddha, the Dhamma
and the Sangha, that is, the qualities of mind of purity, radiance
and peace. So we use the outward form to train ourselves. Body and
mind become harmonious. don't make the mistake of watching how others
prostrate. If young novices are sloppy or the aged monks appear
unmindful, this is not for you to judge. People can be difficult to
train. Some learn fast but others learn slowly. Judging others will
only increase your pride. Watch yourself instead. Prostrate often,
get rid of your pride. Those who have really become harmonious with
the Dhamma get far beyond the outward form. Everything they do is a
way of prostrating. Walking, they prostrate; eating, they prostrate;
defecating, they prostrate. This is because they have got beyond
selfishness.

Q: What is the biggest problem of your new disciples?

Answer: Opinions. views and ideas about all things. About themselves,
about practice, about the teachings of the Buddha. Many of those who
come here have a high rank in the community. There are wealthy
merchants or college graduates, teachers and government officials.
Their minds are filled with opinions about things. They are too
clever to listen to others. It is like water in a cup. If a cup is
filled with dirty, stale water, it is useless. Only after the old
water is thrown out can the cup become useful. You must empty your
minds of opinions, then you will see. Our practice goes beyond
cleverness and beyond stupidity. If you think;"I am clever, I am
wealthy, I am important, I understand all about Buddhism."; You cover
up the truth of anatta or no-self. All you will see is self, I, mine.
But Buddhism is letting go of self. Voidness, Emptiness, Nibbana.

Q: Are defilements such as greed or anger merely illusory or are they
real?

Answer: They are both. The defilements we call lust or greed, or
anger or delusion, these are just outward names, appearances. Just as
we call a bowl large, small, pretty, or whatever. This is not
reality. It is the concept we create from craving. If we want a big
bowl, we call this one small. Craving causes us to discriminate. The
truth, though, is merely what is. Look at it this way. Are you a man?
You can say 'yes'. This is the appearance of things. But really you
are only a combination of elements or a group of changing aggregates.
If the mind is free, it does not discriminate. No big and small, no
you and me. There is nothing: Anatta, we say, or non-self. Really, in
the end there is neither atta nor anatta.

Q: Could you explain a little more about karma?

Answer: Karma is action. Karma is clinging. Body, speech, and mind
all make karma when we cling. We make habits. These can make us
suffer in the future. This is the fruit of our clinging, of our past
defilement. All attachment leads to making karma. Suppose you were a
thief before you became a monk. You stole, made others unhappy, made
your parents unhappy. Now you are a monk, but when you remember how
you made others unhappy, you feel bad and suffer yourself even today.
Remember, not only body, but speech and mental action can make
conditions for future results. If you did some act of kindness in the
past and remember it today, you will be happy. This happy state of
mind is the result of past karma. All things are conditioned by cause-
-both long term and, when examined, moment to moment. But you need
not bother to think about past, or present, or future. Merely watch
the body and mind. You must figure karma out for yourself. Watch your
mind. Practise and you will see clearly. Make sure, however, that you
leave the karma of others to them. Don't cling to and don't watch
others. If I take a poison, I suffer. No need for you to share it
with me! Take what is good that your teacher offers. Then you can
become peaceful, your mind will become like that of your teacher. If
you will examine it, you will see. Even if now you don't understand,
when you practise, it will become clear. You will know by yourself.
This is called practising the Dhamma. When we were young, our parents
used to discipline us and get angry. Really they wanted to help us.
You must see it over the long term. Parents and teachers criticize us
and we get upset. Later on we see why. After long practise you will
know. Those who are too clever leave after a short time. They never
learn. You must get rid of your cleverness. If you think yourself
better than others, you will only suffer. What a pity. No need to get
upset. Just watch.

Q: Sometimes it seems that since becoming a monk I have increased my
hardships and suffering.

Answer: I know that some of you have had a background of material
comfort and outward freedom. By comparison, now you live an austere
existence. Then in the practice, I often make you sit and wait for
long hours. Food and climate are different from your home. But
everyone must go through some of this. This is the suffering that
leads to the end of suffering. This is how you learn. When you get
angry and feel sorry for yourself, it is a great opportunity to
understand the mind. The Buddha called defilements our teachers. All
my disciples are like my children. I have only loving kindness and
their welfare in mind. If I appear to make you suffer, it is for your
own good. I know some of you are well-educated and very
knowledgeable. People with little education and worldly knowledge can
practise easily. But it is as if you Westerners have a very large
house to clean. When you have cleaned the house, you will have a big
living space. You can use the kitchen, the library, the living room.
You must be patient. Patience and endurance are essential to our
practice. When I was a young monk I did not have it as hard as you. I
knew the language and was eating my native food. Even so, some days I
despaired. I wanted to disrobe or even commit suicide. This kind of
suffering comes from wrong views. When you have seen the truth,
though, you are free from views and opinions. Everything becomes
peaceful.

Q: I have been developing very peaceful states of mind from
meditation. What should I do now?

Answer: This is good. Make the mind peaceful, concentrated. Use this
concentration to examine the mind and body. When the mind is not
peaceful, you should also watch. Then you will know true peace. Why?
Because you will see impermanence. Even peace must be seen as
impermanent. If you are attached to peaceful states of mind you will
suffer when you do not have them. Give up everything, even peace.

Q: Did I hear you say that you are afraid of very diligent disciples?

Answer: Yes, that's right. I am afraid. I am afraid that they are too
serious. They try too hard, but without wisdom. They push themselves
into unnecessary suffering. Some of you are determined to become
enlightened. You grit your teeth and struggle all the time. This is
trying too hard. People are all the same. They don't know the nature
of things (sankhara). All formations, mind and body, are impermanent.
Simply watch and don't cling. Others think they know. They criticize,
they watch, they judge. That's OK. Leave their opinions to the. This
discrimination is dangerous. It is like a road with a very sharp
curve. If we think others are worse or better or the same as us, we
go off the curve. If we discriminate, we will only suffer.

Q: I have been meditating many years now. My mind is open and
peaceful in almost all circumstances. Now I would like to try to
backtrack and practise high states of concentration or mind
absorption.

Answer: This is fine. It is beneficial mental exercise. If you have
wisdom, you will not get hung up on concentrated states of mind. It
is the same as wanting to sit for long periods. This is fine for
training, but really, practice is separate from any posture. It is a
matter of directly looking at the mind. This is wisdom. When you have
examined and understood the mind, then you have the wisdom to know
the limitations of concentration, or of books. If you have practised
and understand not-clinging, you can then return to the books. They
will be like a sweet dessert. They can help you to teach others. Or
you can go back to practise absorption. You have the wisdom to know
not to hold on to anything.

Q: Would you review some of the main points of our discussion?

Answer: You must examine yourself. Know who you are. Know your body
and mind by simply watching. In sitting, in sleeping, in eating, know
your limits. Use wisdom. The practise is not to try to achieve
anything. Just be mindful of what is. Our whole meditation is looking
directly at the mind. You will see suffering, its cause and its end.
But you must have patience; much patience and endurance. Gradually
you will learn. The Buddha taught his disciples to stay with their
teachers for at least five years. You must learn the values of
giving, of patience and of devotion. Don't practise too strictly.
Don't get caught up with outward form. Watching others is bad
practice. Simply be natural and watch that. Our monks' discipline and
monastic rules are very important. They create a simple and
harmonious environment. Use them well. But remember, the essence of
the monks' discipline is watching intention, examining the mind. You
must have wisdom. don't discriminate. Would you get upset at a small
tree in the forest for not being tall and straight like some of the
others? This is silly. Don't judge other people. There are all
varieties. No need to carry the burden of wishing to change them all.
So, be patient. Practice morality. Live simply and be natural. Watch
the mind. This is our practice. It will lead you to unselfishness. To
peace.




Follow this link for more on Ajahn Chah:

http://ksc15.th.com/petsei/

So There's the Teaching...

Click on the "Files" link on the left bar on the So There Yahoo!
Groups page for some files that might interest you.

Also check "Photos" and "Bookmarks"...I hope to add some soon.

The "Calender" has only one event as of now...my travel itinerary on
4th Feb. '02.

So There...I'm making full use of Yahoo! Groups :)

Some people have asked me if they can visit me in Thailand. The
answer is yes, most certainly. Just make sure you write before hand
so that some place can be kept for you at the monastery.
Staying at the monastery is free. However one is expected to be
mindful of the etiquette while there. If you want to know more about
this you may check out the site of an American monastery in this
tradition, Abhayagiri Forest Monastery:
http://www.abhayagiri.org/visits.htm
(only major differnece is that we wake up at 3:00am in Thailand!)

Wat Pah Nanachat
The north-east of Thailand is flat ­ the once thick forests are long
gone ­ and when one drives along the long straight roads one passes
through mile after mile of flat, scrubby land given over to
cultivation, mainly of rice. There are trees, but just here and there
in the open spaces, occasionally providing a bit of shade, but
there's no hint of the majestic and almost impenetrable forest that
once dominated the north-eastern region. Driving along the main
Sisaket Road out of Warin, the first distant sight one has of Wat Pah
Nanachat is a long, high white wall behind which is - a forest. The
trees are tall and the growth is thick ­ a noticeable contrast to the
surrounding terrain. Arriving at the Wat on a hot afternoon one's
first impression upon being put down at the gate is of being about to
enter a different world. The view up the drive is like looking up a
tunnel ­ a tunnel of trees. Upon venturing up the drive one
immediately feels the cool of the shade ­ the forest canopy is thick,
and the sun can only glint through the trees, finding an opening here
and there down which to pour a pool of fierce light. The wide, swept
concrete drive opens out after a hundred metres or so into a circle
as one comes to a long low building on the right, the kitchen, and
further on the large unadorned Sala.
  The Wat came into being twenty-five years ago in a rather unlikely
way. Ajahn Sumedho, who had already been training with Luang Por Chah
at Wat Nong Pah Pong for many years, together with a group of Western
monks, were wanting to fire some alms-bowls. This is a process
whereby a rust-proof coating is baked onto an iron bowl, and it
requires that the bowls be heated in an intense fire for several
hours. In the forest at Wat Nong Pah Pong it was actually difficult
to come across sufficient quantities of firewood ­ there were so many
monks, and firewood was needed all the time for dyeing and washing
robes. Hence it was recommended to Ajahn Sumedho that he and the
monks go to the forest at the nearby village of Bung Wai, where there
were plentiful supplies of fallen branches and dry bamboo.

So this group of monks came to the forest, put up their glots (large
umbrellas) and mosquito nets and began their work. This soon
attracted the attention of the local villagers, however, who were
impressed that these farang monks had the courage to pitch their
umbrellas and camp out there, for this was their cremation forest ­ a
place haunted by ghosts and spirits, and a place so feared by the
locals that it was left unused. As often happens on such occasions,
when the monks were ready to move on the local villagers begged them
to stay. And it just so happened that Luang Por Chah had already
decided that it would be a good to start a branch of Wat Nong Pah
Pong specifically for the farangs. Ajahn Sumedho, who had been with
Luang Por Chah for eight years, would be the teacher and the farangs
could train in their own language. So, as has happened so many times
in Thailand, the simple act of a monk hanging his umbrella from a
tree was the seed that sprouted and grew into a flourishing
monastery.

These days the monastic community comprises about twenty monks and
novices of about twelve nationalities. The number of monks who began
here and who still live in Thailand is considerably greater. At any
one time there will be four or five junior monks placed at some of
the Wat Nong Pah Pong branch monasteries, having been sent there to
learn the ropes of living with a Thai community, and to learn to
speak the language. Having spent his first five years training under
the guidance of Wat Pah Nanachat, the monk is then usually `freed
from dependence' and from then on it is up to him. Some monks go off
walking on tudong, visiting other teachers and regions. Some settle
in other places and some go abroad, but people still keep in touch
and usually regard WPN as some kind of `home base' coming back to
`check in' once in a while. This means at certain times of the year
there is a lot of coming and going ­ in fact the population of the
monastery can sometimes fluctuate from week to week. Thai monks also
happen by ­ usually on tudong, and more often than not when it really
comes down to it they are interested in learning English. This is not
enough of a reason to stay beyond three nights, says the Abbot, and
off they go. There are usually two or three Thai monks here ­ but they
already speak English and have some prior Dhamma connection with
Ajahn Jayasaro or the community ­ for instance, one Thai monk here at
the moment was working as a doctor in America when he met Ajahn
Jayasaro and his faith arose there, upon hearing the Ajahn teach.

The monastery serves several different and quite distinct groups of
people, and for the abbot this is quite a balancing act. There are
the many guests from all over the world who, for many different
reasons, spend time here developing their understanding and practice
of Buddhism through experience of monastic life. Long-term and loyal
support, of course, has come from the local Bung Wai villagers, about
a dozen of whom come every day to cook and help out, and many regular
supporters come to the monastery from the local towns of Warin and
Ubon. There is a sizeable following of Bangkok people who come and
stay when they can ­ one group of air hostesses even arrange their
schedules so that they can fly up to Ubon on the evening flight,
spend all of Wan Phra night meditating and then fly back down to
Bangkok on the morning flight. In fact, on the weekly Wan Phra
observance days it is common for there to be approaching 100 people
observing the eight precepts and staying to practice and hear the
Dhamma in the monastery until the following dawn. On these observance
days the abbot and the second monk divide their attention between the
various groups ­ talks being given simultaneously in Thai and English
in different locations.

The steady stream of non-Thai visitors come and stay for varying
lengths of time. Usually the initial period is limited to three days,
but in most cases this can be extended, depending upon the
availability of accommodation. The monastery's requirement is that
people write beforehand and will only take those who turn up
unannounced if there is space. Demands upon accommodation are getting
tighter these days, so quite often people are asked to come back at a
later date. It is through coming to stay at the monastery that
interest in monastic life can be sparked off. Men are asked to wear
white and shave their heads after three days while women wear a white
blouse and black skirt but keep their hair, and these gestures give
them a chance to feel like they are part of the monastic community
for the time being ­ they are indeed perceived as such by the local
people. For many, the level of renunciation required is quite
demanding ­- living according to the eight precepts, eating just one
meal a day, following a routine which requires one to get up at 3am,
and having many hours of the day with no form or structure. All of
this can be quite a challenge.

  Community members and as far as is possible lay-guests are assigned
kutis ­ simple wooden huts on stilts spread around in the forest
(which is about 300 rai or 150 acres) and there are about 30 of
these. Accommodation is basic ­ there is no electricity in any but a
few kutis, and a trip to the toilet can mean a walk through the
forest. At night it is not uncommon to encounter snakes and other
creepy-crawlies ­ life at Wat Nanachat was once described to me as
being `total insect attack' which, while it is an exaggeration, does
convey something of the flavour of the experience. From time to time
people are forced to evacuate as ants or termites invade their living
space ­ which they have usually had to reckon upon sharing with geckos
(lizards ­ about 20cm long which punctuate the stillness of the night
with a loud "gekk-kko" call ) bats, spiders and sometimes the odd
snake which decides to coil itself around the rafters. Rats also
compete for the space and help themselves to anything which can be
eaten.

The daily routine varies according to the season ­ usually there is a
period of morning chanting and meditation (at 3.30 a.m.) in a large
open sila on the edge of the forest, followed by a leaf-sweeping
period for the lay-guests while the monks go out at dawn on their
alms-round. The meal is taken at 8am and is followed by a period of
cleaning chores. From then until mid-afternoon there is free time ­
and besides spending that time in meditation people will make use of
the well-equipped library to read and study. At 4.30 p.m. the
community gathers for tea ­ an informal affair where questions can be
raised and things discussed in a good humoured spirit. A couple of
days a week are kept as silent days ­ one when all formal meetings are
cancelled and the other on which the community follows a structured
practice routine together. On these evenings a formal talk is given.
The atmosphere of the monastery also varies according to the season.
During the three months of the Rains Retreat (Vassa in Pali, Pansah
in Thai) the community is quite stable, since the Sangha members are
not allowed to travel away for more than six days during this period.
This is a time of focused practice and study ­ in particular the study
of the monastic discipline is undertaken during these three months.
At the end of Vassa comes the Kathina season ­ the ceremonial
presentation of cloth by the laity which is collectively sewn into a
robe by members of the monks community who spent the Vassa together.
This is one of the biggest festivals of the year, and draws the
community together before monks move on to other monasteries or
return from other places to live here. There is also a tradition
amongst the branch monasteries of Wat Nong Pah Pong to attend one
another's Kathina ceremonies, and so it is a month of travelling here
and there, listening to all-night talks and trying to stay awake and
centred amidst the swirling changes going on around one. For new
monks who are just starting to find their feet in their first Vassa
this time can be quite disorienting. When the wind swings around to
blow from the north the local people say that this marks the
beginning of the cold season. As the rain stops and the weather turns
cooler people fly kites in the almost continuous breeze, flying them
high over the rice fields. They attach a device to them which plays a
low, melancholy kind of tune over and over, and this characterises
the atmosphere of the cold season. This is really the most pleasant
time of the year here and it is common for senior monks from England
to come visiting during this period from late October until February.

The cold season is also a time when frequent trips are made out to
the nearest of our small hermitages. `Poo Jorm Gorm'­ which means
`little pointed hill' ­ is situated on the Laotian border about 150km
from here and is set in a large area of national parkland. Four or
five monks stay there most of the time and live spread out over an
area of about two square miles ­ some in caves, others in simple
thatched kutis. Some of these dwellings look out over the great
Mekong river that forms the border between Thailand and Laos, and
which flows south from China, touching Burma, Thailand, Laos and
Cambodia before reaching the sea in Southern Vietnam.

At the end of February almost the entire community travels across the
country to our other hermitage Dtao Dam on the Burmese border in
Saiyok National Park, beyond Kanchanaburi. This leaves just a
skeleton crew minding the monastery and so things quieten down as the
hot season begins. Wat Pah Nanachat remains quiet for two months
until the Sangha returns at the beginning of May. During the
following months leading up to the Pansah there are more comings and
goings, people returning to Wat Pah Nanachat to spend Pansah here,
and young monks being sent off to Thai branch monasteries to spend a
year away. By the time of Luang Por Chah's birthday celebrations at
Wat Nong Pah Pong on June 17th it is usually clear who is going to be
where for the next four months or so and the monastery starts to take
on much more settled and stable atmosphere.

One factor that has brought an increased sense of stability to Wat
Pah Nanachat is the decision by Tan Ajahn Jayasaro to stay put here
for five years as abbot. In the past Ajahn Jayasaro and Ajahn Pasanno
would take it in turns to administer the monastery for a year at a
time, which allowed each of them to have a period of retreat every
other year. Looking back however, I think that Ajahn Jayasaro wonders
how good this was for the community. An additional thing that has
made being abbot more workable is the new abbot's kuti. The previous
one was virtually open on all sides, like living on a platform, and
only a stone's throw from the såla, which meant that visitors could
seek the abbot out at any time of the day or night. No wonder it was
stressful ­ the abbot had very little privacy there. I thought it a
healthy sign, then, when I saw that Ajahn Jayasaro was having a new
abbot's kuti built ­ quite a distance from the sila in a less
conspicuous location ­ and with a much greater feeling of privacy to
it. "That's significant," I remember thinking. "If the abbot knows
how to look after himself, can take space and find some recuperative
solitude here, he won't feel the need to escape to get some time on
his own ­ seems like a healthy direction."

These days, Ajahn Jayasaro has commented, there is a more harmonious
atmosphere here than he can ever remember, and whereas monks in the
old days used to look forward to getting past the five pansah mark so
that they could go off on their own, there is less of this kind of
talk, and monks who have grown up here in the last five years seem to
regard Wat Pah Nanachat as `home'. When the community is harmonious,
the abbot is better supported and he is more effective at what he
does. So it becomes a more attractive prospect to stay.

Here then are just a few fleeting impressions of this mysterious
multi-faceted place. One of the things I've heard Ajahn Jayasaro
comment upon more than once is how he feels when people talk about
what Wat Pah Nanachat is that they end up grinding out the same old
stale impressions year after year based on how it was when they were
there, when in fact it has long since changed. Well, if the Abbot
himself declares that he doesn't really know what Wat Pah Nanachat is
like, then who are the rest of us to presume to say?

- Ajahn Vipassi


> For details about other monasteries/ meditation centers in this
tradition you can look up:
http://www.abm.ndirect.co.uk/fsn/51/millenium.html

Why am I going?
> Just why am I going to Thailand to live in a monastery
and if things go as planned, to ordain as a monk?
   1) Its a lifestyle that has attracted me since childhood
(As a five year old when asked what I'd do when I grew up...
I said I want to be a 'sanyasi' - a renunciate) So lets
just say its my 'dream occupation' and I think I deserve
to give it a shot.
   2) I feel my education is incomplete. Though I've studied
a lot about the ways of the world, I feel I know little about the
ways of the mind. I feel I owe it to myself to explore the inner
dimensions of my being which have such a direct bearing on how I
interact with life.
A monastic community provides a suitable environment for such an
investigation.

How did I make this decison?
>I've already related that a monastic lifestyle has been a lifelong
attraction to me; so this wasn't such a spontaneous decision. It took
its time to mature. Actually its a case of fourth time lucky (I hope!)
since I had tried to join a monastery in Class XII; then end of BA;
even towards the end of my MBA...and of-course it never happened each
of those times!
I knew that many people, esp. my own family would feel very unhappy
by this decision. My reason for going ahead despite knowing this is
that I feel their deepest concern is my well-being, and they can only
be happy in the long run if they see me getting happiness doing what
I love doing - living a life of Truth and serving others to the best
of my ability.

What happens once I get there?
> To begin with I'll be an 'Anagarika', a white robed unordained
guest  at the monastery for 3-4 months, benefitting from the
opportunity to live a simple life and serve the monastic community
or 'sangha'.
>  If suitable I could then request to become a part of the community
as a 'Samanera', a novice monk for a period of 1-2 years. (A novice
monk wears the same robes as a fully ordained monk.)
> At the end of this period, if appropriate, I could
request 'Upasampada' - full ordination in the tradition. I'll make
a commitment to train with the community for the next 5 years in this
case.
> Once my training is complete I might continue in Thailand or move
to some other country.

How long do I intend being in Thailand?
> I don't know! As long as I'm learning and growing from being there
I suppose. It should be understood that there are no lifetime vows in
the Buddhist monastic order. One can return to the lay life even
after full ordination. In fact one is allowed to robe and disrobe up
to seven times!

Can you keep in touch with me?
> Yes. I am not expected to snap relations with family and friends as
part of this disciple, teh aim is just come out of attachments.
>Since its unlikely that I will be checking email there. You could
write to me at the address below if you wish:

Wat Pah Nanachat
Bahn Bung Wai,
Ampher Warin,
Ubon Rajathani
34310
Thailand

So There...keep me posted!

Here are a few sites I'd suggest you visit to get a
better understanding of what I'm planning to do:

Going Forth
http://www.quantrum.com.my/duta/goforth.htm
This site has lots of information about monastic
life in Theravada Buddhism (Theravada means 'teachings
of the elders'. It is the form of Buddhism practised in
the countries of Thailand, Myanmar (Burma), Sri Lanka,
Laos and Cambodia.)

Reflections on Ordination
http://www.sakyadhita.org/ordination/ord_content.html
Has some insightful articles shedding light on the right
reasons to ordain. This site helped me a lot in realising
that being in a monastic community was really a deep calling
...not merely a desire to escape into tranquil environs.

Access to Insight
http://www.accesstoinsight.org
The most comprehensive website on the Buddha's teachings
as preserved by the 2,500 year old oral (and later written)
tradition of the Pali Canon. This is a huge site. I suggest
you scroll through their "Index by Subject" and go to any
topic which holds your attention.

Vipassana Meditation
http://www.dhamma.org
http://www.vri.dhamma.org
Learn about Vipassana Meditation as taught by S.N.Goenka
in the tradition of Sayagyi U Ba Khin. The site also has
information on how/where/when one can learn Vipassana.

With Robes and Bowl
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/bps/wheels/wheel083.html
This online booklet is a must read if you are interested in a really
detailed glimpse of the kind of life I am likely to be leading.
Don't be intimidated by the size of the article. It makes interesting
reading (atleast to me ;) and provides a peek at a way of life
rooted in simplicity and mindfulness. Won't take you long to finish
once you begin.

On Monastic Life
http://www.abm.ndirect.co.uk/leftside/summaries/q-a/life-is.htm
For those of you who don't have the time/ inclination to read
"With Robes and Bowl" this is a site with a FAQ format to give
you all the basic info. I must say however that it is a description
more of a "Temple Monk's" lifestyle than that of a "Forest Monk"
(which is what you could call me soon!).

So There's a list of websites to check out. Guess its plenty to
chew on isn't it!

I must acknowledge that I was inspired to start this group
by Jeremy Glick (JG). JG decided to become a monk a couple
of years ago while in America. However he wanted to complete
his 'Wish List' of things he wanted to do in this life before
he took that step (things like bungee jumping etc.!).
Over the next many months he 'trekked' around America; Hawaii; Fiji;
Australia; India etc. before going to Wat Pah Nanachat in Thailand
and eventually ordained as a monk in Myanmar(Burma).
To keep family and friends informed he started a group
called 'jgtrek' wherein he has described his very varied and
interesting experiences.
I do recommend you take a look at his group:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/jgtrek/
It hasn't updated for many months now (I imagine JG meditating
peacefully in Myanmar...too detached in mind or location to be able
to send us an update!) but his old posts are well worth a read.
So There's my Inspiration

Here is a brief description of where i am going:

Wat Pah Nanachat - 1
Meaning of Name :
"International forest monastery"

Address :
Ban Bung Wai, Amper Warin, Ubon Ratchathani 34310.

Directions :
Located outside the city of Ubon Ratchathani, about 600 km northeast
of Bangkok. From Ubon, go southwest 12 km to Ban Bung Wai on the
highway to Si Saket, then follow signs west one km through rice
fields to the forest and wat. You can take a Si Saket bus from Ubon
and ask to be let off at Wat Pah Nanachat or you can take a city bus
2 km south across the Mun River to Warin and get a songtaew(minibus)
from the market area. Trains arrive in Warin: walk 20 minutes east
into town to catch a songtaew. Easiest of all is just to take a tuk-
tuk or taxi at the train or bus stations or airport.
Several fast trains provide daily service from Bangkok, including an
overnight express which offers comfortable 2nd class sleepers. Many
air-conditioned buses with reclining seats depart Bangkok's Northern
(Moh Chit) Bus Terminal for the day or overnight journey. Thais
offers a daily flight from Bangkok to the airport in the northern
part of Ubon Ratchathani.


Meditation System :
No single technique predominates. One is creative, using a variety of
appropriate meditations and reflections from the Theravada tradition.
Mindfulness with breathing forms the basis for most formal
meditation. Teachers hold that samatha and vipassana cannot be
separated. Sila, conduct of body and speech, along with monastic
discipline forms a fundamental part of the training. One tries to
maintain mindfulness in all postures. The monastery environment
provides not only an ideal environment for meditation practice, but
the opportunity to learn from and reflect on the customs and
traditions honored here.


Teaching Method :
No formal instruction is offered. The teachers will answer questions.
A library has a good selection of English and other foreign-language
books on meditation practice. Some books about practice in the Ajahn
Chah forest tradition are available by free distribution. Dhamma
talks on audio tapes by Ajahn Sumedho and other teachers can be
borrowed or copied.


Teachers :
Ajahn Pasanno, abbot (Canadian; age 41)
Ajahn Jayasaro, vice abbot (English: age 33)
Senior monks teach men too. Women only meet with the abbot or vice
abbot. Teachers usually talk with laypeople in the morning; the rest
of the day is reserved for instructing monks and novices.


Language :
English is the medium of instruction. Most monks can speak some
Thai ;and perhaps other Asian or European languages. The abbot and
vice abbot speak fluent Thai; they give advice and Dhamma talks to
local people much as abbots do at any monastery in Thailand.


Description :
Nearly half of the 250-rais area (100 acres) is in thick forest. The
main sala, where most of the Buddha images are, serves as the dining
area and as the place for visitors to meet the abbot. Local villagers
hold cremations at a site nearby. The bot has a marble and wood
interior of modern design. A large meditation sala lies a 5-minute
walk through the forest.


Size :
monks and novices: 15-20
nuns: O (no living quarters for nuns)
laypeople: 5-10


Daily Routine :
Group meetings and work periods have equal importance with formal
meditation in the monastery. Laypeople are invited and expected to
join the activities: 3 a.m. wakeup; 3:30-5:15 a.m. chanting and
meditation; 6-7a.m. sweeping or help out in the kitchen (pindabat for
monks, novices, and pakows) 8 a.m. offering food to the monks; about
8:30 a.m. the meal, followed by cleanup; 3-5 p.m. work period of
hauling water, cleaning buildings, and other projects; 5 p.m. drink
at abbot's kuti; 7-9:30 p.m. meditation, chanting, and Dhamma talk
(or a reading). Other time is free for individual practice. The daily
schedule changes during times of retreat and on Buddhist holy days
(wan phra). On wan phra, the community and some visitors make the
effort to stay up all night without lying down and practice
meditation until 5 a.m.

Wat Pah Nanachat - 2
Food :
Very good quality and variety, including vegetarian dishes. Sticky,
white, and (usually) brown rice are offered. Monks, novices, and
pakows go on pindabat for rice; most food is donated to or prepared
in the kitchen. Laymen and women with shaved heads eat with the
monks. Other laypeople eat in the kitchen. Everyone adheres to the
one-meal-a-day standard; a drink and sweets are usually offered in
the afternoon.


Accommodations :
Monks, novices, and laymen live in well separated kutis, most with a
walking path. (Laymen visiting for short periods stay in a dormitory
above the kitchen.) Women have their own building with individual
rooms (can be shared) upstairs and western-style bathrooms
downstairs. Men have communal facilities (bathing from tanks or
showers; mostly Asian-style toilets). Bathrooms and large buildings
generally have electricity and running water; kutis do not blankets
and mosquito nets can be borrowed from the monastery.


Write in Advance? :
Yes, be sure to write ahead with a request to stay, or you might be
disappointed on arrival. The monastery can only accommodate a small
number of guests.


Ordination :
Wat Pah Nanachat is primarily a trainimg center for non-Thai
nationals preparing to take ordination. A sincerely interested layman
first becomes a pakow (anagarika) wearing a white robe and taking an
alms bowl. After 3 months he can take the going forth as a novice and
wear orange robes. Full ordination can take place about one year
later. Anyone considering bhikkhu ordination will benefit from a stay
at Wat Pah Nanachat whether he plans to ordain here or not. Unless
fluent in Thai, one isn't likely to find this situation of thorough
training combined with ease of communication elsewhere in Thailand.


Other Information :
A visit provides a great opportunity to experience and participate in
a monastic community of the forest tradition. The way of life here
will be unfamiliar even to most visitors with a Buddhist background,
hence an importance of being willing to adapt and learn. For best
results, plan on staying a minimum of 1-2 weeks. If you're not keenly
interested in the monastic life-style or if you simply prefer doing
your own retreat, other places will be more suitable.
Men staying for more than a few days must shave their heads,
including beards and eyebrows; this shows a spirit of commitment amd
renunciation. Women aren't expected to shave, but they need to have
an understanding and appreciation for the monks rules; women who have
been here awhile will explain.
Laymen dress in modest white clothing. Women usually wear white
blouses amd black skirts, or they can wear all white. Clothing for
men and women can be borrowed from the wat.
All laypeople observe the 8 precepts. Some talking and socializing is
allowed, but not between men and women. Conversations should be
related to Dhamma practice (avoid the temptation to talk about travel
or politics as they can agitate the mind!)
Ajahn Chah established Wat Pah Nanachat in B.E. 2518 as a place where
his western disciples could live and train in the Dhamma-Vinaya.
Ajahn Sumedho, an American, served as the first abbot; after 2 years
he went to England and founded monasteries there. Ajahn Pabhakaro,
the second abbot, now assists with running the monasteries in
England. Ajahn Jagaro then took over, he later established a
monastery in western Australia just outside Perth. The current abbot
Ajahn Pasanno, has been in charge since B.E. 2525. Originally mostly
westerners and the odd Thai trained at Wat Pah Nanachat. In recent
years, however, a variety of Asians have added to the international
atmosphere. Today the monastery is one of more than 100 branch
monasteries in Thailand and around the world of Ajahn Chah's Wat Nong
Pah Pong.

So There...is where I'm going!

PS: For information on other monasteries in Thailand go to:
"A Guide to Buddhist Monasteries and Meditation Centres in Thailand"
http://hjem.get2net.dk/civet-cat/theravada-writings/thai-94.html

Hi and welcome.
As I am going to join a monastic community in Thailand
next month (Feb. 2002), I've started this group to educate
family, friends and others about this lifestyle.
I hope it will be a medium for everyone to better understand
my decision and to participate in my adventure through the
updates posted here.
So There...Welcome!