Travel Notes ZEROUNO: Buddhism in Thailand Buddhism and my point of view.
duemilaundici February 9 this morning, I woke up relatively early and I started, after the usual bargaining with a tuktuk, a tour to visit the temples of Bangkok city, we start from a temple where there is a giant statue of Buddha standing, all gold, I reach the place, get down, I buy two bottles of water, I offer one to my driver and walked inside the temple, took some pictures and try to hold off my thoughts, but move and re-emerging and other images taken similar arguments already made this pilgrimage, I look at the fine details of the temple, and I wonder who pays for all this, I see so many tourists and devotees who leave offerings and I wonder whether it is appropriate to use all this money only for facilities, for appearances.
I recall a conversation with Antonio, who put me facing such as loyalty cambodian people to Buddhism which is very superstitious, which makes donations to grab the graces of the gods in every important occasion, and I think this will be personal and not the context.
I think the White Temple in Chiang Rai (Thailand), which appears or is really built only for tourists ...
I think of the exploitation of this culture and I find too many similarities with the church that I have always fought, the superstructures, decorated churches, waste of the Vatican, the distance between words and actions of charity .
I reason and maybe it's just something akin to a marketing action, justified by the results? motivated by ...?
... I'm confused. pass before my eyes the images of all the monks I met with cell phone and think, Okay, this is the evolution of man, I think back to Monaco I've seen in a bus stop, was smoking a cigarette, I begin to fear that something is wrong, this is a habit, something that is not the right action and did not marry the concept of right effort, I try to find an answer and review the Noble Eightfold Path, one of the foundations of Buddhism.
Right View
Right intention
right speech
right action
Right livelihood
right effort
right mindfulness right concentration
I think a black sheep and not orange, I now approach the one teaching me I can believe in, then I wonder who I am Buddhist monks if not examples, of the masters ... too lost in thought I heard a bell ringing, I see people approaching a table where the monks sit, eat and wear, appear to behave like saints, but my eye is always hungry curiosity as my goal, I see the dishes contain meat and fish, I shake the gut, twisting them as if I'm looking for an answer I think my questions have an answer all the questions, I decided to start asking questions to them, I turn to a devotee who shows me the room of Monaco or some thing more, I walk out of that room and a monaco who does not know what it means to fast given its size, I do not worth a look, go to the table prepared talking with his Iphone Four in a case rooted in ...
remain silent, I try to take some photos but it seems that my eyes almost not want to see a castle collapses and becomes orange sand like a dirty ... approaching their forties, I wonder if all goes well, the answer I really think that something is not right, ask him if the monks living on alms, take it wide, he smiles and says yes, I explode and I ask him if it is right to get an iphone with the money from the charity, which includes not are there to increase the income of the box, but he smiles and tells me that everyone does what he wants.
Sigh, kucciolo breathe, breathe ....
second question, he is prepared, I express no filter, extreme, very extreme, I know am wrong, I try to work with, especially when I'm pissed off, trip up, aggressive, with no load but simply expressing my thoughts without drafting a light version
I think what is in that dish, for Buddhism, could be the rebirth of one of his relative, what is about to eat was a being sentient being who has lost his life that should never undermine ... you do not believe to Dharmacakra?
He smiles and tells me there but believe that eating meat in Thailand, which is not everywhere the same.
understand a lot of things in a few minutes, I understand that sometimes coming from a supply of meat can not be radically changed, the body would be affected, I understand that it is difficult to be vegetarian in the West but especially in monasteries and in the east can not metabolize it as a concept that the excuse ' killing living beings capable of feeling pain, I feel heavy every ornament of this and all the temples I visited, are bothered by the color orange I've always loved and respected.
Greetings, I leave, I try to greet with the utmost respect for the person who gave me the answers I did not expect, but I have opened my eyes slightly, returns the bow, and I round the table, how do you snap some photos at the zoo, with strange beasts, they laugh, they are open water by women who believe in them, stuff themselves and destroy an image that pure thought, but maybe it's just copying what The church is in the West, he eats another structure behind who really believes it.
infinitely Compared with all my heart everyone who has a religious belief, but not who takes advantage of it.
then I understand that, especially in those countries, it is better to study, dressing in orange and eat for free, rather than live in hardship.
Siddartha did not teach this, despite having passed all the states from the excesses of extreme deprivation, then taught the middle way is the right path.
was a bit of time walking looking for this answer, I do not blame everyone, but everyone I've seen in places untouched by the passage of tourists and pilgrims are corrupt. The worst of corruptions, one that allows the soul to take advantage of the beliefs of others to fill the belly.
renew my belief in the full belief that the Buddhist philosophy that is most welcome, that the four noble truths revealed pronounced, according to legend, Siddhartha Gautama, are well placed to cope with life and especially the attempt to join the Noble Eightfold Path, are very respectable practices that can lead to a democratic and respectful of humanity.
At the same time I renew my opposition to the structures that promote religious beliefs and focus on physical locations under the power men, I think of St. Thomas, said he had heard that Jesus said to him, raises a stone and I'll be there, break a piece of wood and I'll be there, and according to my interpretation seems to me that Buddhism would say, look inside yourself and I'll be there, each carries with it the divinity and only ' the merger agreement with respect for others can lead to a well for themselves in the wake of Lord / buddha's name or what else you want to give, within us.
I threw up in this text that I has made it even more skeptical about a corrupt world, a pilgrim in search of new seeds for a new humanity to understand what is the way to help keep it clean and go with those who share the need of a renaissance.
conclude with a sentence of good bounces Masu I sometimes in my head when I think you need a resistance to these corruptions waiting for a solution or a way forward that is convincing, "rather than resistance should occur, perhaps the first resurrection "
 |
| Last shot within the last temple. |
tuktuk I climb on and ask if I can bring in an orphanage, she knows qualc'uno, but in reality not even understand what I say, I keep repeating if I can get into a clothes store but I will not buy anything, so why give him a ticket for him to fill up, I say yes because I'm tired and I do not want discuss, and arrive in the place is a great boutique Indian tailors, by offering me a full four thousand cashmere bat, about a hundred euro, it would be nice, custom-made, but I would not spend more money, even as I try I try to wriggle I want to understand whether or not, I say that I have to sixteen the bus to the airport, tells me that time is short, I smile, thank you and goodbye.
Outside there is also a taxi and a guy thilandese who speaks English to ask the orphanage, she says she knows where he is a great center that takes care of abused and abandoned children, as I speak with them I see the tuktuk who was with me going away, do not I can only take a taxi and head to the orphanage, I prefer to watch and spend my last time in Bangkok to why they are pilgrims, children and the future.
arrive at the center, is immense, I go in the room accommodation is where I met a girl who accompanied me to his desk, I tell my path, I see some photos taken in other orphanages, she asks me you wait and return with the director, I explained very nicely which is a governmental structure and it takes a series of permits, ask if I can at least visit the project without taking photos, I say yes, but they took me in a room full of pictures, look at me It seems another Pacific island where children and people with difficulties can dock, I smile, my heart took another breath of life, I still believe in humanity, I look up and the director has a big smile, greeted me and leaves me with the girl who welcomed me at the entrance, the latest information and ask me to leave your email address to eventually apply for a permit for next year, she also seems a good soul. I bow, I thank you, greeting and go back to my taxi.
Today was not an easy day and I expect a long journey.
soon
K
