Keeping the faith- gems and lessons

Despite the gloom and many issues raised, hidden among the problems were many gems for us to discover, to warn us, to pre empt us.

It reinforce why Buudha did not estabished an organisation, why he continue to live a homeless life. A homeless life remind us of impermanence and letting go. Maybe as a family, we should live a nomad life for a few years.

Unlike other spiritual group, there is a monk-lay person eco system. The lay person takes care of the monks worldly needs and the monk practise to be a role model and be a teacher to the layperson. When the monk find other avenues to support themselves, the eco system break down. It is a beautiful system - with check and balance, practise of selflessness, depedency. Thus, layperson are encourage to give alms - maybe more to generate generosity, concern for others rathern than as merit making for onself.

It is the lay person responsibility to learn from the right sources. Ehi passiko - come and see for oneself. Test the teaching and see for one self the teaching. Don't assume or rely blindly, based on the robe. When learned, the lay person then would not be easily mislead. The teacher become a coach, a guide, a mentor not a faith dispenser nor wealth dispenser (giving out 4D numbers, amlet, holy water) or a cure all healer. In the days before examination board, certications, master and teachers has to gain respect and accolade through their examples and from community.
It is an evolving, gradual process through words of mouth. One does not become expert or master overnight upon graduation. A mechanic gain respect when he can get cars going most of times, he diagnose correctly, without cheating. These days, with money, one can buy certificates.
I think we have to follow the same approach in seeking a teacher. Watch, observe for a long period of time, in different situation. If the person display exemplary behaviour in all situations, he/she can be shortlisted for further of our own test. And once we find one, the role reverse, and we need to take good care of the teacher.

There are many good writeup on guru-student relation in Tibetan Buddhism.

Keeping the Faith- Thai Buddhism at the crossroad

Author : Sanitsuda Ekachai : Columnist Editorial and Assistant Editor of Bangkok Post. Won many international accolade including Asia Leadership Fellow-Japan Foundation. Eisenhower Fellow.
326 pages.

Aptly titled : Thai Buddhism at the crossroad, a frank look at the issues faced by Thai Buddhism.

It is a collection of articles, written over a span of over 10-15 years from late 1980s to 2001. The common thread are the issues and problems faced in Thai Buddhism. The articles are categorised around specific issues. Reader can jump to which issues that interest them. Issues include - the power of the old (structure), scandals and sexuality, Thai Buddhisma and women.

See also previous review - Forest Monks Recollections- Background and Framework which discuss how the current Sangha structure came about - purportly to unify Thai Buddhism, but really a disguise to control the various thread of Buddhism when the military government took control.

It is a rare book, written by a local, someone who has good command of English and yet understand the issues- both cultural and spiritual. At first glance, it may seem the target audience would be narrow and small - a Thai, who can read English well. However, as stated earlier, the issues - one of the result when a religion is mainstream and its followers do not feel any threat, leading to complancy and abuse. Monks and lay people, particularly those who volunteer in managing temples, Buddhist organisation or helping them to grow- can learn to preempt the issues that Thai Buddhism faced.

So, I heard, the Buddha led a wandering life, but refuse to set up organised structure. What happened in Thailand - especially the evolution from many different thread of Buddhism- right down to different tradition in different amphoe to a "modern" monolistic Thai Buddhism, show again what happen when people have a taste of power, titles, money and do not practise the teaching. The organisation become a evergrowing monster of politics, greed, jealousy and become incapitated to reform itself.

DIPA MA - Life and Legacy of a Buddhist Master

Photo taken off : http://www.dipma.org

Author : Amy Schmidt : Licensed clinical social workere and cartoonist : 175pages

This is a very readable book, an inspiring account of life of a householder, who is believed to be spiritually englightened. Through interviews with those who have met Dip Ma, she has reconstructed a kind of biography, focussing on a life that exudes teachings. It is very well written, one is absorbed with the stories told, that one can easily forget that the author HAS NOT MET the teacher - DIP MA. DipP Ma died just 2 weeks before the author heard about her. What a miss. It is those "I wish I had ..." thing.

Nonethless, we, readers , should be grateful. Without this book, we may not even be acquainted with this great teacher. It served to remind us to strive and continue pray to meet our teacher, to be on the look out, the teacher could be admist us, but through our judgement of 0thers and expectation, we may hve miss them. Maybe, the beggar looking, frail old person down the street, mumbling, always laughing to himself, could be the englightened beings. But because of our own filter len, we can't see it. Treat all being with respect.

What is amazing is that this lady is at the same time a householder, a grandmother, a mother. Just like us, except we have thousand of excuses ready, why we don't hve the time to practise goodness. Dip Ma has boiled it down to such a simple instruction - just watch and be aware of what you are doing now, and just for a moment - that we would have no excuse left, except to face it.

She is not those castle in the air academic, ivory tower that can argue with all the rhetorics, with tons of historical facts to support their arguement. And at the end of the day, in discussion with an academic, it could evolve into who is right or wrong. Who is cleverer? She doesn't read nor write much. Her wisdom came from practise.

Dip Ma is inspiring, because, she has been there, all the suffering - match marred at 12, hubsand left oversea 1 week after marriage ceremony, confinement to her in-law's house, joined her husband in Burma, but were asked to leave by the Bumese government in 1967, forced repairation of foreigners, unable to concieve initially, later had own kids, but lost 2 childs, husband. Meeting her would be like meeting a doctor, who has experienced all the illness - cancer, HIV, etc etc and able to empathise and treat us.

Reluctantly, she once demonstrated her ability to transcend human feats by her teacher. A professor set up an experiment, whereby she was to be interviewed by the professor in his office 10 miles away. The professor posted a trusted graduate student in Dip Ma room, to ensure she doesn't leave. Reportedly, at the same time she was able to appear in the professor office for the interview. However, repeatedly the teacher has instructed that these abilities are not the end goals and one should just move on and not be awed or stucked (or attached to ) the power.

She treatedpeople - quietly, calmly, gently, with kindess and respect, out of everyone's welfare and not out of anger or simple desir for personal comfort.

All is not lost, for those who are inspired and have not met Dip Ma. The author has left some suggestion on how we can invoke Dip Ma presence and help, if we choose.

May this book inspire you or start you on your journey to peace, harmony and happiness.

Forest Recollections-Overcoming Obstacles

The thudong monk in training has to overcome and eventually eliminate kilesa (defilement) that we, human faces too. These include overcoming fears, bodily suffering, sexual desire. Their victory gives us hope that as fellow human beings, we too can overcome these defilements (if we follow their example.) In a way, it also teaches us not to expect or judge, for they are fellow beings too, maybe further on the same journey that we fear to tread or do not have the courage to tread. We expect monks not to smoke, to be celibate etc etc. However, reading about their struggles with these elements, remind us not to judge and expect them to be perfect beings.

The forest, with all the elements - weather, sickness, wild animals - is their laboratory. The fear of wild animals, spirits need to be faced and rooted out to acheive spiritual liberations.

In context, large tract of forest still covered the North and Northeast Thailand. These were homes to elephants, tigers, clouded leopards, panthers, bears, snakes etc . Culturally, believe in spirit dominates the mind of the monks and villagers.

The monks account of their encounter with wild animal and how they use it to learn the lesson of dhamma were intructive to us, on the possibility of co existing with wild animals and yet not being harmed by them. The monks recognised that they are the guest of the animal territory and respect their territory as such.

Overcoming bodily suffering.

During their wandering in the forest, the monks invetiably become sick, for many reasoasons - malaria, weather, cuts, sprains. the monks were taught to face these pains and examine them . These become lesson in dhamma. They do not have access to traditional doctors and rely on themselve to recover.

Battling sexual desire.

Temptation awaits the monk everywhere - in the forest, in the city, in the villages.

In Theraveda tradition, monk are forbid to be alone with a female or be touched by them. The book recounts the battles of several of the monks with sexual desire. While most overcome them , some succumb to it. Years of practise does not necessiarily protect nor exempt one from sexual desire. We just have to be mindful, one moment at a time and exert control over our mind.

These raises several questions. Beings are born of sexual union. In that second or minute of succumbing to sexual desire, beings are borned. Is is possible to escape from it or it it better to incorporate it into practice and accept sexual desire as norm. While there are antidotes to battle sexual desire, in our promiscous society and power of media, it is becoming more and more difficult to overcome it. Each generations are expose to it, earlier and earlier in life, before they have a chance to develop form or anchor on strong moral values. I pity the younger generations.

Forest Recollections - Scholar Monks vs Practioner Monks

As Thailand began to "develop", particularly in the 1960s. With huge US aids, many roads were built all over the country, electrification, commercialisation of agriculture. These "development" were imposed and forced on the rural people, through the police, military and western education systems. (p243) Road inrease from 2118 km in 1960 to 27,595 km in 1989.
The northern region, previously large tract of forest and not easily accesible, become easy reach of Bangkok.

The central Sangha in Bangkok to began exert its control and form by imposing its form of Buddhism. Prince Mongkut, son of King Rama II, established a new nikai (lineage) known as Thammayut. It places more emphasize on study of Pali text and canons. Techings were pass down via text in Bangkok Thai.
The thudong monks - emphasize more on meditation and practice. the teaching were pass down orally and via a apprentice format.

There were regular tension, as the Thammayut tries to exert its control via academic and administrative monks. The monks focus on text learning, exams, staying in one place and building up (wats, sala etc etc). Titles were given based on exam passed. Titles give the monks its vested power and authority.

The thudong does not believe staying in one place. When a sense of permanence arise, they move on. The thudong monks does not hve titles nor believe in it. They gain respect from the help rendered to the villagers, like curing illness, or them overcoming fears ( as in staying in cemetries, forest, caves that the villages believed are protected by spirit. )

This is particularly pertinent in our society today for practitioners - does reading all the available material found in books, journals, internet help one to understand Buddhism and become a better BUddhist? and achieve the ultimate goal - reaching nivarna . Obviously not, otherwise all the academicians, Phd would hve reached nivarna. There would hve been millions of living Buddhas in the western world and the realm of universities.

The thudong monk tradition shows that without practising and incorporating it into one's daily life, reading, learning Buddhism is no different from being an theorectical expert in a subject matter - engineering, genetic , marketing etc etc. There are tons of academic BUddhism expert - who can argue till the cows come home and yet not affected by it. Just a like a scientist and it investigative subject matter.

A simile would be 2 motor mechanics - one learn and has achieve superior knowledge through study (as in a course in the college) but has never repair a car. Versus a mechanic who has not study any text, but learn through assisting the master, learn by observing and then repair car hands on. We know that the academic mechanic can draw beautiful drawing, explain how the care engine works in presentation. However, it is the mechanic who rise apprenticeship - that by listening and moving how the engine move - can narrow down the problem and repair it.

I believe that it is important to balance the two - reading and practising, maybe in 20-80% portion. And importantly, to carefully select a genuine master, who has been through the jouney and be guided by them.

As one reflect on how Buddha "taught" - the thudong monks follow the tradition - the Buddha did not leave any books or recorded form of his teaching, only much later was his teachings recorded by his disciples, he wander around, helping those that need helps.

Forest Recollections-Background framework

Like many countries in the region, Thailand was as not homogenous as perceived to be. There were many many different ethnic races - Laos in the Northeast, Siamese in the Central Plain, Shan, akong the western borders, Isan, Khmers. It ethnic has its own practise, custom and languages. Even within the region, each village may has variation of the region practice. It was not till the regin of Siamese King Chulanlongkorn (1868-1910) that a centralised state of Siam was formed (p 7.) A "modern state" Buddhism evolved, using Bangkok Thai language was to unify the different region and people.
This is not much different from todays Burma - see earlier review :m Among insurgents -walking through Burma. There were many ethnic races. however, the Burman, through sheer power, began to be identified as Burmese. The Siamese (Thai) in Central Plain, began to impose its power, culture and language to extert control. Buddihsm was hijacked as one of the tool to "unify" the different races.

Forest Recollections - Wandering Monks in C20th Thailand

Author : Dr Kamala Tiyavanich, Cornell University : 401 pages.

Dr Tiyavanich has weaved together a wealth of information that span over 80-90 years (from 1900 - 1980s). She has superbly organised the information into very readable, modular format, yet integrated that allows one to read at one pace, without losing the thread. For those who are interested in Thai Theraveda Buddhism, particularly forest monk (thudong) will find this a gem. Particularly if one is acquainted with the basic of Buddhism, one will learn many spiritual lessons from the masters portrayed in the book. Yet, it is not in a dry, sermonic format, that beginner will find boring or lost. For academician, the information provided, raises many questions that could lead to many strand of further research. For practitioners, there are many gems to be discovered, if one read it with further reflections. One need to be able to raise own questions to reflect, based on the information provided.

It also provide a historical background to how and why of forest monks, how it evolved and ultimately, its demise, not because of the lack of relevant to today's society. It is a victim of today's world greed disguised in the name of modernisation and progress. A combination of factors - such as political need of the Thai military need to legistimise its power and control, to turn far flung villages into town, the greed of the business world to turn forest into plantation and also a victim of its own success - converting villagers from spirit worshipper to believing in the dhamma. Previously, villagers would not dare to cut the trees for fear of offending the forest spirits. However, when the villagers began to believe in the protection of the dhamma. However, this itself does not deforestised, as the villages only cut down trees based on basic needs. It is the advent of plantation that deforestised large tract of forest - the very environment that allow forest monks to evolve.