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.