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| Buddhist Temple |
CHIANG MAI, THAILAND “Buddhist here really don’t understand Buddhism,” Kay, my guide, explains. “They think all they need to do is go to the temple or spirit house and say a prayer and the Buddha or the spirits will answer their prayers and solve their problems. My Buddhism involves using Buddha as my guide to meditate, relieving me of my wants and desires, so I can become at peace with myself. It’s about focusing on the moment through deep breathing while sitting in a lotus position for hours. The objective is to reach a stage where we are indifferent to the worries that surround us, that not even the pain of sitting in such an uncomfortable position can distract us. It’s very difficult. Quite frankly, I’ve never accomplished it. I always feel the pain, but I keep practicing. I admit I’m also not immune to the distractions and find myself praying to the Buddha and the spirits to protect me, give me good health, and such things, just like the Buddhist I criticize.I practice whenever and wherever I can, but mostly at home and at the temple. It’s difficult at home because I’m really not strict enough at home to do it well. It’s better to do it in the Temple where some discipline can be enforced. Buddhism as practiced here is the same as in Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar. Like them, we integrate Hinduism, Animism, and Shamanism into our rituals depending on the local practices. For example, you have seen the statues of the Hindu god, Ganesh (the elephant god), in our temples. The tribal people in the rural tribes, including Christians, practice Shamanism and Animism. People living in the city are less superstitious and more inclined to stick with traditional Buddhism.”
