Teaching English Abroad: Northern Thailand

Music: Closer to Fine by The Indigo Girls

Challenging Myself to 10 days of Vipassana

Well, we did it! We travelled to Parsang, Lampoon, Thailand to take the 10-day Vipassana course! As I mentioned in one of my previous Goats Do Roam blogs,
 Self-transformation Through Self-observation, I expected it to be no walk in the park. I thought it would test my endurance of meditation and  silent living in general- and it did. It really, really, did! In fact I would go as far to say that it was definitely one of the most challenging things I have done in my life, no contest!

We took a bus from Chiang Mai to Lampoon and ended up in a town whose named I cant remember. I do however remember that the Meditiation Center was a 30 minute drive from where we were, in this town where finding a driver who spoke English was like finding a 2$ Canadian bill in Bangkok.

After struggling in broken English for 20 minutes with some Thai Song Teaw drivers, and enduring their laughter over us lost tourists who dont speak Thai, we were back on the road to our destination in a private Song Taew. At this point we were feeling privelaged that we DID find a ride at all, so we sat back and enjoyed the noon-hour drive through the dusty backside country of Thailand in the dry season. We finally found ourselves at Dhamma Simanta, where we would be living in silent meditation for the next 10 days.

We were enclosed by mountains on 3 sides, a lake on the other

 and there was nothing but silence all around.

The Dhamma Simanta Center in Parsang was among one of the newer centers.  It was much larger then I thought initially, and very clean, AND had Western toilets! I was impressed. It was divided into two sections, one side for men, one for women. Each side was in an "8" shape, with rooms all around the outside, each with their own balcony facing the mountains. Immediately upon arriving to the huge Center-complex we were separated into men and women. The course had officially begun. We were given our instructions.

 It went something like this:

-Noble Silence must be maintained until the 10th day. (This means no talking, no singing, no humming. You must be silent when around others and when alone There should be no form of communication between meditators, avoid eye contact, physical contact and body language with others- keep to yourself at all times.)

-Men and Women should remain segregated at all times.
-Smoking tobacco is not permitted.
-No cell phones, reading, writing, no radio, no camera etc.
-Dress modest.

-During the Vipassana course one must conscientiously follow the 5 Precepts:

1. Abstain from killing any being;
2. Abstain from taking what is not given;
3. Abstain from sexual misconduct;
4. Abstain from telling lies;
5. Abstain from all intoxicants.

The list went on and on. I had a slight feeling of "Oh shit, what have I gotten myself into? I want to do what I want, when I want, and noone can get in my way. Except now Im trapped. I need to devise an escape plan!! "

As I was having these thoughts, we were being given our daily time-table which we were expected to follow routinely for the next week and a half. The teacher, Goenka, a former student of Vipassana, recommends to follow this schedule properly for the best results. In order to give the technique a fair trial we were asked to do our best, waking up with the roosters before dawn cracked over the horizon! I thought this was only fair since we did come such a long way to give it a try, so I decided I would cooperatively follow through.

Here is a look at what we did for the first 9 days!

4:00 am		Wake-up bell
4:30-6:30 am		Meditate in the hall or in your room
6:30-8:00 am		Breakfast
8:00-9:00 am		Group meditation in the hall
9:00-11:00 am		Meditate in the hall or in your room according to the teacher's instructions
11:00-12:00		Lunch break
12:00-1:00 pm		Rest/ or question hour to the teacher (This is the only time you are permitted to talk)
1:00-2:30 pm		Meditate in the hall or in your room
2:30-3:30 pm		Group meditation in the hall
3:30-5:00 pm		Meditate in the hall or in your own room according to the teacher's instructions
5:00-6:00 pm		Tea break
6:00-7:00 pm		Group meditation in the hall
7:00-8:15 pm		Teacher's Discussion in the hall
8:15-9:00 pm		Group meditation in the hall
9:00-9:30 pm		Question time in the hall or rest
9:30 pm		Retire to your own room--Lights out   .

So how well do you think we did? How do you think you would do?
 Would you ever try this course? Do you know anyone else who has?
 *More info on our experience coming soon. Thanks for reading!

"The way is not in the sky. The way is in the heart."

"Do not believe in anything
simply because you have heard it. 
Do not believe in anything
simply because it is spoken and rumored by many. 
Do not believe in anything
simply because it is found written in your religious books.
Do not believe in anything
merely on the authority of your teachers and elders. 
Do not believe in traditions
because they have been handed down for many generations. 


But after observation and analysis, when you find that
anything agrees with reason and is conducive to the
good and benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it." 
 - Gotama Buddha



"Buddha" is not the name of a person, or God. It is a word used as a reference to any "enlightened" person. We can all become enlightened, therefore anyone can become a Buddha with awareness, equanimity, compassion and understanding.
However Buddha did say that only you can walk your own  path to enlightenment, and that it is very hard work. He taught that he could only show the way- What more could we really expect?

Many people have misunderstood Gotama's teachings and have followed in blind belief, hoping this could save their fortune. Turning the texts into a religion, they have twisted his words, that were meant to help all, not just a particular religion, or race, or caste. 

 When you understand properly, you see that Buddha was clearly and strictly non-sectarian, and wanted to share his light with all people, universally, regardless of religion or any other dividing factor. He did not want to be worshipped, he did not ask for this. He did not claim to be God. He only asked that we observe ourselves, our thoughts, the law of nature, that we begin to live free of aversion and craving, so that we can all live in happiness, and peace, free from all suffering & misery.



Buddhas Life and Teachings

If you are interested in Buddhism, or are just curious on what it is all about,

Please check out this PBS special on Buddha, Part 1. It is a great place to start :)

A New Way to Perceive, A New Way to Live

Here are some of my all time favourite quotes from Buddha that I feel really help you understand his view on life, and his message to people all over the globe.

• in the end, these things matter most: how well did you love?
  how fully did you love?
  how deeply did you learn to let go?
• Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared.
• Even death is not to be feared by one who has lived wisely.
• In the sky, there is no distinction of east and west; people create distinctions out of their own minds and then believe them to be true.

If you are trying to see things from a new perspective,
Try starting with this "upside down" map of the world. It could very
well be that someone, somewhere, sees things exactly this way!

http://4.bp.AAAvw/o1E2zYC7-04/s1600/China_map.jpg

Big Hill Retreat & Shambala Meditation

Through learning about things outside of ourselves, we learn about things inside of ourselves.


A few years ago I became more familiar with the practice of yoga- which means "Union". Yoga is definitely that- a union of body and mind.  As I read different books on this art I also came across books about meditation as well as Buddha and his teachings. What I find most interesting about the Buddhism belief, is that it urges you to question things, and it does not condemn doubt. Buddhism does not right or wrong any emotion, but only encourages you to accept what is and to use emotions as tools to discover your path to enlightenment.




Working at Big Hill Retreat
 

The main cabin at Big Hill Retreat, tucked away, just off the Cabot Trail a few km from Baddeck. This cabin is gorgeous and hand-crafted by Terry himself, just like the other 3 cabins which are available for meditation and vacations! The Pottery Barn to the right is where Linda, a very talented and long-time potter makes her creations and holds seminars! 


http://bighillpottery.wordpress.com/ 
www.bighillretreat.com  

 Working at Big Hill Retreat

The first time I went to Nova Scotia, in the Fall of 2009, I had the privelage of working at this beautiful getaway on Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia.

I spent my time there:

• Enjoying the island life! Hiking, fishing
• Listening to Michael Gabriel (a beautiful singer) for the first time, and hours spent listening to Sting!
• Learning more about meditation, and meditating
• Learning some Indian and Indonesian cooking, including Gado Gado! Yum.
• Harvesting, preserving and packaging vegetables
• Winterizing the organic garden
• Maitaining the meditation/vacation cabins
• Stacking wood
• Digging a loooooong trench with 2 workers from France who were part of the wwoofing network. (Willing working on organic farms). This turned out to be a lot of fun! Jokes in broken english can be a riot. I have remained friends with the boys from France and I think overall it was a great experience in life. Together, we managed to dig a 60 ft. long (or so) trench which would eventually connect the electrical wire from the main cabin to the new pottery barn which was previously an old goat barn!

For some photos on that, check out Lindas photo "blip" blog at:
http://www.blipfoto.com/view.php?id=389746&month=10&year=2009




Photo by: Jamie Boland. From the driveway at the retreat, you have I great views of the vast landscapes and the Bra-D'ors Lakes (which are very cool because the lake is part salt water and part fresh, creating a unique eco-system. The salt water comes in the inlet from the North of the island from the Atlantic!)

Shambala Meditation with Monks
Big Hill Retreat was named after the large hill the settlement it sits on- it's a 3km walk just up the driveway to the cabins! It is the perfect place to relax away from the noise of the city and your mind. Previous to visiting the retreat, I had attempted meditation but found it very, very hard, and I had no idea how to begin. At Big Hill Retreat, I was in a positive and calming atmosphere where I could learn about Buddhas teachings and get tips for meditation from Terry and Linda. They also asked me to join them in a Shambala Meditation Workshop in Margaree Harbour, another beautiful place with stunning landscapes.


The drive there in the morning was gorgeous, I was in my element! The winding roads led us past lakes and rivers and streams, and through the gorgeous fall colors up to the coast. The experience I had that day I can never forget, because I learned how to meditate from very experienced people- who better but Buddhist monks themselves?! The monks came from The Gampo Abbey Monastery, in Pleasant Bay, Cape Breton, now the home of famous Buddhist teacher and author, Pema Chodron. I was really honored to speak with monks who were mentored by Pema Chodron, who is very "interested in helping to establish Tibetan Buddhist monasticism in the West" You can read more about Pema Chodron at this link(www.gampoabbey.org/home/index.htmlhome/index.html )

This is Gampo Abbey Monastery in Pleasant Bay, N.S, A breath-taking coastal region.

 I had been reading a lot of Pema Chodrons work during my stay at the retreat so I thought this was an exciting opportunity. The monks were completely open, answering any and all of my questions, and they were exceptionally accepting of every individuals journey, regardless of differences- a key part of Buddhism. It was a long day, because meditation can be very draining in the beginning, since our minds have been conditioned by society to go, go, go! But when you leave, after meditating (essentially the skill of being aware) for the first time virtually ever you literally have had life breathed back inside of you and you have a clear state of mind.  Now I have the tools and understanding to continue meditation on my own.

Thank you monks from Gampo Abbey Monastery for welcoming me and treating me sokindly. Thank you for helping me better understand Buddhism, and the  art of meditation.


 I would like to give a special thanks to Terry and Linda who welcomed me into their home and offered me opportunities for learning and enlightenment. I can never forget the experiences I had during those few weeks. THANK YOU!