Goats Do Roam

Volunteering on a Thai Farm

Representin the Graviti

Our first night on the farm, there were so many volunteers that all of the accomodations were taken, so we opted to pitch our new Graviti tent (weighs only 1.3 kg!) in the garden. Its a temporary solution..the garden that is. The upside being that it is a flat area with a clear path, the downsides being that its a little far from things and its in the direct sunlight, plus there are suspicious snake-hole looking things around the tent that make me a little nervous, especially since we were told stories abour snakes roaming through the garden on our first night! But really what can you expect right? Its Thailand. So mai pen rai..

Wakin up! Layered like no tomorrow,
it gets cold in the mountains at night!

The farm is 100% organic.

The farm produces lettuces, mizuna, mustard, onions, tomatoes, kale, coriander, sweet potatoes, bananas, cabbage, peanuts and more. The irrigation water is supplied from a well with a pump and is hooked up to manual sprinklers. The rest of the crops are hand-watered with well-water and a mixture of liquid compost made from cabbage, water and sugar. Thai-whisky diluted with water is the farmers #1 organic pesticide option. He suggests that 1 cup whisky, 20 Liters of water will do the trick.

Scott in front of the (outdoor) kitchen

After pouring ourselves some fresh ginger tea into our bamboo cups, we all walk down the dirt road towards a hill facing the sunrise. We practice walking meditation, and sometimes meditate on the hill. When we return back to the farm we make breakfast together before starting work. Then we split up into different jobs, like building mud bricks, cooking, building bamboo huts, farming, hunting for food, etc.

Walking Meditation and Stretches

Sitting around the table @ Breakfast, under the PawPaw tree!
From left to right: Me (Canada), Natalie (Germany), Daniello (Holland), Jim (Sweden)

Edible Weeds for Dinner

frommynotebook:
"Today we put our shoes on and went searching for an unmarked yellow Song teaw in a sea of unmarked yellow Song teaws in China Town of Chiang Mai city. Somehow amidst the chaos, we found our way and began our 3 hour-drive wayyyy up into the mountains of Chiang Mai, past Samoeng to a village called Pang Term. (Pronounced Pong-term)

On the ride up into the mountains

It is very rural here.
We are at a farm (organic) with lots of mudhuts! We ate an edible weed called 'Nok-sai' for dinner, among other things. Guided by the Thai farmer, we picked the entire plant with the root, and cooked the upper portion by leaving out the roots and cotyledons and soaking the rest of the plant in boiled water. Afterwards we drained it, and then stirfyed it with soy sauce, and peanuts ground in a mortar and pestle. It was pretty delicious! We also had some wild sweet potatoes freshly pulled up from the ground. They are purple on the outside and white on the inside and and incredibly sweet like candy. There is a girl here from Switzerland and she made a ginger glaze for them. O ya! Made my day after a long trip!"

Arriving at the farm in Pang Term

Using the clay oven

Nok-sai

Bhavatu Sabba Mangalam

AFTER the 10-day Vipassana Course!
" No sensation can measure your progress in Vipassana,
the only yardstick is your equanimity."- Goenka

*VIPASSANA MEDITATION- UNIVERSAL, AND NON-SECTARIAN, FOR ALL PEOPLE OF ALL FAITHS OR RELIGIONS.*

Dear blog and blog readers, it is next to prettinear impossible to tell you what happened to me at this intense VIPASSANA course! It was both the most cleansing, perception shattering, rejuvenating and most difficult thing that I have ever tried to undertake. If you are thinking of doing it, absolutely do not wait. Unless you need to, then mai pen rai. But I say, absolutely DO IT, I feel like its never to early to understand life on a deeper level. Theres really no way to prepare yourself for this either, just throw yourself into it, thats all I can say.(Just kidding- cause I have SO MUCH to say!!) ..Of course something of this magnitude, or this subject could never be experienced, unless experienced, but I will try to share what I can explain. The rest I encourage you to find out on your own.

I will start by saying that I have meditated before, but never like this. 10 days of complete renunciation, (minus shaving my head), noble silence and 12 hours of meditation a day. But YES, we DID IT! Scott and I studied (separately) the Vipassana meditation technique at the Dhamma Simanta Center, under our teacher Robyn Russ, guided by S.N. Goenka. Basically what we did at the center was gave up all material things for 10 days and followed strict guidelines and lessons. We learned a series of breathing and awareness techniques along with activities that solidify the connection of your conscious mind--> to your "un" conscious mind (which is actually conscious). This is what we spent day in and day out doing, connecting with our unconscious mind and gross and subtle body sensations. By simply recognizing that thoughts can alter your breath, and cause physiological changes in the body, before emotions are created, you can identify these moments of change within your breathing patterns and in your bodys cells and use it as a tool. This is meant to allow you to recognize and understand the root of your thoughts and choose a reaction free from craving and aversion which are the causes of misery and suffering.

The course progresses a little each day, adding more to the breathing techniques, challenging the mind and body more every day, and different subjects of "enlightenment" are discussed in the evening discourses.

Some big topics at Dhamma Simanta Vipassana Center:

Anicce (Impermanence)
This is one of the biggest points in Vipassana.
Since our minds will always have thoughts (which generate emotions), it is normal to feel all ranges of emotions, they are destined to occur at one time or another. So if we know this is true, why must we suffer from them always? All things are "Anicce", all things are in constant change. All things, you, me.. we too will rise and then pass away. Impermanence infact it is the only certain thing in our existence, so we must be mindful of this and all things in our life. The Vipassana technique of meditation teaches people how to live a life free from emotions that bind us. How? Well, by using the techniques we were taught, with time and effort, you can get to the root of your emotional complexes through awareness and mindful living to purify your mind and to be free from all pain and suffering.

Ten Parami, (The 10 Virtues) These include;

Nekkhamma(Renunciation);The act or an instance of renouncing: the renunciation of all earthly pleasures-This meant no cell phones, no bodily decorations, no music, no books, nothing!
Sila (Morality); The quality of being in accord with standards of right or good conduct. -This includes the 5 precepts, such as refraining from taking what is not given, not speaking lies, refraining from sexual misconduct, refraining from killing any living creature and not taking any intoxicants including smoking cigarettes.
Panna(Wisdom); The ability to discern or judge what is true, right, or lasting; insight.-Wisdom is supported by Sila.

"Importance must be given to morality.

Which is good for everyone."

Adhittana (Strong Determination)- As the course progressed we were asked to endure "Sittings of Strong Determination" where, for 1 or 2 hours you were to do sitting mediation without moving at all, even to scratch your nose! If you were experiencing extreme pain, you were allowed to move freely, but for the meditations sake you were encouraged to reduce your movement a little more each session. For example if you moved your posture 3 times during the last sitting, try to only move twice the next time. Eventually, when pain arises you will easily be able to perceive it as "Anicce"(impermanent) and to let it go easier, choosing neither a reaction of aversion or pleasure, and reducing your suffering. After several sittings of Strong Determination I was able to recognize the temperature difference between the air entering my nostrils and exiting, every tingling itch on my nose or my neck, every vibration withing my skill, the air around my eyes, the cloth on my skin. I could feel my heart beating in my wrists, my neck, my legs, I was able to recognize gross senstations of pain, and subtle sensations of cells vibrating. The sittings are meant to train your mind to Anicce, and to teach that we are not our egos, we are simply a band of vibrations like everything else in the galaxies and that we are impermanent.
Upekkha (Equanimity); The quality of being calm and even-tempered; composure.- Vipassana teaches to accept all emotions, good or bad, without reacting in aversion or pleasure. React in equanimity and reduce your suffering. Once you are completely equanimous and there is no suffering being created anymore, the Songkharas (sufferings from your reactions in the past) will be alleviated.
Metta (Loving Kindness); Practicing Metta is encouraged at the end of each meditators session. This is the time where the student takes a few minutes to wish happiness to all beings, to wish happiness to all those who have hurt them, and to all who they have hurt. This is designed to create good will, healing and compassion.
Viriya (Effort)
Khanti (Patience, Tolerance)
Sacca (Truth)
Dana (Generosity)(1)

(1) TheFreeDictionary.com

Bhavatu Sabba Mangalam ! May All Beings Be Happy! :) Thnx for reading!!

Check out my other blogs about Vipassana:
Challenging Myself to 10 days of Vipassana
A Forgotten Post: Self Transformation Through Self-Observation

Chinese Zither Music

The feelings that come when this music is played...ahhh! Its so phenomenal! Its just so beautiful what some people can do with this instrument. I had to share this!! Enjoy the next few minutes of Zither. :)

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:

Abstain from killing any being;
Abstain from taking what is not given;
Abstain from sexual misconduct;
Abstain from telling lies;
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!

A Forgotten Post: Self-Transformation Through Self-Observation

This is a post I forgot to post! I wrote it before arriving in Thailand, and figure I should post it because now I HAVE UPDATES! Well, here it is:

I have been accepted to the 10- day

Vipassana Meditation Course in Thailand!

It is one of my goals while on this Thailand trip to further explore myself, my limits, and also meditation. It could be said that I am on some kind of a "spirit quest". After much research and deliberation I decided my interest was in the Vipassana Technique. I did some course- comparing, and applied to the course that best suited me. I wanted something that was not religiously affiliated, and in a safe area of Thailand. I liked the details and location of this course, and the best part: the course is free.This includes your accommodation AND food (vegetarian of course) for 10 days.

All courses are run solely on donations made by graduates of the Vipassana courses. After you have completed the entire course( and ONLY after) the temple will accept a donation from you to fund a newcomers 10 days. I thought this "pay-it-forward" kinda temple suited me just fine.

filled out a few-page questionaire where you are asked about your experience with meditation, your medical history, if you have any addictions etc. It was pretty simple and I finished it within 15 minutes. Within a few days I received an acceptance letter via e-mail with details on directions to the temple, what to wear, the code of discipline etc.

The Global Vipassana Pagoda

You eat what the center gives you, you are not permitted to leaves the center's grounds, you must follow the code of discipline and Noble Silence, you have limited sleep and you must meditate for most of the day. But the teachers there are impressive, and I am so intrigued by their knowledge and way of life! The chance to learn about meditation and live in Noble Silence while in Thailand is a chance that comes once in a lifetime--so why not? I am so pumped for this experience but after reading the information provided by the center, I am sure of one thing only. This experience will not be easy. It will be no week at a resort, thats for sure, but I know I will challenge myself, and that I will learn a lot. Thats whats important!

An Ancient Meditation Technique Rediscovered: Vipassana

What is Vipassana?

The Vipassana Technique

"Vipassana, which means to see things as they really are, is one of India's most ancient techniques of meditation. It was rediscovered by Gotama Buddha more than 2500 years ago and was taught by him as a universal remedy for universal ills, i.e., an Art Of Living.

This non-sectarian technique aims for the total eradication of mental impurities and the resultant highest happiness of full liberation. Healing, not merely the curing of diseases, but the essential healing of human suffering, is its purpose. Vipassana is a way of self-transformation through self-observation. It focuses on the deep interconnection between mind and body, which can be experienced directly by disciplined attention to the physical sensations that form the life of the body, and that continuously interconnect and condition the life of the mind. "
Read more of this article @: dhamma.org/en/vipassana.shtml

The Tradition

"Since the time of Buddha, Vipassana has been handed down, to the present day, by an unbroken chain of teachers. Although Indian by descent, the current teacher in this chain, Mr. S.N. Goenka, was born and raised in Burma (Myanmar). While living there he had the good fortune to learn Vipassana from his teacher, Sayagyi U Ba Khin who was at the time a high Government official. After receiving training from his teacher for fourteen years, Mr. Goenka settled in India and began teaching Vipassana in 1969. Since then he has taught tens of thousands of people of all races and all religions in both the East and West. In 1982 he began to appoint assistant teachers to help him meet the growing demand for Vipassana courses." -From dhamma.org/en/vipassana.shtml

If you would like to learn more about this ancient technique of meditation, watch this video. Enjoy!
http://video.server.dhamma.org/video/intro/vintro.htm

Follow Me to the THC Rooftop Bar

A great patio overlooking the East Gate of the ancient Chiang Mai City!

The Color of This Pen Is

Still one of my favourite movies! Enjoy!

Developing Thailand: Super-Mall Suburbia Vs. Rural Markets

Which Do You Prefer?

In my opinion, some things are better left simple!
I kinda enjoy buying 3$ pairs of jeans off the back of a truck bed!

Days of Pandan-Custard

Its the dry season in Thailand. You decide to head North.
You wake in your teak hut, to the merciless call of tropical birds and rising humidity, as the sun peaks over the new day. You decide to get moving before it is too hot. You pack your backpack, condensing your luggage as much as humanly possible, then ask your guesthouse to call you a tuk-tuk to drive you to the train station.

When the tuk-tuk arrives, you banter back and forth with the Thai driver, to haggle a price in broken English and small Thai words you know, adding in the request to stop at the 7-11 for some "shopping" before you get dropped off. This is a typical morning of a back-packer in Thailand.

What kind of snacks can you expect to see at that 7-Eleven?

Why, Pandan custard-filled hamburger buns... little koala bears filled with chocolate creme.... and ofcourse, your average Collagen fruit drink!

More yummy eats, Thai-style, the Asian version of Jolly Rancher Chews,
an energy drink called Emonergy, and Singha Soda Water

Tasty Eats Thai-Style!

Isnt it true that we eat with our eyes? Set your sights on some of my tasty Thai favourites, ..and some of my not so favourites, but more like interesting things to give a try now and then! Theres a first time for everything.

Purple rice served with roasted coconut, pumpkin seeds,
hot chilies,winged beans, peanuts, shallots, green beans,
lime and some others I cant name!

Some real Pad-Thai with Glass noodles, bean sprouts,
peanuts, tofu, and lime, yum!!

Some medicinal herb leaves with Asian vegetables

and nuts on top, served with roasted coconut and fish sauce

Banana flower salad, made with (yes! a banana flower),

sprouts, tofu, peanuts, chilies, ginger,

cilantro and other herbs!

Left: Muslim curried potatoes and rice
Middle: Spicy (and so delicious, its my fav!), Winged-bean salad,
Right: Deep fried tofu served with Sweet and Spicy sauce

You Cant Tame These Horses

The metaphor of wild horses has been around for ever. You hear books named after them, songs, most significantly Wild Horses by The Rolling Stones, and then you have the British band, Wild Horses formed "back in the day" by Thin Lizzy. Even Atmosphere, my favourite Minneapolis hip-hopper puts a spin on it! I think the idea of wild horses-well, there is just something about it that is so mystical.

I love this modern twist by Atmosphere and wanted to share it with those who also like his stuff, or maybe have never heard of his music. <3 Here is Wild Wild Horses from his 2008 album, When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold .