This morning was awesome. To wake up each morning and look out the window greeted by golden Buddhist Stupas rising metaphysically skyward … and then venturing out onto the street filled with the motorbikes forever zipping by hurriedly en route to wherever they’re always en route to … feels like a transforming meditation in itself.
Hot this morning…. so hot that I forewent my morning walk to the Tha Pae Gate and took a bhat bus instead. Searching for breakfast and that good cup of coffee … in front of me was a street that I’ve never down. I asked an Englishman for advice and he pointed to a place where, “they’re laying out a nice spread of eggs and toast.”
Passing a striking temple I accepted the urge to enter… after all, “it’s Sunday.” I was pulled by the sounds of monks chanting. Peering in, I saw a congregation of mainly middle age women (of course) all dressed in white… chanting in response to the monks. Occasionally I picked up a familiar bit of Pali spoken from their Thai tongues … reciting the Eight Precepts or something. I took off my shoes and entered … bowed with Christ in mind, then took a chair that was positioned near the side of the great hall. I closed my eyes and began to meditate…
It was bliss.
Meditating to the chanting of real Buddhist monks … hearing the women sing their response … following my breath … staying in the moment. Outside, song birds gossiped. Tiny bells occasionally chimed in the breeze. It was … something to remember.
It pointed me back to why I’m here.
I’m not here for the sex or the many cuties …
I’m here to dig deeper spiritually … and write. I’m here to work on my body … and build it possibly. I’m here to center myself … quiet myself … and find peace in opening my heart.
I will travel down to Pattaya on the 27th.
I have to kill some time before I meet Leo on October 2d. Might as well meet the beast and see what’s happened to the area of my youth. Ken says I won’t recognize a thing.
I’ve discovered that the hotel is really important. Whichever one I choose becomes the center of my life… the location will determined if I have to spend a lot of money on Bhat buses or not. I see it’s good to intentionally get a hotel with a weight room in it. (Save money daily gym prices and avoid procrastination.) Being in an area where cafes are located is also important. Reading the reviews are time consuming … but important because the pics don’t always hold true to what the hotel actually looks like.
I’ve decided against renting a house right away. An old ex-pat at the mall told me that if I rented one alone, the thieves would get me. Instead, I’m going to spend the next few months in health resorts and Buddhist and Yoga retreat hotels. Thailand will show you what you need to work on.
Black Traveler 