Dipankar Buddha

Many world cycles back much before Gotama Buddha there was Dipankar Buddha. He blessed the man at that time that may be become Buddha. The man paying respects lying on the ground to Dipankar Buddha will be Gotama Buddha after hundreds of world cycles.

Monks after alm round

Monks returning from Alm round to the Sangha Dana.

Cool broom

This broom actually makes sweeping fun!

Sala floor ventilation

I like the vent in the floor of the Sala. Ending has been deeply thought through. Unlike many buildings we see in India and elsewhere.

Buddha's renunciation

This and all painting posted before are on the walls of the Sala at the monastery.

This painting is about the moment of Buddha's renunciation. His house Kanthaka died shortly after, due to the sorrow of losing his master.

Buddha's birth

Buddha's self mortification practice

In his quest for enlightenment, Buddha once tried the self-mortification technique, very popular the time. Eating only 1 grain of rice a day or eating nothing at all for days. Practising sitting meditation for hours and hours together.

However, Buddha found that this technique is an extreme and cannot lead to enlightenment. That's when he came up with the idea of the middle path, a concept that is one of the central ideas of his teaching.

Clever eh?!

The monkey monk ;-)

Awesome drink. Me like. :-)

 

Evening Chanting

If the audio above does not play, click here 

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B2ZSTyvOXMfIb2NNUDc1Wk1WdTA

The Abbott shielding her monks

Interesting Woodwork

The "other" Abbot

With her own 6 monks :-)

The other Monastery - architecture

Notice the beautiful 3 level roof. And the carvings on the wall.

The other Monastery

Need I say anything?

The other Monastery

This will give you some idea of the size. Note the monks sorting at the bottom.

The other Monastery

The other Monastery

Massive sleeping Buddha.

The other Monastery

The other Monastery

Entry to the monastery.

Wat Pa Sala Noi

My home for the next two weeks. :-)

Notice ladies arranging flowers wearing white clothes. Yeah. That's how grand this main hall is that they call the Sala.

The other Monastery

Work going on. Becoming becoming becoming :-)

Wat Pa Sala Noi

Dishwashing station. What detail!

The other Monastery

Wat Pa Sala Noi

Lever to open or close luvers :-) I love that.
So will my architect friend.

Wat Pa Sala Noi

The other Monastery

On our way to Wat Pa Sala Noi, we stopped by at this other Monastery that the chief abbot of WPSN is building.

This Buddha statue is made of jade, 6 get tall. It is probably the biggest such statue in the world. How beautiful.

The other Monastery

Buddha at the top.

Top 10 monks of Thailand at the bottom. Grand size. Note the monks.

Inside the Sala

The huge Buddha statue. Monks meditate on a platform while lay people meditate on the floor.

Morning meal

The morning meal ritual.

Monks go on alms round at 7.

Lay people bring food everyday around 730a.

After the monks return, there is a chanting session led by chief abbot lovingly called Leung Phor, (pronounced long paw meaning big father), by everyone.

After the chanting, monks start eating. Thereafter the lay people start eating. Quite unlike the highly courteous and polite Thai people, food vanishes within minutes! I quickly learnt to fill my plate with enough food for the day knowing there won't be any left for second helpings. I also fill my food box with food for the evening meal since I am on medication.

Relics of the Buddha

So fortunate to be in the midst of the Buddha's relics.

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> Arhant literally means he who has killed all his enemies. Arhant is a person who had achieved ultimate state of enlightenment. There is no rebirth of an Arhant. He can see past infinitely and the future infinitely. And many other things.
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Leung Phor

That's Leung Phor on the right. He is the Chief Abbot of Wat Pa Sala Noi. He looks serious but has a great sense of humor I suppose. I hear Thai people laughing a lot when he speaks. I can't make head or tail of his words since he speaks only Thai. But I still enjoy the atmosphere when everyone is laughing. :-)