andyinkat
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Posts posted by andyinkat
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The 'Tibetan Lama in Scotland' is actually my teacher - I lived at the monastery for some time. He was the person who initially 'discovered' His Holiness The Karmapa as a baby before the Chinese authorities put him under close observation.
The Lama, Akong Tulku Rinpoche was the first Tibetan Lama to setle in the West and the monastry in Scotland, founded in the mid 60s was the first Tibetan community in the West, so he has very long-standing credentials to outsiders.
I left Scotland to live in Nepal and now Isaan and am no longer in contact with recent developments such as this book. I hope at some point to get hold of it. I hope also for the sake of the internal and exiled Tibetan community the schism is resolved.
Peace,
Andy
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Hey that's my college/colleagues you're referring to guys!
I'm a Brit, head of English at FGCC and I'm 43 - dunno if that puts me in the young backpacker or retiree box ;-) n.b. that's not a statue, it's the Prap Ho monument - you can't miss it. Straight down the road from Udon Thai until you can't get any further.
We're moving away from hiring short-term volunteers - we want people who'll give a least a year's commitment. We're looking for Maths, Science and other teachers as well as English - but all taught in English.
Our website's undergoing an overhaul but it'll be up to date and live in a few days so you'll be able to get plenty of info if you go to http://www.fgcc.ac.th/
The young backpackers that you see are actually short-term volunteers with another organisation, travel-to-teach. It puts GAP year kids in placements for a few weeks in schools near to Nong Khai. Another organisation is starting up which will put volunteers in more distant village schools that never see farang (and therefore never hear english spoken by a native speaker).
So you're right, whilst there are some sleazy, nasty elements making their way up from Pattaya and upsetting some of my wonderful friends who work in the town's restaurants, there are decent farang who come into town too. And the staff at Mut Mee are the best - they have a nice website which is informative about the town.
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'Tantra' is a concept widely misunderstood but in Tantric Buddhist practice the practitioner works on the energy that emanates from anger and other negative qualities (such as lust) in order to transform it into a positive virtue. Thus the energy that is created by anger is not lost but becomes an energy for practising compassion.
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The names of some of the girls in my classes keep me smiling, from A, E, O to Moo,Poo and Porn. I have a 'Lucia' who spells her names 'Russia'.
But I'm still cringing now I've discovered that I've been pronouncing Moi's name with a mid- rather than rising tone; all this time I've been addressing her as 'pubic hair'. I kid you not.
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I live in Nong Khai and I just popped over the border on a visa run. It was a breeze, no questions asked.
A number of the farang here are nervous and discussing the issue but I've not heard of any reports of anyone actually having a problem here.
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In the college I'm teaching in the western teachers are encouraged to socialise with the students. The primary reason we are teaching at the college is for the students to be exposed to native English speakers and so it is good for them to talk with us as much as possible. Of course we have to maintain clear boundaries and it's probably an advantage being in the depths of Isaan where the students aren't 'wised up' as they are in Bangkok; the relationships between students and teachers are in fact extremely good.
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Two or three things you have to appreciate here plachon.
The climate in the parts of Asia where Buddhism initially thrived is such that written records don't last long at all. Writings were usually on palm leaves and perished pretty quickly.
There is a major chasm of understanding between traditional Eastern ways of transmitting teachings and modern Western assumptions. In the West the assumption is that written records are reliable and oral transmission is suseptible to the 'chinese whispers' phenomenon. The traditional Eastern assumption is actually the other way round. Written transmission is unreliable and oral transmission is far superior. Why? Because if you read something without understanding you aren't actually learning whereas if you are taught orally by a teacher who has both memorised and understood the text and has the wisdom to impart just as much as you can deal with and explain it all to you, then you learn.
So it is that there was really no need to commit the Buddha's teaching to writing for a long time. Because the Buddha was teaching for some 45 years after his enlightenment there was plenty of time to ensure his disciples had understood and memorised the teachings. Immediately after his passing a convention of 500 enlightened followers was held in which the teaching were recited, agreed upon and preserved.
It was a few centuries later during a time of upheaval and warfare in Sri Lanka, when the monastic sangha was in danger of being wiped out that they 'fell back' on the policy of writing the teachings down and thus the Pali Canon was created, but after that and until this day the teachings are properly transmitted orally.
Which 'version' of the scriptures is 'original'? In the early centuries there were many rival schools with slight variants in their oral teachings; the only survivor of those early schools is the Theravadan school with its Pali Canon. The others are partially preserved by Tibetan and some Chinese traditions. The Mahayana scriptures had their origins during the time before the Pali Canon was committed to writing; however the Mahayana position is not that the non-Mahayana teachings are in error but that their wisdom is incomplete, so they do accept the authenticity of the teachings.
Dates of birth and death: such historical issues were of no importance whatever in ancient Indian society and for scholars evidence is extremely sparce for dating all sorts of civilizations, individuals etc. The traditional dating of the Buddha's life (c. 563BC-483BC) is almost certainly inaccurate according to most western Buddhist scholars; the consensus at the moment appears to put his life about a century later, i.e. the 3rd-4th century BC.
Hope this helps.
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I flew Etihad. I chose them because my only criterion was cheap. I was expecting little but was very pleasantly surprised. You do have an overnight stop in Abu Dhabi but the hotel is all laid on and perfectly fine.
I was told that Etihad have only been in business three months and are aspiring to be the biggest players in the long-haul market, so my impression is that the prices are low to drum up business. In other words grab a great deal - it won't last!
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Most scholars are of the view that Buddhism and Jainism originated pretty much contemporaneously in North India. Lord Buddha and Mahavira appear to have been contemporaries but evidently never met. However some of the Buddha's most senior disciples 'defected' from the Jain movement and to me Siddhartha's ascetic practices immediately prior to his enlightenment seem identical to the Jain path so he may have been exploring this as one of the extremes to be avoided.
I stayed with the Jain priest of the temple by the stupa at Kushinagar, the site of the Buddha's parinirvana, or passing. He and his family are wonderful people and so pleased to meet any Buddhist pilgrim who expresses an interest in Jainism. They are of the 'skyclad' sect - i.e. the monks go naked (apart from the little mask over the mouth to avoid accidentally swallowing insects), although the family are non-monastic custodians of the shrine. The monks eat windfall fruits thus avoiding killing even vegetable matter. They pull out their hair by the roots rather than cut it and wrap the hair around their thighs to enable the fleas to survive. They carry a little broom to sweep insects out of the way as they walk and never use any transport as wheels would crush living beings. Needless to say only a small minority of Jains become full ascetics - a much smaller proportion than Buddhists who become monks, but they've survived 2500 years and are doing fine.
There is a lot of common ground between Buddhist and Jain beliefs - the 5 precepts are common to both but the Jains interpret them more strictly. A key difference is over the understanding of karma. For Jains karma is generated by the ACT, for Buddhists it is the INTENTION behind the act, thus accidental killing of a being is understood differently by the two paths.
Rod - Devadatta did try to cause a schism in the Sangha by convincing some junior monks that the Buddha's path was too 'slack', especially concerning diet. He wanted the Buddha to advocate strict vegetarianism. This would certainly put Devadatta closer to the Jain path but the sources don't (AFAIK) suggest that he was actually Jain. There was at the time a very rich panoply of similar renunciate movements in India at the time, many of which evolved into Upanishadic Hinduism, many died out and Jainism and Buddhism evolved into what we know today.
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Did I see my name mentioned above?
My apologies for my abrupt disappearance from the forum; the reason is simple - I'm in Thailand!
I had plenty of time in my hands back in England waiting for the big off' now I'm here I have no time to sit in front of a computer. I think this will change when I get settled and will hopefully visit frequently from September.
On this topic, I am in nong Khai, a small town with 37 wats - that's a lot of monks. A lot of them are puffing away on ciggies, swinging from hammocks made from their robes and chasing the girls but hey, they're guys too. I have met some very impressive monks too with whom I hope to develop a good relationship. The bottom line is, you can't generalise.
I know Nichiren Buddhism quite well - it is effectively the only from of Buddhism to reject monasticism completely. I haven't got time to go into this but my take is that in its beliefs and practices it has a sense of comformity that sets it apart from the spirit of most other forms of Buddhism which encourage a diversity of paths to suit differing spiritual needs and motivations. Monasticism is a wonderful path for some and I am glad that in most forms of Buddhism the option is there. One of my deepest regrets in Thailand is that the optin is not available for women as already I have met quite a few for whom it would be a wonderful step to take.
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I volunteer to be a raindrop
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Hmm, regulate how?
You meet a nice lady, she becomes your girlfriend. She tells you about her father's sick buffalo and you kindly offer to help out. Next day you mutually agree to sepatate and part on amicable terms. How d'you tax that?
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Definitely a guy.
Probably the same one in the news today who has discovered that viagra is great for mountaineers at high altitudes.
I mean, you gotta have a special kind of brian to make that connection, unless some climber just happened to have a tab at the time he dropped his ice pick!
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Sabaijai,
I completely concur with your assessment of Buddhism in KTM. This was why I made the very conscious decision after leaving a Tibetan monastery in the UK that I would not be teaching Tibetan monks or in schools founded by Tibetans relying on western donors or associating exclusively with Tibetan and western Tibetan Buddhists.
Newari are however by no means at the bottom of the caste pecking order and I chose to found a school for the most disadvantaged castes, particularly the Tamang who all take the surname 'Lama' as they are a Buddhist caste. I discovered that no western organisation was cognizant of these children - they were very much 'invisible'.
The children and their families were very religious and I worshipped with them regularly. I love the fusion Nepalis have made in combining Buddhist and Hindu worship. However what I did discover is that whilst I deeply admired the genuine piety of so many humble people I could find no one, even amongst the most educated Napalese I knew who could explain anything intellectual about their faiith.
There have been no 'revival' movements within Hinduism like ones that have revitalised Hinduism in India in response to modern pressures and the same seemed to be the case for Nepalese Buddhism. What the Tibetans have brought are absolutely top quality teachers who teach Dharma and how to apply it in ways that westerners can grasp. This aspect of Tibetan Buddhism may have been borne of tragedy but it is I think the chief reason for its current international success. I would like to see the Tibetans working more closely with their Newari and other Nepalese counterparts but I do believe that overall the Tibetans are an extremely positive influence on Nepalese Buddhism as a whole.
Actually, here's a little cameo: if the great stupa at Boudha has become the focus for Tibetan Buddhism in Kathmandu, the Newari Buddhists' greatest centre is the other stupa, at Swayambunath. You'll know it was flanked by two huge temples; one of them burned down late last year. It evidently contained great amounts of priceless artifacts, but on enquiry nobody knew what they were as nobody had ever catalogued them or even entered the temple to look at them for many decades! This was (is) one of the most famous religious sites in the world; Ii just thought that was very funny - and very Nepalese!
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I like the poll that shows how no one likes polls!
As you can tell I voted for 'serious'.
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mbkudu,
I think I was saying what you're saying. By 'simplifying my english' I mean limited vocab and shorter sentences. I said my Thai is pidgin, not that I speak English that way.
On to the main topic - what makes me cringe is constantly being regarded as 'a walking ATM'. I'm the farang who really does have no money!
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Narachon: The Non-White Westerner
A non-white westerner mate. Count me in!
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If you believe Freud you'd know that even having that great big dump is sexual!
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Can i just ask something,
Do you like woman who are like 1950's typical housewifes?they'll let you do as you please,wont moan,will give to your every need and will in general not have a personality? They'll agree with everything you say, do whatever you want them to and will never challange you or disagree,be strong or independant?
Just from what "some"(not all) of you say it sounds like you dont want a woman who is equal to you. Now im not saying this is wrong, infact my mum is this typical 50's housewife, i'm mearly asking a question..
Kitty - and Kat, very simply, the answer is 'yes'.
Now I can only speak from a personal perspective; I do not claim to represent the views of other posters here or any other men.
I absolutely agree with Kat's accusation that this is about power and that I am not looking for the modern western understanding of 'equality' in a relationship. And I know this makes me sound appalling and pathetic to a western woman but let me explain.
I have tried. I have really tried. I had three relationships in England. The first was okay until my then wife undertook an MA in Feminist Studies and began accusing me of being a tyrant - for the simple reason that I was male. This despite me being a househusband and raising our child so that my wife could pursue her career and hold all the economic power. She chucke dme out and moved her lady friend in.
The two subsequent relationships were with women who liked to establish their 'equality'. This involved going out drinking with the lads (and me staying at home with my daughter). In both cases they turned out to be sleeping with the lads.
Yes, I've been repeatedly burned. Every time I felt equality in a relationship was right and every time I was abused. Of course all western women are not like that but I've got to an age when I'm not prepared to spend years trying to find out only to be burned yet again.
So Asian women, with their '1950s' values do appeal to me and it is not because of physical factors. I spent two years in Nepal where I made many female friends but never laid a finger on one or made any lewd suggestion - there is no 'bar girl' culture there and not even words in Nepali for 'dating' or 'girlfriend'. I was extremely impressed by their attitudes stemming from their culture and upbringing. There are downsides to this as Kat alludes to; nearly all these women were bringing up children single-handedly as their husbands had deserted them - such a culture does indeed render women extremely vulnerable.
Thailand is of course far more westernised - with all the pros and cons that that entails. But if I find an 'old-fashioned' girl from a good family and who not simply behaves outwardly in a 'feminine way' but also has a good heart then I will be interested. Yes there are good, bad and inbetween in every society in every grouping, but I tend to believe that finding such a woman will be easier in Asian societies than in the West.
But here is an important point I wish to make - I do want to be 'in control'. However I really do believe that in all my relationships I have been kind and considerate and always willingly conceded 'power' when asked. In other words I do not abuse such power. I believe that if both parties have kind hearts then power does not become an issue; the problems arise when one or both parties are motivated by self-interest and it is that that I see as a factor that has become too dominant in the West (I'm talking about both genders here) and where a person is brought up with decent religious values (and in Thailand that means Buddhist) they are much more likely to be considerate of the other rather than simply thinking of themselves. That's what I am looking for.
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As you say, Lord Buddha taught the Dharma in India and Buddhism shares the same cosmology (i.e. the structure of the universe with its heavens and the different classes of beings) with Hinduism. Buddha regularly conversed with Hindu gods and they often popped down from their heavens to hear his sermons.
The Buddhist belief however (as taught by Lord Buddha) is that these deities are very powerful and helpful if appropriately supplicated within samsara, but they too are not enlightened. given that virtually all Thai Buddhists are aiming for better fortune in this lifetime followed by a better rebirth within samsara it is entirely reasonable to acknowedge the gods - be it ones that originate from India or those indigenous to Thailand.
Sri Ganesh represents removal of obstacles and is popularly worshipped before exams or weddings or any event that marks a new beginning.
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Have to completely agree with Maikee here. As an English teacher (as in fully qualified, 15 years experience, not some dodgy chancer) I find that outside the classroom environment where I'm teaching formal grammar I do simplify my English in order to facilitate easier communication. I know my Thai will never be more than 'pidgin' and I appreciate it when Thais slow their speech down (not increase the volume!) and shorten their sentences. Nothing cringeworthy here.
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Thanks, interesting replies so far - aplogies if I came over smug - that wasn't my intention. 'Shedloads' is slang for 'lots' and to clarify I guess I'm thinking of around 100k baht+ per month income as well as having your own property, and advice not to relocate to Thailand unless you have well over 2 million bt in savings.
The positions outlined so far seem to range between having a higher standard of living to that enjoyed in the west to downscaling a bit but still being comfortable.
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Reading across a number of threads the picture I build of expats living in LOS is of course diverse but there appear to be a couple of general traits.
One is that where people reveal their incomes or how much they brought to set up in LOS it tends to be - by my standards absolutely shedloads. What is this? Is it the case that most of you like to re-create or maintain your previous western standard of living with all the old creature comforts?
The second issue is that the great majority appear to like a regular drink or three. I wonder how much you spend on the amber necter, the water of life over a year. It must add up some.
I am fully aware that I am quite unfarang-like in maintaining a quasi-monastic lifestyle - no gadgets, no booze, just nice and simple, but I would be interested to know what the rest of you think about the standard of living you enjoy compared to your previous lives in farangland.
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Or maybe, like me, you suffer from a disorder known as 'selective vision'.
Ask me to number or describe the males or old trouts I've walked past today and I couldn't recall one. Ask me about the pretty laydeez and I have astounding powers of memory.
Best Hotel In Nong Khai
in Isaan
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I live in Nong Khai. Other than the 'big' hotels and the wonderful MutMee there is loads of cheap accommodation about. On the Rim Khong (road along the river) there are rooms from 100b if you're really downmarket or nice clean places around the 300b mark. Just turn up, there's plenty room.