{"id":4036,"date":"2023-02-01T06:12:00","date_gmt":"2023-02-01T11:12:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/travel.woodring.us\/wordpress\/?p=4036"},"modified":"2023-02-01T06:12:00","modified_gmt":"2023-02-01T11:12:00","slug":"searching-for-enlightenment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/travel.woodring.us\/wordpress\/2023\/02\/01\/searching-for-enlightenment\/","title":{"rendered":"Searching For Enlightenment!"},"content":{"rendered":"

Today we returned to Wat Chedi Luang to participate in a Monkchat. \u00a0We sat at a picnic table under a shade tree with Sun, an ordained monk. \u00a0He was patient in answering our questions about Buddhism and the life he lives as a monk. \u00a0The benefit for the monks who participate in this program is that it gives them a chance to practice their language and listening skills with people from other countries.<\/p>\n

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Our Host Sun<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Sun is exceptional. \u00a0He has studied in Thailand and in India, has a Ph.D. in Linguistics, and he has met the Dalai Lama. \u00a0He is 38 years old and on the faculty of the Mahanakut Buddhist University. \u00a0When we asked him how he finds inner peace, he told us that he meditates at least two hours per day. \u00a0He stressed to us that one should always live in the present moment and that everything changes – nothing in this universe is constant.<\/p>\n

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Monkchat<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

We feel fortunate that we had a chance to chat with such an interesting monk.<\/p>\n

We asked many questions and learned a lot. \u00a0One question he answered was about the significance of the bells at the corners of the temple. \u00a0Sun told us that when the bells \u201cding\u201d it\u2019s a reminder to focus on the present moment! \u00a0The closeup below shows the small bells hanging from the temple roof. \u00a0They make the most wonderful tinkling sound!<\/p>\n

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Temple Bells<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The experience was a trip highlight! \u00a0We\u2019ll need some time to process all that we learned. \u00a0After our experience, we soothed our souls with a slice of creamy coconut cake. \u00a0One more reminder that nothing lasts forever.<\/p>\n

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Fresh Coconut Cake<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

We encountered these chickens when we took a shortcut through another temple complex. \u00a0They\u2019re not afraid to mingle with the fake blue flamingos.<\/p>\n

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A Proud Rooster<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

For the first time since we arrived, the temperature hit 90 degrees but happily, once the sun goes down, it cools down quickly. \u00a0The air quality is not so great today, one of the downsides of visiting this area. \u00a0Still, we\u2019re content, learning new things, eating well and looking forward to catching up with friends and family when we return!<\/p>\n

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Chiang Mai Canal<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Today we returned to Wat Chedi Luang to participate in a Monkchat. \u00a0We sat at a picnic table under a shade tree with Sun, an ordained monk. \u00a0He was patient in answering our questions about Buddhism and the life he lives as a monk. \u00a0The benefit for the monks who participate in this program is … <\/p>\n

Continue reading “Searching For Enlightenment!”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4036","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-chiang-mai-thailand-2023"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/travel.woodring.us\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4036","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/travel.woodring.us\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/travel.woodring.us\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/travel.woodring.us\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/travel.woodring.us\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4036"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/travel.woodring.us\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4036\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4046,"href":"https:\/\/travel.woodring.us\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4036\/revisions\/4046"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/travel.woodring.us\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4036"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/travel.woodring.us\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4036"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/travel.woodring.us\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4036"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}