Almost everyone we spoke to about our travel to India warned us about the culture shock one experiences when steeping out of the comfort zone of the West. The shock was probably there, but by the time we could actually feel the impact of it amidst our desperate efforts to survive, it had somehow got worn off. We had acquired a remarkable skill to walk unharmed between rickshaws, cows, cow dung, trucks, vendors and beggars, we did not expect any more to be served at a restaurant simultaneously (in fact, many of our expectations had vanished), we had developed a new sense of humor and a belief that things work out even when such possibility seems unrealistic.
No one had prepared us though for the shock we were to receive in Thailand! Bangkok airport is one of the most modern airports I've seen. Automatic walking paths framed in decorative plants, panoramic glass walls, gigantic statues of heavenly gods and demons guarding the entrance to the country, pristine cleanliness and, as it usually happens with countries which citizens are aware of the value of their land, an unfriendly cold and efficient immigration officer. 10 min after landing we are out of the airport in a taxi zooming on a super fast highway towards super modern high rises amidst which the golden pagodas of the wats (temples) look like a jewellery on a business suit.
Five days in Bangkok and I am still to see the madness of it (as told by some travel advisers). In fact, there is so much to explore here that I could spend a month wandering the birthday-cake-in style-like wats, museums and parks. We visited the Grand Palace - the home of the emerald Buddha (and of another thousand golden Buddha statues), Wat Poh - the ancient school for traditional Thai massage, where our stiff bones cracked like Diwali fireworks, and a Thai puppet show - a delightful combination of classical Thai dance, doll craftsmanship and the Indian myth of Ramayana (a monkey god chasing a beauty; monster slayed by the moon god causing eclipse; the elixir of life being churned in an ocean of milk by a dragon-snake and a garuda (half man-half bird) as a witness of a war between gods and demons.
Another adventure and a wonder of civilization was my radical haircut :-) Finally a country where hairstylists do not turn me down when I ask for short!
We left Bangkok with the intention to come back and visit the floating market, the national gallery and another dozen of must sees...
Next stop in Thailand was Boon Kanjanaram Meditation Centre where we hoped to receive a taste of Thai Theravada Buddhist tradition known for its monastic discipline and austerity ( somewhat similar to Goenka's Vipassana school). Prepared for 15hrs of meditation, silence and two meals a day (most of the wats here follow a schedule of only one meal, depending on the collected alms), we drove through central Pattaya and its beaches hosting almost entirely retired (or close) western gentlemen and their Thai escorts. With no time to ponder over this uniform in Thailand arrangement, we were introduced to the resident teacher of the Meditation Centre, Miss Vitoon, given a book with the theory of the Vipassana method practiced here, and told to report the following morning.
For the next 6 days we were instructed to observe 4 major positions of the body (lying, sitting, standing and walking) working with these concepts:
1. The body or "rupa" in each position is a different body "rupa" (ex., sitting rupa is not the same as walking rup, etc.) By observing this the yogi, or the practitioner, realizes that there is no continuity of matter but rising and falling manifestations of it.
2. The change from on position to another should be done only when prompted by significant discomfort (bodily pain) and not because of desire or craving for change. By following the instruction one must see that "rupa" is driven by necessity to avoid suffering, thus reaffirming the first noble truth in Buddhism ( life is suffering). The practitioner also learns to not follow his/her cravings, but know the ultimate reason for desire.
3. "Rupa" is not self: the yogi understands that there is no "me" or "I" that suffers - it is "rupa" (which one has no control over) that is the carrier of suffering.
I was both puzzled and intrigued by the technique. Certainly the theory was hard enough to digest, but the practice turned out to be even more challenging. We were left on our own disposal and had to tackle the "non-self" of "rupa" in the individual kuties (bungalows) with even the meals brought to our doors. With no structure as such, I was swinging between exhaustion from the constant concentration required for mindful leaving (remember, we had to be aware of the reason of each movement "rupa" performed ) and the impression that I was just lazying around while waiting for enlightenment :-)
The retreat is over, and I don't feel much closer to enlightenment, which in simple terms means that I still crave chocolate ice cream, complain about the weather and believe that I am the body and the mind called Teodora :-)
