A short three weeks
June 24, 2007 – 2:14 pm
I left the temple on friday morning, cutting short my three weeks by a few days. I didn’t handle the discipline as well as I had hoped. Having spent most of my life searching and always striving towards something I found it dreary at times, just doing nothing and having nothing to plan or look forward to. My only task was to sweep the floors every day. The most testing part of the whole experience was the lack of food. Midday to midnight was an endurance test beyond anything I had ever been through. How can Muslims fast for Ramadam? I often wondered. Towards the end I was hiding food in my robe to snack on in the evening. On the upside, though, I did manage to lose three kilos.
Although I didn’t have the will-power to stick it out I would like to at least one day live by the five precepts. Because, let’s face it, if we all didn’t murder, lie, steal, get wasted and fuck around it would be one peaceful civilised planet.
I now view buddhism as more of a philosophy than a religion; a way to lead your life rather than paying homage to a deity. It’s a shame that Thais in general don’t follow the laws of their religion. The majority that I’ve come across seem to think they’re doing enough by merely lighting incense sticks, having some water splashed over their heads and getting the magic string tied round their wrists. The rules that Buddha set down rarely come into play for most “buddhists” in this country.
I took a lot of positives from the meditation. I’ve certainly learned to not think as much, to be able to switch off and not mull things over and over. Our lives are a constant ebb and flow of emotions, up and down, always grasping and craving, and being in the robes eliminated that. But I did miss the fun aspect of life. More than anything I missed company - chatting and having a laugh with people - so on friday night I treated myself to two lovely go-go dancers. Pim and Joy were fantastic and just what I needed after more than two weeks of celibacy.