We woke up early again today for Tai Chi. But towards the end of it, a few small rain drops started to fall and everyone called it quits. I figured that they knew what they were doing, so I followed the leader and got into the car just before the downpour started. It is the rainy season in Thailand after all, so downpours like this are not uncommon.
The rain, however, did not deter us from heading to the market to buy food. On the way there, we stopped to offer several monks some food. They walk (with no shoes, of course) along the streets every day, rain or shine, in order to receive offerings of food from people.
I was surprised because I was under the impression that women were not allowed to hand a monk anything (they first are supposed to hand it to a man who will hand it to the monk), but apparently that is not the case with this. And I guess I didn't really hand it to them- I put it in their basket.
At the markete had to stock up on food because tomorrow morning at about 1 am, we will leave and drive about 5 hours to a wat (temple) in the middle of the forest where we will cook the food for the monks and meditate with them. In order to prepare me for this, Ma wrote the "Admonitions of the Buddha" that I am to meditate upon while there. I have written them here exactly as they were translated for me because I'm not quite sure of the exact translation (and this is definitely good enough).
1. Not to do anything evil.
- Not to kill anything
- Not to stole the other belonging
- Not to tell a lie
- Not to be adulterous
- No drink, no drug
2. To do good thing.
- Donate for the monk (food, medicine, clothing)
- Donate for poor people
- Ne jealousy, no gossip, no sarcastic
3. To purify the mind.
- Aspiration
- Effort
- Thoughtfulness
- Reasoning
In order to prepare myself further, I am to not eat dinner tonight. (This was an option given to me, of course- I don't have to.) Kind of a bummer since tonight will be a dinner meeting with the Magkang Rotary Club, my sponsor club, but I know it will all be worth it.
The rain, however, did not deter us from heading to the market to buy food. On the way there, we stopped to offer several monks some food. They walk (with no shoes, of course) along the streets every day, rain or shine, in order to receive offerings of food from people.
I was surprised because I was under the impression that women were not allowed to hand a monk anything (they first are supposed to hand it to a man who will hand it to the monk), but apparently that is not the case with this. And I guess I didn't really hand it to them- I put it in their basket.
At the markete had to stock up on food because tomorrow morning at about 1 am, we will leave and drive about 5 hours to a wat (temple) in the middle of the forest where we will cook the food for the monks and meditate with them. In order to prepare me for this, Ma wrote the "Admonitions of the Buddha" that I am to meditate upon while there. I have written them here exactly as they were translated for me because I'm not quite sure of the exact translation (and this is definitely good enough).
1. Not to do anything evil.
- Not to kill anything
- Not to stole the other belonging
- Not to tell a lie
- Not to be adulterous
- No drink, no drug
2. To do good thing.
- Donate for the monk (food, medicine, clothing)
- Donate for poor people
- Ne jealousy, no gossip, no sarcastic
3. To purify the mind.
- Aspiration
- Effort
- Thoughtfulness
- Reasoning
In order to prepare myself further, I am to not eat dinner tonight. (This was an option given to me, of course- I don't have to.) Kind of a bummer since tonight will be a dinner meeting with the Magkang Rotary Club, my sponsor club, but I know it will all be worth it.
posted by Rebecca | 4:53 PM
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