Jawnie

The point of "going off the handle" is to make the point as clearly as possible that there were major mistakes made in the design and there currently are operational issues that seriously degrade the experience for daily users. You are a bit blase in calling it "water under the bridge" since you are not walking the extra 200-300 meters each day to wait 15 extra minutes in Bkk heat for an over-crowded train.

The reason one focuses on the past mistakes is to avoid them in the future - it is not clear that SRT planners understand this. Granted, the design flaws, most of them, are etched in stone. The operation flaws are not and wholly subject to change; it's not apparent that SRT is interested in the quality of passenger experience. All I've seen is top-down management and proposed solutions or, as today, a tourism group chiming in. I've yet to see anything acknowledging the degraded service passengers experience.

Perhaps it's that most are Thais and have lived in a top-down society all their lives. In other places in the world, such operational and engineering failures would have long ago been subject to public scrutiny and appropriate changes implemented.

Is it a good thing or a bad things that Thais live with such?

Is it a culture of low expectations or one of 'like it or lump it'?

Finally, this is what your wrote:

--There is supposed to be a planned walkway, elevated I think, to be built between the Makkasan Station and the nearest Petchburi MRT station... I haven't been out there lately, so I don't know the status of it... But at last report, it was still somewhere in the works.

Your list of denials is precisely why I said it would be helpful for you to not promote that an elevated walkway may be in the works somewhere - you can't say for sure.

I can say for sure it's not, and not even possible to construct one now at Makkasan.

Jawnie, you're going off the handle just a bit...

I never said the walkway was part of the original planning for Makkasan, and in fact, I've never heard that it was...

I never said the PROPOSED walkway that's been discussed publicly in the past was going to be a good solution or convenient, if and when it's completed. I simply said, such a walkway has been proposed and in fact been the subject of past posts here on TV...

I also didn't say it was under construction as yet... I simply said, I don't know the current status of that proposal, since I haven't heard or seen any update on it lately.

The various ways the project could have been done better, including the ones you mention, are pretty apparent to all of us... Unfortunately, all that's a bit of water under the bridge at this point. The only practical questions now are, what if anything can be done to make the current situation better.

It is maddeningly obvious that no link between Makkasan SRT and Petchaburi station was ever in the initial planning. There is simply no efficient or common-sense option for making a decent connection or even for a retrofit. If you haven't been there for a while (I use the connection 3-5 times a week) there is nothing remotely like a bonafide pedestrian link there, nor one in progress, nor (as I just said), is there a reasonable option for a retro-fit. The planners simply and completely over-looked the link between the two stations. They did not consider pedestrians nor riders with baggage and how they will transit between stations.

Your mention of a possible "elevated walkway" isn't feasible if you look at the existing structure. May I suggest you stop promoting the idea that one was, or is, planned, because such a walkway is simply not possible.

Frankly, to make that connection viable, the entire station should have been built directly over Asok so that riders could exit straight down to the street; this would have made the overhead walkway to Petchaburi feasible. Nothing like this can be built now.

In response to a couple of points/issues raised above:

--There is supposed to be a planned walkway, elevated I think, to be built between the Makkasan Station and the nearest Petchburi MRT station... I haven't been out there lately, so I don't know the status of it... But at last report, it was still somewhere in the works.

--As for the extended times between train departures from Phyathai, I believe that is because the Express Line originally was supposed to run, and did only run, from Makkasan to the Airport... But when they later decided to also run the Express line from Phyathai to the Airport, they had to reallocate their rail car stock and scheduling. That's at least part of the reason.

--I think the thrust of the OP article was really about the Makkasan to Airport connection (the original Express Line service), and didn't really involve the City Line service from Phyathai at all... Although the two different operations and their stations do share some common flaws, the larger problems relate to the flawed usability of Makkasan as a gateway to the airport.

If we were to evaluate the Airport Rail Link strictly as the City Line running a commuter/local service between Phyathai and the Airport, I think most people would give it fair marks...

It seems to me that bargaining in Thailand (Asia) is some what opposite from the US (the West). That is, in the US, one would never bargain for pants, clothes, or groceries at a street market, etc., but it's done all the time here. Bargaining over price in the US is for big-ticket items such as cars, houses, etc., as you know.

First, explain to your Thai friend that it is your culture and practice to negotiate the price of a car and extras with cars. Once he understands, if he does, have your Thai friend explain this to the dealer that it is your culture to bargain for the price of a car - that's it's not disrespect, just your way.....

Don't dismiss the idea that the dealer is pretending to be upset at your attempt to negotiate. Frankly, I'd assume the dealer is using that as a tactic to make you give up on your attempts.

Can Yingluck do that cool curly-que twirling with her hands like all the dancers for Issan? Would love to see that!

This is one of my pet peeves about Bangkok. I use the SRT almost daily and it is clear that pedestrians and the user-friendliness of stations were the last thing planners considered for this train line. The operational and facilities problems are gigantic and outrageous. So much can be said about how poorly designed and planned the stations are from a lack of lifts at stations to long distances riders need to walk between the road below to the train platforms.

I'll focus on my experience just today, an hour ago. I arrived Phaya Thai station only to see that it was 24 minutes until the next outbound train. To me, this is an outrageously long time to wait for a commuter train. SRT trains need to run every 10 minutes, maximum. So, since I had 24 minutes to wait, I decided to 'involve' station management in my time spent at their station. I asked the station agent at the booth why it's 24 minutes to the next train. Of course, she could not answer well but told me, 'well, it's really only 15 minutes'. I was skeptical, so then I started asking a guy with a walkie-talkie, asking why is it (now) 20 minutes to the next train. He didn't understand well but keep repeating the 20 minute schedule for trains. I said several times the trains need to run much more often. He finally walked away and never came back.

I finally asked to speak to the station manager, a K. Ms. Prapaporn, who the agent in the booth called. I waited, walked around, went up to the platform to watch an empty Airport Express leave, leaving at least 100 people behind. With five minutes remaining for my train, Ms. Prapaporn, the station manager, had not shown up to speak to me. I finally gave up because I sure the hell didn't want to miss my train. The station agents were pleasant, as usual, and I had put them on the spot, but the trains simply need to run more often.

In the morning on the inbound train, often riders are not able to get on a train because they are so full. When the riders can't get on, they must wait another 15 minutes. Fifteen minutes for people trying to go to work! That is outrageous!! And I've been on trains that were packed completely full at 8pm at night. Everyone is so crowded at that late hour...it's simply outrageous! The trains to need run more often.

I am glad the tourism people have spoken up, but, again, SRT management should be paying attention to the experience of their own Thai and foreign workers who use the line every day to go to and from work. For us, it's an long, unpleasant, and unpredictable experience...and no one at SRT seems to care. Again, it seems that the quality of the riders' experience simply was not, and is not, considered by SRT management.

Putting aside all those issues regarding education quality, lack of problem solving skills, etc., low English proficiency is an absolute show-stopper for economic development. But, if there is a lack of creative thinking, it is with policy makers who do not see low English proficiency as a national crisis. Perhaps they believe Thailand will create all it's own wealth and development within its own borders and culture and solve all its problems with home-grown solutions. That's where the real problems lie, with leaders and policy. Again, lack of English proficiency is a national emergency for Thailand.

Very simply, as long as a Thais speak, read, and understand only Thai language, they are "doomed" to a Thai-only future. Someone who speaks only Thai can only succeed Thailand...they can't go to the US, Europe, Hong Kong, China, Russia, etc. But, an English-speaking person can go anywhere and do or learn anything. Anyone doing business outside of Thailand is conducting business in English - period.

It's a national emergency in Thailand, not that temple on the border with Cambodia.

Using Facebook, cell phones, etc., is counter-intuitive to the purpose of retreat in most people's mind, it seems. I agree. Retreats are time for introspection and reflection and watching how the mind operates when removed from day-to-day activities and interests. So, if you bring those activities and interests with you into retreat, then you really haven't removed yourself from those distractions to the full extent possible. Best to say in these cases that such 'retreatants' probably aren't getting the full benefit of the retreat - at their own wish.

In the big picture, though, no act of devotion toward the Three Jewels (Buddha, Dharma, Sangha) is every wasted and so I think that even these distracted retreatants make benefit for themselves even in their distracted state during retreat.

Lama Rinchen taught basic Buddhist teachings from the Mahayana and Vajrayana points of view on Saturday. He made it quite clear that the Buddha did, in fact, teach Mahayana and Vajrayana but that everyone doesn't know or accept this. He cited a number of sutras which are Mahayana and Vajrayana which the Buddha taught.

On Sunday, he gave an extensive teaching on the Dudjom Tersar Ngondro, the five preliminary practices for Mahayana and Vajrayana practitioners. He also gave the empowerment for students who wish to take up the Five One-Hundred Thousand Practices of prostrations, refuge, mandala offerings, Vajrasattva mantra, and Guru Yoga.

I'm on an Education Visa (ED) and dutifully attend classes. I just applied for and received my first 90-day extension at Chalermprakiat Government Complex. The whole process went without a hitch, other than the fact I copied a wrong stamp from my passport so I had to run downstairs for one additional copy. The entire process took slightly over two hours of which I spent less than ten minutes with the agent.

I wasn't asked anything about my studies, the school I attend (I had proper paperwork from the school), and no trick questions about what size fish eat each other. It cost the 1,900 baht, of course, but it was quite painless.

Also, I prepared my paperwork "Form for Alien to Notify of Staying Longer than 90 Days", form TM47, but it turns out the first extension satisfies this requirement and the form TM 47 isn't required until my next ED visa extension. All is well.

For those who may have an interest or curiosity about Tibetan-style Buddhism, Ven. Lama Rinchen Phuntsok will be teaching in Bangkok this weekend. Lama Rinchen is a lineage holder of the Nyingmapa sect and will teach basic Buddhist concepts from the Tibetan/Vajrayana perspectives. His English is excellent and he has been teaching to westerners for many years. He lives in Nepal and is going to the US for an extended teaching trip but will be in Bangkok for two days this weekend.

Here's the link for more information. http://goo.gl/IjSje

I think Taksin should come and serve the time. Now is the perfect time because of the "favorable" administration. He'd have the best cell, best service, best guards, etc. Then, after two years he'd be done with it and this whole issue would evaporate for him. Of course he claims the sentence is unfair..what jackass in jail doesn't???

One caveat may be that additional charges could be filed because of his flight from justice. Once he finished his sentence, the party in power could, I believe, restore any political rights he might have lost due to the jail sentence. Restoring those rights would be far less controversial than outright amnesty.

But, it's obvious that people are obsessed with this guy, positive and negative. As an outsider and Thai newbie, it seems pretty ridiculous how obsessed (jealous) people are. On the other hand, TS needs to <deleted> and stop being such a divisive force in Thai.  Two years in jail would do him and Thailand a lot of good.

Rather than circumambulating a recipe book, you should cook something and eat it.

I like to go to a wat where I can perform circumambulations (walk around) of the Buddha statue - this is yet another form of offering and respect, which also creates merit.

Hello Jawnie

How does walking around a statue create merit?

I have tried to releive my hunger by reciting a recipe book, but it doesn't work. Maybe I should try circumambulating it?

Bankei

Thai politicians, in their haste to out-gun their political competitors, fail to see how much damage they cause to the cause of democracy and the rights of the people.

Okay, thanks for this. The only point I'd make about this is that this seems to be a practice focusing on the body sensations, and particularly those that arise during meditation. But, this may not be ones practice all the time, so this advice may not fit all situations. For example, I practice 1-1.5 hours a day...it is never the type of practice mentioned here. I sit in a comfortable crossed-legged position on a cushion. After about 45 minutes are so, things start to ache or get stiff and I shift at another position. It's always the same alternate position; I sit in the alternate position for 5-10 minutes and go back to the basic crossed legs. I will shift between these two as needed but if I find myself shifting a lot, it usually turns out that its my mind that is restless, not my legs.

If I sit for more a combined amount of 3 hours a day for more than a couple of days, then my lower back gets thrown out and very painful. If Im in a workshop where sitting a lot over several days is required, I find it necessary to sit in a chair a lot, otherwise it's simply too painful and I'll require few trips to the chiropractor to put my back back into place. To me, the position and the amount of time spent is not the important point, it's the quality of practice and how one deals with obstacles to practice, including aches and pains. It would be (has been) counter-productive for me to try to "push through" pain and discomfort in long sitting sessions; it just gets unbeareably worse, which is not the point of practice, I feel.

If you are experiencing a lot of pain from the position you sit in, then by all means change the position you sit in! This isn't very important and you should sit in a comfortable position, whatever it is, so that it doesn't distract your practice. Naturally, all positions will eventually cause discomfort and pain, but that's the nature of the body and impermanence. The idea that one must sit motionless in a specific position for a minimum amount of hours is rather arbitrary. It is the quality of your mind, practice, and concentration that determines if your practice is successful. Remember, you'll have multiple lifetimes to achieve the perfect posture. Better to ensure that your practice is strong and your mind is properly focused than to worry about this. This is very Theravadan of you.

Hi J.

My understanding is that when maintaining a posture, this isn't necessarily meaning to be motionless.

A good sitting posture includes stability, and resilience whilst avoiding any muscular tension.

Although sitting upright, the back should lean slightly forward to softly align the spine with gravity.

One is not motionless by nature.

The beat of the heart, the unceasing breathe, our entire body is in constant motion.

Forcing a motionless state will increase tension.

If you try to be absolutely still you're probably clenching or tensing muscles which can be very tiring and result in mental tension and turmoil.

Having said that this is what the Arahant Sun Lun said about practice:

You need to breathe with great mindfulness for about 45

minutes to 1 hour to get sufficient and concrete Samadhi

(Concentration).

Sun Lun Sayadaw Gyi said "Do not move or

change position when there is cramp or painful Sensation. Stay

still and diligently mindful on that Sensation." We ask the Yogi to

stay still, it is not to torture or let him suffer painful sensation.

When you stay still and mindful on the sensation, your mindfulness

will sink into the sensation and you will know that the sensation is

rising and perishing (falling). You will realize that the sensation

you are mindful is not permanent and it is impermanent. You will

realize or understand the Truth of Impermanence {ANICCA}.

We get great benefit by staying still without moving any part

of our body or changing position and diligently mindful on the

sensation. When we stay still and let our mindfulness go into or

penetrate into the sensation, we only know or mindful on the

sensation rising and falling (perishing). That Knowledge of rising

and falling (perishing) of the sensation is called Udayabbaya ©ÈÓa.

We will know or understand and get the Knowledge of Rise and

Fall of the Five Khandas.

My interpretation of Sun Lun's instructions is not to suppress our bodies natural resilience and movement (motionless) but to observe any urge to move or change ones posture without attachment.

Two experienced retreatant's who I was fortunate to have guidance from, indicated that they attempt to keep any movement to "a single adjustment and stretch" during their sits, and only if they have too.

Both reported experiencing Piti regularly with some Sukha.

I'd suggest going to the local temple and ask them or one of the vendors in front of the temple.

If you are experiencing a lot of pain from the position you sit in, then by all means change the position you sit in! This isn't very important and you should sit in a comfortable position, whatever it is, so that it doesn't distract your practice. Naturally, all positions will eventually cause discomfort and pain, but that's the nature of the body and impermanence. The idea that one must sit motionless in a specific position for a minimum amount of hours is rather arbitrary. It is the quality of your mind, practice, and concentration that determines if your practice is successful. Remember, you'll have multiple lifetimes to achieve the perfect posture. Better to ensure that your practice is strong and your mind is properly focused than to worry about this. This is very Theravadan of you.

Rockyysdt is right..Buddhists pray in the same manner as Christians with just a slightly different concept of Buddha as deity. The statutes are representations of the Buddha or other masters. In Mahayana and Vajrayana, there are lots of different statutes which are representations of various qualities of the enlightened mind. They are not to be worshipped even though many people fall into that.

They are what are called "supports for practice." They are physical representations of spiritual qualities and are reminders of those qualities. They are in human forms because, well, we are human, so it allows for humans to actually see and relate to those qualities in the human realm (we need to see it, feel it, touch it, etc.) while, at the same time, the forms of the statutes are considered the actual manifestation of those qualities as representations of a higher reality. Thus, they are "supports" because we can see those qualities represented right in front of us which helps keep the mind focused on the enlightened qualities of the Buddha. They provide a focal point for developing devotion, faith, one-pointedness, etc.

I do see them praying to statues. Who do these statues represent?

The folded palms return the the chest each time. Each prostration begins and ends with the hands at the chest. If you are counting prostrations, that's the point at which one has completed one prostration.

What you are referring to is called prostrating.

The five-point prostration (head, hands & knees) starts with kneeling and with the hands in the Thai Wai position at the chest, called in Pali Anjali..... then the hands come up to the head with thumbs touching the nose, called Wantaa .... then you bend down keeping the hands together until they are about to touch the floor when they part and are placed flat upon the floor just wide enough for the head to come and touch the floor between them. At this point the forearms should be in line with the knees and with the elbows touching the knees. This position is called Aphiwaa. When done together by a large group one person calls out the Anjali, Wantaa, Aphiwaa so that all do it together which looks nicer than all bobbing up and down individually. This is repeated three times to p[ay respects to the Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha.

Buddhists do not pray......The Buddha is not our version of God.....instead we pay respects to our greatest teacher. It is merituous to pay respect to those who deserve respect.....parents, teachers, elderly, monks etc.

When returning from the "Aphiwaa" to kneeling, do the hands go back to the chest (Anjali) position, or just to the "Wantaa"? In other words, if I prostrate three times, should my hands go back to the chest three times, or just once at the end?

Yes, according to Mahayana Buddhists, the cycle of creation, generation, decline, and destruction of the universe has repeated itself endless and countless times. They posit no beginning, such as the "Big Bang" However, the scientific calculation for the beginning of the known universe and the Tibetan calculation for when the current aeon began are approximately the same: 13 billion years ago. Buddha nature, our nature, stands outside of this.

Fortunately endless differs from countless.

If there is any truth in re birth and its eventual cessation, then perhaps most of us have a countless base already.

Er.... angels on a pinhead, Rocky?

Surely the point is that both endlessness and countlessness cannot cease. If I can't count any more because I've run out of numbers, I just create new numbers .... gadzillions, multigadzillions, megagadzillions, etc + 1. Whatever I come up with there is no point at which I can't say "+1". Endlessness, conceived as time or space, also implies that there is no point at which there just isn't anything any more.

As Jawnie says, endlessness (or countlessness, a quantification of endlessness) whether projected forwards or backwards renders absurd any dichotomy between existence and non-existence. Either existence sprang from non-existence, which is absurd, or existence always is - no beginning, no end, except in relative terms, and even relativity is reduced to meaninglessness in the context of no-beginning, no-end. Nirvana/Nibbana in such a scheme of things becomes just being and letting be - as a point in Indra's net, a universe in equilibrium. Tat Tvam Asi.

Prayer in Buddhism is practiced in order to purify speech as one of the three doorways: body, speech and mind. Prayers are aspirations regarding enlightenment and the general betterment of oneself and others; they help bring these qualities to mind for the practitioner. Prayer creates positive karma in the speech quality and help focus the mind and turn it to the Dharma. Aspiration prayers also counter accumulated negative karma generated through the three speech downfalls: lying, harsh words, and idle chatter or gossip. Finally, prayer activates faith which is a necessary quality for proceeding on the path to enlightenment and Buddhahood.

If one is reborn again and again for aeons, or many times, countless times (depending on which texts one relies on) then the idea of a "countdown" is meaningless. In the context of this post, it is erroneous.

A countdown implies that eventually the end, zero, will be reached. That can't be the case with endless reincarnation because nothing ends, the forms just change. Expounding the idea of a countdown means that one is still caught in the existence/non-existence dichotomy.

I'm on an ED visa and attend classes so I have no particular issue of Thailand ensuring ED visas are not abused. However, my concern is whether there will be some standard by which to determine whether ED visa holder is really studying or not. In the situation that started all of this, the skeptical Thai immigration official laid some Thai language on the unsuspecting applicant, who then did poorly. That is hardly a credible method upon which to make such a determining. As seems to be the MO for the Thai government, things operate on a whim and the rest of us take the brunt.

That point here is that I question whether Thai immigration officials are the right people to evaluate progress in Thai language relative to an applicants time on the ED visa. Who gives the test, who does the grading, who determines who is "in" and who is "out". Thai language is not easy and I find Thais have great difficulty pronouncing English and English speakers have great difficulty pronouncing Thai. Similar with listening comprehension. In the case here, did the applicant know he was going to be informally tested or was it a "pop quiz" as they say?

In order for this new level of scrutiny on ED visa to be credible, it's going to need a credible and predictable evaluation process - I'm not sure immigration officials are the right people for that.

Yes, this is the reason renunciation is a central practice in Buddhism. Life would be simpler now, too, if you practice renunciation. It's your choice.

Hmmm I've found it difficult to reach this level of meditative calm since discovering women wine and song. Life was so much simpler back then.....

How can someone have trouble breathing, it's the most natural thing when left to itself? You must be trying, a little too hard or a lot too hard. But....trouble breathing? I mean, I could understand if you had trouble living in a cave for three years or living on one grain of rice a day, but this I don't get.

fabianfred,

Sincere thanks for the link. I, too have been having trouble with my breathing during meditation.

RickThai

I'm on an ED visa, and I attend Thai language classes. Pronunciation is a bitch.