Vin-C

An interesting article by Steve Martin but I think that he has completely missed the whole point of the treatment offered at Wat Thamkrabok.

Wat Thamkrabok monastery in Thailand has treated more than 110,000 addicts since 1957. The twice daily sweeping exercise should not be considered as “mindless” but it is intended as much as a mindfulness-practice as it is a necessary part of keeping the monastery clean.

Wat Thamkrabok is world-famous for its herbal-medicine induced vomiting treatment, its herbal-pills and herbal-tea, and its herbal steam-baths; all employed in the very real and very rapid detoxification of the physical body.

But a ‘clean’ body is just the start of the path of recovery. The “vomiting cure” as quoted, is far from being the “most important part of the treatment” and I think that this is both misleading and dangerous to present this as a fact.

In 2007, the Abbot - Luangpor Charoen - would say that the detox is only five per cent of process; it is the ‘Sajja’ vow to change your life that is 95 per cent of treatment; and that goes on long after you have left the monastery. But this article does not mention the Sajja vow at all?

In my opinion and experience, the physical detox provided by Thamkrabok Monastery in Thailand does actually work but this is only the first baby-step on the very long road to recovery. The physical detox at Thamkrabok on its own works for a number of people who are already determined to change their life… but for many it simply does not... it is not enough.

The Sajja vow is the doorway to recovery, it is the starting point of health and healing but it can also be the end point of this approach. There are many addicts who have regarded the Thamkrabok Sajja vow - simply to stop using their drug of choice - as a total recovery plan. While it is true that this approach has worked for some, it is also true that it has not worked or lasted for everyone. Sadly, some people relapse - and even sadder - some people die.

I have watched addicts enter in to - and often out of - treatment at Thamkrabok since 1998 and my personal view is that in trying to make the treatment more palatable to Western addicts the monastery has lessened the effectiveness of the original treatment regime. In trying to make the treatment easier, fewer addicts are completing the detox.

I have set out some ideas of what might be helpful to secure a comfortable, long-lasting and happy recovery at www.5th-precept.org/html/foundations.html which goes beyond the physical detox at Wat Thamkrabok.

I have also put some of these ideas into a short booklet called ‘Taking Sajja Beyond Thamkrabok' that can be downloaded from www.5th-precept.org/html/downloads.html

Having said all that, I do still visit Thamkrabok every year. I look forward to chanting with the monks and nuns in the evening, I look forward to daily visits to the herbal steam-baths while drinking the herbal tea; and I even look forward to taking the herbal-medicine… why should the addicts in treatment have all the fun!

There is a saying at Thamkrabok that is sometimes printed on tee-shirts:

“Clean body with herbs – clean mind with Sajja”

Dear Dhamma Friends and Friends in Recovery.

Thursday 22nd March - Sunday 25th March 2012

New Life Foundation

No. 49 Moo 1,

Tambol Don Sila,

Ampher Wiang Chai,

Changwat Chiang Rai,

Thailand.

This Mindful recovery retreat is offered as an opportunity to experience a wholly Buddhist approach to recovery from all forms of addiction. This retreat is open to those new to recovery as well as those who have been in recovery for a longer time. All are welcome to sit together to discover an alternative and complementary approach to recovery and to support on-going abstinence.

Throughout the retreat, the meditation practices of Loving-kindness and Forgiveness both essential for healing our hearts and minds – will be central to, and woven into, our daily schedule.

For the period of the retreat, retreatants are required to commit to Sila (Precepts):

• 
  
  • To refrain from harming any living being
    
  • To refrain from taking what is not offered
    
  • To refrain from sexual and sensual misconduct
    
  • To refrain from false speech (including idle gossip, harsh and divisive speech)
    
  • To refrain from taking substances which disturb the balance of the mind (and may lead me into committing any of the above).
    

It is important to note that you do not have to be a Buddhist to adopt or to adapt any of the principles discussed, and meditation practices explored. Recovering people of all faiths and none are welcome on this retreat.

Schedule:

Thursday, March 22, 2012

18h00 - 19h00

Dinner

19h30 - 21h00

Introductory talk by Vince

including taking precepts for the retreat.

Friday, March 23, 2012

6h00 - 6h30

Silent Meditation

6h30 - 7h00

Yoga

7h00 - 8h00

Silent breakfast

9h30 - 12h00

Teachings and practice

12h00 - 13h00

Lunch

14h00 - 16h00

Teachings, practice, time for questions…

16h30 - 17h00

Yoga

17h00 - 18h00

Herbal steam bath and/or nature walk

18h30 - 19h15

Dinner (or light evening meal)

19h30 - 21h30

Contemplation, sharing and practice

Saturday, March 24, 2012

6h00 - 6h30

Silent Meditation

6h30 - 7h00

Yoga

7h00 - 8h00

Silent breakfast

9h30 - 12h00

Teachings and practice

12h00 - 13h00

Lunch

14h00 - 16h00

Teachings, practice, time for questions…

16h30 - 17h00

Yoga

17h00 - 18h00

Herbal steam bath and/or nature walk

18h30 - 19h15

Dinner (or light evening meal)

19h30 - 21h30

Contemplation, sharing and practice

Sunday, March 25, 2012

6h00 - 6h30

Silent Meditation

6h30 - 7h00

Yoga

7h00 - 8h00

Silent breakfast

9h30 - 10h30

Talk about New Life's Mission

10h30 - 12h00

Teachings and practice

12h00 - 13h00

Lunch

14h00 - 16h00

Teachings, practice, time for questions…

16h00 - 17h00

Group picture + Farewells

The retreat’s primary facilitator will be Vince Cullen. Vince is an ex-alcoholic who has been associated with the Wat Thamkrabok monaster in Thailand and Buddhist-oriented drug and alcohol recovery since 1998. In 2009 Vince became a charter member of the Buddhist Recovery Network and established the 'Fifth Precept Meditation for Recovery Group' in Berkshire, UK. Vince offers recovery retreats in the UK and Ireland.

Fee to cover Food and Accomodation: 2,000 THB per person.

Optional Donation (Pali : Dana) : The retreat teachings are offered in accordance with the Buddhist tradition of Dana (the practice and cultivation of generosity). Vince follows the ancient Buddhist tradition of not charging for the teachings he shares. The organisations that host his retreats and workshops generally only cover his travel expenses. However, in return for his teaching and instruction, Vince gratefully accepts donations, which enable him to continue his ongoing studies and teaching. If you would like to support Vince, you can do so at the end of the retreat.

New Life Foundation is a recovery community located amongst the lakes and hills of Chiang Rai, Northern Thailand. New Life Foundation offer a peaceful natural environment and a friendly atmosphere, home-grown organic vegetables and a big mindful smile.

Retreatants have a single room each, with shower, bed, sheets, towel and fan. Please notify us in advance if you would like a double room. Vegetarian meals are served 3 times a day. Fruit, tea and coffee will be available all day long. The retreat will include teachings, guided meditation practice and yoga with an experienced teacher. There will be plenty of time to enjoy the swimming pool and our herbal steam bath.

Please help us spread the word and bring some friends.

The number of retreatants is limited to a maximum of 26, if you are interested please book your place as soon as possible.

To ensure that this retreat is right for you, please read all the information provided carefully. Don't hesitate to contact us with any questions you may have.

For Friends in recovery in Thailand,

My name is Vince Cullen. I live in the UK but I have been associated with Wat Thamkrabok in Thailand since 1998. I shall be paying my annual visit to Thamkrabok and it's Drug Treatment Center in March this year. Afterwards, I am travelling up to a new International Recovery Community in Chiang Rai to facilitate a 3-day residential retreat exploring ‘Buddhist’ practices for people in recovery from addictions.

For Friends in recovery in Thailand,

My name is Vince Cullen. I live in the UK but I have been associated with Wat Thamkrabok in Thailand since 1998. I shall be paying my annual visit to Thamkrabok and it's Drug Treatment Center in March this year. Afterwards, I am travelling up to a new International Recovery Community in Chiang Rai to facilitate a 3-day residential retreat exploring ‘Buddhist’ practices for people in recovery from addictions.

Dates: Thursday 22nd March - Sunday 25th March 2012

Venue: New Life Foundation - Chiang Rai, Thailand.

This Mindful recovery retreat is offered as an opportunity to experience a wholly Buddhist approach to recovery from all forms of addiction. This retreat is open to those new to recovery as well as those who have been in recovery for a longer time. All are welcome to sit together to discover an alternative and complementary approach to recovery and to support on-going abstinence.

Throughout the retreat, the meditation practices of Loving-kindness and Forgiveness – both essential for healing our hearts and minds – will be central to, and woven into, our daily schedule.

For the period of the retreat, retreatants are required to commit to Sila (Precepts):

• To refrain from harming any living being
  
• To refrain from taking what is not offered
  
• To refrain from sexual and sensual misconduct
  
• To refrain from false speech (including idle gossip, harsh and divisive speech)
  
• To refrain from taking substances which disturb the balance of the mind (and may lead me into committing any of the above).
  

It is important to note that you do not have to be a Buddhist to adopt or to adapt any of the principles discussed, and meditation practices explored. Recovering people of all faiths and none are welcome on this retreat.

The retreat’s primary facilitator will be Vince Cullen. Vince is an ex-alcoholic who has been associated with the Wat Thamkrabok monastery in Thailand and Buddhist-oriented drug and alcohol recovery since 1998. In 2009 Vince became a charter member of the Buddhist Recovery Network and established the Fifth Precept meditation for recovery group in Berkshire, UK. Vince offers recovery retreats in the UK and Ireland.

Fee to cover Food and Accomodation: 2,000 THB per person.

Donation (Pali : Dana) : The retreat teachings are offered in accordance with the Buddhist tradition of Dana (the practice and virtue of generosity). Vince follows the ancient Buddhist tradition of not charging for the teachings he shares. The organisations that host his retreats and workshops generally only cover his travel expenses. However, in return for his teaching and instruction, Vince gratefully accepts donations, which enable him to continue his work. If you would like to support Vince, you can do so at the end of the retreat.

New Life Foundation is a recovery community located amongst the lakes and hills of Chiang Rai, Northern Thailand. New Life Foundation offer a peaceful natural environment and a friendly atmosphere, home-grown organic vegetables and a big mindful smile.

Retreatants have a single room each, with shower, bed, sheets, towel and fan. Please notify us in advance if you would like a double room. Vegetarian meals are served 3 times a day. Fruit, tea and coffee will be available all day long. The retreat will include teachings, guided meditation practice and yoga with an experienced teacher. There will be plenty of time to enjoy the swimming pool and our herbal steam bath.

The price for the retreat is 2,000 THB. Please help us spread the word and bring some friends.

If you are interested please contact NLF at [email protected]

Have a look at the NLF website: www.newlifethaifoundation.com

And the NLF blog: http://newlifethai.wordpress.com/

The number of retreatants is limited to a maximum of 26, if you are interested please book your place as soon as possible.

To ensure that this retreat is right for you, please read all the information provided carefully. Don't hesitate to contact us with any questions you may have.

I have been privileged enough to accompany addicts to Thamkrabok on three occassions. I took a cocaine addict in 2000, a methadone addict in 2002 and a heroin addict in 2005. I’m pleased to say that all are still clean but this is NOT indicative of the Thamkrabok success figures. In reality, the success rate is estimated by Phra (Monk) Hans to be about 30%. Nowhere near perfect but bloody good all the same. I’ve been collecting articles, essays and images of Thamkrabok for a couple of years. These stories, photographs and lots of information about getting treatment at the Thamkrabok Monastery can be found at: -

http://www.thamkrabok.net / http://www.thamkrabok.info

or the official Thamkrabok Monastery website at: www.thamkrabok.org

There is also an online Support Group for ex-Thamkrabok addicts called at:

http://groups.google.co.uk/group/Friends-o...rabok-Monastery

Or for reference you could try: -

Thailand Thamkrabok Monastery Phra Hans [email protected] +66 (0) 36 266 067 http://www.thamkrabok.org

Scotland Alba-Thai Organisation Stuart Brindley [email protected] +44 (0) 1382 200532 http://www.alba-thai.org

England East-West Detox Mike Sarson [email protected] +44 (0) 118 962 3332 http://www.east-westdetox.org.uk

England TARA Detox Organisation Vince Cullen [email protected] +44 (0) 1635 552 665 http://www.tara-detox.org

Australia Thamkrabok Inc Maria Bannister [email protected] +61 4 0513 7863 http://www.thamkrabok.org.au

If you’ve got the money you can make your own way to Thamkrabok. As long as you truly want to let go of your addiction(s) you are welcome. The Thamkrabok Monastery gives its services FREE. There is no cost for treatment but you must pay for your food, drink, cigarettes, candy, toiletries etc. ‘Real money’ is not allowed in the treatment compound so you must exchange your cash for ‘Thamkrabok money’. Non-Thai addicts must deposit the equivalent of Thai Baht 200 per day at the Admissions Office before treatment. Each day of your stay you will be given back the equivalent of Thai Baht 200 in ‘Thamkrabok money’. These coupons can only be spent inside the treatment compound. This is quite enough ‘money’ to buy your food and drink etc each day of your stay.

The Monastery will not ask for a donation at any time but you may give whatever you wish at the end of your treatment. It is recommended that you stay for a minimum of 10 days. The longer you can stay the better (up to a maximum of 28 days).

The Thamkrabok Monastery treatment program involves…

Location & Isolation: On arrival at Thamkrabok, each addict is asked if he came voluntarily and if he truly wants to give up drugs. If the addict hesitates or answers ‘no’ to either question, he is sent away and told to return when he is serious. Once accepted as a patient, the addict must hand over all his belongings and exchange his clothes for a uniform of white tee-shirt and loose red trousers.

Medicine: Developed over a number of years (since 1959), the recipe is known only to the Abbot and Herbalist. The concoction is emetic, producing “projectile vomiting”. This specific part of the treatment has many components ritual, symbolic, physical effect in purging toxins from the body and the resulting physical weakness.... make no mistake… this is a very real ... very rapid detox. The medicine is not all, one must not forget the part of the ‘Black Pills’ and Herbal Steam Sauna.

Meditation: Not necessarily in the traditional Buddhist sense, but just allowing time and space for the addict to think with a clear head. In addition, there are 12 meditations that the Abbot gives to focus the addict on his situation and the way forward

Peer Support: The temple can treat several hundred addicts at a time, so there is a lot of support from addicts that have already been through the detox.

There is no doubt that after only 5 days treatment, vomiting and saunas, heroin addicts will be largely clean. (Not so for anyone coming off methadone but that’s another story). However, the physical detoxification is only 5% of the treatment. The Abbot of Thamkrabok Monastery (Luangpor Charoen) says “You must do the remaining 95% of the work in your mind and through your actions.”

The biggest factor (95%) of a successful detox at Thamkrabok is “SAJJA”.

“Taking Sajja” ( a holy VOW ~ sacred PROMISE ~ commitment to the TRUTH ) not to use intoxicating substances is the central theme of the Thamkrabok treatment program. Sajja is considered a sacred act that, if you believe in it, will connect you with your will power and with something "beyond". Sajja is there for everybody; it is not limited to any specific religion or belief system.

I believe that the vows (Sajja) taken at Thamkrabok may, or indeed, must change your life and your view of the world. If you keep the Sajja then good things will start to happen in your life and you will be better able to deal with the bad things. If you break your Sajja only bad things will come into your life. But remember, good or bad, all things/experiences are temporary, transient, and impermanent.

Thai addicts are particulary superstitious and consider it very bad luck to break your Sajja and much is made of the “accidents” that happen to addicts that don’t stay clean. But this is not purely superstition or Thai Buddhist spiritualism, just simple logic or common sense. Staying clean will allow you get on with your (new) life, things will only get better. If you break the vow and go back to a life of drugs you will be on the fast track to misery and suffering.

As one of the Monastery’s slogans says:

CLEAN BODY WITH HERBS… CLEAN MIND WITH SAJJA.

Regards,

Vince Cullen