huli

My wife, daughter and I just got back from dinner at the new Teak House Restaurant on Loi Kroh. I was really surprised and not pleased to take a bucket of water to my back from farangs while making a turn on my motorcycle onto a busy street near the corner of Loi Kroh and the moat. My wife got the same from a bargirl while on her motorcycle.

OK, tomorrow is fair game but today is the 11th and it is after dark, and a moving motorcycle with busy traffic? Apparently I need to readjust my expectations. Next year the 10th?

The above reads like typical trip advisor reviews, ranging from excellent to well under par. It seems I was perhaps misinformed about the demise of the last business, and thats the danger of hearsay but one thing is clear from the above reviews...the service is not upto standard, and a business can not survive if service is not tip top because there are too many inpatient farangs here....good service is indemic to the Western world and if we dont like something, or we are waiting THEN 9 times out of ten we will stand up and make it known.

So my conclusion here, is the people saying they had a great time at the cat house are simply being sympathetic to her cause and her personality and not offering an unbiased opinion.

almost everyone agrees that the food is good or great, and that the service can sometimes be slow. Does not this agreement seem genuine and unbiased?

you say her "business can not survive" because "there are too many impatient farangs here" and if "we are waiting THEN 9 times out of ten we will stand up and make it known" Come on, man, you are sitting in a little restaurant and they are obviously busy making food, are you really gonna stand up and complain? Have you no decency? Can you not put yourself in another's position for that moment? I mean, is impatience and self-centeredness really something you are proud of, being from the "Western World"?

My Thai wife says that all the big hospitals have acupuncture over here. Like Ram and Sripat for example.

I had a beeper installed on my Honda a couple of years ago. I think the mechanic got it from a Honda dealer. I don't leave my turn signal on anymore with that bike but the beeper sound is rather loud and sharp and I don't like it much. I have been thinking about asking if it could be turned down but haven't got around to it.

The bike I usually use now doesn't have a beeper and I unfortunately often leave the turn signal on. I hate it when I do that, especially if I turn left while my right signal is on.

In fact it is forbidden for Buddhist monks to teach unless they have been requested, or asked about the Dhamma.

Shouldn't really be posting on an internet forum then should you, at least not the first post, as no one asked.

The purpose of an Internet Forum is to share ideas, there is none other. Members are explicitly invited to make first posts. This is not the same as preaching or trying to convert other people to Buddhism. It is a voluntary sharing of ideas among people with a common interest. Your comparison seems without merit (note the clever pun).

I located Billy's last night driving around among the empty bars on my motorcycle. I must have passed there a million times, it is an Italian restaurant but I never knew the name, or that it was so highly recommended. Now, I can't wait to take my wife there, hopefully before they move which if I remember right from the sign on the window is March 5th.

IMHO. Whilst Religion may be not be your 'thing'--surely, since we are living in a predominantly Buddhist country, [ as 'Guests', as well!! Apparently] surely, we could show a little respect??

Now I'm going to hide from the incoming FLAK!

Nope no flak and no disrespect, however when peoples lives are affected by someone else's religion and it dictates what they can and cannot do that is where the line is drawn, if you believe in something FINE knock yourself out just dont force your beliefs on others because that is why religions have killed more people than all the wars put together and it because of exactly that, forcing your beliefs on others.

It is well-known that Buddhists do not force their beliefs on others. You must be thinking of the Christians, etc.

Since this day is a national off-work holiday, one can understand that many of the Thais with a fondness for alcohol might be tempted to go overboard, so by not selling alcohol today it is reminder to them of what today is, and that's about it.

Some misfortune is not due to karma, isn't that widely accepted? Did all the people killed in the tsunami have a karmic cause? Is all illness caused by karma? How are we to know? To not help some one devastated by a tsunami or illness because it might be their karma, well, I don't think anyone would accept that.

Based on this post, my wife and I did the HWY 1178, 1340, 1249 loop to and from Doi Ang Khan on Friday. It was everything we hoped for as far as excitement and beauty.

However, we had a serious problem coming down HWY 1249 that had me scared shitless. This is one radical downhill and my PCX is an automatic with little if any slowing from the engine. It was just brakes to the max and my wife and I are big, 180 kilos between us. I expected it to be hairy but I thought I would just go slow.

Anyways, I thought I better stop halfway down and rest the brakes which I did. After a minute resting, the hydraulic front brakes went totally flat freaking me out that the bike was broken what was I going to do and maybe I would be dead if I hadn't stopped. After resting for 10 minutes or so the brakes gradually came alive again, another cycle gave my wife a ride, and I was able to get down the hill with no problem.

That 1248 is an insane downhill and I wouldn't recommend taking a bike with automatic transmission down it.

If anyone can shed any light on why the brakes would completely fail I would sure be interested. Was this to alert me that the bike was not safe to operate while the bike was stopped and turned off because the brake was too hot? Would the brakes have failed while I was driving if I had not stopped?

life seems so precious now.......

Fellow Expats

Thank you all for chiming in to my post.

As it happens, I have done volunteer work at the 2 largest temples in CM teaching English but I quit them both out of fear that I would get turned in for not having a work permit. That's old history now. It's too risky. When a person teaches at a school, it sure looks like they are a teacher, so I can't be doing that anymore.

Now days, I teach English and math to 6 neighbor kids on Sunday afternoon and English to 3 kids at a Buddhist recreation program on Sunday morning. The kids are poor and 6-13 years old. It's free to them, but costs me kanoms and I make lesson plans.

I haven't really been worried at all about the work permit issue on this Sunday stuff. But I do appreciate your warnings.

My dream is to make friends with a few college students who want to practice their medical or nursing English on a long term basis.

WTK - I am not a woman last time I checked, but, like you, I would "find it appealing" to teach at Empower, but my wife would probably worry too much. I have been to their place on Chiang Mai Land and had the tour, and met one of their teachers.

Many thanks to ThaiVisa members for replying to my post!

I am a retired Registered Nurse from America.

I would like to help CMU students to improve their English, especially either Nursing or Medical students.

I tried offering my services at the Student Union and The Nursing Dept a while back and they each said they were interested but then never called me back. I am teaching some neighbor children at my house and at a temple but I am more interested in working with older students who are pursuing a degree and have their own agenda.

Also, does anyone know if their is an "English Club" or something like that at CMU?

If anyone has any suggestion or knows anything that might help me get something like this going, I would appreciate either a reply or a PM.

thanks

The one thing in common Science and western Religion have is that they both say either matter or god has always existed, since you can't create something from nothing.

Their is no "big bang" theory that sugests that the big bang came from nothing. At least no Scientificly plausable one.

True, Science has no plausible explanation for what the Big Bang came from. To admit this ignorance is not the same as "saying....matter.....has always existed." Scientists do not know.

Both Buddha and Science teach that everything has a cause. Both are silent when it come to explaining the cause of the universe. This is unknown and, perhaps, unknowable.

I happened to read The Moral Landscape 2 weeks ago. I do not find that Harris's emphasis on morality being that which promotes human well-being to be different from the Buddhist Precepts which take the exact opposite tack, that which avoids human suffering. Both can be considered objective morality. I am impressed with Harris, and pleased to have him brought up in this Buddhist Forum.

I'm guessing you had a good connection with a local practise oriented sangha when you were in the west and that's what you're missing.

To be honest I've never expected to have that in Thailand, I've never expected to have the fellowship of like minded people which is possibly one of the reasons why I've never been willing to move here permanently.

Thailand (and SE Asia in general) is a great place to do retreats as you've pointed out, and while I've met some good Thai Buddhists I don't think any have the slightest idea what really motivates a farang to practise Buddhism. Even the retreats are very different than in the west, much less opportunity to really talk about things.

I think you should follow the Buddhas advise and be an island/lamp unto yourself, don't expect to have the support of like minded people in Thailand while still making the most of the opportunities you can.

Interestingly enough, I started my practice after reading a book (probably out of print) by Stephan Levine called A Gradual Awakening. That put me on the path. As far as having like minded individuals around me, man...I've live a good part of my life in rural Christian Bible Belt areas totally devoid of anything "heathen"

Years later I came across Being Dharma with was a compilation of talks by Ajahn Chah from Wat Nong Pah Pong, and through his compassion for all humans, even us Farangs, establish Wat Pah Nanachat in Eastern Issan.

Now this is the type of monk I'm looking for. Not some English speaking Dharma master, but a simple monk who is willing to allow us farang to bridge that gap -- and to help us do it. So who is my teacher -- Ajahn Chah although many years after his passing. But it's through my readings of the translations of his talks that lead me to Dharma as I understand it. And it's my own personal meditation practice that I've verified the "truth" of his teaching. sila, samadhi, panna. Breathe. Be aware. That simple.

As far as being a "lamp unto myself" outside of the Sangha, here is something I wrote to someone else and feel free to comment on it:

Now Sangha. Why didn't Buddha just teach the Double Gem: Buddha and Dharma? Isn't that enough? The Buddha verified the path, and the Dharma shows us the way. So we should all be able to go forth individually and walk the path. Buddha did it -- why not everyone else? But wait? What did Buddha do after enlightenment?

What did he do? Walk around in a state of enlightenment like a spiritual singularity. Did he teach the concept of Dharma and then tell his disciples to go walk the road alone?

To "be a lamp unto yourself", of course. Meditation...Samadhi an individual journey. No one can do it for you. All the Dharma talks in the world aren't going help you evolve. But -- humans are social creatures. Why didn't Buddha just say: "Well, here's that path. Now strike out on your own, find a nice cave or forest, and "GOOD LUCK TO YOU."

That's not what happened. The Sangha happens, the third leg of the Triple Gem.

If we are human, we can walk that path. If we are human, we should be accepted into the Sangha. If there are wise Thai monks still in existence in this country, such as Ajahn Chah, then there should be Wats like Wat Pah Nanachat in Northern Thailand, Central Thailand, and Southern Thailand -- not just Eastern Issan.

I just believe in my heart that the gap between Thai and foreign Theravada Buddhists is a bridgeable gap. Funny! I've been asking myself the same question over and over since I came here -- "What is my purpose in life." And tonight I think the answer just occurred to me.

I have researched this a bit, and I believe that originally as set up by Buddha, the term "Sangha" referred only to the community of monks and nuns. It appears that the term has evolved in some quarters and today some people use it to refer to lay Buddhists also. This may partly explain why the OP and others, chiefly foreigners, half-way expect the monks to teach them advanced Buddhism deeper and deeper. Traditionally, the lay folk just kept the precepts and gave alms and support to the monks, for the most part anyway. This is still the case in today's Thai Buddhist society.

For what it's worth.

Yep Le Spice is tasty-----the one by end of night bazaar/tae pae road-"Spice" always empty when i drive by and as a chef people do NOT like to throw food out--always eat with high turnover/people

I like Kebab House--i 1st met the owner doing the chix pita at sunday walkingstreet--hes open late next to zoe/bkpkr bars...still tasty chix pits-50 baht----veggie samosa-20--and kick ass potato balls/30

get all that for 100 and im set---shammi is his name work there with bother-family--nice guy-looks tired

yes can seconded that,been eating there for a good few years and no complaints,,service very good,

Kabab House

wife and I ate there tonight

we each had the chicken kabob with the fries and coke for 99 baht. It was plenty, real good.

we like to go there maybe once a week or two

What you are describing has less to do with Buddhism, and more to do with Thai culture, which preceded the arrival of Buddhism among the Thais by centuries.

But it's similar in Burma and Laos, and I bet other SE Asian nations, and I want to know the reasoning/history behind it. Saying it's "Thai culture" is ignoring the point of the question.

On the other hand, if your question is actually about SE Asian history or culture, you are ignoring the point of this Buddhist forum.

Same same in every religion.

Maybe I'm thinking too much into this, and it's just a natural behavior when negotiation is a heavy part of the economy.

Yes, and when there are many slow days. How can a service provider who negotiates each sale be faulted for trying to make money? I don't see how this violates any Buddhist principals. All business is based on profit. His motive for working is not to give foreigners a good deal, he has to feed his family etc. I don't see the slightest thing unethical about trying to get a hefty fee. If a person doesn't negotiate the fee before purchasing something, whose fault is that?

Compassion is a fundemantel and natural expression of the enlightened mind. This is why Mahayana and Vajrayana emphasize it so much. One must and will eventually experience a natural state of compassion for all sentient beings. "So why wait?" they ask - start now to express your compassionate nature.

I view compassion as a double edged sword.

When one acts compassionately, their act not only uplifts the other, one finds oneself uplifted.

The compassionate hearted find themselves free from the rigidity and closed mindedness indifference brings.

To those practicing awareness, freedom from rigidity and closed mindedness banishes the short breath and brings a state, both spacious and open.

A state ripe for contemplation of breath, body, mind, feelings, and the external.

Each of us appear to align with specific paths, be they Mahayana, Vajrayana, Theravada, Zen and others, or open to all.

I wonder what causes us to identify with one over the others?

Might such alignments be influenced by Kharma and consequently Vipaka?

Is alignment a form of attachment?

The reason the Buddha taught different paths is stated over and over again in Mahayana teachings: the Buddha taught many different paths and methods to account for, and to accord with, the varieties of capabilities of beings. Not all times, situations, and beings are best suited or inclined the Theravadin approach. The Buddha taught other methods and paths for those people. Theravadins generally deny the Buddha taught anything beyond their Theravadin view, however.

Regarding compassion, a Theravadin practitioner once said to me, in denying any form of Buddhism beyond Theravadin exists, that compassionate action as an 'attachment' and hence a sin in Buddhism...that practitioners are to be detached and uninvolved with worldly affairs. However, beyond Theravada, generating the compassionate mind is an 'escalating requirement' in that full and complete enlightenment is not possible without possessing complete and unbounded compassion for all sentient beings. We don't find this in the Theravada.

All Buddhists agree that it is critical to feel compassion towards other, suffering, beings.

The problem with compassionate action is that people can disagree on what actions are correct.

Even political action can be thought of as compassionate action by each side of opposing parties.

Nearly everyone would agree that feeding hungry people is an appropriate compassionate action. However, some people will say it is better to teach a man to fish than to just give him food, even in that case.

Thich Naht Hahn teaches that protecting oppressed people is appropriate compassionate action. Sound simple? Consider the present-day situation in Syria. Should the international community intervene to protect the Syrians? They seem deserving of help as suffering people, don't they? In reality, it might make things way worse.

Compassionate action is inherently based on opinions and views.

Compassion is a feeling in an individual and totally Buddhist.

Compassionate action flows naturally from such a person, but the pursuit of good works is not mentioned in the 8 Fold Path, and could easily become an attachment.

IMHO.

Compassion is a fundemantel and natural expression of the enlightened mind. This is why Mahayana and Vajrayana emphasize it so much. One must and will eventually experience a natural state of compassion for all sentient beings. "So why wait?" they ask - start now to express your compassionate nature.

I view compassion as a double edged sword.

When one acts compassionately, their act not only uplifts the other, one finds oneself uplifted.

The compassionate hearted find themselves free from the rigidity and closed mindedness indifference brings.

To those practicing awareness, freedom from rigidity and closed mindedness banishes the short breath and brings a state, both spacious and open.

A state ripe for contemplation of breath, body, mind, feelings, and the external.

Each of us appear to align with specific paths, be they Mahayana, Vajrayana, Theravada, Zen and others, or open to all.

I wonder what causes us to identify with one over the others?

Might such alignments be influenced by Kharma and consequently Vipaka?

Is alignment a form of attachment?

Would you not agree that compassion is a state of mind that one has, not any actions that follow?

There are three places to watch Muay Thai fights in CM. They all cater to tourists for the most part. One is on Moon Muang near Tae Pae Gate. Another is in the CEC on Loi Kroh. The third one is behing Kalare Market. I think it is by far the best, except they only sell Chang beer. Prices are the same everywhere 400/600 baht depending if you want a little better seat. They all start at 9:30 even if advertised as 9:00. They each have set days of the week. The best way to find out is to look at the flyers posted on the poles along Loi Kroh for upcoming events. I rather like farang/Thai fights.

I guess we'll see when we get there.

None can get there as it is a state not a place.

Thus have I heard: The end of the world can never be reached by walking.

Why is it not possible to get to a state? Don't people get calm and get smart?

What do you think "the end of the world" means? Is this a state?

Buddha was not all-knowing,

I've heard the expression "Buddha Eye".

Doesn't Buddha Eye make the Buddha all knowing?

The only exceptions I can think of to Buddha's "all-knowing" would be to not intuitively know certain truths about the physical realm, examples of which I stated in my original post. He did however intuit that time has a discrete minimum moment, and is not infinitely divisible, which is now scientifically posited, to his credit. But I don't think it is necessary or reasonable to suggest that he had all knowledge whatsoever. Also certain metaphysical questions he denied knowing, such as whether the universe had a beginning or not.

As to expressions, such as "Buddha Eye", they can never make the Buddha anything, expressions being merely concepts created by lesser beings.

Rockyysd: don't really understand your questions. The enlightened mind is complete, uncompounded, and can not be touched. Nothing needs to be added to it or taken away. It is beyond all compounded entities or approaches to it. Omnipotence?

Unlimited, all knowing, supreme, infinite in power.

A state which is permanent and unconditioned.

In terms of hesitation towards teaching, why would such a mind need time to decide whether to be compassionate enough to teach the Dharma?

Why did the Buddha have to think about it?

Doesn't what appears to be the need for a thinking process to take place indicate a state (Awakening), as powerful as it is, not as omnipotent as many of us believe, but rather the pinnacle of the state the human can aspire to?

Buddha was not all-knowing, he did not teach plate techtonics, or that the earth revolves around the sun, for example.

The hesitation Buddha had in considering whether to teach or not had to do with if it would be effective. It was not described as whether or not to be compassionate.

Buddha was not beyond thought. Thought has it's place. I imagine that Buddha gave a lot of thought to what he did and the characteristics of the people around him. Granted he was not consumed by though as most of us are (haha ThaiVisa posters!)

go on a walk and judge nothing. see how long that lasts

It won't last long for most of us, that's for sure. But it is not unusual to have moments where we are not judging. When thought stops, in between thoughts so to speak, there is a bare awareness where the self is essentially forgotten. I would postulate this is non-dualistic consciousness, or something similar. The key factors are the cessation of thought and an active awareness.