troysantos

http://www.streamgarden.org/en/

Take a look at the six minute video. This place is called Stream Garden, and is not far from Had Yai city, in the countryside, amid forest, which is surrounded by mostly rubber trees. This place sure is quiet, unless the sounds of cicadas, crickets, birds, and wind blowing through the trees are "noise" to you. You won't find any beer here, but there's as much coffee and tea as you want. There are no fermented grain drinks here but we do sell fermented fruit drinks! Nor will you find western women to flirt with. They're too interested in self-inquiry along the lines of the teachings of an Indian (India-Indian) man named Krishnamurti. And, there's no seafood as everything's deliciously vegetarian ) ). And, we're pretty darn remote so there are no scooters to scoot around on.

However, the rooms and dorms are gorgeous and each has a stunning view of forest (mostly non-rubber tree forest), the people who live and work here, as well as the guests who are currently here, are super friendly. You can certainly read that book, might be able to get a massage, learn some yoga, you can come and do some enemas if you arrange it in advance!, you can take a swim in the stream or at the small reservoir, meditate on or just relax on a perfectly shaped rock next to the stream, you can stroll around the beautifully designed grounds, breathe in deeply the fresh air, and sleep in as long as you like. You can learn a few words in Burmese, Mon, southern Thai, French, English, Danish, Dutch, and let's see, central Thai and even some Lao words!

After you've finished reading your own books, you can read anything from the library of Krishnamurti books in Thai and English, and watch the DVDs of his talks, which even have Thai subtitles! Also, you can engage in the informal discussions that we often have here.

I am living and volunteering here, so I know what I'm talking about. Lastly, in case you hadn't guessed, I'm pitching this place to others just as much as I'm pitching it to you. Really, a lovely lovely place.

Interesting. If you find some here in Thailand, please inform where you got them.

Do you have access to any sandy soil?

HIYA! Saw the article about alternative treatments reaching the mainstream. It said that some places to go for treatments are resorts, and so expensive and gave three examples. The article also said there are bare bones places. I'm interested more in a bare bones place to go for a supervised fast for perhaps a couple of weeks. Anyone have any ideas? Or, renting a house and hiring a person to come each day to supervise could work out too. Know of anyone who's got experience and perhaps certification? I speak Thai plenty well so language is not a problem. You can advise me to not fast, for this reason and for that reason, and I'd thank you for your concern and for warning me. But, really ... save it for someone else please.

Son of a gun. I guess I didn't click "Follow this topic" after posting it and only came back to see what responses there were once. Boy, so there's been activity here. Glad to see that even in Theravada land there is interest in non-duality teachings. I'll respond to things as I remember, and will probably miss a few things that I thought would be good to respond to.

I do realize that this is not the ideal place for non-dual teachers. But, that's okay. I'm in Ayuthaya now, visiting a friend, who is also very interested in this stuff. He's overcome that which doesn't need to be overcome! Good to talk with him as there is nobody that I know of in the Asoke group who I can talk with like this. He's Thai.

I'm really interested in setting up a Zen center, where I'd invite teachers to come and teach. Zen as well as other non-dual teachings, as well as other religions and spiritual teachings. Like in the US, other things would have to be offered, say classes on this or that, in order to generate some income. This is really just a dream, as I have no experience with starting up or running a business of any sort. Yet, I am drawn to this dream more and more.

I agree that lots of intentional thinking about all this is useless. Some degree of intentional thinking is useful, I think.

I was thinking that dlarsenn's comment about intending to overcome nothing was intended to spark a desire to know. One thing I've long liked about Zen teachings, and other non-dual teachings, is just this - the the push, pull, tug, nudge, or perhaps a bashing, intended to inspire the seeker to continue the Great Search, or, to instantly wake up the seeker. Adyashanti has a talk entitled, "There is no seeker"! All this seemingly paradoxical stuff makes me shiver and tingle, and there's a sensation that I don't know how to describe.

Ken Wilber says, as does Adyashanti, that searching obscures the fact that there is no seeker, nothing to be gotten. So, stop seeking. Adyashanti also says that if it were that simple, that there is no sense in practice, then he'd say just sit on the couch, crack a beer, and it'll happen or it won't. But he says that there is value in practice. I haven't read that much of Wilber's work, but I saw in someone's post here that he does recommend practices. Of course he would. There has to be something that we do in order to hasten this thing.

One thing I like to keep in mind is to not verify the truth of all this stuff, but to verify if it's all true. I do believe that we can convince ourselves of things that we believe in. We believe, and one day we go, "Ahah ... so it is true!" I prefer to start with neutrality. But, honestly, I do incline to believe that there is something that I'm not aware of, and if I were to realize it, the affect would be awesome.

Sorry, but I forget who said that if we're not aware that we're Buddhas, then we're not yet enlightened. Something like this. Like the statement that there is nothing to overcome, I can see this comment in the same way. Intended to stimulate the search. Even if that's not the intention, we can use it in that way!

I lived at a Zen center in Korea for two and a half years, and practiced there for three years. The hwadu practice was to ask continually, over and over, "What is...?" I really didn't get into the question very deeply, but it makes so much sense to me to ask this question. Like Tolle and others say, you gotta want it more than anything. But my teacher in Korea said that it's not important to have it be all consuming, as some people go beserko.

I recently found a Zen book in Thai. Haven't yet finished reading it but after I do finish it, I'll call the author and talk. He's in Khon Kaen. He donated the book to the Santi Asoke library in Bangkok, and somehow it wound up in the Asoke library in Ubon! He wrote his name, address, and phone number in the book! Thanks guy!

There are a few phrases in the poem by the third patriarch that I like a lot. Particularly the opening lines, that say something like the path is not hard for those who do not take sides? Really. I have to agree that it's not hard to practice these practices, whether Buddhist or Zen. Just like the thing about "trying" to pick up a pencil. Nothing to try - you just do it or you don't. Nothing hard about it. It seems hard though because we're not used to, for instance, taking a walk and judging nothing for but a few moments here and there. Or, in not discriminating between the various things we perceive with our senses. Or, while meditating (or doing anything for that matter), to just let everything be as it seems to be. It's not that these things are hard, is it? I don't care to be pedantic, but I do like to be clear within myself about things that seem important. So, I don't want to say that this or that is hard if it seems that that's not the case.

Several ... your name ... ? ... ! Surely you didn't register with this name just for topics on non-duality!

Ya know, I neglected to say that I was only looking for English news on the radio. But of course I have an internet connection and just decided to download some news by podcasts. Silly of me to cling to the idea that I had to get it on radio. Thanks for pounding it into me to get my news via internet.

Thanks much for the suggestion. I do realize that online communities are one option. Would like to have a body nearby but may settle for a voice and a face! Thanks, really, I do appreciate it.

I live at the Asoke temple here in Ubon. I've been with the group for a total of nearly five years. But lately I've been looking around for a Zen or some other sort of non-dual teacher. Though I think this group is really great in many ways, my heart is more drawn to the non-dual teachings and practices.

I think Adyashanti's teachings and the practices that he teaches are great. He's an American guy in California NOT here in Thailand. But his teaching is a great example of what I have in mind.

Ajaan Cha's temple is nearby, as is the IMF, so I'll certainly visit those temples to see if a spark is lit. I'll head south someday to Surat to visit Suan Mokh. Also, I realize there are some Thich Naht Hahn groups in Thailand. I'll visit at least one of them. I haven't done any looking around yet, just asked a few people but without any hits.

Next step is to do some searching in Thai language but that'll go slower so I'm asking here first.

I'm really open to seeing what all is available.

One Thai friend I've asked has read tons of books on "the new paradigm" which is sort of a contemporary non-dual teaching. He himself would also like to find a teacher and a community.

If I really want that style, you could say I'm in the wrong country. But I'm happy to live here just the same.

Thanks much.

If you are eating out and can get yourself to a Santi Asoke restaurant, you'll find plenty there that you might call healthful food. Of course you can also take the food out. The food is all vegetarian, and mostly everything at every Asoke restaurant is vegan.

There are some things about vegetarian food here in LOS that I myself find a bad health choice. Lots of mushrooms, fake meat, and tofu. I'm also not a big fan of bamboo shoots. Unfortunately, these things are in just about all the dishes at the Asoke restaurants.

Though it's probably more healthful than most of what you'll get in Thailand the cooks make food mostly for the average person who wants a "good" meal. So, you can get very salty food, very spicy food, and very fatty food (and I agree that coconut oil and palm oil have gotten a probably undue bad rap for many years). I've known incredibly fat people in this group, and it's pretty obvious why just seeing what's going into their mouths. Also, some restaurants emphasize organic ingredients.

They all have brown rice, which I think is organic at every restaurant. There are various "healthful" things to eat and buy in all the Asoke restaurants.

I have lived with the group for several years, currently in Ubon, and I'm pretty up on what's in the pots and trays. Having said this, I don't eat much of the food - I believe that a raw food diet is a much more healthful way to eat. So, though rice is the staple here in most of Asia, for me the banana is my main food most days. And having said this, I DO eat some of the rice and everything. Especially pumpkin .... I could probably happily eat it every day.

Thanks both of you for your answers. More than likely, I'll either continue to skip the news, or I'll get it on my computer in one way or another. - Thanks.

I live in Warin Chamrap district, Ubon province. I'd really like to listen to news in English, on the radio. It'd be the most convenient way for me to get news in English. I am guessing it's possible to get BBC and / or VOA on one radio station or another, sometime during the day. Or, news in English read by Thais if that's available on some station or another.

Thanks much.

HIYA!,

I'm considering a move to either Ubon Ratchathani or Suphan Buri. I'm a fruit fanatic and would want to grow a wide variety of fruits. At the moment, I would just want to grow them mostly for my own consumption and study, though someday I might want to sell fruits and / or trees.

So, aside from the usual papaya and banana, what do you grow in Ubon Ratchathani or Suphan Buri? Or, where can I get more information on what can grow?

I realize the government has dictated what fruits grow best in each region, based on soil and climate, and probably other factors, but of course, that's not all that will grow on any piece of land.

And, aside from these (fruits that are abundant in Thailand but maybe not so commonly grown in Ubon or Suphan), what do you grow that is not even well known in Thailand? Maybe something from other sub-tropical regions, or tropical regions?

Just in Thailand alone, I'm told, there are hundreds of varieties of plants in just the banana family. I keep thinking that it must be possible to sell enough of the the odd variety of banana (I mean the fruits, not the plants) to make a decent, though modest, income.

Along the same line of thought, I wonder about the possibility of making some cash from selling fruits from trees that are exotic for Thais. Say, if I were to plant a few "Chocolate Pudding Fruit" trees and sell the fruits, or some other "exotic" fruit ... I just wonder what the possibilities are. I am sure there are others who've tried, and mostly, I guess, failed. Tell me where I can look for info on these past attempts, please.

I also semi-consider (a new word?) moving to Chiang Mai, or even Chiang Rai. I realize that with the mountain climates in those provinces, the range of possibilities is much greater than in the lowland provinces.

So, that's it ... and maybe that was alot .... Thanks a ton, in advance, for responses.

all smiles ~~ no worries.

I used to wonder about a pak chee ผักชี that I have seen

translated as parsley though it looks nothing at all like the

parsley that I'm used to. So I read some things on Wikipedia.

Though it's not the most reliable source for information I am

taking it as true.

I'm American and the words I'm using are as I understand

common American usage of the names coriander and cilantro.

First, I've always called the seed that comes from the cilantro

plant coriander and I call the plant cilantro. This plant is called

Pak Chee Thai ผักชีไทย.

Wikipedia says that some languages use the word coriander

For both the plant and the seed.

Pak Chee Lao ผักชีลาว has the same scientific name as Dill though

The plant here is far shorter than what I think Dill is in the US.

Pak Chee Farang ผักชีฝรั่ง - I've seen this translated as parsley but

uh, pardon me for saying that it looks NOTHING like the parsley

that I know. It's all over Central America though and the two

names I've seen for it there are colantro and culantro.

There are indeed people who call themselves Buddhists who pray. But, I would say the Buddha never instructed anyone to pray, and may very well have taught that there is nothing and nobody to pray to, and, maybe even that there is nobody praying.

By pray, here I mean to ask for something, be it a good grade on a university exam, an attractive mate, or a peaceful life. I realize though there are other things that people do when they pray. Thanking God, asking God questions, just communicating with God, and, oh, I don't know, what else do people do when praying? (I myself don't believe in a God, nor do I reject the possibility.) Anyway, I don't know if there are people who call themselves Buddhists and do these other things when praying. But for sure, there are "Buddhists" who ask for this and that. Sometimes they get it ... sometimes they don't. I like the old saying, "Be careful what you ask for because you just might get it!"

Can't say that I've had much difficulty at all in picking up this language. Has gone pretty quickly and easily. But I remember studying Japanese and wondering how in hell I'd ever remember the verb conjugations. Well, eventually I did get it down pretty well.

As far as having had a hard time pronouncing the girl's name, just consider that many learners have a hard time pronouncing this or that sound, and this could very well be one that is going to trip you up.

But, why let anything stop you? Getting discouraged is part of life, right? But that doesn't stop you from doing this or that, right? If you want to learn the language, then you can make the determination to learn it as well as you want to, and realize that all setbacks are temporary. (Isn't EVERYTHING temporary?) Keep the attitude that you can learn the language as well as you want to.

You can also consider that the girl who helped you for 20 minutes was an angel. Imagine that ... okay, maybe that 20 minutes just SEEMED like 20 minutes. But, even if it were only 10 minutes, imagine someone trying for that long to get you to pronounce her name correctly! Wow. She's your teacher! Even if you never see her again, let her be an inspiration ... motivation.

ใจเย็น Jai yen (patience)

I have also seen Aesop's fables in Thai and English. But they were tiny books, one fable per book, I think. I don't know how much they cost but the ones I'm talking about couldn't have been more than 20 or 30 baht, I'd guess. Have you tried searching online?

Also, if you use iTunes you can listen to podcasts of eight fables. Search iTunes podcast directory for Aesop's fables, and / or Spoken Thai. I've got them and they're pretty useful. The lady reading the fables reads them like she's READING them, and not like she's relating a story to you. They're useful just the same. And, they have a website too, just Google Spoken Thai and you'll find them.

This Spoken Thai website is part of Paknam Web Forums. I just found a post where, I guess it's the administrator of the forum, was selling a set of books of Aesop's Fables in Thai. The thread is from 2007 so who knows if they're still selling them. Go to Paknam Web Forums and ask the guy with the blue shirt in the picture.

I think that TV policy prohibits posting links to websites so PM me and I'll send you a link.

Do any native English speakers anywhere say this, outside of Thailand?

I'm American. I don't think I've ever said this to another American. Maybe I have but I sure don't remember and it really seems foreign to me. I have been teaching people to say, "See you later." because that's what I'm used to. Of course, there could very well be tons of American who say this, and I just don't know. And, of course, native English speakers outside of the USA may say this all the time.

You're in Thailand and you have clover growing on your land?! Where are you? I'd love to have clover growing here. Are you sure it's clover, and not oxalis, which looks similar to clover, yet has a sour taste, and small yellow flowers.

As for preventing new seed growth, I've read somewhere on the internet that sprinkling corn starch before seeds germinate will prevent them from germinating. Haven't tried it though.

And, yeah, again, are you sure that's clover?

Since you don't live there, I'm wondering if it's really organic. Super sweet could be super loaded with who knows what! But of course it could also be super safe. You know, lots of Thais aren't all that interested in safe food. Many are ... many aren't. Hope the hard slog softens up.

Perennial peanut sounds promising. Can the plant stay green through the dry time of year without watering? There are wild rabbits, pigs and small deer (เก้ง) around to name a few. Limiting access will be impractical, but I wouldn't mind if what gets eaten is manageable. Hunting anything that moves is rampant so the presence of such animals stays quite limited.

I doubt it will stay green without watering. I saw the plant in Nicaragua on a farm during dry season. It was pretty wilted and withered but was far from dying off. After a bit of watering it came back looking good. There were ducks and chickens there so I guess they were eating it though I never noticed them eating it. And, I doubt that any animal will eat so much that it will all die off, even during dry season without watering.

It's expensive. I've heard that it sells for 5 baht per bag, with ONE! sprig per bag. I'm sure it's for sale by the kilo or by the handful or some other, cheaper way than 5 baht per sprig. And, I don't know where to buy it.

I just searched "Perennial Peanut Florida" on Google and found several that looked interesting. I didn't open any of them, but just looking at the briefs, I saw some interesting looking sites.

I'm interested to know if you decide on this, and how it goes for you. Please make a post if you decide on this. Or, if you decide on something else, I'm interested to know what you decide on, and how that goes for you.

Have you considered Perennial Peanut? Grows well in Thailand, is drought resistant, will last for years, you can walk on it, and it has a pretty little flower. When all the flowers are blooming, it is a very very pretty sight. Another name is Brazil Nut. It does not put anything in the ground but since it does resemble the peanut plant, maybe it got the peanut name from that. The only edible part is the yellow flower. ถั่วลิสงเถา and ถั่วบราซิล are the two Thai names that I know of.

Have you considered seedballs? Know of a guy named Masanobu Fukuoka? Google his name along with seedballs. If you don't already know, you might be interested.

I don't have time right now to get links but there's stuff all over the internet on seedballs and Masanobu Fukuoka.

Some of this is either mistyped Thai or is not Thai! Or, I just don't know enough Thai!

จ๊ะ เด๋วนิ เกาหลีฟีเว่อนะ จะดีมาก ถ้ารุปนี้ มีน้องเปนส่วนร่วม

เกาหลี is the Thai word for Korea.

พวกพี่ไม่ค่อยต้อนรับ เมียปู๊...

อันยองอาเซโยยยย

This is nearly - there's a typo - the Korean greeting written in Thai.

โอ้วววว อะไร ปู๊ๆ นี่พี่เฟรม ถนัดนักแล ฮ่าๆๆ

ไอ่บอย มึงไม่ต้องมาระลึกความหลังให้กู

I started Thai language learning with books. I suppose schools are a good way to go though I've never attended one. Do you have friends who can help?

Yeah. And the number one isn't usually placed before the noun. So you would say ข้อเดียว instead of หนึ่งข้อ or I think ข้อหนึ่ง would fly just as well.

Thanks มากฯ!