mohinga

Used to be available at the Santi Asoke restaurant (mangsawirat?) at Jatujak market. Also at their places in Chiangmai. Much cheaper than at pharmacies.

Sounds like a good idea... but I would like to know how they hope to own the property; since, as far as I know, it must be in the name of a Thai national.

Luang Por Jaran of Wat Amphawan, Singhburi is well known for his writings about the working of the law of karma....and he states that normal merit making such as chanting, alms food, offering robes to the monks etc. can help those in the hungry ghost realm, but not those beings in the hel_l realms. Only very strong forms of merit such as being ordained as a monk or the practise of Vipassana can help alleviate the suffering of hel_l beings.

Thanks for this input. This is the more pertinent stuff to discuss (doctrinal and practice matters). The other stuff that comes out in these discussions may be good to be mindful of as well, but you have to take it with a grain of salt. It's pretty outrageous sounding and also dam_n near impossible to verify.

So now does anyone know if Dhammakaya says that hel_l beings are easily and readily helped, or do they also say that it takes strong merits? I would think the latter.

The fact that someone is "well known for his writings about the workings of the law of karma..." should not be a criterion for acceptance of his view.

The only scriptural reference that I am aware of is in the Milinda Panha of the Khuddaka Nikaya (Mil. 294 )

(http://www.sacred-texts.com/bud/sbe36/sbe3606.htm )

29. 'Venerable Nâgasena, these givers when they bestow their offerings, devote them specifically to former (relatives) now departed , saying: "May this gift benefit such and such." Now do they (the dead) derive any benefit therefrom?'

'Some do, O king, and some do not.'

'Which then are they that do, and which do not?'

'Those who have been reborn in purgatory, O king, do not; nor those reborn in heaven; nor those reborn as animals. And of those reborn as Pretas three kinds do not-the Vantâsikâ (who feed on vomit), the Khuppipâsino (who hunger and thirst.), the Nigghâma-tanhikâ (who are consumed by thirst). But the Paradattûpagîvino (who live on the gifts of others) they do derive profit, and those who bear them in remembrance do so too.'

'Then, Nâgasena, offerings given by the givers have run to waste <a name="fr_384">, and are fruitless, since those

for whose benefit they are given derive no profit therefrom.'

'No, O king. They run not to waste, neither are fruitless. The givers themselves derive profit from them.'

"Purgatory" was the term often used for "hel_l" by some Victorian translators. So, according to this, neither beings in hel_l-realms, nor animals, nor even some kinds of petas can receive merit... only 'those who live on the gifts of others'.

A view on how this works is that these beings see their relatives generating wholesome mental kamma while making the offerings, the petas themselves are then inspired to generate wholesome mental kamma... which in turn works to their benefit.

This would seem in line with the Buddha's teaching that we are all heirs to our own kamma... no one can save us.

It would be easy to speculate on why some teachers might cater to cultural wishes for this to be otherwise. But unless someone can come up with a scriptural reference to the contrary, I would be inclined to doubt those views. Especilally if they arise from those teachers' own psychic experiences. And even more so if money is involved.

I think that one 'doctrinal' difference might be their views regarding the sharing of merit. I don't speak Thai fluently, but can understand some; and when visiting the kingdom on several occasions have seen their television show. The monk seems do be doing "readings" for people, and suggesting that the merit helps their relatives in various hel_l states.

I don't have a sutta reference at hand; but I'm quite sure that the Buddha taught that merit could only be shared with beings in the peta (hungry ghost) realm. 'Shared' in the sense that the beings would receive the benefit.

Leaving aside the sideshow aspect of these "readings", it might be that the tendency of this practice favours an eternalism view. Maybe some ancestor worship influence?

As a side note regarding their method of meditaton ... it seems that it was introduced to the West in the 1950's and 1960's, but never caught on.

"Honour Thy Fathers" (http://www.buddhanet.net/pdf_file/honourfathers.pdf)

describes Ven. Kapilavaddho, founder of the English Sanga Trust, practicing at Wat Pak Nam (description of method on page 45). His successor at the E.S.T. in the early '60's, Ven. Ananda Bodhi (later Namgyal Rinpoche) also practiced at Wat Pak Nam, and taught this method. At that time it was referred to as "16 Buddha Body Meditation". This was well before the rise of the Dhammakaya organisation; and it's perhaps regrettable that this strain did not survive free from that influence.

I have a question which is not very well-formed... I guess it's more like a preliminary enquiry.

Does anyone know of an example of a foreigner ordaining as a monk in Thailand while having a retirement-visa? I'm a 62 year old Westerner currently retired in Malaysia; and I could qualify for the Thai retirement-visa requirements.

I can imagine some difficulties from the point of view of the Sangha.. e.g. the necessity of maintaining a bank account as a visa requirement would be an offense against the vinaya. I have heard that some Thai monks are not so strict in this regard. Perhaps one could find a viable alternative such as living in a monestary as an anagarika?

Does anyone know what difficulties might arise from Immigration's point of view? I believe that the trend over the past decades has been for visas for foreign monks has been one of ever-increasing restrictions. So I'm wondering if this retirement-visa option might be viable for the few beings who qualify?

I welcome any opinions/suggestions on this retirement/monastic/meditation possibility.

I recall there being two Wat Umong's in C.M.; the smaller one within the old city south of Chang Peuk Gate; and the larger, more famous one, outside the city south of the university. The pictures seem to be of the later; which is a bit surprising, since I thought it was a branch of Ven. Buddhadassa Bhikkhu's Wat Suan Moke, and therefore not involved in any juju.

I apologise for trying the patience of the elders here with a question that has probably been answered many times before... but I'm in a bit of a rush, and cannot search for previous posts. I'm not familiar with the new airport, and want to be able to tell relatives how to get a taxi to their hotel without getting ripped-off too badly. They are arriving Thursday from Luangphrabang, and will be going to the Shangrila (lucky them!). Is there a taxi queue where one can buy a ticket and be sure of getting a fair price, and a driver who knows where the major hotels are? Thanks...

Can anyone recommend a good place for Peking duck?

er...? sorry for the above garbled message; I'm a newbie...

I did consider flying. KL is too far the wrong direction, but Penang would work; and I think Firefly might fly to Krabi from there. But - and I'm just guessing here - they probably require one to buy a round trip ticket. We are going north, and then I'll be returning from Bkk.; probably by train.

I encounter this requirement for a return ticket more than fifteen years ago. Tkt agents in Malaysia didn't seem willing to sell me a one-way to Thailand - citing immigration requirements. Even allowing that this might have been a way of making more commision, I can't imagine the situation to have loosened up, considering all the recent retrictions on freedom of mobility.

Thanks anyway for the suggestion.

Have you looked into Air Asia?

this is a rather useless advice, un less you fancy the (AirAsia=uncomfy) change via BKK. There simply are no and never have been flights HYai-Kra. There WERE (but it seems now cancelled also) flights Hyai-Phuket, but in total this would not save any time. please check facts first before posting!

^^^&lt;deleted&gt;????

What's your problem? It wasn't advice, no facts,merely a suggestion. The OP said they were coming from Malaysia, I think Air Asia does fly from KL to Krabi. Maybe worth a look, tha's all!

If your having a bad day please find a better place to vent!!

OK... much thanks for the quick reply.

I'll be visiting from my retirement crib in Malaysia next month; and am considering the possibility of getting a colonoscopy in either Chiangmai or Bangkok. This would be solely for preventative purposes, i.e. I am apparently in good health; but it seems that the procedure is now recommended in the West for people over 50 yrs old. I'm 60, and my sister put the idea in my mind, so I'd like to check it out. The unpleasant aspect of the invasive procedure is a deterrent; and if it were expensive to boot, then I would probably pass on the "rocket ride".

Does anyone have info, or direct experience, of this procedure in CNX or BKK? i.e. cost?.. which hospital?... good doctor?...

Thank you.

It has been a couple of decades since I've been to Krabi, but I remember that I didn't much like the minivan (flying-coffins) experience. Next month I'll be travelling up from Malaysia to visit family in Krabi. Can anyone tell me how I can find out routes and schedules for regular or vip busses from Hadyai to Krabi? Also would like to know if bus can be boarded somewhere in the downtown area; or is it necessary to go to the bus station?

I'm assuming I have to go to Hadyai; but might there be a more direct (non-minivan) service from the border to Krabi?

Thanks.