khaowong1

Does anyone on this farming forum know where I can buy some good old fat, egg laying American type chickens and ducks.. these skinny Thai things don't do it for me... I live in Lopburi province... thanks

Sounds good.... but is it Buddhism?

The buddhas said that only by our own efforts and practice could we find freedom from suffering. Prayers and requests for help are outside the teachings...although we know that the mind is more powerful than we realise.

If you have been around a lot of Thai Buddhist monks like I have, you will find they are in two different camps about these teachings. Some are locked into the belief like you just said, prayers and requests for help are outside the teachings, then there is the other camp who believe that there are deva's, devatta's who listen to these prayers and do help... I found it's easier to walk a middle ground... I haven't yet been a reciever of any special visit from a deva, or any other spirit, so cannot say for 100% certain there is any truth to the second camps belief... but I keep an open mind....

praying for a speedy recovery Luang Por Khoon... you are loved by all... there are so few of you really special monks left..

This "clampdown" does not meet my approval...

nor mine neither... leave the poor girls alone... maybe some of them can't afford a full length skirt... school girl watching if one of my favorite sports when i get the chance to come to Bangkok from Lopburi...

I was just wondering if there were anyone following this Buddhism forum had found any books written in English with the teachings of Luang Phor Luesi Lingdam... I see them in Thai, but surely someone has translated them into English.. If someone has knowledge of them and where to find them, please let me know... thanks

How difficult is it and how long does it take to prepare for ordination the first time?

I had actually seen two ordinations before, one in the U.S. and one here in Thailand.. So kind of knew what was going to happen, although things get changed a little bit from ordination to ordination, the actual ceremony is the same... It took me two weeks to get the words pronounced correctly... and it helped that I ordained with another Thai man, who actually didn't know the words any better than me... but there was a monk who is your Aciraya, teacher, who tells you what to say... like a repeat after me... and I asked him to please slow it down just a little and please pronounce things clearly.. so except for the kneeling for about an hour, it came off good...

Fred, how literally do you think we should take Luangpor Jaran's stories? I read three of his books a few years ago and thoroughly enjoyed them, but I think I did so because I took his stories as just ... stories - not real, credible events. Thai people believe these stories and repeat them with wide-eyed wonder, but I can't treat them the same way. I don't think the people who create the stories are charlatans, but to me the stories are just too many and too similar. They form a genre - the Thai transkinesis/return from the dead/manifestation of karmic justice, etc genre. I don't know where to fit them into my Western post-Enlightenment mindset. To believe them all would be too believe too much and too many, but I don't want to dismiss them all either.

He is known for two main things...Vipassana meditation....and his temple is now a very large and busy centre for this....

and his knowledge about the laws of karma...and as you say...many tales of its workings and effects.

I would say that his popularity...and the attendance at his temple ..are directly related to all these books published about his life....virtually a biography...in Thai...

The workings of karma are deep...but very logical....

He is an Arahant....so he wouldn't make things up or lie...in order to be famous.

His many other studies and practices in various forms of meditation etc. have given him the ability to 'see' other beings karma........read their minds telepathically...and see their past lives...

He also studied Dhammkaya meditation with Luang Por Sod at Wat Pak nam....then studied Vipassana.... at the same time as Luang Por Sod did...( a little known fact...) at Wat Mahathat Bangkok.

He was also very detailed at keeping records of any and all experiences of his own and those that he came to know about from people who came to him at his temple.....so that he could use them to tell people about and give examples of the workings of karma.

The thai biography about his life is in six volumes.... not the simple Law of Karma series...of which only three got translated (in part) into English....here....

http://www.geocities.com/piyapane/

thanks for the insight on Luang Poh Jarun.. I went to Wat Ambhavan in 2006 and wished him a Happy Birthday, and ended up staying for a 5 day meditation retreat... I have read nine of his books and really enjoy them.. I keep a copy of his book, Chanting Verses with me at all times and even refer to it now here at Wat Khao Lang in Lopburi...

There are always someone asking about ordaining as a Buddhist monk here in Thailand.. I am a retired American and I just ordained on the 3rd of July for Khao Phansaa.. If any one has any questions there would like answered, I will be happy to give you my knowledge and experience of what to do and how to do it... And no, I don't speak fluid Thai, and can not read one Thai alphabet character... Metta

p.s. I can not get on the internet every day, so please be patient for your answers...

What next ? They will give candy at the immigration

Free spending money ?

free bar fines and major discounts on short time hotel stays?

My first post - but had to comment. The Thai Prime Minister was on BBC NEWS 24 yesterday and clearly stated that none of the events of this and last year had directly affected the tourist industry (like closing the airport, arresting tourists with arbitary offences and large fines, red-shirts here, yellow shirts there etc etc). What hope is there when a seemingly intelligent, educated man says this? Free Tourist visas? P****Ing in the wind yet again I'm afraid. Until these people learn to accept that they bear most of the responsibility for the fiasco that is now the Thai tourism industry, and not blame external influences completely for their own inadequacies, then there will be no improvement. I tis saddening to say many of my pals losing their shirts on bars and restaurants that should have a perfectly secure future, even in times of global downturns. The tourist industries of Phillippines, Malaysia, Vietnam and Cambodia are also seeing a downturn, but not of the magnitude of here. Downtown Pattaya is a ghost town and getting worse. And the local mayor believes that going no a promtional tour to Mumbai will help matters - God help us all !

I really don't see the point of this.

Do they seriously think that by issuing free tourist visas it is going to increase the number of tourists coming to Thailand?

Firstly, how would any potential tourists even know that the visa was free until they went to apply for one. It's not as though the news of this wonderful freebie is going to be plastered all over the press, radio and TV.

And secondly, once they goe to apply for said visa, they have probably already booked their holiday or their flight, so the fact that it is free will no no way influence their decision to come here.

If this is the best idea they can come with to boost tourism, then they are in for a lean time in the coming months.

'PONG', you're missing the 'PING' !

You sign off with:

"Those who are free of resentful thoughts surely find peace."

— Buddha

Better start practising what you're preaching . . . . or, from now on be known as Moby-DICK.

Perhaps look at this free-visa-effort as something POSITIVE; and maybe it infers that the Thai Government is beginning to wake-up a bit to the needs of the country ?? Give them a chance; obviously your keepers gave you (more than) one ?!?

JGK/Pattaya

Mumbai, good thinking Mayor... that's what Pattaya needs, more tailors.

What kind of deluded idiots think that a free visa is the answer to the revival of the tourist industry? The complete lack of thought process in government here never ceases to amaze me.

I don't think anyone thinks it will revive the tourist industry, or that there is any single action that will do so. It might help though, just a little bit. At least there is someone with some power actually trying to do something. If a lot more people try and do something positive too, perhaps it will revive?

I agree Stub, but like Mobi said earlier, who the hel_l is going to know that the Thai govt. is issuing free tourist visa's? It's not like some smuck in Fargo, North Dakota is reading about the "free Thai tourist visa" in the Fargo Rambler... or even on the Thai immigration website.. If they have any smarts, they will plaster this all over there immigration websites and make sure every travel agent in Thailand and through out the world knows about this "free" tourist visa... but don't hold your breath...

I really don't see the point of this.

Do they seriously think that by issuing free tourist visas it is going to increase the number of tourists coming to Thailand?

Firstly, how would any potential tourists even know that the visa was free until they went to apply for one. It's not as though the news of this wonderful freebie is going to be plastered all over the press, radio and TV.

And secondly, once they goe to apply for said visa, they have probably already booked their holiday or their flight, so the fact that it is free will no no way influence their decision to come here.

If this is the best idea they can come with to boost tourism, then they are in for a lean time in the coming months.

if your living here in Thailand, you should know by now, that the Thai govt. is not long on working out the basic logics to any solution. They put this out there to show the Thai masses that they are doing everything in their power to provide the Thai tourist worker with tourists... It will look good on their resume come next voting season... Lean times, they are acoming... let there be no mistake about that...

Here we go again, restoring confidence into the tourism sector. Maybe they could be bothered to clean the trains while they all sit there going nowhere. Truthfully I'm surprised the train and its tracks are still functional as I have not seen one single improvement done to the railway system since I rode the the train the first time years ago, seems it gets dirtier every year.

Having just ventured off into Malaysia this year they have one of the most beautiful central railway stations in the world and are soon to open high speed rail all the way from Singapore to the border at Hat Yai in Thailand.

you should take a bunch of photo's of the central railway stations in Malaysia, and mail them off to the Thai head of the Rail road.... p.s. don't use your real return address...

Awesome, another nail in the coffin

Quite! I thought the coffin lid would be fully nailed shut by now. Maybe there's more to come?

just think what would happen if they could get them all together at the same time... train, busses, taxi's... naaahh, never happen, I keep forgetting where I am...

I prefer buffet style somewhere, but "good" buffets are hard to find and usually not easy to get too.. normally, i will prefer to run and get a burger and watch some American tv show while everyone is out of the house, or maybe and old watched a hundred times, dvd...

You're welcome krub agent69. I think you actually are very good at Thai and can apply words to serveral situation as you understanding its core meaning/sense.

To this thread:

As I understand it. The Buddhism in Thailand stress on the concept of Karma (กรรม = deed) Cause and Effect. What you do will come back to you, even in th next life if not in this one. So it's the answer to the bad effect that is not your fault, may be the last life's karma is catching up. suffering in life is the paying back of bad Karma Good merit is Boon that carry you to good situation.

You reborn to the suffering or happiness because the account of you karma is still paying out. THe ultimate goal is the account closing. You pay all the debt then you don't reborn again. I am not sure how they place the good deed in this finality? Don't think it teachs that you should not also do more good deed for it put you on this world again or you may be born in heaven instead? The religion belief is mix of pure Buddhism and traditional belief plus Hindu..

Anyway in summary when people pass away we say the one had no more หมดเวรกรรม/หมดเวร หมดกรรม (no more debt tp pay in this life) or สิ้นบุญ (no more Boon to enjoy in this life). Obviuosly, หมดเวรกรรม/หมดเวร หมดกรรม is used more for person with hard life while สิ้นบุญ is used for people with happier life.

The words can also be expressed differently for certain purpose.

ie. Even when a happy person died we may say he is หมดเวรกรรม to suggest that at least he is now free of any chance of suffering in life.

In practice, สิ้นบุญ is common to be used for the pass away of person with high status/responsibility who look after may other people/big enterprise.

ie. The great chairman is now สิ้นบุญ, how can we run the company?

thanks old sparrow... I like that phrase, "no more debt to pay in this life".. I am a practicing Buddhist, and even going to ordain for Khao Phansaa.. I am an American, and death for most Christians there is very traumatic.. I'm thinking that a phrase like that would even be understood there... maybe not... metta

Personally I think that's terrible. Haul-keel him, whip him, bogwash him... whatever, but I've never heard of fining. Start doing that and then you get into the whole "5 baht is more to some families than others" debate.

At one school I taught at in Songkhla (way back when) they used to shave a chunk out of kids hair for being late. I thought that was hilarious.

yes, this is the method they use here in Lopburi also... late, rowdy, hair too long, dressed wrong, etc...

thanks for the pics, man... there's nothing that gets your blood running hot like a Harley... these are really interesting... you don't see street fighter type bikes much in the U.S.. I prefer the "chopper" harley, but enjoy looking at any Harley... thanks again...

Hmmm my math... a drop of 611%, in as 27000 goes into 165000 6.11 times....

OR... this year is 16.3 % of what the previous year was...

Airport closures, riots, global economic recession, and now H1N1.... What's next???

a 500% increase in the price of tourist visas. that'll do it.

that plus a similar increase in hotel rooms, food, taxi's, and national parks... yeah, that's it...

After living in Thailand for 40 years without a visa, there's no way in hel_l of ever getting a visa to visit the U.S.

It's not going to happen. If he has kids here, he should probably get his marriage authorized and then maybe he can stay here on a father of a thai kid visa.. a thai attorney "might" know what to do. But please, don't do something stupid thinking you can get your father to the U.S.

When the U.S. immigration sees what he has done here, they won't even consider to give him a visa to visit the U.S.

A woman is standing nud_e, looking in the bedroom mirror.

She is not happy with what she sees and says to her husband, 'I feel horrible; I look old, fat and ugly.

I really need you to pay me a compliment.'

The husband replies, 'Your eyesight's dam_n near perfect..'

And then the fight started.....

Does anyone on this Buddhist forum know where the office is of the Department of Religous Affairs, and if you do, could you give me the address? both in English and in Thai, please... Thank you..

The Lord Buddha had more possesions than we could even begin to think about, and he gave them all up... I think it's up to the individual..it's not about possesions, it's about what you believe it would take to learn the truth according to the Lord Buddha's teaching... granted, there are a lot of monks in Thailand who come from dirt poor families, but their are also some who come from very rich families, and I can't tell the difference except in talking to them, then the ones who come from a rich family with a better education are generally more refined in their speech and actions.. I'm not trying to start a discussion on rich vs poor here, just my observations.

I thought you couldnt take a life.

Not taking of life is a world wide concept. For ordained monks, it's either you don't or you get out..

The first Buddhist precept as well as the first Christian commandment, says not to take a life...neither says; unless, but, however... How many people, both Buddhists and Christians follow these simple rules of living? I am always asked by my Christian friends in the U.S., what would you do if; what about in time of war; what about this and what about that... I just tell them, neither the first Buddhist precept or the first Christian commandment has a clause that says; unless, but, however..

My thought is yes, no worrying about who is driving your car running your business, etc, even better if there is no wife or friend(s) in the picture. Now having said that the Wat thatyou choose is Very very important, because some Wat are very easy going and do not stick to the basic rules, i.e., allow TV, Video games, even card games to name a few, one Wat near me, I saw 10 year old Monk cleaning the outside area puffing away on his cigarette

I think you mean a monk who has been ordained for 10 years, as there is no such thing as a 10 year old monk... and yes, some temples are much more easy going than other temples, tv, video movies, etc. But as one old monk pointed out to me, look at your own imperfections, not at the imperfections of others... I believe that if you should ordain with the right attitude, that the "slackness" of some monks at the temple will not distract you from the path... there are some very strict Wats where a farang hasn't a prayer, so to speak, of fitting in..