khaowong1

Can someone tell me what channel and what time will the Super Bowl be on? Thanks, I have ubc tv.

I feel much better after reading this column. I thought I had the laziest wife in Thailand. I once seen her go to bed about 4:00pm on a Sat. afternoon and not get up, except to go pee and eat, until Monday afternoon about 6:00pm, then just to watch a Thai soap. Her mother does all the cleaning, washing and cooking, I can't figure out why her mother don't beat her with a stick. hel_l, maybe I should beat her with a stick.

Wow, great photo's. I would be hard pressed to pick out the one I liked best. Great job.

Donate to a local Buddhist temple where you live. You can always find one here in Thailand.

However, I'm still sort of interested in the subsidiary question whether Theravada lacks a focus on compassion in comparison with Mahayana and whether this is something that needs to be addressed.

I don't see that there is anything to address really. Theravadins follow the teachings of the Buddha in the Pali Canon, and there really isn't any indication there that the Buddha expected his disciples to "engage" with the world other than by teaching. In trying to attain nibbana, the practice was mostly renunciation. IMO, metta meditation was important because a monk or serious disciple might not have many opportunities to act out his compassion. In fact, compassion actually means "a feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the suffering." So, presumably, one can develop a compassionate mind through meditation, without actually helping people.

The goal of a Theravadin is a radical transformation of the mind (i.e. nibbana), so I think how much one engages with the world is a matter for each individual to decide, based on whether he thinks it will take him towards that transformation. The obvious problem with, say, running a soup kitchen or protecting the environment is you get caught up in all kinds of worldly problems, which is not the way to nibbana. And the Buddha did emphasize the idea of nibbana in the current life and the incredibly small chance of getting the human rebirth needed to make significant progress towards nibbana.

For Mahayanists it's a bit different. The whole idea is to be a bodhisattva and spend eons helping others before eventually achieving buddhahood. There is no hurry, so one lifetime running a soup kitchen is not a big deal. The notion that this is somehow superior to the Pali Canon teachings or that aiming for arahantship is "selfish" is ridiculous from a Theravadin perspective but probably makes more sense from a secular perspective.

Each to his own, is what I say. Choose the tradition that will make life most meaningful for you.

Thanks Camerata, your insights are sometimes amazing. I was talking the other day with someone about a subject which included going to Buddhist monks for marriage counseling, drug problems, drinking problems etc. and couldn't come up with a good answer. But it was very close to what you just said, "there is no indication that the Buddha expected his disciples to "engage" in the world other than by teaching. This explains things better than I put it.

No probs. You'll need to set it back to Thai afterwards if you have the Thai keyboard installed and want to type in Thai.

Thanks Katana, your a genius. I was having similar problems when I went to some google setting, like google adwords, adsense ever gmail. I was getting all Thai letters. I just checked my settings in my control panel, and it said Thai. I switched it to English and viola. Thanks again.

I am having a problem, that might be prostate related. Has anyone had any experience going to Samitivej Hospital for this problem, and what was your experience? Thanks

Here's my take on marriage counseling or any other kind of counseling at the Wat. Buddhist monks, unlike Christian ministers or Catholic priests or Jewish Rabbi's, generally don't feel qualified to give counseling. A large majority of monks, don't have the education or the knowledge to give competant counseling. If anything, they will give you the Lord Buddha's teaching on various subjects. Most monks are monks because they are basically counseling themselves. So to speak. They are following in the Lord Buddha's footsteps and trying to rid themselves of their own shortcomings. The majority of senior monks I have met, have never been married, never drank, never took drugs, never had sexual intercourse. They can not councel you about something they have never experienced. And they won't. The Buddhist monks I have had contact with, and I have had contact with a lot of Buddhist monks, would rather teach you about the 4 noble truths and the noble 8 fold path. All the answers to all the questions about marriage, drugs, infidelity, etc. are in these teachings. Maybe if you went to a temple, like say Wat Mahathat, where the monks there have much more education, maybe you would get the counceling you are looking for. But at the local temples out in the countryside, doubtful. Anyway, that's just my take on the situation. I could be wrong.

Have seen some great Buddhist stuff that I have not seen anywhere else, at Kinokuniya, 3rd fl., Siam Paragon. Also hear you can leave your passport (I do not recommend that) at Wat Bowonniwet when you borrow. Wat Mahathat would be more liberal if they lend. Of course, there are second-hand bookstores--Khaosan Rd. and other places--do not know how much they have.

Yes, I would recommend Kinokuniya at Siam Paragon. It's on the 3rd floor, which is actually about the 6 floor when you get off the BTS. They have a large selection of Buddhist books in English. There also is a nice book store at Wat Mahathat that have a nice selection of Buddhist books in English. I have bought books at both places. You should look at both places, both have books the other doesn't.

no mannerism, rude, ignorant!

have a friend who sometimes comes along with his gf, we are talking, she gets up walks over to him and starts whispering in his ear, amidst our conversation, repeats it several times, as innocent as anything.

got the impression that she does it for fear of being neglected, competitive thinking...however, it seems to e a very common behavior, as there no privacy as we understand it in the "west".

But then never witnessed it in the BTS, everyone is quiet, so in the buses or on the "Ruea Duean"....

Privacy?? What privacy?? As an American, I get really annoyed that there is virtually no privacy anywhere in Thailand. It's as if the Thai's are afraid of being alone for any length of time. I can't figure this one out. I love privacy.

It isn't the interuption that anoys me so much as the VOLUME.

FYI the average dB level for conversational speech in 50-55dB. Just for fun, I kicked on my sound level meeter on my i-phone, and found that my father-in-law speaks about 86-90dB!!!!!!!!!!! (My wife was anoyed by my scientific experiment)

I checked my father in law's hearing, and he hearing well within the normal limits....

So ultimatley, there is no reason for him to talk so loud.... other than he prefers to shout.... and when he is on his cell phone.... Geez, I think folks in Hades can hear him.

I love this. This is really funny.

Try going to a Thai wedding or ordination party. 50 or 60 adults and just as many children and all talking at the same time about 50 or 60 different things. And they all wonder why I'm not talking with them. I can't concentrate on one conversation while listening to 50 or 60 at the same time. I just sit back and watch them. After 2 1/2 years, I have finally got my wife to give me a straight yes or no answer without going on for 15 minutes. Sometimes.

hard to believe

can the re entry be issued at other immigration offices or are the powers that be centralising all offices to Suan Plu?

ie does Ranong or Phuket still do re entry permits?

An American friend of mine, just got his re-entry permit at the immigration office in Ayuthuya. (maybe mispelled) He lives in Lopburi.

Anybody know if they still issue re-entry permits at the departure area? Leaving the 15th.

The re-entry permit office at the airport is not closing.

It is an an office near the airport that is closing.

Sadly I can confirm that the re-entry permit office IS CLOSING, I passed through Swampy this evening there are signs saying closing on the 15th, whether that means they will be operating on the 15th is anyones guess.

Best to go to immigration in town for your re-entry permit.

Thanks Crossy, guess I had better make a quick trip to Suan Plu Rd just in case.

If it's set in Thailand you may be thinking of Nick Wilgus and his Father Ananda series.

Yes, that's it. Thanks for the info. I love those books, I think he's written three of them now. Father Ananda was a former policeman if I recall right.

Anybody know if they still issue re-entry permits at the departure area? Leaving the 15th.

The re-entry permit office at the airport is not closing.

It is an an office near the airport that is closing.

Thanks a bunch.

Perfectly brillant

Conflict is a common issue with all people, married or not, and some monks are very good at helping laypeople find ways of dealing with conflict. So it might be worth a try.

Treat each Human friend by thinking that...

He is our friend who was born to be old, become ill, and die, together with us.

He is our friend swimming around in the changing cycles with us.

He is under the power of defilements like us, hence he sometimes errs.

He also has lust, hatred, and delusion, no less than we.

He therefore errs sometimes, like us.

He neither knows why he was born nor knows nirvana, just the same as us.

He is stupid in some things like we used to be.

He does some things accordingly to his own likes, the same as we used to do.

He also wants to be good, as well as we who want even more to be good - outstanding - famous.

He often takes much and much more from others whenever he has a chance, just like us.

He has the right to be madly good, drunkenly good, deludedly good,

and drowning in good, just like us.

He is an ordinary man attached to many things, just like us.

He does not have the duty to suffer or die for us.

He is our friend of the same nation and religion.

He does things impetuously and abruptly just as we do.

He has the duty to be responsible for his own family, not for ours.

He has the right to his own tastes and preferences.

He has the right to choose anything (even a religion) for his own satisfaction.

He has the right to share equally with us the public property.

He has the right to be neurotic or mad as well as we.

He has the right to ask for help and sympathy from us.

He has the right to be forgiven by us according to the circumstances.

He has the right to be socialist or libertarian in accordance with his own disposition.

He has the right to be selfish before thinking of others.

He has the human right, equal to us, to be in this world.

If we think in these ways, no conflicts will occur.

Buddhadasa Indapanno - Mokkhabalarama, Chaiya - 22 May 2531

Ajahn Buddhadasa was one of the most insightful men. And most people shunned him when he was alive and called him a communist. Now they are calling him a saint. Go figure. I read all his books I can get my hands on. I remember one story told about him. The was a World Hunger conference going on in Bangkok, and Luang Por Buddhadasa was asked for his opinion of it. He said, "the attendees are all staying at the $500.00 a night Oriental Hotel, do you really think they understand about World Hunger"?

Thanks, I am always looking for interesting Buddhist fictions. Do you remember who wrote those stories about the Buddhist monk who kind of played detective when asked? I forgot the authors name. He had a dek wat that travelled around with him when he was sent to different places.

Have not used my aircon for about 3 months now, Nice and cool in my apartment and I do not even use a fan during the day !

My missus still puts the aircon on at night even if ts 20C outside, she sets it as 24C inside????????

I think its an obbession of with wasting money

I soon turn it off once i get to bed, open the windows and turn the fan on.

Ha, Ha, Ha. I went with some Thai friends yesterday. They all had on several shirts and jackets to keep warm, the minute they get in the truck, on comes the air conditioner. It has to be a Thai thing.

Anybody know if they still issue re-entry permits at the departure area? Leaving the 15th.

I live way out in the sticks and there children living around here that don't go to school pas about 12 years old as their parents can't afford to send them, buy school books and lunch as well.

Also during the planting/ harvesting times schools partly close down as the pupils are in the fields helping their families out.

Now that there is a slowdown in the world economy which will affect Thailand more families who had work in the cities and lose their jobs will be back on the farms for a while.

So living, as you do, out in the sticks you should be aware that Thai people are not starving.

The original question was about food, not about schooling and the economy.

From my expereince living out in rural Thailand for many years there is an abundance of food. You can always eat rice, fruit, even exotic meats, like frogs if you so desire. Food is almost free. It is everywhere. Any Thai child that goes hungry in rural NE Thailand, goes hungry due to parental neglect, not from lack of available produce. There is a lot of food in Thailand. In the fields and hanging from the trees.

I live in rural Thailand, and this is exactly what I see. There's no one around here that has a lot of money, most of the people here where I live are farmers. But no one goes hungry except due to parental neglect. Food is too cheap here. And abundant here. Rice, fruit, veggies, and even fish. The kids I see that may be going hungry are hungry because their parents are drunks and can't find the time to sober up and feed them. But they still don't go hungry for long. Too many people giving these kids food to eat.

I'm looking for a Yamaha Virago 250cc motorcycle. Preferably in decent condition. Willing to pay 15000 baht. Would like to find one around Bangkok or vicinity. If you have one or know of one for sale, please reply to this post.

Yes, I have heard of such a place. I can't recall off the top of my head. Let me do a little digging and I will post what I find here. The place I'm thinking of is, I believe, of Chinese origin.