Adiccavamso

I would like to share my first and thankfully brief experience of working for a Thai-run teacher agency. The variously described manager or director was a Thai woman who has difficulty making herself clear in English, written or spoken, and is very unpredictable, at times aggressive and domineering and at others times inaccessible. She offered health insurance (never delivered), a draconian and one-sided contract (which I didn't sign; it stipulated, for example, that lesson plans should be prepared two weeks in advance - an absurd provision when lessons are subject to change or cancellation at the last moment) and a wage of 35,000 baht a month (but her farang teachers are not paid during holidays, and 2,000 of that monthly wage are dependent on the teacher working the full contracted eight hours daily, even if the last lesson ends by noon). She had a habit of ignoring emails and phone calls, or only acknowledging them after a couple of weeks at best. At other times she thought nothing of calling after 2230 (10.30 pm) and would summon employees to meetings even on (unpaid) holidays. She promised to deliver textbooks which never arrived, as well as documents for opening a bank account (these were not fothcoming, either, but fortunately were not really necessary). Her relations with the school were poor to say the least and there was much bad blood between the two sides. When I started, I wondered why my two predcessors and sole farang colleague simply walked off the job, apparently without giving notice. Now I know. Essentially, the best I expect from a Thai employer is benign neglect. I am grateful to this firm for teaching me three important lessons:I will again never work for Thais because they are not to be trusted or relied upon, or, if I do, I will ensure there's a farang management layer to insulate me from the Thai senior management; I will only work with several other farangs in a team for mutual support, not with Thais (who are disorganised, care little for the job and do their best to avoid anything resembling a problem or responsibility, perhaps not surprisingly given their low wages), and finally, only teach people who are paying good money (600 b an hour) to learn English because that's some guarantee of motivation. Thai school students are generally not keen to learn much, and what they are taught by our Thai colleagues isn't English but 'Thainglish'. The warnings signs at the outset - which I missed - were these: an employer in a rush to sign me up, lots of verbal promises not matched by anything in writing, and finally an apparent inability to communicate. You have been warned.

The Bangkok Post has recently published correspondence about the cost of acquiring or renewing a British passport. In this forum I recently asked if anyone knew how to find a notary/commissioner of oaths to witness a signature on a court document, but no-one responded - but I can now answer my own question.

The British consulate will do so, for a fee. Of course it goes without saying that the staff at the UK consulate are efficient, courteous and charming and it's not their fault that to witness my signature, add their own and stamp the document, they will charge 2,834 baht. If the document comprises several loose leaf pages, they will charge an additional 1,123 baht to bind them (using a staple?). That's a total of er, 3,957 baht.

Does this seem excessive to you? It does to me.

Because my affidavit is destined for the South African High Court, I tried the SA consulate just around the corner in the Chidlom Central Tower.

They did it all in under three minutes. And the charge? Absolutely nothing. Instead I got a nice smile from the Thai lady behind the counter in return for my wai, and it was done.

I think one of the many reasons so many Brits are in Thailand is because UK Inc, at least the government and bureaucracy, have learned how to rip off their own citizens at every opportunity. No longer do people pay for 'services' - they pay for products at the highest possible cost the market can bear. Thank you, Mrs T. and her legacy, Blair's New Labour.

What is the Thai equivalent of a commissioner of oaths in the UK?

If the document is in English, will the UK embassy perform the role (no doubt for a tidy sum!)...?

Thanks

I'm a UK national and have to sign and submit an affidavit for submission by a solicitor to a court in South Africa over a disputed will (basically to stop a thug from stealing a dying old woman's inheritance). I have given the solicitor power of attorney so he can, at least initially, act on my behalf, but sooner or later I will have to print up the affidavit, sign it and find the equivalent here in Bangkok of a 'commissioner of oaths' to witness it. Any ideas how to proceed? Will the Uk (or maybe SA) consulate do the job? Or do I have to go to a law firm and pay lots of baht for their trouble? I'm a Brit, but the case will be heard in SA.

Many thanks in advance.

I never had any Vipassana instructions - so I do not know - what in this realm is taught -

but practice Yoga, Pranayama, Dharana and Dhyana there are several methods

of breathing techniques, some to warm one up, to cool down, to calm down...

and many "envisioning techniques" BUT they should be done with a teacher/master

who as the experience and in case can guide or if needed help....

I prefer to suggest just to watch the breath as it enters the body and leaves...

in out - in - out... relax... in - out - in - out - everything else will come on silent wings...

The lecturing Monk remained stagnant for seven years on a breathe technique which didn't work for him.

l just didn't want to end up wasting my time.

May I suggest you try out different methods until you find the one that works for you? Watching the breath is generally known as 'Calm' meditation (samatha) in Theravada, and it can produce great progress, sometimes life-changing ones, but it will not take you all the way through the 'absortions' or jhanas on the path to arahatship. That said, most people I image are happy to experience greater serenity, a sense of wellbeing and compassion for others. In Vipassana, samatha is used to a lesser or greater extent to establish calm before the self-investigation (starting with the body) begins. As for the breath itself, there are numerous techniques or varieties on the same theme. Zen tends on the whole to follow the breath all the way, imagining it circulating it in and out, while samatha teachers tend to focus on the impact of the breath on the upper lip and nostrils. You might find your own particular way of doing it that produces a calmed mind without intrusive thoughts and even go much further to the first jhana (and beyond?)... it's a matter of sticking at it despite setbacks, doubt etc. Easier said than done!

Your Yoga exercises sound very interesting and beneficial.

I achieve deep relaxation and delicate meditation experience after an hour of Hatha Yoga.

It is excellent for relaxing the body which seems to quieten the mind for me.

What are your experiences using Yoga, Pranayama, Dharana and Dhyana?

I don't think a summary would be very useful since it's the wealth of detail the author uses to support his argument that is interesting. Basically, he thinks that Theravada might not have been the best of the pre-Mahayana sects, but it was the only one that survived, largely because of its transmission to Sri Lanka. It tends to concentrate on suffering and gloom (negativity rather than positivity) and its conservative nature has resulted in a school obsessed with following rules and maintaining non-Buddhist cultural traditions at the expense of the real spirit and intent of the Buddha's words.

He thinks that the Theravadin monk's high status and pampering by lay people tends to produce an indolent and self-obsessed Sangha, and he bemoans the fact that Western fundamentalists such as Thanissaro tend to be against change and development rather than for it. Form over substance is the way he sees Theravada, going right back to Buddhaghosa and the early commentaries. I haven't read the final sections yet, but he seems to be calling for a new kind of Buddhism that is more positive, engaged, and willing to change when necessary. He doesn't mention Than Buddhadasa, which is strange since he was a prominent Theravadin reformer.

It seems very reasonable to suggest that Thai Theravada Buddhsim is an orthopraxy rather than orthodoxy...a point which Peter Jackson makes in regard to a moribund sangha closely tied to the state. I agree very much with the above comment that it's odd that no mention is made of Buddhadasa who strove to deal with many of the failings mentioned in the booklet. It's a striking omission for someone who was a monk here.

I don't think a summary would be very useful since it's the wealth of detail the author uses to support his argument that is interesting. Basically, he thinks that Theravada might not have been the best of the pre-Mahayana sects, but it was the only one that survived, largely because of its transmission to Sri Lanka. It tends to concentrate on suffering and gloom (negativity rather than positivity) and its conservative nature has resulted in a school obsessed with following rules and maintaining non-Buddhist cultural traditions at the expense of the real spirit and intent of the Buddha's words.

He thinks that the Theravadin monk's high status and pampering by lay people tends to produce an indolent and self-obsessed Sangha, and he bemoans the fact that Western fundamentalists such as Thanissaro tend to be against change and development rather than for it. Form over substance is the way he sees Theravada, going right back to Buddhaghosa and the early commentaries. I haven't read the final sections yet, but he seems to be calling for a new kind of Buddhism that is more positive, engaged, and willing to change when necessary. He doesn't mention Than Buddhadasa, which is strange since he was a prominent Theravadin reformer.

Agree..I thought too as soon as I' finished it that he hadn't mentioned Buddhadasa who, it seems to me, strove to tackle many of the criticisms raiused by this author. I think he makes many tvelling points, but they are sometimes overstated. His criticism of paticcasamutpada is misplaced, I believe, or perhaps he hasn't grasped that's it's a continuum that can go backwards as well as forwards.

I offer this up for possible discussion. Before we enter into any vituperative criticism of the author, it might be worthwhile reading carefully what he has to say...it's been around on the web for a few years, I'm told, and has recently been produced in the form of a booklet. Perhaps you have already discussed it and as a newbie I simply missed your views. If so, apologies.

brokenbuddhanew.pdf

Can Buddhism save Thailand?

It could, but I suspect it won’t. I noted a couple of relevant things in the book, Happiness, by Matthieu Ricard, a French monk in the Tibetan tradition, and said by some to be “the happiest man in the world”. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-...rld-433063.html

On p. 105 he says: “Systematically blaming others and holding them responsible for our suffering is the surest way to lead an unhappy life. It is by transforming our minds that we can transform our world.”

He later says (p. 116): “Attachment idealizes its object, hatred demonizes it.”

I find it hard to imagine the leaders of one side or the other exhorting their followers to look deeply into their own actions and motivations and to transform their minds as a result. I think it’s also very unlikely that the idealization or demonization of people like Thaksin Shinawatra or Sondhi Limthongkul is going to be moderated, and a balanced view held up by, say, the Prime Minister or the Redshirt leaders, as the recommended one for people to hold.

Furthermore, Matthieu Ricard suggests that, when people are angry, that is the time to reflect on how the anger arose and the suffering to which it led.

“It is easier to work with the disturbing effects of a strong emotion when we are in the midst of experiencing it, rather than when it lies dormant in the shadow of our unconscious. At the precise moment of the experience, we will have the invaluable opportunity to investigate the process of mental suffering.” (p. 106)

However, I’m not aware of any calls to self-examination or practical steps being taken by the leadership of the national Sangha in Thailand. It may have happened, but I’ve not seen any reports of it.

The International Network of Engaged Buddhists, in its statement on the Thai situation of 18 May, referred to the Dhammapada: verse 201, which says:

Victory breeds hatred, for the conquered is unhappy.
Persons who have given up both victory and defeat, the contented, they are happy.

The INEB goes on to say: We wish for all parties address the conflict with reason and tools of peace, to recognize the ancient Buddhist wisdom that neither the so-called winner nor loser will be contented and happy. We encourage those who do not fall into one of the two camps can help this process wherever possible. Only through peaceful negotiation and dialogue can all parties concerned return the country to its true nature as a flourishing democracy and a peace-loving nation.

http://jizochronicles.wordpress.com/2010/0...nt-on-thailand/

However, there doesn't seem to be a strong commitment to dialogue, at least among the movers and shakers in this country. Once again, I may be wrong, but in any case, it takes key figures on both sides of a conflict for “peaceful negotiations and dialogue” to take place.

Perhaps we’ll have to wait for more death and destruction, more anger and grief, until the Thai people remember their Buddhist roots and look to responsible and compassionate ways of resolving their differences. People who are already privileged will have to take the lead in this, but will they?

Agreed. No 'ism' saved anyone. (Bearing in mind that Buddhism is a term invented by Western orientalists in the 19th century). The vast majority of lay Thais seem to have a very sketchy knowledge of Dhamma, a tiny minority take meditation seriously and seek the Nibbanic path (such as the followers of Buddhadasa, who represent a miniscule fraction of the educated urban elite), while successive Sangha Acts have reduced the renunciants' room for manoeuvre to such an extent that the Community is virtually moribund. The Sangha does advise government, I'm told by senior monks, but the advice is routinely ignored. Getting out of their temples and going out and about - 'going forth' as in the Buddha's day - to teach basic Dhamma seems beyond the capability of the institution. Thais - monastics and laity - seem to have forgotten that if you want to change/save the world (or just Thailand), you have to start with changing/saving yourself! In the meantime I suppose we can console ourselves with the knowledge/insight that everything is in a state of perpetual change (anicca) and avoid attachment to any aversion or desire with the way things are.

Another good solution is biodegradeable plastic bags. They sell them in Makro and are very cheap - just like normal in quality and price. Plastic bags are needed for so many things these days that I think this might be the long-term answer, perhaps coupled with a price increase for non-bio bags. Money talks!

That's good to know...my wife sells organic veg in the market where everyone uses plastic - from the farmers through wholesellers to retailers...and I tred to find alternatives by approaching Thai manufacturers but their producs are so much more expensive, even when bought in bulk. Plasic is cheap and when someone is working on a profit margin of five percent, price matters! I shall check out Makro.

Can anyone recommend a good/reliable/cost effective person or company in Bkk to design and build a simple but elegant website?

Thanks

I think it was from a thread dealing with Bikkhuni's or more precisely womens ranking in the Thai Theravada Sangha.

Here's a couple of quotes for you:

"A great many nuns have left testimony that they attained enlightenment [in the Therigatha]; and the tradition that no woman could become a Buddha is not in the Canon."

- Richard Gombrich, Theravada Buddhism

"When Somaa, a female arahant, was rebuked by Maara the Evil One, saying that womankind with very little intelligence cannot attain that state which is to be attained with great effort by seers and sages, Somaa replied that womanhood is no impediment for the realization of truth to one who is endowed with intelligence and concentration."

- Access to Insight

Yes, absolutely right. A good reference is Cabezon, J., 1985, Buddhism, Sexuality and Gender, State Universoity of New York Press, USA

thinking about teaching Buddhist Studies - in English

Good luck with that! As you probably know, there are Buddhist Universities in Thailand and some opportunities are available to teach English there, but little opportunity to teach about Buddhism in English. There may be some scope for teaching Religious Studies at an international school, but you'd really need a teaching qualification as well as your masters. There may also be some scope for private tuition to westerners, as you say, or for students who want help with RS qualifications, eg an IGCSE or an AS/A2 in the subject.

having realised that Thais on the whole generally know very little about the philosophy, ethics, traditions and history of their own religion

I'm sure you're right! But, Thais naturally think they are 'experts' on the subject.

Thanks, both of you - I'm off to Mahidol to discuss this.

Probably seems a daft question... as I have a Master's in Buddhist Studies from a UK university and a TEFL/TESOL cert locally, it seemed initially that in a Buddhist country I'd have to be content with teaching English. But having realised that Thais on the whole generally know very little about the philosophy, ethics, traditions and history of their own religion, maybe I should be thinking about teaching Buddhist Studies - in English, as I don't yet speak Thai. Is this absurd as it seems, or is there a role for someone like me here - at schools or universities? Or perhaps Farangs would like to learn summat about it from a fellow farang. Any ideas, suggestions?

Thanks in advance...

Rebirth is not the most important Buddhist doctrine, nor is it specifically Buddhist, but it offers a basis, a preparation for the Four Holy Truiths. Only those very advanced in meditative ability can claim to have experienced/seen their previous lives, such as an arahat who has briefly experienced Nibbana. The rest of us must engage trustful confidence in the teaching. The Pali canon has the Buddha tell his renunciants that if they believe in rebirth and it doesn't exist, they will have lost nothing in trying to live as if it did, and that if it does exist, then they will have benefitted from the outcome of positive kamma (Skt karma). The Abdhidhamma shows that there are parallel truths to this: the cosmological and the psychological. They go hand in hand. As for reincarnation, the term usually applies to the Bodhisatta (Skt Bodhisattva) path, and those that have achieved an advanced meditative state choose to to remain in this world out of compassion to help others. This is emphasized in all Mahayana schools, including Zen. But maybe not the hybrid US version!

Buddhadasa and other modernists see the heaven and hel_l realms as states of mind, with rebirth happening every moment. This is not far from the Abhidamma books that present a unified theory of mind.

Human rebirths are traditionally seen as relatively rare - and fortunate. As all creatures are seen as part of the same cycles of samsara, this should teach us to treat all creatures with sympathy and compassion. The key I think is not to regard the kammic approach as inferior to the salvific or nibbanic: threy are closely interwoven and interdependent.

You could also check out Prof Srevenson's book. He is an American psychiatrist whgo has researched alleged cases of 'past lives'.

See also M.I.403 in the Pali canon

Cheers...

Many...here are just a few:

Buddhist Ethics by Hammalawa Saddhatissa

Heartwood of the Bodhi Tree by Buddhadasa Bhikkhu

The Buddhist World of Southeast Asia by Donald Swearer

Theravada Buddhism by Richard Gombrich

Contemporary Buddhist Ethics ed. Damien Keown

The Foundations of Buddhism by Rupert Gethin

British Buddhism by Robert Bluck

You need a work permit, the university should provide you with such.

Also you can not work on a visa/extension based on retirement.

You must change that to a class B visa/extension.

The university should be able to help you.

Edit...

If you are on non immigrant visa/extension based on marriage you can work on that.

Many thanks for that. I'll check with the university. As for the other points you raise, I steered clear of a retirement visa just in case I did find work and so before my non-imm O visa expires in April, I'll seek an extension based on marriage so I can continue to work.

Thanks again.

Forgive my ignorance, but I would welcome some advice: I have been offered nine hours' teaching English conversation over two days a week at a Bangkok university. Do I need a work permit and if so, what do I need to do, or what does the university need to do, to acquire one?

I might add that I am not a professional teacher (I have an MA and have had some experience in giving on-the-job training to people whose first language was not English). I am a 60-year-old Briton in Thailand on a Non-immigrant 'O' visa living on a company pension and quite by chance someone asked me if I'd like to teach English conversation. I gave a brief demo which went very well (or maybe they were desperate!) and I was hired on the spot with a promise of a full-time job in the new academic year. Again, I also teach a group of 16-year-olds on Sunday afternoons because their parents kept asking me to do so...I seem to be falling into the teaching business without really intending to do so.

Many thanks.

You can leave and re-enter whenever you want as long as it's before midnight of the 29th.

The borders are open 7 days a week 365 days a year.

Many thanks...

I'm a UK national, aged 60, a relative newcomer to Thailand so please forgive what may be a daft question. I'm planning my first border run for a new entry stamp for my non-imm, 'O' multiple entry visa. The 'admitted until' date in my passport is June 29, a Monday, and I gather from other postings that I should make the run the day before, but as the 28th falls on a Sunday, is it acceptable to do so earlier, on Friday the 26th for example and come away with a new 90-day stamp despite the first one not having yet expired at that point? Advice would be appreciated.

Thanks...