As A Christian Raised Identity

[vertigo4u]

Raised as Christian, I hardly visit - and visited - a Church....

Why it is so easy to stop at any Temple here in Thailand, take a Break -

chilling in this quite Surrounding, even watching and speaking with Monks?

And after leaving this Spot, feeling a bit of Hapyness inside?

I am already a Buddhist?

[phetaroi]

Raised as Christian, I hardly visit - and visited - a Church....

Why it is so easy to stop at any Temple here in Thailand, take a Break -

chilling in this quite Surrounding, even watching and speaking with Monks?

And after leaving this Spot, feeling a bit of Hapyness inside?

I am already a Buddhist?

Over the years I have experienced the same thing. And, always made to feel welcome. Once, up in Lampang, I went in to take a few photos and there was a ceremony. So, I started to leave. People came over the led me back in and welcomed me to join the event...which I only later discovered was a funeral! Another time when I went into the ubosot at Wat Bovornivet they were ordaining monks. I was invited to sit with the inductees throughout the ceremony. Yet another time up in Nan I wandered into some unknown temple and was invited to help make and package gifts for monks. Always welcome and never and prostelytizing.

And yes, I am a Buddhist now. And much happier.

[fabianfred]

in a church there is a "shhh...... this is god's house..." kind of atmosphere

In Thai temples there is a carefree air with children left to run about and people gossiping..

Sabaay, Sabaay....

[khaowong1]

I've been coming to Thailand for over 25 years, I've lived here now for the past 3 years and I find this to be true in every Buddhist temple I've been to here and I have been to a lot of temples. sabay, sabay.

[samuibeachcomber]

agree,temples do have a peaceful feeling,and the monks friendly and inviting to all strangers.very relaxing and calming.

[Xangsamhua]

All rather subjective ... "peaceful feeling", "carefree air with children left to run about", "quiet surroundings", "sabay sabay"

I've found some temples in Thailand to be like markets. Some have rows of donation boxes where you can buy your fortune ticket or choice of blessings. I don't visit temples any more unless there's something special about them or they're on the tourist route (the central wat in Phnom Penh is nice; also the one in Colombo).

I've had a sense of being on holy ground at Notre Dame de Paris and at Canterbury Cathedral, but not at St Peter's in Rome, nor at Westminster Abbey (the former is too grandiose; the latter's like a stonemason's junkyard). The main temple at Dharamsala is very calming, despite being full of elderly Tibetans sitting, sleeping and chatting, and tourists doing the rounds. Haven't been to a mosque for a while, but I seem to remember the big one in KL is quite nice. It's been a long time though.

I don't know if the calming or sense of peace or happiness is a product of the location or what one brings to being there. Perhaps the most peaceful Buddhist place I've been to is Wat Buddha Dhamma in New South Wales - a forest retreat centre, but when we were there (me, Mrs X and the kids) it was 25 years ago and the place was quite undeveloped. We stayed in the world's most dilapidated caravan, yet there was an uncanny sense of peace and well-being about the place. My wife had chronic bronchitis, which after one hellish night (our second there), completely disappeared and never returned.

[BigSnake]

You are just responding to your nature freindly environment, which is very nature thing for the Thai Monks, just beware there are some bad Monks as well as good one out there.