Talk with a monk?

[wooloomooloo]

Dear Deidre is going to be out of business at this rate.

[Sabaidee Mai]

Just go to your local Temple and chat with them, at my local Temple they are very happy to sit down and chat even if their English is not that good they are happy to learn.

[Mudcrab]

Just had a long chat with a monk two days ago. It was at least 2 hours and he was a Forrest monk.

I had a chat with his friend....Bubba monk

[zzo]

Be a little careful. We became friends (we thought) with several monks over the years. Many are looking for help

with their economics. Keep the friendship light.

[BaldPlumber]

Be like water, my friend.

evaporate ?

Run away?

[fang37]

Where?

[mick01827]

A lot of English speaking monks in ubon that are happy to chat and wat pa nananchat also in ubon is a temple for foreigners who have an interest in Buddhism, the main monk is American, this temple is in a forest retreat, extremely quiet and peaceful you can even hear the crickets, it's possible to do a retreat here by writing to the temple, you can also pop along and have a look

[fang37]

details of wat - address - website - telephone?

[Enoon]

Be like water, my friend.

evaporate ?

Yes, that's right, but it's only part of the cycle. You then condense, precipitate, evaporate again, and so on.

Eternally present but always changing, sometimes visible, sometimes not.

Edited October 15, 2015 by Enoon

[csabo]

I went to a Monk Chat once. He just kept saying "CHEEP CHEEP CHEEEEEP" over and over. Then I realized I was at a Monkey Chat.

[mankondang]

There are many Wats that do this. Some Wats you can stay and live like and learn from the monks, who sometimes have farang English speaking monks there as well. I have NOT come across any of these Wants which charge asset fee, a donation is welcome. How much, up to you. Just decide, Where in Thailand is your choice? Then you'll find what you need. Good luck.

[daoyai]

Just had a long chat with a monk two days ago. It was at least 2 hours and he was a Forrest monk.

I had a chat with his friend....Bubba monk

I just channel my inner Monk, Thelonious.

[northernjohn]

Thanks for the helpful replies I will wander to look for temples and play it by ear once there.

For the smart asses, it's about learning and respecting the country and culture we have come to visit. Don't, we are guests on their turf. We should be thankful and those who make jokes or complain are the reason why we receive scowls during the day and are looked at as nothing more than an ATM by night.

It's about taking time out of your life to show respect and appreciate others in the world. Try it sometime, it may open your mind a little

I make plenty of jokes and nothing is off limits, don't blame me if the locals scowel at YOU during the day and ATM you at night. Yea, go talk to monks, get it outa your system.

Have you considered changing your locals. Mine are Thai and I don't have that happen to me.

[northernjohn]

Just had a long chat with a monk two days ago. It was at least 2 hours and he was a Forrest monk.

I had a chat with his friend....Bubba monk

I bet you learned a lot from him.

[Tarteso]

Be like water, my friend.

evaporate ?

Beers like water.

[Paul944]

You have to keep in mind that in Thai tradition every man should be a monk a few years in his life. Some of them choose this moment when they are in trouble, mostly financially, and become a monk for the free food.

5 years ago, when I was visiting a temple in the center of Chiang Mai a guy started to talk with me saying he had been a monk there for some time and now was back to his family making money again. He also invited me to visit a brothel full of university girls making money for their study he told me. So the years in the temple certainly did not make him holy

[uptheos]

If I talk to a monk he needs to be over 60

I don't want to talk to a gay monk or a draft dodger.

[sharktooth]

Swiftly followed by the "how much for the chatting to a monk selfie so I can put it on facebook and show how philosophical I am" thread...

[puukao]

Will you tell the monks about your nights with the bar girls? or why you really left your home country? or why, in your home country, you didn't really bond with the priests, poor kids, unfortunately, etc......

yesterday i thought of giving 1 million baht to the poor kids in BKK, to totally escape who i really was/am.....yes, the guilt....oh, the guilt..

a real monk would never be on the internet!!! oh, you farangs!!!!

note: i have just meditated 32 hours straight to the deepest level of nirvana.....buy my book for 20,000 to find out how!!!

[Tarteso]

I am not agree, A real monk can be on internet, We are in XXI century. I was working voluntary for 3 years in Chiang Mai's temple, open your mind.

[nidieunimaitre]

You have to keep in mind that in Thai tradition every man should be a monk a few years in his life. Some of them choose this moment when they are in trouble, mostly financially, and become a monk for the free food.

5 years ago, when I was visiting a temple in the center of Chiang Mai a guy started to talk with me saying he had been a monk there for some time and now was back to his family making money again. He also invited me to visit a brothel full of university girls making money for their study he told me. So the years in the temple certainly did not make him holy

A few years as a monk?

3 weeks is considered plenty for face with family and neighbours.

[rjcampbe]

My personal experience in LOS.

In most cases, the monks know very little about Buddhism=SAD.

I hate to have to agree with this comment, but that is my experience also...

I had a similar desire when I started visiting Thailand years ago, and I continued to try when I first arrived... I could not find the combination of a monk with deep knowledge of Buddhism AND the English skills to discuss it with me in any depth.

I know that the fault is equally mine since I don't have the Thai language skills to discuss it in their primary language...

I'm sure the right person exists, but it may be challenging to find them.

[fang37]

I was very surprised to discover this too.

I have contacted the Buddhist Educational Foundation (Taiwan) to supply literature for the monks & lay people.

They need it urgently.

Yet, so many, Thai & expats, rely on the Buddhist monks for spiritual guidance.

[Oscar2]

don't know why you would want to bother speaking with a monk.... but anyways i took some visitors the other day to Wat Umong as they wanted to see a temple. i happened to notice 3 falangs - male and female - wearing white clothing sitting around. my guests spoke with them and they said they were paying to stay there in some primitive rooms. what for? i don't know. a hotel would be much more comfortable!

[CMBob]

don't know why you would want to bother speaking with a monk.... but anyways i took some visitors the other day to Wat Umong as they wanted to see a temple. i happened to notice 3 falangs - male and female - wearing white clothing sitting around. my guests spoke with them and they said they were paying to stay there in some primitive rooms. what for? i don't know. a hotel would be much more comfortable!

Wat Umong has a Meditation Center which welcomes both Thais and foreigners and those participating are required to stay there (typically, one to four days, I believe) and normally wear the white clothing/robes that you mention. The limited rooms they have for overnight guests are similar to the monks' rooms and, yes, a bit spartan.

[hdkane]

Seriously...why would you want to talk with a monk...? I do not know about the past, but nowadays, monks are just ne'rdowells who do not want to work...they are criminals...vagrants...and men who have hit bottom...the notion of a "scholar" monk is very antiquated...

[CMBob]

Seriously...why would you want to talk with a monk...? I do not know about the past, but nowadays, monks are just ne'rdowells who do not want to work...they are criminals...vagrants...and men who have hit bottom...the notion of a "scholar" monk is very antiquated...

Ah, the Donald Trump treatise on Thai monks. I'm surprised you didn't suggest building walls around the wats....

Your painting them with a broad brush reflects more about you than them and also reflects that you really have little knowledge and contact with Thai monks in general.

[daoyai]

Seriously...why would you want to talk with a monk...? I do not know about the past, but nowadays, monks are just ne'rdowells who do not want to work...they are criminals...vagrants...and men who have hit bottom...the notion of a "scholar" monk is very antiquated...

Ah, the Donald Trump treatise on Thai monks. I'm surprised you didn't suggest building walls around the wats....

Your painting them with a broad brush reflects more about you than them and also reflects that you really have little knowledge and contact with Thai monks in general.

well they are very very rich, they are HUUUGGGE, they are great negotiators they got the neighbors to pay for their wall.... and give them food ! D.Trump.

[Puwa]

For a very clear, authoritative, readable introduction to Buddhism, get a copy of Walpola Rahula's classic "What the Buddha Taught."

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/What_the_Buddha_Taught

[orang37]

How about trying silence with a Monk ?

The really wonderful thing about the way that works is that you can do it anywhere.

~o:37;