I pulled up to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep on January 3rd, slinging on my backpack, bypassing the tourist tram, and climbing up the mountain to reach the temple grounds. While a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, this particular trip requires me to ascend 306 individual stairs. No one said this was going to be easy.
The temple is an extremely popular tourist destination in Thailand and reminded me of some of our larger national parks in the United States, like Yosemite or Yellowstone, buzzing with people taking pictures, tour groups, gift shops, and food stands among the Buddha images, temples, and religious ceremonies. My meditation program is sponsored by the International Buddhism Center, which is housed here at Doi Suthep. Thankfully, our complex is located a bit lower on the mountain near where the monks and nuns live, below the hustle and bustle of daytime activity.
I met my program administrator, Adichai, checked into my room, and received my orientation on both sitting and walking meditation practice. I've been doing sitting meditation for a while now, but the walking part was new, so I spent some time practicing that afternoon. Later, I had my welcoming ceremony with Teacher, which included some chanting in ancient Pali, several offerings to Buddha, and a brief discussion on how to meditate.
In many ways, the meditation center is like a sanatarium. Everyone wears loose-fitting white clothes, we all pace very slowly back and forth, and we sit quietly on benches by ourselves, staring into space and occasionally laughing or crying for no apparent reason. There are no sharp objects around and everyday we have an appointment to talk with someone about how we're doing.
And, in a certain sense, our goal isn't much different from that of someone who has been deemed legally insane. We voluntarily commit ourselves here to escape the insanity of the world for a few days, weeks, or months. We're here to learn how to be mindful and live in the present moment. And, most importantly, we're here to get in touch with our universal suffering and remember what it's really like to be alive.
I go to bed early that night, quiet, hungry, and hopeful. It's going to be an interesting next few weeks.
Coming Soon: Part II- The Meditation Game
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