Sunday, December 1, 2013

Buddhist meditation retreat at Wat Suan Mokh monastery

I've recently been in Wat Suan Mokkh doing their 10 days meditation retreat. I did it in September 2012. Actually, the retreat is 10 days and a half, because there is an 11th day when you leave early and then have an optional tour around the monastery and the Dhamma library.

The only possible way to register is by getting there in early on the registration day, and registering before it is full. If you go in the low season, as I did, that will not be a problem. But in high season (check their website: http://www.suanmokkh-idh.org/) you better get there early to register the last day of every month, because the retreat goes from the 1st to the 11th of every month of the year.

The Dahmma International retreat center is in the opposite side of the road from the original monastery that was founded by Buhddadasa Bihkkhu. The International Meditation center was built later, also by Buddhadasa. It is indeed one of the best and most prestigious buddhist meditation retreat centers in Thailand, which in turn is one of the best places to go do a serious retreat.

If you will, you can go a bit earlier and stay one or a few days at the Monastery, sharing a visitor's hut with some other pilgrims. The stay is free of charge, but you have to register at the reception of the monastery, and, at the end of the stay, leaving a donation is something fair to do.

During the 10 and a half days of the retreat you will not be staying at the monastery, but at the lodges built for pilgrims doing the retreats. However, the type of lodges and the lifestyle are very much monastic. Of course, men and women don't share the same building.

During the whole retreat there is an absolute silence vow that must be respected 24hs. It's very unfortunate when there is somebody out of place there who tries to speak to somebody even if hiding and in a low voice. The rules are fair and clear: you choose to stay and follow the rules, or not stay.

You have two meals a day and a hot chocolate in the afternoon: breakfast at 8 AM, lunch at 11:30 and hot chocolate (they call it "tea" time) at 6 PM. All meals are vegetarian, of course, and quite delicious despite simple. Everybody has to get up at 4 AM with the tolling of the bell.

The retreat includes some sitting meditation, walking meditation, loving-kindness meditation (meta-meditation), canonic-chants chanting, Taichi and Yoga (although Taichi may have been an exception that time) and Dhamma talks. And some few chores that each one has to sign up for, such as cleaning, serving meals at table, raking the leafs, etc. These chores are purely symbolic and don't take more than 15 or 20 minutes per day per person.

There are also natural hot water spring pools to go relax. All the participants of the retreat may go there during the breaks. It's specially good for your joints and knees after long sitting meditation sessions. There are separate pools for the men and for the women. Even the passageways are away from each other, and they cannot even see each other.

There is also a dress-code that needs be respected: long clothes for women; no exposure of tummy, shoulders, legs, and back. Men are not allowed to were shorts, except when they go bathe in the hot water springs. But when they go and return, they even must cover their shoulders with either a towel or a shirt. No walking around exposing shoulders or chest. In the lodging there are no showers. You need to bathe using a bucket of fresh water, and you can't be naked (not even with other's from your same sex). Those are the Thai customs, and must be respected there. So, you have to "shower" wearing either a longi or shorts. Interesting, isn't it? But you get used to it. In fact, the whole experience is beautiful.

The environment is absolutely amazing. A green forest with protected animals living in the wild, insects, trees, plants, fruits, ... All typical from a tropical forest monastery, because that's what it is. Once the retreat is over, you can return to the monastery and stay some more few days at the visitor's hut, and use the time to read, meditate, walk, enjoy the environment, hike to forest hills, etc. But you have to be prepared to meet many insects! From big spiders crawling possibly crawling on you while you meditate in the open, to being aware of scorpions, centipedes, careful of snakes (although rare), seeing lizards, and swarms of ants. Don't panic. And don't kill any living being. That is another rule of the retreat! :-D

The price for the retreat is 2000 Baht, which in September was about USD 63, all included! The price is obviously symbolic.

How to get there: Go to BKK with enough time, and buy a train ticket to Chaiya at the main train station. The one way ticket for a second class sleeper costs about USD 14-20. If you travel in 3rd class or by bus its even much cheaper. In the website of Suan Mokkh it says which trains you can take. It's a night train that leaves in the evening and gets to Chaiya at around 6:15 AM. When I went there I had fortunately put my alarm to wake up and I was looking at the GPS, because when the train stopped at the station, there was no notice, and I had to open the door myself and jump-off just before the train resumed it's course. At the village I had some breakfast, and then took a motorcycle-cab upto the monastery. The motorcycle-cabs charged 80 Baht (USD 2,65), but if you share the pick-up cab I heard it's only 20 Baht.

One of the monks that gives the Dahmma talks is an English man, in his 70's that is particularly interesting and understanding of a Westerner's search for spirituality. He has an amazing lot of experience and is a jewel with you it's worth while talk if you have the chance.


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