Heading to Udon Thani and Wat Pa Baan That

I am now moving on to a different section of my research project. I have been researching International Meditation Centers and now, for the next two months, I will be investigating ‘Living the Life’ of an ordained person as an international visitor. Although the forest temples I will be visiting (Wat Pa Baan That and Wat Pa Nanachat) are more focused on living the life of the monk, there is still a focus on meditation. I am also looking forward to practicing a different method. Although I enjoy and understand the Ajahn Tong method, I am ready to explore the other possibilities and interpretations of practicing vipassana meditation. I am also looking forward to investigating this different area of my research and hopefully this will give me some more perspective on the phenomenon of international meditation centers as well.

Comparing International Meditation Centers: Wat Chom Tong, Wat Rampoeng and Wat Prathat Doi Suthep

Now that I have participated in all three meditation retreats in the Chiangmai area that offer instruction in the Ajahn Tong technique, I am in a position to compare the different environments and strategies of reinterpretation. The three meditation centers combined make for an interesting comparison because one has a separate international meditation center (Wat Chom Tong), one has international meditators mixed with Thai meditators (Wat Rampoeng), and one has only international meditators (Wat Prathat Doi Suthep).

As stated, these are all retreats using the method of Ajahn Tong, however there are small variations depending on the teacher and temple. The technique at Wat Rampoeng and Wat Doi Suthep is very similar. They both have a 26-day course but at Wat Chom Tong the basic course has been shortened to 21-days. Ajahn Tong moved to Wat Chom Tong after being abbot of Wat Rampoeng. Therefore the technique of Wat Rampoeng is the same as Ajahn Tong had established it before he left. He changed this technique slightly when he moved to Wat Chom Tong.

The process of meditation instruction and orientation is also comparable. Wat Rampoeng has an administrator monk who also teaches new meditators the method of meditation before reporting to the teacher. At Wat Doi Suthep there is a layman who orients the new meditators and a young monk who teaches the method before meeting with the teacher. However at Wat Chom Tong the teacher that one reports to is usually the same person who teaches the technique and orients new meditators on the first day.

The schedules of each temple are pretty similar except that at Wat Doi Suthep the foreign meditators are treated to a dhamma talk in English every morning. The other two temples do not have regular dhamma talks for the international visitors. The dhamma talks at Wat Doi Suthep investigate the lives of monks and Thai Buddhists so one learns about Buddhist concepts as well as lived Buddhism. At Doi Suthep as well going to chanting and Buddhist holidays is encouraged. Pali chanting books in English were well-circulated while I meditated there and the abbot enjoyed seeing the foreign meditators participate. Thus at Doi Suthep the teacher and abbot were interested in showing international visitors about a little bit more than just meditation.

Each foreign meditator at all three temples should participate in an opening and closing ceremony. At Wat Chom Tong foreign meditators join in the same opening and closing ceremonies with Thai meditators but are joined by the current teacher. The teacher acts as a liaison with the Thai community and tells the foreign meditator when to bow and chant from the special Romanized Pali chanting sheet. At Wat Doi Suthep the ceremonies are done whenever there are people coming and going. The lay administrator acts as the assistant who tells the meditator how to perform the ceremony and the teacher is the monk who performs the ceremony. It is similar at Wat Rampoeng except there is no Romanized sheet to read from, one must repeat after the abbot and there is also no assistant. Thus at Wat Rampoeng the ceremonies for Thai meditators are much bigger and held with different monks at different times.

The two meals per day offer another point of comparison. At Wat Rampoeng the lay people eat with the monks so the meals are more of a communal activity. Everyone waits until all are seated and chant before being invited to eat. But with this ceremony one can see there is a real focus on community and meditation here. While waiting meditators are encouraged to remain mindful and sit in meditation until everyone is ready. At Wat Chom Tong this is a much more individual affair. One reads the chanting on contemplation of food silently and individually before eating mindfully at one’s own pace. At Wat Doi Suthep there is a short communal chanting if the assistant monk has joined the international meditators for their meals, otherwise the meditators will read the chant to themselves before eating silently.

The living situations also affect the experience of the meditator. Because the international meditation center at Wat Chom Tong is physically separate from the temple and all the international visitors live together, a sense of community has developed. There are refrigerators to keep personal items and a common area to donate food or drinks to the group. At Wat Doi Suthep the international meditators are the only meditators so there is no issue of mixing with Thai meditators. International visitors live either next to the meditation hall or at the other end of the temple, depending on gender. But the living and practice areas are separate from the wat itself where visitors come to worship. The meditation center at Wat Rampoeng is the same space as the temple itself. The implications of this are more distraction but can see temple life more clearly.

At all three temples there is a policy of minimal to no talking in order to focus on the meditation. At Wat Chom Tong people can introduce themselves and say hello but extended periods of conversation are frowned upon. Wat Rampoeng has a stricter policy of no talking and no eye contact in order to remain internal. This policy was not enforced much at Wat Doi Suthep. At the chantings and when taking a break in the temple, meditators could often be seen chatting for long periods of time. However, this depends on the individual. No matter what the policy some people will strive to remain internal, and others will be more outgoing and make contact with others.

At the end of the retreat, a donation is appreciated at all three temples, but each wat has a different system of offering. The donation to the international center at Wat Chom Tong is separate from one’s donation to the temple. At the end of the retreat one can donate both to the international center and the meditation center of the wat. The donation to the meditation center of the wat covers ones food. But at Wat Rampoeng the foreign meditation office is run by the wat, so the donation is given in the same place as the Thai meditators. At Wat Doi Suthep one gives donation to the international meditation office only.

The main themes I will be dealing with while thinking about international meditation centers are Buddhism and the category of religion, strategies of reinterpretation, and the spectrum of integration into Thai Buddhism. I have discussed some of these issues in other posts and will continue this in future posts as well. Through comparing these three centers the strategies of reinterpretation and integration into Thai Buddhism emerge and are of course, related. At Wat Doi Suthep there is a slight emphasis on teaching about the lives of monks and the rituals of Thai Buddhism through dhamma talks and participation in chanting and Buddhist holidays. At Wat Chom Tong teachings about Buddhism are limited to the meditation but if a meditator is curious further teachings about the life of Thai Buddhism are available. And at Wat Rampoeng the international meditators’ participation in Thai Buddhist activities is mostly limited to participation in the evening wan phra ceremony.

Clearly the idea of meditation is seen as primary for all three centers for international meditators and thus the practice of meditation is not necessarily placed within the context of Buddhism in Thailand. Thus each center has their own strategy of reinterpretation to accommodate this primacy of meditation. And of course this all relates to the ideas surrounding Buddhism and the category of religion in English-speaking countries. The continued debate over whether Buddhism is a religion or a practice of mental development has created these reinterpretations and the limited integration of international visitors into Thai Buddhism.

An Analysis of Discourses of Meditation: Focus on Reinterpretation

I have been thinking and discussing recently about transplanting the teachings of meditation and Buddhism. One avenue for doing this would be to have a bi-lingual generation of teachers, and this can be evidenced at Wat Chom Tong. Without Khun Thanat and Kate Chindaporn who are both fluent in Thai and English, it would be very difficult to create the International Meditation Center at this wat. For someone who doesn’t know Thai it would be difficult to buy the land and get Ajahn Tong’s permission and for someone who doesn’t know English it would be difficult to teach the international visitors and create a successful center. Because Kate and Thanat have created this space, now other teachers can come and teach and do not have to know Thai as well because the space is already settled. They have paved the way and made it possible for others to come in without having to master the language.

As well can see with Wat Chom Tong and other wats in Thailand that have native English-speakers—there is more flexibility, more willingness to change from both sides. The English-speaking meditators are more willing to ask about practices they don’t understand and ask for accommodations and teachers are more willing to make the changes as they understand the background and motivations of the English-speaking meditators.

At Wat Chom Tong English-speaking meditators have this flexibility. Female meditators have to wear the ‘sabhai’ or white scarf that wraps around the chest, while in the temple areas, but when females come back to the International Center, they can remove this. A contrast to this flexibility can be seen at Wat Rampoeng. Here females must always wear the ‘sabhai’ because there is no separate space without Thai meditators. In the presence of Thai meditators, English-speaking meditators must be more formal and follow protocol.

Another example of comparison between Thai and English-speaking teachers involves the daily reporting. At Wat Chom Tong one bows to a Buddha statue when entering the reporting room. If one does not understand why one must bow, this can be questioned and negotiated. In Wat Rampoeng there is a more complicated process when entering and exiting the reporting room where one must bow to the Buddha statue and the abbot. This procedure is taught to international visitors a number of times before execution. Again this is because teachers familiar with English-speaking cultures are willing to be flexible. The English-speaking teachers are usually lay people and do not require the same amount of respect and formality as an ordained Thai monk. As well, in Wat Rampoeng, Thai meditators are sometimes waiting in the reporting room but in Wat Chom Tong the area is separate without Thai meditators. Thus when Thai and international meditators report in the same area it is difficult to make accommodations. Fewer reinterpretations occur when international visitors do not have their own space.

Thus in Thailand, reinterpretations and changes to the processes and forms of meditation centers are occurring. This can happen more rapidly through handing over teaching responsibilities to English-speakers and non-Thai Buddhists. These kinds of adaptations have been occurring in American and British Buddhist vipassana circles for some time. When vipassana was first transplanted in these countries, teachers of Jack Kornfield and Ajahn Sumedho told them to modify the teachings to their audience. Therefore, in both Thailand and non-native Buddhist countries reinterpretations occur when the authority of teaching changes hands to a native of the new culture. 

Separate but Within: English-Speaking Meditators in Thailand

In Thailand, International Meditation Centers can be divided into two categories: ones that are within wats integrated with Thai meditators and ones that are in separate physical spaces only for the international visitors.

Within centers where English and Thai meditators are integrated, such as Wat Rampoeng, of course, the language is a major dividing factor as international meditation students are taught and instructed in English and Thai meditators in Thai. But other activities are kept separate as well. Thai meditators report to different instructors at different times of the day, they attend different dhamma talks, and may have separate meditation areas.

Some international centers in Thailand have found that it is too difficult to accommodate English-speaking meditators within the wat. There are not enough Thai monks who have a command of English and ones that do come and go. Thus for these situations, like in Wat Chom Tong, a facility outside the main temple area was built to support the meditation of English-speakers.

English-speaking meditators can chant with the monks, ask to speak with a Thai monk about meditation practice, listen to a dhamma talk in Thai, and attend any ritual or celebration that is going on at the temple. However, it is not expected and sometimes not encouraged that they attend. For foreign meditators the expectation is that they are there for the meditation and other activities may not be truly devotional but instead a way to get out of practicing meditation. However, other English-speaking meditators just want to meditate and don’t want to do anything they deem ‘religious.’ Thus the international visitors are given the separate space to choose if they want to be a part of the Thai meditators’ community.

Clearly English-speakers need a different kind of instruction in order to know how to behave properly in a wat. Most English-speakers did not grow up understanding Buddhist communities and so need to be taught what is happening, how to behave, and why. But some English-speakers are able to integrate after time if they are willing to put in the effort as many foreign monks and nuns have. But with larger and more transient groups comes more difficulty adapting or unwillingness to adapt. As well if one has a familiar cultural community it is less likely they will put in the effort to belong to the distant group. Thus the international sections of meditation centers are helpful for foreigners but can isolate English-speaking meditators from understanding about Thai Buddhism. But again, this is only if one wants to be isolated, there are opportunities to integrate into a more Thai Buddhist experience, but this depends on one’s personal preference and ways they relate to meditation.

Meditation Retreat Rundown: Wat Rampoeng

“[Wat Rampoeng] also has a good reputation it seems. But seems a bit heavy on the Buddhism influence. Just seems a little funny that I have to bring 11 lotus flowers, etc, and circle around a Chedi 3 times and do all this chanting. Does that actually have any benefit?” (Link to quote)

This is a quote from The Thai Visa Forum discussion titled “Help Me Choose Among 4 Centers for Meditation Retreat.” In this discussion the debate about which meditation retreats in Thailand are best turns on the question of religion. The author of the quote above wonders why he has to participate in more ‘Buddhist/religious’ activities; he wonders if this has any benefit, when presumably he is attending only for the practice of meditation. This question of religion can be seen clearly at Wat Rampoeng as currently there are no native English-speakers helping with the International visitors, so there is not much opportunity to question or negotiate the level of participation in religious activities. Occasionally mae chiis or monks with English-speaking skills stay and assist there, but not on a permanent basis. Therefore foreign retreatants are confronted with Thai Buddhism more starkly than at a center with native English speakers, such as Wat Chom Tong, where English-speakers can serve as liaisons to help negotiate through Thai Buddhism. Meditators report to the abbot of the temple, Ajahn Suphan, and participate in a formal opening and closing ceremony with the abbot. They do group chanting and prostrations before eating the collective breakfast and lunch meals. This leads to a stark contrast between ideas of meditation and ideas of religion, and the differences between Thai and foreign meditators.

At Wat Rampoeng there is no separate area for foreigners— the group is mixed within the wat yet they still constitute a separate group. Foreigners have separate ceremonies, a separate office to register with, and reporting time. There are usually about 10-15 foreigners and 50-80 Thai meditators. The foreigners live together in the same building (although separated by sex) but the living spaces are within the wat and next to the buildings and kutis of Thai meditators. The Thai people come and go in large groups and are taught the method together in large groups as well. Taking care of the foreign meditators is on a smaller scale.

When arriving at the Foreign Meditation Office one is encouraged to read the Northern Insight International Meditation Center booklet that has been prepared in English. It explains the two types of meditation: samatha and vipassana, the Four Foundations of Mindfulness, what to wear, what to bring, the daily routine, basics on how to report to the teacher, and the transcript of the opening ceremony. The booklet emphasizes that vipassana kammathana (the practice of insight meditation) is a personal experience and it doesn’t matter what religion, nation or race one belongs to because one only focuses on mental development. But there is a tension here because one is living in a wat where one is confronted with other aspects of Buddhism besides meditation.

Upon arrival, after I was set up in my room, I learned the method of meditation taught here (Ajahn Tong’s method, also taught at Wat Chom Tong) from Phra Chaibordin, the monk who runs the Foreign Meditation Office. He was very detailed in showing us the method and discussing with us our initial experiences. He made us meditate together until 10PM so he could tell the teacher that we meditated for two hours that night. At Wat Rampoeng there is a real focus on the hours of meditation one accrues each day, as the abbot keeps a file on each meditator’s progess.  Phra Chaibordin also explained in detail how to report to the teacher. But this is the extent of our instruction besides the individual reporting and also the only time we meditate as a group. There is an emphasis on remaining internal, and the Thai meditators wear badges that say ‘no talking.’ The same was emphasized verbally for foreign meditators through Phra Chaibordin. While I was there, there was very little interaction among foreign meditators.

Once past the orientation at The Foreign Meditation Office and the initialreporting, foreigners mix with the Thai meditators during meals and in the meditation halls. However, the experience for foreign meditators can be quite different from that of the Thais and can vary from person to person. For the rest of this post I will note the reinterpretations for foreigners learning the practice. For foreigners living in the wat can be part of the experience or just incidentally the place they need to go to practice meditation.

The opening and closing ceremonies are separate for foreigners and Thai meditators. The international visitors are hosted in the abbot’s office and are instructed when to repeat, prostrate, and make the offerings to the teacher. After the opening ceremony the abbot gives a short explanation in English of the Four Foundations of Mindfulness, Five Hindrances, and the benefits of meditation. Ajahn Suphan explained that in order to receive these benefits, during retreat we make changes to our lives such as making more effort and getting less sleep, eating less, and talking less. Ajahn Suphan said that only vipassana helps one to achieve freedom and reap the benefits of practice—not chanting, reading, or listening, but only experiencing.

International meditators need to be trained on the necessary activities of the schedule such as how to report to the teachers and participate in the meal ceremonies. But there is a focus on meditation for the foreigners here—they are not told about the activities of the Thai Buddhists, such as their chanting sessions, dhamma talks and group meditations in the morning and evenings. This is partly due to the language barrier, but also the fact that many English-speakers come wanting to focus on meditation only. But the international meditator is also exposed to many ceremonies and devotional activities. One sees Thai meditators offering incense and candles to Buddha statues throughout the wat and other group activities, such as sweeping the grounds. There was also a short alsmround ceremony every morning. Introductions to these activities were not part of the orientation to the wat, and for someone with little knowledge of Thai and Thai Buddhism it would be difficult to participate without this information. It seems as if it is assumed that foreigners are living in the wat to meditate and would not be interested in participating in Buddhist activities. However, there were two Buddhist holidays that occurred while I was there that were explained to the international visitors.

While I was there the Kathina Ceremony took place. This is held after the end of the rains retreat and the main activity is offering robes to the monastic community. There were preparations for this starting on Friday night for the Sunday, all-day activities. Wat Rampoeng had a special celebration in order to fundraise for the meditation complex they are building for female meditators. I was curious about the preparations, so I asked the abbot about this on Saturday. He said the foreign meditators should participate and make merit but be sure to practice meditation as well. That night the abbot gave a long dhamma talk to all the lay Thai people staying at the temple. During Kathina there were stands of food and drink lining the temple walkways, banners, tents, traditional performances, and decorations. At 2PM Ajahn Tong arrived and the ceremony of Kathina began with chanting, and the offering of robes. The abbot spoke about the fundraising they were doing and the amounts they had raised so far. Many people donated robes before and many more during the official time. The foreigners looked at everything and ate some of the food but did not participate; there seemed to be no real engagement.

There was also a wan phra ceremony during one evening. I had been participating with the Thai meditators in chanting and group meditation when one mae chii explained to the group that we were to buy flowers, candles, and incense and prepare the chanting sheet for later on in the ceremony. At this time the other foreign meditators arrived, having gotten the information about the ceremony from a Vietnamese monk who helps Phra Chaibordin in taking care of the foreign meditators. He explained the symbolism of the flowers, candles, and incense and said that we would circumambulate the jedi three times. Once we were all assembled again, the abbot explained the meaning of wan phra in English for the three foreign visitors in attendance. He said the day is a special day to appreciate and celebrate the Buddhist Triple Gem. This was the only evening that foreign meditators joined in the group activity.

Personally I felt an initial sense of frustration during my first couple of days at the wat because I want to be closer to living the life of a Thai Buddhist. As stated, only what is necessary is taught to the foreigners and one would have to know about Thai Buddhism already in order to understand the daily happenings at the wat. Subsequently there is no community feeling at Wat Rampoeng among the foreigners and this is even more obvious because there is among the Thai meditators. Thus foreigners must be more independent and have a more isolated experience.

The one daily interaction international meditators have is with the abbot. I enjoyed these sessions as he is a warm and helpful teacher. Conducting my reports in Thai was quite challenging but satisfying. During the last day I even got called in as a translator—and that was even more challenging! During my first reporting session I told the abbot that I am researching the reinterpretations of meditation for foreigners. He said that meditation is the same for all humans. I conceded that the method is the same but that the ideas around meditation are different for international visitors. Ajahn Suphan is more concerned with the method of meditation and teaching that to both foreigners and Thais, thus he is focused on the similarities rather than any differences.

Through these interactions with the abbot and through offering at the almsround and participating in their morning and evening chantings, dhamma talks, and group meditations, I started to feel closer to the Thai Buddhist community. Many Thai families were there, many children helping with cleaning and trying to learn how to meditate. The monks and mae chiis seemed to have a wonderful relationship with them, and it was such a safe, loving place for the children. At one point at the jedi a monk was trying to teach a child the chant ‘namo tassa bhagavato arahato samma sammbuddhasa’ and the child kept getting confused and the monk kept smiling. With all the preparations going on in the background getting ready for the big Buddhist holiday of Kathina, it seemed like a beautiful picture of Thai Buddhism. Thus the Thai Buddhists are inspiring, some of them for their dedication to meditation, some for their dedication to the wat: cleaning, giving, staying up late and waking up early without seeming tired.

Thus, although I didn’t follow Phra Chaibordin’s prescription to remain inward, I was able to learn about other aspects of Thai Buddhism. Therefore I received not only the benefits of meditation but also a feeling of connection with Thai Buddhism. I think most foreign meditators get some sense of this just by living in the wat—but it depends on individual interest how deep one gets.

The Blessing of an International Library

On Thursday, October 1st, I was invited to attend the birthday party of Khun Thanat, the head of the International Meditation Center at Wat Chom Tong. At this time Ajahn Tong also visited the center to bless the new international library. For this occasion the friends of the center also had special permission to wash the Buddha relic in the temple in the afternoon.

Since we were all celebrating the continued development of the International Meditation Center, the founders of the center, Khun Thanat and Kate Chindaporn, explained the history. Khun Thanat and Kate knew they wanted to live at Wat Chom Tong with Ajahn Tong in order to practice under his guidance. They lived in the temple but wanted to buy land nearby so they could provide a facility for teaching international visitors. They first bought their house and expanded to purchase three more buildings through donations: 2 living areas for meditators and a meditation hall.

One of these living areas houses the International Library. The idea for the library emerged in order to meet the students’ needs. The teachers found that their students became curious about the Buddha’s teachings especially after practicing meditation. Students began to ask where they could learn more, so Khun Thanat and Kate wanted to provide a facility so the distribution of information could be easier, and students could learn about Buddhism during their breaks from meditation retreats. But this library is not only for English-speakers or international visitors—they also have books in European languages and Thai.

Although its physical location is separate from Wat Chom Tong’s Meditation Center, the teachers emphasized that their center is still a part of the temple. The International Meditation Center is a place to facilitate the teaching. The center could not be fully separate because the foreign meditators learn so much from the Thai people and being in the Thai culture. They learn through just being within Wat Chom Tong and can easily become inspired by practicing with the Thai meditators, monks, and nuns.

Next there was a carefully organized international giving and receiving ceremony. Offerings were made to the monks present in 10 groups to represent the 10 languages the Pali Canon has been translated into. Then the same groups returned to receive Buddha statues that Ajahn Tong blessed. This was all organized so that certain people gave in a certain order from all the countries represented. It was truly an international affair.

In order to commemorate the occasion, in the afternoon there was also a ceremony for washing the relic at Wat Chom Tong. There was a short chanting honoring the three refuges (Buddha, dhamma, sangha) while two monks retrieved the relic. The relic is about the size of a small ball, which floats in water inside a golden case. Everyone lined up to receive a cup of water to pour slowly over the relic. There were many pictures and waiting for everyone to finish before the water that had touched the relic could be collected in bottles and sprinkled on one’s face, hands, and hair. This was a special way to celebrate the opening of the international library that is available to spread the teachings of Buddhism.

I was happy to learn about the history of this special International Meditation Center and have the opportunity to bathe the Buddha relic. The International Library will provide much information on the background of the Buddhist tradition and describe the context from which the meditation practiced comes from. Many international meditators do not have the opportunity to study about this context, which can be very important to deepen the practice and show that meditation is part of a larger system.

Leaving for Wat Rampoeng

Tomorrow morning I will begin meditating again at Wat Rampoeng in Chiangmai. The meditation method here is the same as at Wat Chom Tong- in the Ajahn Tong style. However, their basic course lasts for 26 days instead of the 21 at Wat Chom Tong. Like Wat Rampoeng, this is a serious meditation temple for Thai Buddhists as well. After meditating a little bit with the monks at Wat Srisuphan and with the Green Papaya Sangha in Chiangmai in between retreats, I think I am ready for the challenge. As usual I will write about my reflections upon my return!

An Analysis of Discourses of Meditation: Focus on Universalization

From the beginning of the Western encounter with Buddhism, the tradition was depicted as universal, as a religion that rose above its Indian origins and pan-Asian dissemination. 19^th century scholars constructed a Buddhism that was not created within a specific time and place like other world religions but rather sprung from the individual mind of the Buddha. His message was thought to be universal, and it was ignored that the teachings were given shape by particular languages and mores of India around 500BCE. Because of this, the notion of a cosmological or ritualized Buddhism did not enter into the construction of Buddhism for many early converts. These practices are consequently seen as cultural and national, having been artificially grafted onto a pure, universal, world religion.

Today Western Buddhists are still discussing the universal nature of Buddhism. Barry Boyce, in an editorial in Shambhala Sun Magazine titled “Beyond American Buddhism,” calls for a Buddhism that is not adapted to a particular culture but instead can transcend the cultures of East and West. Thus universalism has been a thread woven through the interpretation of Buddhism since the first encounters with the West.

Stephen Batchelor is a well-known author and lay Buddhist meditation teacher who perceives Buddhism as a way to live one’s life rather than as a religion. He seeks to create a Buddhism Without Beliefs, as his most well-known book is called. In this book he laments that the Buddha’s awakening has been interpreted as a mystical experience or revelation, whereas he believes that the Buddha’s Enlightenment is actually composed of his findings along the path and the teachings he discovered. Batchelor is disappointed with the history of Buddhism and how it has become an institutionalized religion. He instead finds that Buddhist teachings are not a system of beliefs but rather a challenge to act.

Jack Kornfield, in an article in Tricycle Magazine, provides a similar way of dividing Buddhism into a religion and a way of life. He finds there is a Buddhism that functions as a religion for people who participate in rituals and merit-making activities; but then there is a Buddhism based on the fundamental teachings of the Buddha, which is more like a science of the mind. Today in Asia and the West he finds that Buddhism functions as a religion and a science and he believes both are ways to meet the needs of humanity.

Because Buddhist meditation, especially vipassana, has been divided out from and is seen as separate from the Buddhist religion, it can be considered an example of a portable and exportable version of an indigenous Asian tradition. It has become portable because of its non-specific religiosity and few institutional connections. Among Western Buddhists, vipassana meditation has been popular because it has been interpreted as having this universal, transcultural quality. This kind of thinking is certainly true in some American Buddhist circles. In Wendy Cadge’s study of a convert community in Cambridge, Massachusetts, titled Heartwood, she finds that the Buddha’s teachings are primarily conveyed through meditation instruction. Many Western vipassana meditation teachers adapt and present the teachings in a Westernized way so that practitioners often call themselves vipassana meditation students rather than students of Theravada Buddhism.

Recently however, Western Buddhists within this tradition have been reconsidering this decision to decontextualize Buddhist practices. Buddhadharma, the popular American Buddhist magazine, featured a forum among Buddhist teachers titled: ‘Too Much Meditation?’ The moderator, Barry Boyce, states that Buddhism and meditation are nearly synonymous among Western practitioners. Buddhism is considered a philosophy divorced from cultural and religious trappings, which only attached to the religion later in its history.

Thus meditation, as seen through the example of the vipassana tradition, has become a universal element of the tradition. Because of this, practitioners of meditation can now debate the relationship of their practice to the Buddhist tradition. The history of the Buddhist tradition’s movement West has shown the primacy of meditation. This aspect of Buddhism, through its depiction as universal, shows how the tradition can be pulled apart—certain parts divorced from the whole.

Book Review: Swallowing the River Ganges: A Practice Guide to the Path of Purification by Matthew Flickstein

Swallowing the River Ganges is written by Matthew Flickstein, a long-time student of Bhante Gunaratana. Flickstein was also instrumental in founding the Bhavana Society, where Bhante now teaches. Flickstein is a psychotherapist and insight meditation teacher and now teaches at the Forest Way Insight Meditation Center in Virginia where they focus on long-term retreats.

This book is based on the 7 purifications found in the Visuddhimagga, a 5^th century text written by the authoritative figure, Buddhaghosa. In the introduction Flickstein describes that the Visuddhimagga is the main source for understanding the stages of purification mentioned only briefly in the Ratha-vinita sutta (The Relay Chariots), from the Majjhima Nikaya of the Middle-Length Discourses. The Visuddhimagga fills in the characteristics of each stage of purification and has become an authoritative commentary within the Theravada Buddhist world. Thus Swallowing the River Ganges is a modern commentary of a classic Theravada Buddhist commentary.

Friend and teacher, Bhante Gunaratana, writes the Preface, and praises Flickstein’s presentation, saying it is more concise, practical, and accessible to the modern reader than the Visuddhimagga. It is a contemporary and fresh interpretation with traditional understanding. In the Preface Flickstein describes how the Visuddhimagga is practical dhamma—it shows the scope of work necessary for freedom and locates guideposts along the path. The Introduction states that this book provides a map with great precision, shows practices that support the arising of each stage. Each stage of purification strengthens one of the pillars of the dhamma: morality, concentration, and wisdom.

After the introduction each chapter describes the stages of purification in succession. The Purification of Virtue describes how to abide in the pillar of morality. Thus one should follow, or as in the Thai language, protect the precepts, not just meditate. One should have right livelihood, guard against materialism and keep watchful of the senses. The Purification of the Mind describes the pillar of concentration. Flickstein presents the levels of concentration and gives exercises for being mindful of breathing. He emphasizes that one can stop once one has gained momentary concentration or one can continue to develop the jhanas before moving to insight meditation. The Purification of View describes the pillar of wisdom through practicing insight meditation. Flickstein describes how in this stage one can begin to realize no-self by seeing through the 5 Aggregates.

The Purification by Overcoming Doubt again focuses on wisdom and insight meditation. In this stage one practices mindfulness of the body, meditates on the decomposing of the body, and develops awareness through walking meditation, and clear comprehension of the present moment through mindfulness of feelings. The Purification by Knowledge and Vision of What is the Path and What is Not the Path is the longest chapter. Here one focuses on the mindfulness of consciousness, or being aware of skillful and unskillful states of mind, and mindfulness of dhammas, including the 3 characteristics of all phenomenon (no-self, impermanence, suffering), the 5 Aggregates, 6 senses, 7 Factors of Enlightenment, and 4 Noble Truths.

The Purification by Knowledge and Vision of the Way is a crucial stage with 9 insights to be realized. Much effort and determination is needed as some insights can be scary such as the Knowledge of the Fearful, Contemplation of Danger, and Contemplation of Disenchantment. In the last purification, the Purification by Knowledge and Vision, Flickstein describes the knowledges attained of those on the path to Enlightenment (the stream-enterer, once-returner, non-returner and arahant). The final chapter is short, explaining the method for ‘Living an Enlightened Life.’ Here Flickstein emphasizes that the world is play, nothing exists and one needs to move beyond the dualistic world to the deathless where there is spiritual freedom.

For those who do not have the inclination to read the dense Visuddhimagga this is an excellent alternative. As well if one is heading into a retreat or just came out of one it will be easy to identify the stages one went through or will encounter during the practice. Or one could read the stages over time, trying to perfect each purification before moving onto the next one.

My one critique is that this book could have been more tightly connected to the Visuddhimagga. The author frequently mentions the Mahasatipatthana Sutta throughout but references to the Visuddhimagga only occur in the beginning chapters. Thus some readers who are not familiar with the classic Buddhist texts might forget this is a reinterpretation of the Visuddhimagga and its 7 purifications—that this is based on the ideas of Buddhaghosa, not directly from the Buddha. But if one keeps in mind that this is a commentary of a commentary, then this will not affect the reading.

Swallowing the River Ganges may need to be read a couple of times to fully grasp the various insights attained at each purification. It is difficult at first to understand and remember the various lists presented that one works through along the path. It is a readable presentation but because of its nature, the information is easy to forget unless one reads quite carefully.

As mentioned in my review of The Experience of Samadhi, this type of book offers the modern lay reader a window into the classical Theravada texts as well as the complete path of the tradition. One may not be able to get to the final stages of purification but at least one can understand where they should be headed and be inspired by the descriptions of freedom and the guidance out of suffering.

Wat Umong’s International Dhamma Practice Centre

On Sunday my husband, William, and I visited Wat Umong for their wan phra morning celebration (see Chawpjai Chiangmai’s post on this) and to speak with the monk, Phra Uttara, who helps run the International Dhamma Practice Centre. I learned a lot about their program and philosophy of teaching meditation, and I plan to do a retreat there in February.

Wat Umong has a long but vague history as outlined in the book available at the wat titled simply History of Wat Umong written by Hans Perth in 1974. The myth associated with the temple tells that King Mengrai, the founder of Chiangmai, built this monastery complete with caves so that the brilliant but unstable monk Jan would stay in the area. The monastery was maintained and remained a functioning monastery, at least until the date this article ends with, 1520. However, information from the internet takes this further and states that:

“The monastery eventually fell into disuse, though Japanese troops were said to garrison here during WW II. Since 1948, the Thai prince Jao Chun Sirorot, now in his 90s, has been active in rebuilding and reestablishing the monastery. In 1949 he invited Buddhadasa Bhikkhu (founder of Suan Mokkh in southern Thailand) to come and live here. Duties kept Buddhadasa Bhikkhu from coming. Instead he sent Ajahn Pannananda and other monks to help set up and run Wat Umong.”

This information explains why the method of teaching at Wat Umong is connected with Buddhadasa’s teachings and the meditation techniques taught at Wat Suan Mokkh.

Today, Phra Uttara, a Vietnamese monk studying for his masters’ degree at Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya Buddhist University takes care of the international meditators at Wat Umong. His teacher speaks good English as well but is busy trying to get new buildings built so he asked Phra Uttara to be in charge of foreigners while another monk oversees the Thai meditators. Phra Uttara said that there are not many meditators at Wat Umong in general so they can spend more time with each person, and there are more Thai meditators than foreigners. When we arrived there were no foreigners but two had just left. Phra Uttara spoke of meditators from Japan and Africa so this appears to be a diverse group.

Phra Uttara stressed that his instruction depends on the individual meditator because everyone is different. Some people can go right to the mindfulness of the mind but for some this is too hard so they should start with mindfulness of feelings and body. Thus Phra Uttara advises people to focus on different ways of being mindful depending on their personality and experience. For instance someone could focus on one of the five senses such as seeing or hearing if that works for them before concentrating on the mind.

Phra Uttara showed us the building where meditators sleep, eat, and meditate. There is a hallway with individual rooms, a small table for eating, and a meditation hall all in the same area. Phra Uttara recommends coming for more than 3 days because one cannot get too far in vipassana in a shorter period. But it is up to the individual meditator how long they will stay for, there is no suggested amount of time or basic course as there is with temples that teach the Ajahn Tong method.

We also listened to Phra Uttara’s introductory talk that he gives to all new meditators. He covered topics such as the difference between concentration and awareness, the Four Foundations of Mindfulness, and the morality of the five precepts. He said the benefit of concentration is to make the mind strong and that it complements vipassana. He stressed that vipassana has more benefits however, because it helps one to see impermanence whereas concentration does not. If someone concentrates on one object during their meditation session, there will be no notice of impermanence. Phra Uttara warned that meditation can reveal the truth and this can be scary and inconvenient because people don’t want change or to realize impermanence.

We thanked Phra Uttara for giving us this sample introductory talk and he encouraged us to come back and practice. Wat Umong is a beautiful temple in the forest and appears to be an inspiring place to practice. They are flexible, allowing people to come for shorter periods and working closely with the meditators to see which foundation of mindfulness is right for them.