WAT SOK PA LUANG: MEDITATING WITH THE MONKS!
Clearly, if John’s “Happy Day” was at the Laodi Rhum Distillery, then my “Happy Day” was today, when we arrived at Wat Sok Pa Luang to....MEDITATE WITH THE MONKS! OMGOSH, someone pinch me!
We arrived at the temple at 3:00, where we all gathered, sat on cushions, and listened to the “man of the hour” -- a young monk, who was delightful, and spoke great English! He told us that he entered as a novice monk at the age of twelve and became a full monk four years ago. He is now 25 years old and thinks he would like to remain a Buddhist monk for the rest of his life, but is not quite sure. No matter what he ends up doing, it will be his decision. He was soft spoken, and answered the many questions he was asked fluently and honestly. (Have I mentioned that THIS WAS AMAZING?)
We arrived way early (there was NO WAY I was going to be late for this), which gave us more time speaking with the monk!
At 4:00 our sitting meditation began and continued for twenty minutes. John said he nearly died, but he hung in there and made it through to the end. I loved every solitary second! After the sitting meditation (where we focused on breath) we participated in a twenty minute walking meditation (focusing on the movement of our feet), which was a lot easier. We completed another sitting meditation for twenty minutes. That ended our hour long meditation session!
There was a mix of people at the session with us. A guy came from Italy, a couple from the Netherlands, another couple from Sweden and another from the UK! Everyone was enthralled with the entire program!
As we were leaving, the actual chanting the monks do (in the morning and evening) was going on! We spotted this pup waiting patiently on the steps outside!
I found this blog that does a great job of explaining Buddhism, the life of monks and the people of Laos! It sums up what John and I have found so appealing here, in the poorest capital of Asia. It is called The Whole World Or Nothing. Actually, while we’ve gotten a lot of info off that blog, the one that really talked about the Laos people was GoNomad. Good stuff!
After spending two hours in a Buddhist temple, John announced it was time to head to church! Let’s just say we tried! He thought the English mass was at 6:30PM, but when we arrived, a mass in Lao was going strong!
So we opted for dinner instead! Just a few blocks from the church, we happened on this tiny restaurant called Bistro 22. OMG, the owner/chef was French and could he cook!!! I had the salmon and John had the duck sheppard’s pie. Both were TO DIE FOR!
These are the days, the moments, that make living out of a suitcase worth every single second! Thank you! Thank you! THANK YOU! Nothing but NOTHING could have been better than meditating with the Monks, at Wat Sok Pa Luang, here in Vientiane!
We arrived at the temple at 3:00, where we all gathered, sat on cushions, and listened to the “man of the hour” -- a young monk, who was delightful, and spoke great English! He told us that he entered as a novice monk at the age of twelve and became a full monk four years ago. He is now 25 years old and thinks he would like to remain a Buddhist monk for the rest of his life, but is not quite sure. No matter what he ends up doing, it will be his decision. He was soft spoken, and answered the many questions he was asked fluently and honestly. (Have I mentioned that THIS WAS AMAZING?)
We arrived way early (there was NO WAY I was going to be late for this), which gave us more time speaking with the monk!
Did you know that women can be monks? We sure didn’t! This one (pictured below) came in for the meditation part and was introduced as the person who came up with the idea to hold these sessions for the public. Smart lady! Women monks are called “nuns,” wear white robes, and are also required to shave their heads. When asked why, we were told “it is simpler.” And that is what they are all striving for—a life of simplicity.
I asked about what I thought were Buddhist shrines that are everywhere in Vientiane. They actually have nothing to do with Buddhism! They are where the locals place offerings to the ghosts or “spirits.” This practice was around long before Buddhism made it to Laos! Here’s a really interesting read on ANIMISM!
There was a mix of people at the session with us. A guy came from Italy, a couple from the Netherlands, another couple from Sweden and another from the UK! Everyone was enthralled with the entire program!
As we were leaving, the actual chanting the monks do (in the morning and evening) was going on! We spotted this pup waiting patiently on the steps outside!
After spending two hours in a Buddhist temple, John announced it was time to head to church! Let’s just say we tried! He thought the English mass was at 6:30PM, but when we arrived, a mass in Lao was going strong!
So we opted for dinner instead! Just a few blocks from the church, we happened on this tiny restaurant called Bistro 22. OMG, the owner/chef was French and could he cook!!! I had the salmon and John had the duck sheppard’s pie. Both were TO DIE FOR!
These are the days, the moments, that make living out of a suitcase worth every single second! Thank you! Thank you! THANK YOU! Nothing but NOTHING could have been better than meditating with the Monks, at Wat Sok Pa Luang, here in Vientiane!
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