Tam Wua - The magical forest monastery in northern Thailand

 

Once I completed my massage course I felt the need to get out of the busy city of Chiang Mai and return to one of my favorite sanctuaries in Thailand (where I spent Christmas 4 years ago).  Tam Wua, a monastery that is nestled among huge limestone mountains and forests in the North of Thailand, not far from Mae Song.

This enlightening place brings me to another level of awareness by touching the deepest parts of my soul and helping me to be present in the Now.
Inspiring me to write as the words were flowing through me like the sound of flowing river nearby.  Being a power place, the frequency of the energy there is quite unusual and it caused me to feel really open, happy and more light.

My hut (Kuti) was very basic but comfortable

The living arrangements are quite simple but comfortable as you get your own Kuti (small wooden house, with bedroom and attached shower/toilet).  Behind my Kuti was a small pond with Lilly pads and blooming Lotus flowers.  White and pink Lotus flowers are a reminder of the blooming of our true selves into a different state of consciousness.  This auspicious flower in Southeast Asia and other parts of the East is the subject of paintings, sculptures and of spiritual artwork in monasteries all over these parts.  Quite synchronistic because I had just written a poem the week before about a Lotus blooming.

The Blossoming 

As I look inside myself I see a flower beginning to bloom. 

The bud is ready to open to it's divine beauty. 

There is no need to fear when love is here.

Cycles of life unfold with so many lessons learned,

With lots more in the future to be discovered.

Let these thoughts dissolve now as I rest in this moment where the truth lies.

The Lotus flower cannot rush the process of blossoming. 

It waits patiently for it's opening, relishing in each moment of growth.

The flower being the fruit of the timely ripening,

Yet the beauty is in it all; its essence, bud, growth and flower. 

Life is the journey,

Growth is the gift,

Awakening is inevitable on the spiritual path.

Daily practice of Vipassana (insight into the true nature of reality, through self observation and introspection)  and mindfulness is encouraged in everything that is done during a stay there.  Sitting, walking and lying meditation are tools that are taught to help create mindfulness.  There are four monks altogether that live there.  The main monk Tan, is the teacher who liaises with the visitors speaking in Thai and English sharing his insight with us.  It felt like I was in the presence of Buddah (the awakened one) because he's reached a point of knowing the true nature of reality.  After spending 7 years, 7 months, 7 days in one of the meditation caves there, he became enlightened.  Although he doesn't advertise the fact that he has reached that level, he shared some of his story of those years in the cave.  It was very obvious to me while in his presence, listening to his teachings and seeing his compassionate smile I knew he's reached another level of consciousness.

During my visit to the forest monastery I volunteered by helping to clear the trails for walking meditation.  It was fun to contribute and share time with other visitors which included Thais and other Westerners.  We made some stairs with rocks and dirt to protect a hilly part of the pathway from erosion during the rainy season.  While we were working, the teacher monk Tan was coordinating the team guiding us in what he wanted us to do.  He offered a teaching to a few of us as he noticed a large boulder surrounded by a Banyan tree.  He said "The rock is the heart and mind, the tree is Vipassana, surrounding and protecting them from suffering."  That was one of the great things about being in Tan's presence, he would use symbols to give us teachings on Dhamma/Dharma (the law of nature). 

It inspired me to write a poem about the teaching, which I gifted to the monk afterward as I was leaving the monastery.  By placing the paper with the poem on the step next to him (tradition is that a woman can never hand anything to a monks) thanking him for his wonderful teachings on Dhamma as I said goodbye. 

The lesson on Dhamma

"The rock being the heart and mind, the tree is Vipassana, surrounding and protecting them from suffering." The monk shares his teaching with us.  

Surrounding, protecting, balancing the heart and mind as one moves effortlessly through life. 

The road has many obstacles, adversaries and challenges along the way,

Yet Dhamma makes life so simple each and every day. 

Freedom to choose our experience in life - to react or create

Will it be love or hate?

Reaction is exhausting with nothing positive to gain,

Creation makes peace and happiness possible, with no room for pain.

When one is not playing a victim in their life, there's always a choice.

Why not be responsible for your own happiness, choose Dhamma and rejoice. 

Visitors are invited to visit the meditation caves and I visited them on a number of occasions.  Meditating inside a cave is an amazing experience!  In the complete silence of the cave, I was present to the vibration of my own body, the electricity flowing through each and every cell.  It felt like I was inside the womb of the earth, feeling it's pulse and knowing that I'm always connected to this great mystery of life.  There's no separation because everything is connected in this cosmos through the cosmic web of energy.  This energy flows through every living thing on the planet making up the collective consciousness where everything is possible inside the quantum field.  Like a fractal if you break it into smaller pieces, each piece still contains the other parts but is fragmented - Nothing can be destroyed only transformed into another form.

Another blooming lotus behind my hut

What an amazing creation - life on earth! Our senses, the experience of being human, how life evolves and changes in every moment.  This is the only certainty in life - Change.  No matter what we do, see, feel - everything changes and there's no way of stopping it...just observe, observe, observe because that too will eventually change!