by Cuz, Guest Blogger
WELCOME TO SONGKHLA !
Note: This blog entry is written in the artistic format of Bad Anime Subtitle, an ancient art of communication.
Nagging itch in soul requires me to engage in Great Spiritual Learning Adventure! Therefore I asked my Spiritual Master, Chaokun Luang Por if I can accompany him next time to Songkhla Thailand. The answer was positive and on 18th October 2007, I went on mystical pilgrimage to Thailand for 4 days. Happy Happy!
Chaokun is a rank given by the Thai King, it means the “King’s Own” and it roughly corresponds to the rank of General among the monk hierachy. Luang Por means “Venerable Father”, thus you call monks Luang Por as a sign of respect.
A picture of Chaokun who is around 80 years old but has the mental quickness of a very speedy fox. Amazing!
Reasons for Great Spiritual Learning Adventure 2007!
I feel heavy burden since the death of my father after taking as head of family 3rd Generation.
Unable to gain mental health lately that transform to unhealthy purchases of many anime products (Although that could be the influence of Zer0). Need a holiday. Very cheap to go Songkhla with Chaokun, I only spent around $300 including airfare. Go with Chaokun to Thailand is like traveling with a celebrity, free food, free lodgings and free transport! To visit many holy spiritual sites and experience new phenomena!
Preparation for Songkhla:
Shaved my hair off
Did not bring Ipod or any books. Must concentrate on absorbing!
Bring camera
Leave all worries behind to find deep answer
Background information
Songkhla was governed by the Na Songkhla family for 126 years (1775-1901) by a family of Chinese Blood. It is a major port of call and is an ancient land full of artifacts as we explore later!
The Adventure
I traveled by mechanical bird Tiger Airways on Thursday and reached around 5pm, and we had some lunch by Songkhla lake. The lake is huge and you cannot imagine how much life is in the water! 2 hours car ride from airport to Songkhla later…
Sky Black Black, Going to Rain, Grandpa and Grandma…
After that, we went to a Wat (Temple) where one of Chaokun’s friends passed away. Must pay respect. When I was there, noticed big red ants in the Temple grounds but they do not bite humans.
After pay respect, we went to Ban Tha Hin, a village where Chaokun’s Wat is located. A Wat is central to the small Thai Village lifestyle where kindergarden and learning is provided, spiritual help is provided and as a gathering for villagers to socialise. There is no libarary, no Starbucks, no shopping centres, no cinema except bring cows to pasture and harvest rice.
Buddha in glass temple at Ban Tha Hin
So as I prepare to meditate and then sleep, there was a big spider already in the room. Spider will not go away and I spent 2 hours staring at the spider before going sleepy land.
Big Spider!
Sleep and wake up, its Friday and must go to a few more Wats and then to Forest to stay for the night.
On the way, we passed by a huge Naga statue that was 3 storeys high. So tall that camera cannot take full picture!
We passed by Songkhla National Museum, Address Vihianchom Road, Bo Yang, Songkhla 90000.
Many ancient artifacts from archaelogical sites. Has southern folk art, Dvaravati Art, Ban Chiang culture art, Ceramics from Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties. And many many more!
Bell that says SINGAPORE PORT with Arabic? Or Jawi? Writing. Very old bell !
Museum is housed in Chinese Style building. The same building that housed the Na Songkhla when they were governors here in Songkhla.
Ban Chiang Pottery
Ancient Buddhist Art first transmitted thousands of years ago!
[Zer0: The Lingam. Lord Siva's penis. Phallic worship. If girls worship my big-caliber ramrod, will I be deified too?]
[Zer0: Happy lion with huge penis]
[Zer0: Cool, Teutonic art-deco museum piece]
After that, we went to holy cave.
The Cave
[Zer0: going to the cave, it's like returning to the mother's womb. ain't it?]
These are statues of Hermits, who are actual people of the past with great spiritual powers. They are holy men who can access the spiritual internet in the sky.
They wear animal skin to show their control over the animal spirits in the forests, they often carry a power staff that is a Naga which is also a source of spiritual power. After their passing, they reach enlightenment and go to heaven.
[Zer0: here's the 3D model of the map of the interconnecting cave network ]
[Zer0: now you see me...now you don't]
[Zer0: there's a sign pointing to the direction of the 'Kuanim Cave'...]
[Zer0: 'Kuanim' is none other than the Chinese rendition of the Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara, aka Guan Yin or Kuanyim]
The Forest
After cave, go to forest to stay the night! The forest has many spirits but none of them came to me. Or I am unable to recognise them as spirits.
At the forest, there are also 2 hermits, you can see a small offering of psychoactive plants they use to enter the spiritual world, tobacco, betel leaf and other plant matter.
Sleeping in the forest at night is like listening to nature’s heavy metal. The sounds of the insects, animals and wind is so loud that it rivals a heavy metal concert.
[Zer0: The Muslim separatist insurgency in southern Thailand had already touched Songkhla. Hat Yai had received several bombs]
Wat’s Next
We went to Luang Phor Thuad’s temple where his body still lies in a glass coffin. The body is close to at least 300 years old and has not decomposed. Normal people are not allowed to see the body, only monks are allowed.
Saturday and Sunday, we went to all the holiest temples where Buddhism was brought by King Asoka’s Daughter . These Wats are at least 1600 years old.
[Zer0: Note the Chinese and Thai nagas side by side]
This is the site where Chaoku’s meditation teacher taught him in a very old 1600 year old Wat. We prayed here with much reverence.
This is also where he taught me the Buddhist truths using the painting picture of the Buddha descending down from Heaven after his passing for his mother. The metaphysical world was exposed by the Buddha in its entirely to allow humans to see the truth of the world.
[Zer0: Cuz said that the strings that run through the Wat were meant to show the interconnectedness of the universe. We are all bonded to each other]
[Zer0: Thailand's clandestine aerospace research centre]
[Zer0: Rocket in Disguise]
[Zer0: Rocket booster nozzle]
[Zer0: The drill that will pierce through the Heaven]
[Zer0: Air Traffic Control]
[Zer0: Clandestine rocket launches]
[Zer0: Astronauts that did not quite pierce through the Heaven]
[Zer0: When Buddha entered Nirvana, there was a myth that his body went into spontaneous combustion before leaving behind his sarira. Was it like a firework going off when it happened?]
[Zer0: According to Cuz, the temple sets off fireworks after evening prayers. Donors' money going up in flames]
[Zer0: More Chinese architectural motifs]
[Zer0: How characters in a Ming-dynasty novel became venerated icons. Next time, there will be a temple dedicated to Ultraman and Haruhi]
[Zer0: That's Ji Gong the Mad Monk]
[Zer0: Fat laughing buddha. The Chinese rendition of Matreiya the future buddha. Aka Budai (cloth bag) monk. How to tell a Chinese Buddha from a Thai Buddha - just look at their size. Chinese Buddha's are fatter. Thai buddha's look like they've been fasting for years. Some Chinese Buddhist believe its okay to eat meat, as long as you recite the Pure Land Dharani (往生咒) when you slaughter the creature for food. The dead animal's soul will then re-spawn somewhere in Amitabha's Pure Land Heaven]
[Zer0: Krhishna of Bhagavad Gita? That's why mainland Southeast Asia is also known as Indochina. Note the Chinese and Indian (Vedic) influences]
[Zer0: Cuz's holy diet]
Because of the environment I was in, physically in a location where many monks have prayed and meditated against such an ancient and holy relic, it was as indescribable feeling when he expounded and explained to me the truths.
Tang Kuan Hill
Finally, before we returned to Singapore, we went Tang Kuan Hill where there was another old Governor Pavillion back in ancient days. There was a statue of Luang Phor Thuat looking over the entire Songkhla. It was an amazing sight.
On Monday, I finished my Great Spiritual Learning Advenure 2007! and returned home to my doggys.
I super highly recommend everyone to go and visit these sites as there are just too many pictures and places I went that is too much for one small blog entry, it is difficult to summarise everything. Very sorry and many apologies!
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