Delving into Buddhism in Bangkok.
“Put your dreams away for now,
I won’t see you for some time,
I am lost in my mind,
I get lost in my mind”
The Head and the Heart – Lost in My Mind
Visiting Thailand has been quite an eye-opening experience, and it’s only been 4 days since we arrived. With Buddhism as the national religion, things are done quite differently here. Whether it’s as simple as taking off shoes before entering a home or temple, or as hard as not judging someone for any reason, it’s almost a different world.
The past couple of days have been filled with sightseeing, temples, and time with our former exchange student from Bangkok, Care. As we hopped around temples we learned about what Buddhists believe in and the rules of their religion. Growing up in a Protestant church and in the United States, I don’t feel I’ve had much experience with other religions, especially Buddhism and Hinduism. Hearing about their belief in reincarnation, Karma, Buddha, and meditation really sparked my interest.
We had the chance to have dinner with Care and her family and conversation soon led to the topic of religion and Buddhism. Care’s father is strong in his Buddhist faith and he discovered that I was interested in learning more about it. I was able to ask him questions on how he meditates and seeks peace. His response was quite powerful, and I’ll do my best to convey it below.
“You know that look you receive from your parents when they’re proud of you? That sparkle in their eyes and smile. Something that’s hard to forget. Take that look, and the feeling you get in your heart, and focus on it. You’ll hear your heartbeat and you’ll find peace.”
This was quite profound to me. If everyone took the time to themselves to clear their mind and find inner peace, there may be a bit more peace in our world.
