Thai Buddhism
Home
Thailand Real Estate
Thailand Condos
Thailand Life
Seasons in ThailandChiang Mai Neighborhood
Thai Driving
Chiang Mai Traffic
Navigating Villages
Wats and Watnot
Insights and Experiences
Lychee SeasonFlogS Prawn
Navigation Pitfalls
Songkran Week
Talc and Sausages
The Cool Season
Rimping Market
Rimping Party
Balloon Clown
Khun Churn Restaurant
Giant Panda
Fruit, Fish, and Allegory
Giant Gecko
The Rains Come
June Fireflies
Growing Trees in Thailand
Loo Krait
House Planning
Mooshing Spices
Cobras and Kraits
Spider of Epic Proportions
Gardening in the Tropics
Tooky Tooky Bird
Mahjong
Cobras and Cats
Thai New Year
Buddhism
Gate Latches
Ants and Solstice Swooshing
Aussies and Benign Hazards
Storm, Sunset and Green Sky
Banana and Cobra Farm
Bamboo and Rice
Diesel Engines in Thailand
Food Poisoning Central
Thailand Links
Favorite Travel Links
Travel Emergencies
Communicate in Thai
Travel Tales
Student Net
To enjoy good health, to bring true happiness to one's family, to bring peace to all, one must first discipline and control one's own mind. If a man can control his mind he can find the way to Enlightenment, and all wisdom and virtue will naturally come to him.
-- The Buddha
Yunee and I are teaching English at a local Wat. Yunee is surprisingly good. My teaching is generally restricted to discussing aspects of Buddhism with the monk. It is very weird. Most of the terminology I know is Sanskrit whereas Thailand speaks a derivative of Pali. Some words are the same, some similar. I am learning, getting a better understanding of some things.
Theraveda Buddhism chose to be in the Pali language while Mahayana chose Sanskrit. Learning this in turn gave me a deeper understanding of the two schools/aspects. Theraveda Buddhism, rote repetition of Buddhas exact words tends towards 'lip service' without thinking of what one is saying. Mahayana lends itself to discussion, digression, and rationalizing which does not lend itself to the mindset of quieting ones thoughts. Theraveda is in a way, or can be, much like modern day kristians. Think superficial, never challenge anything, just accept and repeat what you are told. Mahayana's pitfall is doing what I am doing now, talking about it rather than taking it to heart where words are not required. A nice paradox.