How I stayed without money in Thailand and lived in Buddhist temple

My name is Zhenia. I am 32. I’m from Chelyabinsk. My story is similar to the adventure that happened by the unusual coincidence of circumstances. It is impossible to be called rest abroad, with the rest in the hammock by the pool and with cocktails. I will tell about my life in the Buddhist temple.

It was in Bangkok.

This journey began in October 2017, when my friends and I flew to India. Hanging all this extraordinary country for 2 months, we decided to divide and flew with a friend in Malaysia for the whole December.

After Malaysia, I wanted to ride the hitchhiker to Thailand, and after alone fly home at the Bangkok charter flight – Moscow. He cost only 5 200 rubles.

Then I did not work, so I had the opportunity to travel for a long time.

Lailed to the aircraft

My inexperience led me at the most inopportune moment. I was late for my plane to Russia.

And there was little more – did not notice how in a taxi, on the way to the airport, my phone fell out of the pocket. Well, somehow lucky. He managed to return with the help of the valiant Thailand police, but only after 4 hours, which lasted for me as much eternity..

The last $ 10 I gave a smiling taxi driver who had to go from the other end of the city again to the airport to return me my phone. As a result, I have no more money left, except the little things.

That ticket to Moscow was irrevocable.

I called my friend from Russia and asked if he could buy me an inexpensive ticket from Thailand as soon as possible. The answer was disappointing. On the nose New Year holidays. All tickets at affordable prices have long been born a month ahead. I realized that at best I would have to cook for a whole month.

Night in the Buddhist Temple

In the head of the turmoil. No money left. Night. Dark. In such situations, I have never turned out.

But I was sure that if the fate threw me such a challenge, it means that I am ready to accept it, no matter how the outcome. As a result, everything ended well. I`m Fine) and now I tell you about it.

I decided to try to go to the temple.

One of my friend told me how he traveled in Thailand and stayed in the temples. Once he met a our guy who lived in a Buddhist temple not one year. And I decided to experience fate.

I went to Buddhist Temple 3 km from the airport. I found him at the google maps. With me I had a backpack with things, 7 yellow mangoes in the manual package, which I managed to buy in the market for gifts to parents. And all.

Before the specified street I got on the subway.

Having reached the place, I saw that the red point on the map was the whole park with a large inlet arch and an even more huge statue of the Buddha, sitting at the entrance in the lotus position.

In the background you can see the statue of the Buddha

I entered the park. It was dark.

I could not really make out that I see in front of myself, except bushes and trees. Went deep into and recalled on a long wooden two-story building. Windows and doors were locked. But on the second floor in a Buddhist temple, dull light pierced through the slots of window flaps. There was life.

I rose to the second floor and did not hurry on the courtyard. All this time I was confused by the idea that I would have to disturb strangers in the middle of the night. But still, I decided to knock on the door of one of the rooms.

Elderly monk in saffron robe. For about 50 years. His rare eyebrows slightly raised from surprise.

Before talking about something, I expressed my respect to a low bow.

Then briefly said that he was late for his plane that I had no money and what I need somewhere to spend the night. If he is allowed to stop here at night, then I will be very happy and grateful for it.

He listened carefully and thought. Do not hurry, he sat down on the edge of the porch, which led to the entrance in his room.

– So, you have no money?

– Do you have any friends here?

At this time, another monk in saffron clothing came out of another room. Middle-height. Thin. It was also about 50 years old.

He became interested in what happened, and went to us.

Chucks (so called first) began to explain in Thai, everything that happened. A light smile appeared on his face. This is a good sign, I thought. His friend, listening to the end, understood his head.

After that, the chuck turned to me and said:

– I think you can stay here at night, but you have to warn about it a senior monk. You have a passport with you?

Vinai (his friend) took my passport and went somewhere. Soon he returned and gave me a passport back:

After that, the chuck got up and with the words: "Let’s go after me," went to the doors of the neighboring room.

– You can sleep here, no problems. At 8 am, there will be breakfast, – he wished good night and went to himself.

I found myself in a pure spacious room with a high ceiling.

In the corner there was a few rolled rugs, on which it was convenient to sleep. On the floor lay neatly folded soft blankets. In the other end of the room there was an altar with statuettes of Buddha in different colors and sizes.

The room was cozy. I felt safe for the first time for the whole day.

In large windows instead of glasses were wooden flaps. And so when I turned off the light, there was absolutely dark in the room.

I lived in this room

My life in Buddhist temple

Closer to 8 am, chucks knocked and called me for breakfast.

When I went out, I saw that there was a whole mountain of different food on the porch near the doors of the chuck. Nearby stood a young guy and watched, as the chuck and his friend lively granted her food to large broad dishes, swaying near this heap.

He called me to himself:

– You can take all that you want. Take it immediately for the whole day, no problems, – and stretched another dish. He came from his father’s heat and concern that you did not confuse. I took myself fruit, bag with rice and a couple of water bottles.

When we finished, the young guy folded the rest of the food in a huge bag and left. As I learned later, these were donations that every day are collected in the market, and then bring here.

After breakfast, the chucks again went somewhere and returned closer to dinner.

He told me that he was talking to the main Buddhist monk, and he allowed me to live in the temple so until I buy myself a ticket to Russia. I was very happy to hear it. I did not even know how to thank for such infinite hospitality.

So began my life in the Buddhist temple.

Mango

On the porch at the entrance to the incident stood a common refrigerator.

The photo on which the refrigerator can be seen

Once, the chucks called me to him. Opening the door, he showed his finger to the package lay there and asked:

– Yes. This mango, which I wanted to take with myself for a gift to my parents, and now I don’t know what to do with them. I do not want to eat them, because I hope the tickets will soon appear, and I will take them with you. And what?

– You’d better eat all today, because they will soon begin spoil. And about the hotels of your parents – do not worry. I will take care of it. I have friends on Mango plantation. Just warn me 3 days before departure. I will ask them to bring you so much mango how much you want. It will be my gift.

My happiness then there was no limit.

I also really wanted to do something for them. But all that they asked me about – to wipe the floors in the courtyard and the stairs to the second floor.

Very simple and generous people.

Our life in Buddhist temple. Get clean

New Year

In the temple, I met the new year.

It was the best new year in my life. It was special because it was not like any of the previous. None of my friends ever met him also.

You, probably, think that I hint at the fact that modest and restrained monks, made a breathtaking dance on this night with tambourines and the flag of fire dragons? No.

December 31 in Bangkok was the most ordinary hot day. I went to the city. Nowhere was even a hint of the pre-New Year bustle, except for the place where foreign tourists were going to.

The mood of local residents did not differ from the fact that I saw in previous days. No transfigurations of urban facades, neither decorations of shop windows and not a single advertising about New Year’s discounts and promotions. Just December 31st. Same day as July 31 in Russia.

Monks as usual sat in the evening in the courtyard and discussed something. And then went around the rooms.

Closed his eyes and began to read the blows of his heart. At 9 o’clock in the evening I was already soared over my room in a dream. January 1 I woke up at 6 am fully rested and slept. It was the best new year in my life. I advise everyone to try at least once.

The park where the Buddhist monastery was located was very beautiful.

Bluffed small fountains, filling the street with cheerful murmur of water, swimming fish in the ponds, poultry fluttered, pluckled the gray boars, cats and dogs. Sometimes it was possible to meet the "meowing" peacocks.

The park ended in a small river, and at the edge of another shore there were one-story houses. Many – without one wall, which should have separated views on the river from the indoor room. It was possible to exchange greetings with residents of these houses. They sat in open rooms by the river and drank tea.

Holidays in Tanzania: All you wanted to know about this mysterious country

And now imagine.

In the middle of all this idyll, you stumble on a terrible place. Even those who have only a distant idea of ​​how the hellish torture of sinners in the Bible, the Quran or Srimad Bhagavatam, would immediately guessed where they got.

It was a big diorama of cruel hellish torture.

In full growth here was depicted dismemberment, blood, bone reddings, tongue breakdown with chopped tongs, sprinkling eyes, boiling boilers with people. Before bumping scary muzzles of hellwort with red eyes and sharp fangs. This is not all.

You remember how in childhood we went to the room of fear and then they talked to mom: "I was not scary"? I have such a spectacle caused the effect of the icy soul in the midst of the paradise utopia.

Dedication to monks

Once the monks asked me to help drag a bunch of dishes from a warehouse in a large banquet hall in the temple. The next day, there was a dedication to the monks of one of the candidates.

I could see how preparations for this event.

In the evening, in front of the initiation of Chuchut and Vintai, they read him the rules and instructions that needed to follow. He sat and, carefully listening, agreed with everything. It lasted a few hours.

In the morning, Vinai shaved his head to the future monk and even ripped his eyebrows from his face.

Buddhists turn out to be so accepted. I noticed that without eyebrows the face of the monk immediately seems more kind. Vinai offered and I try until it is possible. But I refused.

I and the future monk

At the ceremony there were many people.

Relatives of this person, friends, work colleagues came. In peace, he worked as a lawyer, but long ago dreamed of accepting monastic stop.

In the evening after all the procedures, with a shaved head and in a new saffron, he settled in the next room. And it has already become four.

Here we are all four

Enlightenment

Returning somehow since walking, I saw that a woman and a young girl sat on the porch with a guy. Seeing me, they immediately buried, and the chucks waved his hand, inviting them to the company.

– Eugene, – So he uttered my name, – Meet. It is my wife, daughter and her husband.

Apparently, he already told them something about me. Everyone on the face was smiles.

His wife spoke quite well in English.She began to ask about my journey. I smiled in response and tried to politely answer questions. But inside I felt shock and blast brain.

– And you have a monk not to be a bachelor? – as if I asked me. What I found out again surprised me.

Chuchut and Vintai settled in this temple only 2 months ago. That is, just a month before my arrival.

Soon they were going to leave and live on with their families in the city. Chucks generally planned to start some kind of business not to miss pensions. His wife told that before retirement, he worked for many years in the police, in the Drug Anti-Drug Department.

I myself would never guessed about such things to ask him. Because I was quite sure that this is that spiritually mature Buddhist monk, who has long been living away from the worldly bustle.

I have only one question left:

– Chuck, why do you help me? You didn’t know anything about me when I saw me for the first time?

He looked at me again with that paternal directness and lifting:

– Eugene, this fate ordered so that you were here. This means that the Lord brought you here, just like me. And he helped you to meet me here.

Before me began to go a little, probably, I really didn’t just just here.

Everything could be different. It seemed that I was opened by the true idea of ​​my stay in this temple. I was enough for this charge for the whole next year. All year I was full of strength and enthusiasm, achieved the intended goals and plans and even a little more.

Parting

Return back to Earth.

Closer to the end of January, finally born inexpensive tickets for one airline. Chuck, as promised, called his friends. The next day, on his porch, large yellow mangoes were conquered, packed in cardboard boxes.

In my backpack and in the manual container for fruits plus 31 pieces.

On the day of departure, his daughter’s husband drove. They accompanied me with the whole family and were given another 600 baht, just in case (1300 rubles).

Thank you for reading about my life in Buddhist temple. Interesting you travel.