Positive stuff

**Holy shit I can upload a couple images. Now that's a positive.**

Last night I went to a Buddist temple with Kris, the owner of the Krisada Guest House where I am staying, to participate in the full moon ceremony. It was a new and interesting experience.

Kris gave me a couple Lotus Flowers, 3 sticks of incense, and 1 candle. We got into a Tuk Tuk and went to what is called "The Mountain Temple". We arrive and there are lots of people kind of milling about. Kris is explaining to me the different buildings and that there are other fahlong here too who you can ask questions to.

Anyone can come here and stay for free if you want to stay for 10 to 26 days and learn and do meditation from the head Monk. The other monks too will teach you the basics and try to guide you along.

3 of these fahlong are from Germany. There were a few women here too.

We get to the temple, take off our shoes, then sit on mats on the floor and we must sit crosslegged or with your feet out to the side. Since the foot is the lowest part of the body, it is considered very rude to point the bottoms of your feet at anyone, especially a Budda image or a monk. As soon as everyone is seated there is a some bowing and then the head monk starts to speak into a microphone and asks specific people to speak about their experiences from meditation, mostly spoken in Thai, but some in English. After people speak and the monk makes comments or offers guidance to them and those seated there was some chanting/praying and some more bowing. Suddenly after the last bow everybody gets up and we go outside.

The head monk leads everyone around the main temple (to the left) and a large spire like object (it's just outside the image to the left), I don't know what it is called, 3 times. But first we light our candles and incense.

The first walk around you are supposed to think about Buddha, second round his teachings, and third... I forget but it has something to do with Buddism, I'm sure. After your last round you stop, then ask for a wish. Whatever it might be. Then you place the candle, incense and lotus fower, someplace around the spire like object or around the area. Then we went back inside the temple for about 15 minutes of mediation and saying some prayers or chanting (basically the same I think). It was all very peaceful and a couple of the locals looked very happy to see me and one guy (you can see his forehead in the lower left corner) grabbed my arm and smiled and said something to me, but he looked and acted very happy that I was there. A very nice ceremony in all.

Then we got our shoes and back on the Tuk Tuk and came home.