What is the first thing that comes to the mind when we hear about a Buddhist Monastery or a Pagoda? It is Peace, Sanctity, Chanting, Meditation, Spirituality and Enlightment. To experience the spiritual side, I took a journey to the remote Monasteries of Thailand and Cambodia.
In Thailand particularly there are small monasteries up in the hills where the monks live in Caves, it feels like time has never changed since the birth of Buddhism. I met many monks of all ages, they come to a monastery as small kids and complete a 7 year study on Buddhism after which they are free to choose the spiritual path or they can choose the material world. As a traveler I was lucky to be allowed to stay in a monastery with the only condition being I should teach English to the monks, which I happily agreed to do. I studied a lot about their discipline, Buddhist traditions, different practices and their way of living. The monks had an urge to acquire knowledge, they inspired me to work hard in teaching them what I know despite the fact they didn’t understand English, they used to make fun of me in their own language and laugh at me as though am from some different planet but they were so innocent in doing that. I have shared many things with them though unspoken but only felt. That is when I realized that it is not just verbal language which is required to convey things but it’s the purity of the heart and the strength of our metaphorical energies which bond people together. I cherish every moment I spent with them.
I haven’t shot many photographs of the pagodas or the monastery with due respect to the privacy of the monks. The life of a monk is better experienced in real than seen in the images….
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