| n Mokk' meditation centre, situated in Suratthani | | | | philosophy. We will eat twice a day, both meals |
| Province, in the south of Thailand offers a unique | | | | communally served, wholesome, delicious and of |
| insight into Buddhist meditation and practice for | | | | course, vegetarian. |
| visitors who venture down to the remote Buddhist | | | | In between the meditation periods, time is spent |
| centre. | | | | doing your chores, doing yoga, or having a hot spring. |
| The unique course that it offers is a retreat called | | | | As we are still keeping silence, it is somewhat of an |
| 'vipassana'. An ancient traditional Buddhist meditation | | | | ethereal experience to go down to the natural hot |
| technique that involves ten days os silence and | | | | springs with everyone else, and bathe in the hot |
| meditative thought. | | | | water. As steam rises from the ground, we avoid |
| Arriving at Suan Mokk, in the afternoon (the day | | | | communication of any kind, even eye contact. So |
| before the course is due to start) allows us the | | | | people glide thoughtfully and silently through the mist, |
| chance to talk to some of the seasoned meditators, | | | | into the water, keeping their space and keeping their |
| and experienced vipassana students. We are | | | | silence. |
| encouraged to ask questions, while we still can. | | | | Sometimes it is hard not to talk. Your eyes meet |
| Talking stops tomorrow. | | | | someone else's, and before you've realized it you've |
| Part of the tradition of vipassana is that it is by | | | | slipped them a shy smile, and you're just about to |
| donation only. This involves at a future time, donating | | | | ask, 'hey, how are you doing?' When you remember... |
| some of your time to help other meditators achieve | | | | silence. And you drop your gaze. |
| their own vipassana retreat and, as part of the | | | | Talking is such a natural thing for us, be it telling |
| course to engage in some form of work around the | | | | someone how you feel, asking them how they're |
| centre, be it washing up, sweeping or general tidying. | | | | doing, or even just in friendly chit chat, that is it |
| This kind of selfless service is a vital component of | | | | difficult to remember sometimes that we are not |
| Buddhism, and ensures that the experience is s a | | | | allowed to speak. Indeed, we are not just aiming to |
| good one for everyone. So now is the time that we | | | | maintain silence, but that we are also endeavoring to |
| chose our chores. I decide to go with sweeping, and | | | | silence our thoughts too. Thinking or the monkey |
| jot my name down on the Rostand. | | | | mind, features heavily in Buddhist teachings, and is |
| As early starts are the norm here, an early night | | | | something to be scrutinized. The aim, I think, is not |
| seems a prerequisite. Sso I'm in bed before 9pm, | | | | to try and silence your mind or your thoughts, but to |
| listening to the stillness and natural sounds all around | | | | watch them... However, the mind is a tricky thing, and |
| me. This will be the norm for the next ten nights. | | | | as I am pondering this I realize that I am in fact... |
| It doesn't seem like seven hours later, but it is, and I | | | | thinking...! |
| am being gently bought out of my sleep by a gong | | | | It is a difficult process, and not something that can |
| chiming in the quite morning air. This heralds the start | | | | easily be attained in ten days, in fact for some it is a |
| of my vipassana experience. For the next ten days I | | | | lifelong pursuit, but it is all part of the vipassana |
| will wake up at 4am to the sound of that gong, | | | | experience of noble silence and one that I am glad to |
| ready to start the day with meditation and Buddhist | | | | have experienced, if only for a short time. |