The Secret Thai Buddhist Temple deep in the Jungle – Part 2

The dirt road to the temple is marked by a granite sign and is a right turn off the main road just before the turning to the National Park. The Abbott has been working on building a temple (Wat in Thai) for nearly 40 years and the main temple hall is incomplete and unfinished and houses a large golden brass Buddha statue. There are concrete posts which indicate the plans for other large structures in the vicinity.

The temple sits next to the river which carries the pure clean water from the 7 teired waterfalls. Also at the temple was a young monk and several nuns dressed in white. The nun was smiling and cheery and had come from Bangkok and spoke English quite well. She remarked that recently a monk had come and meditated under a nearby tree for 3 whole days and nights and she was assiduous in creating the small Buddha hall in which we had recently prayed - one of which was lit by a shaft of light through the roof and was extremely evocative and contributed to the calm , meditative atmosphere.

The place is very tranquil and pastoral – with chickens running around and the air is cooled and shaded by large trees. My wife and nieces had gone for a Lotus flower water blessing ceremony. The nun cut the lotus heads into small pieces and put them into a plastic pot.

The Abbott came over to sit by the three ladies who had now changed in to clothes ready for the ceremony to begin. First he chanted in Pail traditional Buddhist incantations and added the flowers to the dustbin filled with river water which he stirred and chanted over - this completed he began to pour it over the three of them who repeated his words as the ceremony unfolded.

At the end of the process which lasted for about 3 minutes they went to change their wet clothes and bottled some of the water remaining to take back to their house Buddha shrine.

The whole ceremony was starkly elemental and it must be said very moving being akin almost to a Christian baptism – the cleansing power of water and the otherworldliness adding to its spiritual impact. The surroundings with a rooster crowing and the river running by and the mother rocking her baby in a crib as the sun filtered through the leaf covering made us all stop and stare and listen.

I’ll finish this short story in the final instalment of the secret Thai temple in Part 3.

"When one has the feeling of dislike for evil, when one feels tranquil, one finds pleasure in listening to good teachings; when one has these feelings and appreciates them, one is free of fear." Buddha

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The Secret Thai Buddhist Temple deep in the Jungle – Part 1

I’m very pleased to be back blogging with the Buddha’s Face blog and to announce our latest exclusive You Tube video.

This HD footage was filmed on a recent visit to Thailand with my wife. One of her nieces who lives in Hat Yai, Southern Thailand had heard from a local papaya salad seller of a beautiful and almost secret temple deep in the Thai jungle near to the famous water fall and beauty spot of on Ton Nga Chang (which is about 23km from Songkhla) who performed a unique water blessing which shortly after having had this done found her life improved considerably.

The name of the water fall means Ivory Tusk Falls. This is the largest and most beautiful waterfall in Songkhla province. Ton Nga Chang waterfall cascades down seven tiers in the area of the national park zone and in the third tier of the falls , the waters cascade down like a pair of ivory tusks and that is how it got its name, “Ton Nga Chang” means “Ivory Tusk Falls”.

The music is by Lisa Gerrard and I have added what I hope are appropriate quotes from the Buddha as an accompaniment.

I’ll describe the temple in more detail and the effect that it had on us all in Part 2 to follow shortly.

"This existence of ours is as transient as Autumn clouds. To watch the birth and death of beings is like looking at the movements of a dance. A lifetime is a flash of lightning in the sky. Rushing by, like a torrent down a steep mountain." Buddha

The Buddha's Face

The best place to buy wholesale and retail Buddha statues,sculptures and wall panel decor for both the home and garden

Bespoke design available, from small buddha statues to large buddha wall art in colours from natural wood to gold ,all carved by our Buddhist artists and 100%fairtrade.

Visit our Buddhism 101 Enlightenment Project