Wat Yai Chaimongkol At Thailand

       Wat Yai Chaimongkol, an ancient school of meditation in Thailand[1] , is rich in its tradition of meditation teachings. It is situated 70 kms north of Bangkok, has a retreat environment and far from the stresses of modern city life. Wat Yai Chaimongkok offers not only a quiet world of meditation to discover the nature of mind but also methods to purify it.

        It is the meditation that slowly frees us from all pains, fears and immeasurable sorrows. All the spiritual learning (Pariyat Sattadham) and practicing (Patibhat Sattadham) in meditation are aimed at that one single point: to putting an end to suffering (Pattiwet Sattadham).

       With the right teaching and training, Wat Yai Chaimongkol presents simple but powerful meditation practices from the heart of the Ayutthaya tradition. Since the meditation is universal and cuts through political and religious barriers, therefore, anyone, whatever their religion or background, can practice.

There are two approaches to be followed:

         1) The practice of Concentration Meditation (Samatha Khammathan) to defuse turbulent emotions and find spacious clam and

        2) The practice of Insight (Vipassana Khammathan) to arise with wise wisdom in reaching the goal of human existence, enlightenment.

          For the beginners, the method is very simple, just to rest your attention on the breath by breathing in and out and uttering “Bhuddho” from moment to moment. A beginner should practice in short sessions to follow thoughts that arise in their heart of hearts.

       As the practice of meditation continues, one may experience stress relief and further spiritual development such as states of bliss, clarity, the absence of thought, and eventually the lasting happiness. During the spiritual practice, the spiritual practitioners must be mindful of whatever they do, and must not lose their presence. Be at ease, be as natural and open minded as possible.

         We warmly welcome and invite all to attend the meditation sessions of Wat Yai Chaimongkol including recitations, Dharma teaching and talks, etc as presented in the tables on the right. Please note that the schedule of activities is intended as a general guide only. For up-to-date information, please visit our contact page.

 

 

 
 
 
http://fwmail.teenee.com/strange/14346.html
http://www.watyaichaimongkol.net/index.php?mo=3&art=199079


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Wat Ratchaburana in Ayutthaya Thailand

        Wat Ratchaburana was built by King Borom Ratchathirat II at the place where both his brothers died (they killed each other) during a fight for the vacant throne of Ayutthaya. After both his brother had died, King Borom Ratchathirat II became the King. As such, Wat Ratchaburana was built during the early Ayutthaya period. The prang was the centerpiece at the temple compound.

         The vault of Wat Ratchaburana became known to the public some decades ago, and looters broke into the vault in 1957. The looters were apprehended, but a lot of the stolen goods were never recovered. Later on more than 100,000 votive Buddhist tablets were found, as well as gold jewelry with a combined weight of more than 100 kilograms.

 

        The vaults inside the main prang also displayed mural paintings, depicting the previous lives of the Buddha. Unfortunately, over the last few years these images have deteriorated a lot. Only very few visible images are left.

        A large amount of the golden artefacts and treasures found at Wat Ratchaburana are displayed in the Chao Sam Phraya National Museum. This museum also houses a nice collection of Buddha images in different styles, and wooden door panels from different temples in Ayutthaya.

 

 

 

 

 

Knowledge : http://www.thaiwebsites.com/watratchaburana.asp

Doi Inthanon National Park

        Located in Chiang Mai Province, Doi Inthanon National Park encompasses the highest mountain In Thailand, Doi Inthanon, as well as several lesser summits.

       The doi (mountain) is largely a granite batholith intruding a southerly extension of the Shan Hills range and forming the divide between the Nam Mae Ping river to the east and the Nam Mae Chaem river to the west.
        Lower elevations in the most easterly pant of the park are limestone formations and contain a number of caves.

        Formerly known as Doi Angka, the mountain now bears (since 1899) a shortened version of the name of Chiang Mai's last sovereign, King Inthawichayanon. During his reign, he had, with great foresight, expressed his concern for the forests of the northern hill country as the watershed for all of central Thailand.

        The modern study of rain forest hydrology has borne out his early convictions and given substance to Thai folklore which describes this hill region as the home of the Phiphannam, the 'spirit who shares water'.
       Before the King died near the turn of this century, he commanded that his remains be placed at the top of this mountain: his ashes at the summit stupa are visited by thousands of people each year.

         The park covers an area of 48,240 ha. Its lowlands below 800 meters in elevation are warm and very dry during the rain-free season, but the summit of Doi Inthanon, at 2565 meters, has a climate more like Canada than Thailand.
        The temperature has been known to drop as low as -8 degrees C. and frosts are not unusual during the cool, dry season. January is the coldest month: an average nighttime temperature is 5.5 degrees C. At any season, Doi Inthanon is a comfortable reprieve from the heat of the lowlands.

        At altitudes above 1000 meters, rainfall exceeds 2500 mm, considerably more than at nearby Chiang Mai. Even in the dry season, November to April, there is rare but occasional rain or the summit may be shrouded in cloud for a part of the day; persistent mist is an important factor in the maintenance of moist forest there.

       The various sub montane forest formations at higher elevations are a unique asset of the park. They have dominant species belonging to temperate climate families rather than tropical. The summit area supports the only red rhododendron in Thailand (R. delavayi); it blooms from December through February. There are also two white-blossomed species abundant on Doi Inthanon which are restricted to only a few other sites.

       Where mists are persistent, the slopes carry a moist hill evergreen or 'cloud forest' with many epiphytes, plants which live on tree trunks and branches but do not receive their moisture and nutrients from the host tree as do true parasitic plants.
       Instead, they are nurtured by the accumulation of dust particles and humus around their 'root' area and the moisture retained there, augmented by frequent bathing in cloud and mist. Epiphytic orchids are also abundant, along with lichens, lianas and fern.

       At mid-elevations, 800 - 1500 meters, two species of pine are present, Pinus merkusii mixed with dipterocarp in the lower range, and P. kesiya with oak and laurel on drier slopes in the upper range. The pines are thought to be a relic from a prehistoric cooler climatic period when flora from the Sino-Himalayan region migrated southward.
      At the mid-elevations of the park, much of the forest has been removed by the activities of swidden cultivators and the slopes have converted to fire climax grasslands.

 
 

 
 
 
 
 
Source :   www.chiangmai-chiangrai.com/doi_inthanon_park   
http://www.dnp.go.th/parkreserve/asp/style1/default.asp?npid=1&lg=1