Yesterday, whilst visiting one of the many Buddhist temples in Chiang Mai, I bumped into the gentleman pictured above and I now have my own spiritual and morale advisor. My own personal Monk.
Speaking to the monks in Chiang Mai is reasonably common, they like to sit in the gardens of the temples and talk to the foreign visitors as a way of practicing their English. Over the last few days I have spoken to several monks about my life and asked questions about theirs. I get the impression they are just as interested, possibly fascinated, by my lifestyle as I am with theirs. For example, Christianity has the 10 commandments, 10 strict rules that should be abided throughout life. Buddhist monks have to adhere to over 23o similar rules. Their lives have two main purposes, to purify, train and learn their own minds and to use the knowledge and wisdom they gain to benefit society.
Yesterday's encounter introduced me to Phra John Janpen, an English language graduate and Monk from Chiang Mai University, who has studied here since he left Burma at the age of 14 (Phra is Johns title - Much like Mr, Mrs, Dr..... It roughly translates to Father or Monk). John was far more talkative than the other monks I had encountered and his English was extremely good. He had a wide range of interests some of which came as quite a surprise. Firstly, John was a bit of a film critic. His favourite genre was historic dramas and he loved the work of Ciara Knightly. He also had a wide taste in music and enjoyed almost any pop or rock from the last 50 years. His favourite artist at the moment is James Morrison, it was Brittany Spears but since her breakdown he had gone off her considerably.
John was very down to earth, as are most Buddhist monks, and lives his life by the teachings of Buddha but adapts them to suit modern society. The ethics and principals remain the same but the traditional practices are made more suitable for living in the 21st century. Upon departing he asked if he could offer me some advice. This came in various forms, rules on entering temples, points of interest in Chiang Mai, film suggestions and fashion tips. However, he then provided me with a small business card with his contact details on and said "One of my duties in life is to benefit society regardless of religion, colour or background. If at any point you need advice on any subject, whether it's your love-life, your career an important decision or simply just to talk, send me and email and I'll be pleased to help. "
I looked at him in surprise and said "You even have e-mail?"
He replied "Of course, I'm a modern monk"
