My Story in Thailand

The first my diary

When I would come to Thailand, I don’t think, i can do. But I still have a confident to go to Thailand because i want to get ordination in this country.  I was happy when I have an opportunity to go to this country. I can be remembered the entirely condition when I will be coming. in my mind said that when i got the problems I must have solved it by my self. That time, when I passed in the border of Singapore I was stopped by the securities. They didn’t believe me if I am monk. They took me to the office, interrogating me a lot. I can be remembered when they said “u can’t entrance in this country” then I answered “what happened and why I can’t entrance in this country, I have no mistakes”. That time We have debated in the office and they answered that“Yeah because we don’t like you, so you can’t entrance in this country”. I surprised with their answer, and I don’t believe if I can’t entrance. Then I asked them “why you don’t like me, what you mean??” I urgent them a bid angrily and they eventually asked me ” Do you have money??? Then I took out all of my money from my wallet carefully. I showed it on the table, and then I said “I come here not for working or searching the money but I only transit here to go to Thailand”. Finally they allowed me to pass the border, and then I went to the bus station. I am worried about it so much, because if I can’t pass that time so I can’t stand here (Thailand) today. In the bus station, I bought the bus ticket to Pinang- Malaysia. On the way I always thought so much “how about Thailand and how beautiful this country is?” This sentence covered my mind on the way. From Singapore to Pinang killed the time one night, making me tired but i can be enjoyed it well. I have traveled in Pinang for one day. I went to Keloksi, the Mahayana Temple on the mountain. It is very nice view; I walked with my friends inside the temple. The night would be coming, I went back to the temple where i stayed, going to the station. It was not the bus but the travel car; it’s only going to Hat Yai. After I reached in Hat Yai, I bought a bus ticket to Bangkok. I waited the bus so  long because the bus went out at 09.00 pm. Then I spent my time to go to the forest temple in Hat Yai, meeting so many monks staying there. It was the first time I can be meeting the forest monk, meeting so many monks. I couldn’t talk with them well because they couldn’t speak English and i cant speak Thai. So we only talked by body language. After we talked with them at 05.00 pm I went to the station, waited the bus going out. At 09.00 on time I went out from the station to Bangkok. In my mind always grown the sentence “how beautiful Bangkok is?. At 04.00 in the morning I reached in Bangkok, going to Wat Bovonranives Temple which is Sangharaja temple the leader of Theravada Dhammayutta lineage, to have stayed. My feeling said that “wow it’s very wonderful country that first I am visiting”.

The second my diary

This was my live when I stayed in Bangkok. First day I spent my time to walk around in Bangkok. I went to the Emerald Temple or Thai people called “Wat Phra Kheow”. When I reached in this temple, I could not believe i can to be there. I looked this temple because this was impressive me. I never saw the temple like it before. So it is made me surprising and delighting. At this temple I could meet a lot foreigner from any countries. But I had a problem to talk with them, because my English is not strongly. I wanted to blame myself “why I can’t speak English fluently like them”. This sentence covered my mind every day. I sometimes talked with foreigner monks at Wat Bovonranives Temple. But it also made me angrily, because I couldn’t understand well. But I don’t give up; I would try to speak with anyone who could speak English well. After I visited the Emerald Temple and then I went to Wat Arun Temple, it is located on the side of the Chao Phraya River. I crossed the river by the boat but it’s free. When I reached at the temple I went up to the tall stupa. It was made me very tired but it was very exciting me. This condition motivated me to stay along here.

But I had a problem with my condition, when I wanted to ordain at wat Bovonranives temple the abbot refused me.

I confused after what I continue did, because I didn’t know anyone here. Although I had a friend staying at wat Bovonranives temple but he couldn’t do anything for me. Finally he invited me to go to Wat Raja Temple to have ordained there. But it also had a problem. The abbot refused me to ordain there because I couldn’t speak Thai.

I went back to Wat Bovonranives Temple to stay for a few days. Suddenly, the monk from Indonesia came to see me but I don’t know him before and could meet me there. He already ordained as a monk in Buriram Province. Then he invited me to go to Buriram Province. On the way I thought “why so difficult to have ordained as a monk” it was not as my imagination. After I reached in Buriram, I could meet with his master and the he introduced me to him. I am also worried if his master rejects me again. But this one is not same with others. When I had met him, without any problem he allowed me to live at the temple. In my mind said “it’s the greatest one who I can meet first”. Because he also could speak Indonesia language well, so it was not made me to have any problem to adapt there.

The third my diary

When I already stayed in Buriram, then I wanted my master to make recommendation letter to me. It was to make Non Immigration Visa, because that time I was still having tourist visa. So it was allowed me to have stayed for one month. It may three days after I came at the temple, my master made the recommendation letter to make Non Immigration Visa. After the letter already finished, I had planned to go to Malaysia to make that visa. When I reached in Malaysia, I went to the Thai Consult wishing the visa, but they wanted the letter from Religious Department in Thailand. It was made me confusing, because if I went back to Bangkok again it would spend my money. But that time my friend who stayed at Wat Bovonranives Temple accompanied me to make it. I and he already tried hardly, but the person who worked at the Consult remained reject me easily. I could not do anymore, and then I went back to the temple where I stayed. It’s the Thai Temple that in Malaysia. Now I promised my self to make visa until finish, and I must able to face it. I decided to go back to Sumatra-Indonesia. There had Thai Consult that already built along. It indeed made me to spend my time and worse my energy. But I still had energy to solve this problem. When I reached in Sumatra, lay Buddhist people there was surprised when they saw me coming again. And then I explained to them if I came here only to make visa. There was easily to make it, because the worker who worked at the Thai Consult was Buddhist. So it was not so difficult for me to make visa. Without the letter from Religious Department in Bangkok I could make the visa. And they also gave me free. A day after I made the visa I came back again to this country and directly to Buriram Province.

Anyways, I wanted to say to my master who had a loving kindness to me. In my mind said “how greatest you are?” you were very kind and friendly to me. And after that I had taken ordain as a monk immediately without any problem. “The more get problem the more strongly”.

The fourth my benefit diary

First time when I was come at this Campus, I was glad to have studied here. Even actually I hadn’t thought to study here, because I could not speak and write Thai well. But my master sent me here so that I could study very well. Although, I already said to him if I could not write Thai language, but he told me if later had one to teach it. After I stayed here a few months, no one taught me strongly. I confused about it, because I couldn’t speak Thai fluently. Some my friend sometimes blame me if I couldn’t speak Thai well. But I was still confident if some day I could speak Thai and write too. With full patience I tried step by step to write and remember it. Sometimes I talked in English with my friend but i known if my English was not fluently. I practiced it with my foreigner friends. It was my good opportunity to practice it. Sometimes I thought “why they speak English more fluently than me”. Everyday I remembered vocabulary and practice it with them, but I sometimes asked them about the sentence or vocabulary that I didn’t know. Someone could help me to practice writing Thai letter and using it. In my feeling said “I will be able to write Thai letters if I had patience strongly”. Yeah that was to be real, time to time I always practiced it and eventually I could speak and write it. But it was made me going to crazy. I promised I must be able to write Thai letters first, because at the academic study needs writing more than speaking. Now, I can already speak and write although it could not fluently yet. I still remembered what my master said to me “you must study deeply because Indonesia Buddhist people need you more over”. I would try the best and I don’t want to disappoint my master. “Thank you so much my master to support me with Great Spirit”. And I won’t forget all of your suggestions. I will do the best and always make you a glad. Now, I am already the third year student at this Campus, it is from your support I can reach this level. As long as I can do any thing, I will try it patiently…..

The fifth my nice diary

I got traveled to Buriram to kill my Old and New, my lay woman from Indonesia who worked at Indonesia Embassy in Bangkok promised me to meet at my old temple where my master stayed. She would offer something to my master and offered foods to the monks at my temple. But I went to there first than her, because I went there after my class is over on Thursday. I reached there at 02.00 am, and I wake up at 05.30 in the morning. After that I went to gather the foods around the temple. But before I went to gather the foods I pay respect to my master first. And then we went together. I was very glad to meet my master as long as we walked but it was not loudly. So long I was not meeting my master and also my friend from Indonesia who stayed there. That day we liked to live in Indonesia, because everyday we talked by Indonesia language. My master also spoke Indonesia with me. He could speak Indonesia fluently. That day my lay woman came at that temple with her friend also from Indonesia. Everyday she made the Indonesia foods to offer to the monks in the temple. In 31st we went to Khao Viharn temple In Srisaket province together with all monks. Nine Indonesia monk and two lay women went to worse the end of a year. After I reached at that temple, we could enjoy the nice view there and sometimes took photograph together. My lay women bought a lot of souvenir from there, and it will they bring to Indonesia. Anyways, it was to be special souvenir, because in Indonesia may hadn’t like them. On the way we talked anymore that connected in Dhamma. They asked me a lot of questions and then we answered well. At 05.00 we went back to the temple, we reached at the temple approximately at 09.15 pm. Then we backed to the room to take a bath. After we took a bath we joined in the Indonesia Kuti, because at this temple my master built the special kuti for Indonesia monks. We spent old and new in that building but it was only the monks. My lay women got to sleep in the woman kuti. It is located near with uposatha hall. We killed our old and new by talking, because there hadn’t entertainment like T.V or media electronics. We sometimes talked about Dhamma but sometimes talked about our condition. Here my eldest monk just came from Germany. He also joined to talk with us. So it was not making bored. At 03.30 we backed to our self kuti for getting sleep. At 06.00 in the morning we wake up and went to gather the foods. But some monks could not get up, they may was very tired and sleepy so it made them continuing to sleep. Everything was bad in the passed we must change it in the New Year. May we be success for everything what we want, and it may be able to make us be happy and peaceful in our life.

“be positive be pure”