The sky has been grey and cloudy for almost the whole week. The monsoon rain has finished its first round this week. I was glad we had a break of sunny day with blue sky once in a while. With frequent rains and no bright sunshine, the dirt road became very muddy for walks. I couldn’t get out for my outdoor exercise a few days. So, I didn’t hesitate to get outside when the sun was shining brightly in late afternoon.
I passed by my neighbours’ house further along the dirt road. The lady of the house was standing with some workmen in front of her garden by the riverfront. I was lucky as she was eager to show me new changes to her garden. I was more than happy to have the chance to look around and take some photos. This lady was crazy about her garden and would often buy some new plants to decorate her garden.
I followed my neighbour around her house and garden. She was glad to be able to show someone her new small fountains and a new tree including some new pot plants. She also bought some animal sculptures for decoration. She was complaining to me that she had extra expenses for hiring workers to keep the garden tidy. But gardening was her passion and her wealthy husband just loved to spoil her. She’s such a lucky person. I found her very interesting and educational especially on trees and plants.
She just had some aluminum frames made for supporting some big trees. All the trees in her garden weren’t planted as young saplings. They were gully grown trees of at least five years old so they were quite expensive but with shallow roots. The winds could be very strong during stormy weather so some trees got blown sideways and needed some solid support. These thick metalic poles made her garden looked very strange.
Recently my neighbour’ s husband and niece have just arrived for their holiday in Thailand. But her son and daughter-in-law didn’t have the chance to see this new country house yet. The young niece would like to come to live in Thailand after her college diploma, that’s the reason why my neighbours had to build this house. Their niece would be living here in less than ten years’ time, she would probably have her own family too. Her kind grandparents were planning and getting things done for the future of their only granddaughter.
I noticed two new water-fountains in her garden, some small rabbit statues and some huge pot plants. As were walking around the garden, she offered my several decorative plants. But I had to decline the offer politely as I would like medicinal plants or plants with edible flowers so we could use them in cooking. I was contemplating cutting down some mango trees at the back of my garden as they made the place too dark. It woukd be nice to see more sunshine getting through those dense leaves.
I was alarmed when she tolde that she just fell off the ladder when she was pruning branches in her sister’s garden. Although the fall wasnt serious, her leg muscles or tendons seemed to have shifted making it painful while walking. She had a Thai massage to fix the problem, but it recurred again intermittently. I suggested that she should do some exercises to strengthen her muscles. I hoped she would go to the hospital to have some therapy soon.
My neighbour is well over seventy years old but people would think she’s only around sixty years old. She’s always spend her time in the garden that’s probably why she looked younger and stronger than her younger sister. She’s also quite psychic and told me she was a very studious meditator under a famous monk while living in America. She was surprised that I could understand her strange terminology and all the different methods of mediation. That’s probably why she accepted me as a frequent visitor in her house.
It isn’t easy to find Thai people who were adept at meditation during certain periods of their lives. That generation of Thai people who seriously sat meditation for hours everyday would probably be dead by now. The new generations of Thai people are more into religious ceremonies and rituals including making offerings in exchange of granting favours. Several of my younger friends used to travel to all famous temples to perform rituals in lieu of blessings and wishful requests.
At the beginning, they were all very impressed with the speed in which their wishes or requests were granted. This led to more ‘investment’ or spending on rituals in expectation of greater ‘profits’. My friends were drunk on their successful rituals and put on larger ‘bet’. But they didn’t expect that the invisible beings or ‘spirits’ resided in those Indian god statues could become quite annoyed by persistent greed for more! So, they just switched off their communication channels. Slowly, these friends stopped making grand offerings and rituals as they thought those Indian shrines were no longer powerful.
In our inheritance from Hindu and old Thai woo-woo cultures, shrines for land spirits and Hindu gods would be built in front of big houses and buildings for protection and good fortune. Some Thai people who were apprentices within some Hindu temples or Thai ‘witchcraft’ practices would be hired to perform the rituals and prayers of old mantras. These old mantras were supposed to be secret words which could invite or summon some spirits to reside in these statues. It all depends on the accumulated secret mantras of the practitioners and their spiritual levels which would determine whether they could invite ‘high level’ spirits or invisible beings of strong power.
Several years ago, I would never take all these rituals seriously. I thought it was just a way for old people who dappled in mysterious subjects to earn some living. Their clients received some psychological assurance of security and more self- confidence in return for their investments. But one day, my friend’s mother was very worried that something bad would happen to her family and her house. Her husband’ older sister moved to her house to be closer to her brother in her old age. She decided to set up a new spirit house a the old one was looking very old and tattered.
My friend’s mother couldn’t stop the project as that woukd cause some family troubles. She knew that I was sometimes quite psychic and had experienced some psychic moments with me in the past. So, she phoned me up amd asked me to come to her house. I had to go to see the kind old lady as she had always fed me very well at her house. I used to visit her house very often to swim in their nice swimming pool.
The kind lady was very worried that the ritual performer would have chased away some old family spirits who had been in the old spirit house for almost a hundred years. This family house has been thete since the reign of King Rama V, so her grandparents established the first land spirit house for their family. So, she was very anxious that family spirits had been banished while some stranger spirits has been invited to live there.
I had to explain to her that I had no idea what had happened as I was not knowledgeable about this sort of rituals. I had no experience on this matter either. But she insisted that I should take a look at the two spirit houses standing side by side as rivals. She was also afraid that two spirit groups would quarrel and get upset. So, I gingerly followed her along a narrow garden path, the location was hidden away from people. I never noticed a spirit house in this big compound in the past.
Then we were standing in front of two spirit houses; one looking very sad and old while the other was brightly white with new decorations. The kind lady told me she didn’t know where to place her jasmine garlands and offerings. She was afraid of offending both spirit houses. This put a lot of pressure on me as I had no idea what to do. I couldn’t chase away new arrivals or invited old spirits to return. I looked at the lady and told her I would try to talk to those in the old spirit house.
She became very quiet and still as I closed my eyes and did some prayers. In a silent moment, I asked them what had actually happened. To my surprise, I saw a few elderly people in old traditional clothes telling me the story while laughing. That was a relief! I opened my eyes and bursted out laughing like crazy. My friend’s mother thought I had gone crazy. So, I told her not to worry as there was no one in the new spirit house. The Chinese man who performed the ceremony was a fake! He didn’t know what he’s doing; he’s a con professional ritual performer.
That man had no power or magic to chase away the old family spirits. Her eyes became very jouful and happy. I told her not to let this secret out and not to allow anyone to destroy the old spirit house. She should continue to place jasmine garlands and offerings on this old spirit house. Other people could put their garlands on the new spirit house.
Finally I had to make certain there was no one in the new spirit house. So, I became quiet and meditated on the issue; I couldn’t find anyone inside and it was dead quiet like an empty house. We went back to the house as I had earned a big portion of sweets and snacks in the big fridge. The food and desserts at this house were the best for me; the old cooks used to work in the kitchen of a small palace during the last period of King Rama VII. The kind lady’ s grandparents were prince and princesses in those old days of Siamese history.
My neighbour was rather surprised that i refused to accept free gifts of some rare pot plants. As she’s very wealthy, she’s probably used to people trying to take advantage of her and people asking for her assistance. So, I had to make her know that her wealth couldn’t intimidate or subdue my independent manner. I’d like her to treat me as an equal. She thought I was the first person she could discuss seriously on the subject of meditation. So, she knew I also had a deep experience of meditation.
Alas, we all have to let go of whatever we know, accumulated knowledge prevents us from seeing new things. Attachment could lead to stagnant growth and new learning horizon. Very often, old meditators tried so hard to return to the same level of ‘achievement’ and they always failed and got discouraged. The old had to die for the new or unperceived to emerge. That’s why I have to remind myself to be mindful, self-aware and alert as much as possible. I also count my small blessings everyday and am very grateful for what I have been given.
Wishing you peace, good health and prosperity.
Stay strong and cheerful.
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