Day 3: A Chance at Self-Discovery

As a Buddhist, I have never been a devoted fellowship of my religion. Since I was born, I would follow my parents to temples to pray for the safety and happiness of my loved ones. Questions like “Why am I a Buddhist?” and “What is so good about Buddhism?” have rarely ran through my head. It was not until the visit to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep that made me change my thoughts about my religion, and became more interested in the kind of teachings that Buddhism strives to inspire.

Perhaps like other religions, I was able to find joy and peace as I paid respect to the religious figures in the temple. It was also heartening to see many people offering their prayers to Buddha. What impressed me the most was the spectacular structure of the temple. I have never failed to be amazed by the wonders of humans – how our ancestors managed to construct such a beautiful architecture on the mountain. It was really remarkable how despite the lack of well-developed resources, our ancestors still persist in preserving and promoting this beautiful heritage and culture of theirs, such that the younger generations can also experience what they have been through.

However, one thing that I did not find myself enjoying the trip to the temple, would be the fact that it was so packed with tourists to the extent that it seemed to have lost its initial meaning. Almost everybody was chattering away loudly, and one could easily bump into others while exploring the temple. While it was heart-warming to see people from all walks of life coming together, the sad truth was that people were coming to the temple merely for its reputation, and not sincerely seeking prayers. This seemed to have diluted the magnificent beauty and serenity of the temple, which I found a pity. 🙁

Yet, one lesson that we could take away with us is that: it is impossible to promote one’s culture and heritage if it prevents people from crossing into its ‘territories’. Words of Buddha’s teachings will not be able to spread if a temple like Wat Phra That does not open up for tourists to visit. Perhaps certain regulations can be imposed by the local authorities, such that tourists can still visit the temple without spoiling its beauty, or disregarding its initial purpose.

Next stop, our friend from Chiang Mai University, Pro, brought us to Tuang Thong Canyon View, Hang Dong, also known as the “Chiang Mai Grand Canyon”. It was such a grandiose view, that you would naturally have the thinking that “You don’t have to go to the U.S. to see the Grand Canyon anymore.” There were people jumping off the cliff as a test of their courage, and two of my group members did so. I guessed I wasn’t prepared to take on this challenge yet (it does take some time to overcome that fear of height), so kudos to those people who did jump off the cliff. One thing for sure is: I will definitely be back to capture the moment when I execute that leap of faith jump. 🙂

Here’s a photo of us attempting to be the Top Models of 2016 🙂

At night, we visited Chiang Mai University and managed to interview this lively and pretty lady in the middle (photo below). She is a half-Thai-half-Singaporean, and stayed in Singapore previously for around 2 years. As she was sharing with us her past, I was wondering why she did not want to continue pursuing an education in Singapore, given that the education system in Singapore was and is much better than that in Chiang Mai. It turned out that her father wanted her to grow up in a bigger country, whereby she could explore different areas by herself and pick up useful skills that would otherwise be difficult to pick up in a sheltered environment like that of Singapore.

From this mini sharing session, I could see that not every parent in the world focuses on giving their children the best education, but rather, providing them with the most conducive environment where they would learn and grow to become better persons by themselves. Like how Bob Moawad puts it, “The best day of your life is the one on which you decide your life is your own. No apologies or excuses. No one to lean on, rely on, or blame. The gift is yours – it is an amazing journey – and you alone are responsible for the quality of it. This is the day your life really begins.”

Probably the best kind of life is the one in which you explore all possibilities by yourself 🙂