"The goal of meditation is not to get rid of thoughts or emotions…it is to become more aware of them and learn how to move through them without getting stuck.”
—Dr. P. Goldin
Cecile and I are currently in Vientiane, the capital city of Laos. It is a place of grandeur and laid back at the same time. Our first stop is Wat Sri Saket. There is a joke that Lin, our practicing Buddhist guide tells us. OAT which is short for Overseas Adventure Travels also means: OH, ANOTHER TEMPLE. But she will be the first to tell you that Wat Sri Saket is not just another temple by any means. It is a nineteenth century Buddhist monastery built in 1827 that houses over 10,000 Buddha Images and appears in its original form. Approximately 7000 of these Buddhas are contained in niches within the cloistered walls. The right hand gesture of the larger Principal golden Buddha image in the main hall is touching the ground, “Calling the Earth to Witness,” the “Buddha’s Awakening." After all, the Buddha means the “Awakened One.” It is here where we had the opportunity to ask questions of the novice and senior monk about their daily, routine, witness how they fold and unfold their robes and have them tutor the group in a ten minute meditation exercise. Phet (pronounced Pet) our English-speaking Lao guide, who was an ordained monk for 8 years translated for us. We sat with our spine erect either on chairs or on a mat like I am doing here in the photo. The monk had us concentrate on the moment to moment movement of our breath and the rising and falling of our abdomen while witnessing any thoughts or sensations that arise as simply background noise and nothing to get attached to. The premise is that all mind states, uncomfortable emotions and bodily sensations, come and go and it is our constant identification with them that makes one feel agitated, unsettled or subject to feeling dissatisfied or discontented. It is that constant ruminating about the past or the future that robs us of the present moment.
After our visit ended with the monks our bus driver took us to Wat That Luang (The Great Stupa), Laos’s most important monument. The three-layered gilded stupa is a magnificent site to behold at every vantage point, especially on a sunny day when the suns rays make it glisten. Gold is more than just a color to behold, it is a symbol defining the very best of Vientiane. We then went to the Patuxai or the “Victory Gate,” which resembles the “Arc de Triomphe” in Paris. Built between 1957 and 1968, it is a war memorial to remember those who lost their lives during the struggle to gain independence from France. It is a popular site to take temporary refuge from the afternoon sun and mingle with locals. The last photo is of Cecile and I with a Lao man who wanted very much to take a photo with us.
