“Seek places where your very presence makes you interesting” - Rolf Potts
Hello from Thailand!
Specifically Wat Phrai Phattana Temple and Monastery in Phu Sing, Si Sa Ket Province, Isaan Thailand. I’ve spent the last five weeks here as a volunteer English teacher at ECC School, a non-profit NGO. ECC is a free English school for novice monks and local kids ages 7-19. It’s been one of the most rewarding and challenging experiences in my life and I’m excited to share it with you!
Wat Phrai Phattana Temple is a truly special place for monks and local Buddhist followers. Buddhist Saint Luang Pu Suang founded the temple and his mummified body lies in a coffin inside the large red stupa that sits in the middle of the temple grounds. Visitors pray by walking around the room in a clockwise fashion, including walking under the casket of the Luang Pu Suang himself. Some people believe Luang Pu lived to be 500 years old and may have broken samsara (the cyle of rebirth) through his acts of merit, an achievement that very few of the Sangha manage to attain. More about Luang Pu below:
ECC was founded 10 years ago by Savuth Aem and Savon Phouk in Siem Reap, Cambodia, and they recently opened a second school here at Wat Phrai Phattana in Thailand 3 months ago. ECC Thailand serves LPS (Luang Pu Suang) High School, the novice monks, and local village kids here at Phrai Phattana village. The school is entirely dependent on volunteers and charitable donations. Most of the kids do not have access to English language education without ECC. The org is short-staffed and needs funds to bring on more full time employees to ensure the schools run efficiently. It would mean the world to me if you would follow ECC on social media, spread the word, and donate or consider volunteering if you’re interested!
Most days at the temple follow the following schedule:
4-6 AM: Morning Meditation. Volunteers are free to join the monks in their morning meditation ritual at the temple. This involves one hour of chanting and one hour of silent meditation.
7:30 AM: Monk Food offering at the Temple. Each morning, staff and members of the Phrai Phattana community are welcome to join in a food offering for the monks. This feeds the monks, who, representing the Sangha, are the spiritual backbone of the Buddhist religion in Thailand. This ceremony also provides local Buddhists with an opportunity to start off their day with a good deed. Feeding monks is considered a great honor!
9 - 11 AM: First classes begin with novice monks and high school students. Each day the volunteers split up the tasks of teaching monks class, high school class, and local primary school children. The students range in level from complete beginners to others who are nearly at an A-1 level. We try to make sure that each class has 2-3 teachers since ability levels vary so much between students and oftentimes some kids need extra attention.
12 AM: Lunch Break! ECC Mama Savon cooks incredible meals for us!
1-5 PM Afternoon classes at High School and in the Temple for Primary school children. The local village kids at 4-5pm are always a blast, they bring so much energy and love to play games.
4-5 PM Training with Muay Thai Boxing Team. There is a Muay Thai gym in the temple which is free for volunteers to use. Boxing is not a sport I usually go for but it’s been surprisingly really fun and a good workout as well. When the volunteers are not using punching bags or
pull up bars, we sometimes put on the pads and do some light sparring.
5-7 PM The volunteers usually gather for an activity around sunset. Whether it’s walking to the local night market, or driving to a nearby sunset vista, this is always my favorite time of day. Everyone is finished with work and most locals sit in their front yard and have a drink, they wave and are very friendly when we walk by. Sometimes I’ve even been invited in to share a drink!
7 - 10 PM Dinner and chill time. We eat together as a family and discuss teaching responsibilities for the next day. Then it’s time to play a game or watch a movie together before bed.
On days off and weekends we find ways to keep ourselves entertained, even in a small rural village. We have traveled to nearby sights such as Wat Pa Tham Phueng or Pha Phaya Goopree National Park. Sometimes we participate in local events as well. In the past weeks we have received the Secretary of the King of Thailand and participated in the LPS High School graduation ceremony.
Life here has ushered in a child-like playfulness in me. Each day is exciting in the most basic ways, simple pleasures like getting a smoothie at the local market, playing with friendly stray dogs, and being greeted with smiles and good vibes everywhere I go. The novice monks are some of the most well-behaved students I could ask for. They aren’t addicted to their phones, and are kind to each other even when tired or frustrated.
Part of the reason I came to Thailand was to learn more about Buddhism, meditation, and explore some of my own existential questions. Living in Phrai Phattana for a month has shown me that the times I feel most spiritually connected and at peace are when I’m not worrying about the past or the future and living in and for the present moment.
I go forward to my next adventure re-centered and with amazing new friends to boot. The relationships I’ve cultivated here, from the other volunteers to Mama Savon to students and monks will always be cherished.
🙏
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