Meditation Retreat

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With over 90% of Thai people identifying as Buddhist, it’s clear that understanding Buddhism is key to understanding Thai culture. We have the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to attend a 24-hour meditation retreat at a Buddhist temple during our culture week.

The afternoon begins with a presentation at Wat Suan Dok, a Buddhist temple in Chiang Mai. Once we’ve learned a bit of background information on Buddhism, we load up our food for the next day and drive out of the city to a peaceful retreat location.

The next 24 hours are a chance to be guided in the practices of meditation by a Buddhist monk. It’s really difficult! The environment is very welcoming, as most of the retreat guests are beginners at meditation and have no affiliation with Buddhism.

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After a silent dinner, we will have a bit of time together to discuss the experience of a young man born in Thailand but raised in America who returned to Thailand to become a monk. The meditation starts at sunrise again the next morning.

Morning meditation ends the “silent” part of the retreat, and we have a chance to chat with a monk and ask questions about Buddhism. This part of the day always provides for thought-provoking debate, and gives us a challenge our preconceptions. The goal isn’t to change anyone’s beliefs, but rather to get some insight onto how others see the world.

The meditation retreat is a surreal experience in many ways. Walking around the temple grounds barefoot, eating dinner in silence, chanting, wearing white clothes… it can feel a bit strange. But it’s great to step outside our comfort zones and open our minds a bit in the middle of the trip.