My long weekend living in a Buddhist temple

Table of Contents

The invitation to live in a Buddhist temple #

While discussing an upcoming long weekend in Thailand, I found myself engaging in small talk with a local Thai friend. Curious about their plans for the long weekend, I asked if they had any special activities in mind. Despite their limited English, they enthusiastically shared their intention to visit a hometown temple for prayers, meditation, and mindfulness. The mention of mindfulness caught my attention as I had been struggling with focus at work lately. Intrigued by their activities, I expressed my interest, prompting them to turn the tables and invite me along.

Eager to learn more, I made several attempts to understand the nature of the activity. After some failed efforts, I came to expect a simple lifestyle at the temple for three days, filled with prayer, meditation, and mindfulness. They warned me about the lack of “homely comforts” and emphasized a return to basics. Additionally, I discovered that we would observe a fast from lunchtime until breakfast the next day. Always open to new experiences, I wholeheartedly accepted the invitation. Approximately a week before participating, I was “accidentally” informed that I would need to acquire a white suit. This led me on a long and confusing online shopping journey through Lazada until I finally purchased a set of white shirt and pants.

The day arrived, and without fully grasping the magnitude of what awaited me, I hopped on my motorcycle and embarked on the two-hour journey to Prachin Buri.

Arrival at the temple #

I arrived early at my friend’s family shop in town. While they busied themselves with preparations and packing, I tried to stay out of the way, quietly occupying a corner. I learned that my friend’s elderly mother, her two adult sons, another friend, and I would be embarking on this journey together. Although everyone was around my age, it was clear that they had a better understanding of what lay ahead.

Once everything was loaded into the car, they invited me to ride with them as we made our way to the temple located just outside of town. As we entered the temple grounds, I was struck by the grandeur of the place. There were four or five magnificent ceremonial buildings, surrounded by numerous huts, houses, and makeshift homes. The supplemental structures outnumbered any I had seen in previous temple grounds, and the main temples themselves rivaled the beauty of any others I had visited in Thailand.

We parked the car and, while I registered myself, my host family found a large trolley and began unloading their vehicle. I joined them and together we pushed the trolley towards the building that would serve as our residence for the next few days. It was the first glimpse I had of my lodging, and it perfectly matched the description. A simple rectangular structure with a small sink in one corner, a bathroom adjacent to it, and an open living area furnished with only a fan and a portable coat hanger with hangers provided.

My gracious host family immediately set to work, sweeping and mopping the floors. They then arranged wicker mats along one of the long walls, serving as makeshift beds for the six of us sharing the room. The mats stretched the entire length of the building, and they kindly provided a mat and pillow for me as well.

I learned that there were strict rules to be followed at the temple, particularly for males (and even more so for females). Aside from the expected prohibition against vices, I had to be mindful of not touching any females. While this seemed relatively straightforward, considering that there were two females in our group, I had to be cautious about every action. Even inadvertently brushing hands while handing something over would be frowned upon. Later on, we would even have to forego sharing an umbrella during a heavy downpour as we moved around the temple grounds.

The evening prayer #

At 6pm, we gathered in the temple for the evening prayer. As it was a religious holiday, both monks and laypeople were in attendance. Consequently, the larger temple was open to everyone, and we made our way inside. I followed my host, grabbing a mat and a Buddhist prayer book, and settled towards the front of the room, aligning myself with the others. People were seated on the floor in various positions—cross-legged, side-legged, or on their knees. As my legs continually fell asleep, I found myself shifting through all of these positions, still new to the experience.

Prayers were already underway when I glanced at my neighbor, realizing the obvious truth—I couldn’t read Thai, and the prayer book was written in Thai characters. For the next 90 to 120 minutes, I sat in silence, observing and immersing myself in the atmosphere of the room and the ceremony.

It was an incredible experience to listen to the rhythmic chanting and witness the ebb and flow of the prayer. At times, the lead monk and the congregation were completely synchronized, while at others, it resembled a conversation, with each party chanting individually. Despite not comprehending the words being uttered, I found it simultaneously fascinating and meditative. I focused on being present and getting “out of my head.” All my worries and concerns seemed to dissolve, and I reveled in the clarity of the moment. There were no thoughts of work or even the hobbies and tasks waiting for me at home—I simply enjoyed the present (until the pins-and-needles sensation in my legs intensified into severe stabbing pain, prompting me to shift my position).

Over the next three days, we repeated the evening prayer at 4am and 6pm each day. Although I remained unaware of the meaning behind the prayers, I cherished the same sense of “mind-silence” each time. The only variation occurred on the final day when we were relocated to the smaller temple, but continued with the same routine.

Settling in to our room #

After prayers, I was treated to a refreshing lemon and honey iced tea in the temple and we took the opportunity to explore the grounds at night before returning to our room. It was during my first shower that the reality of the situation truly dawned on me. As the guest, I was given the privilege of having the first shower. Upon entering the small enclosed room at the back, I discovered a large bin filled with surprisingly cold water. I used the small bowl floating on top to scoop cold water and rinse myself down. Once wet, I lathered up with soap and confronted the daunting task of rinsing myself again using more bowls of cold water.

Feeling clean, fresh, and invigorated, I stepped out of the shower, dried myself off, and donned my pajamas in the still-damp room. I emerged, hung my towel and white suit on the coat hanger, and settled down on my mat for the night. I lay there, observing my host family as they chatted and prepared for their own showers. Occasionally, they would ask me questions in English to ensure my involvement, but I contentedly watched the interactions within this familial unit.

It quietened down as each person prepared for and had their shower, and I got comfortable on my mat and watched the Formula 1 qualifying on my phone, before falling asleep without any concern or discomfort.

Morning prayers #

At 3 or 3:30 am, four or five alarms went off simultaneously, and we repeated the shower process. For those who are not morning people, I can assure you that willingly pouring freezing cold water over yourself will definitely jolt your mind and body awake. Fully alert now, we made our way back to the large temple. I grabbed my sitting mat and the prayer book, as an attempt to blend in, and settled in once again for 90 to 120 minutes of Buddhist prayers. Despite the early start, I found myself happily living in the moment, absorbing as much as I could from those around me.

Meal times #

After prayers, we packed up and headed to the visitors’ mess hall. Being the first ones there, my host family immediately began assisting others in the kitchen and cleaning and setting up the eating area. Before long, five or six trays of food were brought out, and the few visitors who had come for breakfast started serving themselves.

Just before we began eating, a monk approached and collected food for himself and others. There was an intriguing ceremony involved in providing him his meal and receiving a blessing in return. Volunteers and visitors had prepared small meal boxes using supplies from the mess hall and donations from us and other visitors. Each family presented a small collection of meal boxes to the monk, offering a prayer. As the prayer was recited, all members had to be in contact with each other (females with their scarves), and in return, the monk would bless us (and offer a small container of water). Though I didn’t completely understand the process, it was incredible not only to observe but also to participate in it.

The concept of monks living solely on what was provided intrigued me. I had read stories of some monks walking through their local towns, collecting whatever was offered by the people. They had no standard meal or specific expectations, simply surviving based on what the world gave them each day. This seemed like a more organized adaptation of that practice.

While the living quarters were simple, the food was extraordinary. There was a wide array of options with many different flavors. I sampled everything available and genuinely enjoyed each dish. Although some were new to me, they were similar enough to other foods I had tried, so I had no reservations about experimenting. Considering there were only two meal times per day, I was grateful that they ensured we had ample and delicious food.

After breakfast, we all felt a bit fatigued, so we spent the morning resting at home. The family chatted while I took a nap on my mat.

Around 11 am, we returned to the mess hall for lunch. Once again, a mixture of volunteers and visitors were busy preparing the area and the food. Before we ate, the monk came to see what food, if any, had been provided. We prayed and offered food to him, and he reciprocated by praying and blessing us in return.

Following the tremendous success of breakfast and knowing that my next meal would not be until 20 hours later, I loaded up my plate for lunch and once again thoroughly enjoyed the meal. To top it off, my host family had brought in some small sweets. They were as amazing as always.

Repeat #

The rest of the day and the following days followed the same routine of prayers, meals, and, of course, some challenging showers.

It was an incredible experience, and I felt extremely grateful to my friend and the host family for including me in their activities. I must acknowledge their warm and kind treatment towards me. They not only allowed me to observe life in the temple but also made me feel like a part of their tight-knit family. Even though I was a complete stranger to four out of five family members, they treated me like family throughout my stay. Despite our limited ability to communicate, they made sure I felt welcomed and comfortable at all times. Being included as part of a Thai family like this was truly an unforgettable experience.

Surprise #

While I had to adapt to various situations throughout the weekend, nothing compared to what happened on my final day.

If you would like to know more about how I was not only able to witness but also actively participate in the ordination of a new monk at the temple, someone I can now say I knew, please check out my Monk ordination article next!