Why I live in Laos.
I am sitting in my guest house room at The Samxay Hotel in Vientiane, Laos, at 6am on November 21st.
I am experiencing a level of peace that few are lucky enough to know - an experience far removed from life in any other capital city.
The weather is perfect T- shirt temperature, dawn has just broken, and the monk at the local temple has just gently rung the unheeded wake-up gong. Even the fish in the pond have not yet rippled the surface in search of food.
The birds are singing, and no traffic can yet be heard. The cocks are crowing, and in the distance a dog occasionally barks. The loudest sound is the computer fan.
Occasionally there is a scuffle in the room as the five kittens from two mothers, who all awoke to the gong, have a battle with a toy.
And now the fridge kicks in and takes over as the loudest sound.
Peace! Peace! Peace!
And you ask "Why do you live in Laos?"
Vientiane has so many unique temples that it makes the thirty six temples in the old city of Chiang Mai, Thailand look bland.
Take this for example
"Wat Inpeng – The Wat Inpeng is not only a temple but a historical landmark that represents the Laotian arts and culture. The temple is adorned with a variety of Buddha images, rock sculptures, and rock columns that depict the Khmer and Mon cultures. It has been said that the king of the gods transformed himself into an old wise man to assist with construction. Legend also states that the god transformed himself specifically into an old white monk to help construct the Buddha image. From such stories did the Wat Inpeng get its name, which means “to transform”.
Now where can you get nearer to the truth than that!
Most Laos people follow Buddhist philosophy, so they uphold the five precepts, but in Laos they uphold only four as the national sport is drinking Beer Lao.
Abstain from taking life
Abstain from taking what is not given.
Abstain from sexual misconduct.
Abstain from false speech.
Abstain from fermented drink that causes heedlessness.
I think Vientiane is a perfect place to suggest and implement urban permaculture, and I think the monks at each temple could become the people who pass on the knowledge.
Look out for the next blog!
It would be a rare person nowadays who hasn't heard about the conspiracy to take over the world. It would be a rare person nowadays who hasn't seen the take-over taking place right in front of their eyes, or on the TV. It would be a rare person who isn't aware that the banks are leeching huge amounts of public money. It would be a rare person that hasn't questioned our education systems. It would be a rare person who hasn't questioned our medical systems, religions, military strategies, food, water, and mental make-up.
It would also be a rare person who has listened hard to what has been said, and thoroughly seen into what has been shown, and is now able to cut through all the mists and clouds to an understanding that makes all the above a laughable farce.
There are still many who are so dumbed down that they scoff at the very thought of the afore-mentioned truth topics, but a greater number who simply ignore them, and live in denial. They are as blind as bats and deaf as door posts, and often quite arrogant with it - they are totally unable to listen to a word of truth which might even vaguely challenge their belief system.
This is because they believe that they ARE their belief system, and therefore believe that any questioning of the belief system is a direct personal challenge. A little meditation alone for a few years will put that problem to rights, and this then provides the ability to discuss aspects of the belief system in an open manner, a facility previously protected and even fought over.
So it can be demonstrated how narrow-mindedness begats narrower mindedness.
I think the topic of UFOs and aliens probably provides an excellent example, with belief systems ranging from "aliens don't exist" to "I am an alien's mother, and have lived on Mars".
Who is right depends on how much the correct answer challenges their present belief system. If the real truth is too far away from the current belief system, it cannot penetrate, and thus continues to be ignored, but more strenuously. Unfortunately, this approach can only work for so long, because eventually the denial becomes so difficult and eventually impossible, that stress causes serious mental problems, and natural evolution ceases.
So I write to try to help my friends to avoid this meaninglessly stressful end, yet they continue to scoff.
However, I will continue - they are friends.
