Because 94% of Thai people are Buddhist we spent the day touring and praying around various sacred Buddhist sites around Bangkok. In order to get to our first destination we rode a city bus then we took a ride on the “Sky Train” (It’s kind of like the mono-rail at Disneyworld). Next we boarded a river boat to travel up the river then transferred to another river boat to cross the river.
After passing amazing architecture of pagodas, and Asian-style tiled roofs, we arrived at Wat Arun (Temple of the Dawn).
Upon entering the temple I was struck by the ornate colors and intricate details of mirror and tiles. One of the courtyards contains many golden Buddha statues. I watched as several people offered flowers, candles, and incense while they bowed to the statues in order to gain merit. A Buddhist’s life is focused on doing good in order to gain merit and in turn reach Nirvana (a state of non-existence). Each of the statues of Buddha had a nameplate; the statues are paid for by family members wishing to gain merit for deceased relatives. Buddhists believe that the deceased will reincarnate until they reach Nirvana and by paying for a statue they are expediting that process.
The main temple of Wat Arun can be climbed. The stairs were very steep; I followed a rather scared woman who clung to the railing as she sat on each step to make her way to the top. From the top we could look out over the river and temple grounds.
One boat ride and a short walk later we entered the gates of Wat Po (Temple of the Reclining Buddha). The name comes from massive 46 meter long gold covered Buddha statue that rests on its side as it is to be passing into nirvana. In order to enter the temple we took off our shoes out of respect. Inside many people were placing one coin in each of the buckets around the room in order to gain merit.
A side temple room houses multiple Buddha statues. One of the statues supposedly depicts “end-times”. What drew my attention to this Buddha were the two circles or holes in his hands similar to statues of Christ.
Three World Racers shared the back of a tuk tuk (motorcycle-type vehicule with a cab for passengers). We flew threw the streets and around corners to reach our final destination; Wat Saket (Temple of the Golden Mount).
This was my favorite spot because it was surrounded by lush green vegetation. During our climb of 318 stairs to the top we rang large bells that hung in a row. From the top we enjoyed a nice breeze and a beautiful 360 degree view of the city of Bangkok.
Our temple tour had ended, but the adventure continued. We boarded a canal boat. Three of us World Racers sat together on a bench inside the boat. We felt the bench bend and felt like it was going to snap. The boat zoomed up the river as attendants pulled tarps up on the sides. The river water is very polluted, so the tarps are intended to protect the passengers. We stopped at a dock and within seconds about 20 Thai people scrambled into the boat. Our bench now contained 6 people. We made two more stops until the boat no longer had any available seats. At our final stop the boat was cleared of all passengers in less than a minute.
The rest of the afternoon we saw a little bit of downtown then road the bus back to the YWAM base. I have been thinking about our experiences today in the Buddhist temples. I think there are good things about Buddhism. I respect them for continually striving to do good deeds. I am impressed by the dedication of the male Buddhists that spend a period of time as a monk. Finally I felt comfortable in their place of worship; at no time did I feel condemned or looked down upon. However, I know that there are things that would be hard as a Buddhist. I would always feel like I was not good enough that I could do better. I would worry that I had not offered enough coins, burned enough candles, or bowed to enough Buddha statues. My overall thought would be, “I am not enough nor will I ever be enough.” In Christianity I am not enough and I will never be enough, but I don’t have to worry. God has provided more than enough good and merit through the sacrifice of His Son. I am so grateful for His unconditional love.
