DAY 14– Thursday 20th
We were invited back
to visit Luang Pouh Jahm and to receive his blessing by each being touched
on the head with his stick, a great honour. We then returned to the Mae
Chi Kaew convent. Here we received yet another wonderful meal before saying
our farewells to Mae Chi Sila who was staying with the nuns in the community
for a while.
Our next stop was the chedi of Luang Pouh Lah who practised on top of a very steep hill. It now has a rail system to transport goods to the monastery, but in his early days he carried water up by bucket every day.
Our final stop on the trip was to visit a very impressive series of buildings and gardens under construction in Roiet Province. We were able to go to the top floor where we paid respects, chanted and practised in front of Buddha relics. The main building contained many relics and statues of teachers in the forest tradition.
From there we headed back to Wat Pah Kanjanabhisek for our last night together as a group.
The following day, after sharing some final recollections and impressions of our pilgrimage, we said goodbye to each other.
We then made our separate ways ‘home’, our hearts filled with the generosity and loving kindness that we were given by so many people.
For us this was not the end of our journey but the beginning of our practice to live in Dhamma every day.
It has given
us the opportunity to share the benefits we have gained with our families
and friends.