Day 4-Monday 10th
We left the temple early and travelled through rural countryside to Wat Tham Pha Wieng (Tham means cave and Pha means cliff).
When we arrived we were met by local people from Ban Pha Wieng and the Buddha Metta Village who had brought food for our main meal.
The group were able to explore the stunning forest and amazing caves. In the afternoon we had refreshments with Mae Chi Pensi who has been in robes for over forty years. She kindly shared some of her wisdom with us.
In the evening we heard a Dhamma talk from Luangpoh Sompong the abbot who is a disciple of Ajahn Chah. We then found our place to sleep either in a cave or in the Sala.
DAY 5-Tuesday 11th
We joined
the monks on their Alms round to Ban Pha Wieng and after our meal we
set off.
A short way into our journey we visited Erawan Cave where a large Buddha
rupa faces out from the entrance.
The chanting we did in this cave was particularly memorable as it created
a powerful sense of peace. The resonance continued long after our voices
stopped.
Our next stop was at Wat Pah Buddhadhamma, also known as Wat Pah Dong
Nok Kok, where the new Sala is made from the trunks of fallen trees
transported manually by local people. The evening was cold and we had
to wrap up well while we listened to the Dhamma talk from Luangpoh Had.