I set out for Chithurst, but not so early, as I've been unwell for sometime. Today is a festival day for Buddhism, the birthday, the enlightenment and the death of Buddha are celebrated on the same day. No Easter and/or Christmas for Buddhism. I arrived late for the beginning of the mornings meditation, and on entering the grounds I was greeted by someone directing the cars to the car park, saying they remembered me from the Forest Day. It was good to be remembered.
There was a the sound of a relaid microphone from the Dhamma hall, which puzzled me to begin with, until it became clear that there were well to a hundred people visiting the monastery for this occasion. Sheepishly I entered the dhamma hall, late for the meditation, and found myself a place at the front of the hall to join in the hypnotic chanting. We all took the five precepts in Pail (explanation to follow).
On the way up to Chihurst, the taxi driver told me about his Thai wife, how he can not get hold of her today. He chated to me about Thai culture, Buddhism and remarked on how many Thai visitors there would be. He was right. The Thais are apparently a much more sociable and tolerant people than those on the west. I've been reading on a comparison between Buddhism and Christan virtues, and anger is certainly not a Buddhist virtue, but in Christianity anger can be allowed or sometimes is seen as justified. I am not a Christian so I can only reference this to the book I am currently reading.
After the service we were advised to line up outside the hall for the offering of arms to the medicates. The monks and nuns are completely dependent on the lay community to provide for their food, sometimes there is not always enough. I found myself standing directly next to a teacher at my former Alevel College. He couldn't remember me, and it took a while for my face to emerge out of the midst of time and various other students. Trevor (the teacher's name) gave me advice on how to give my rice to the monks and nuns. Trevor has been coming to Chihurst for many years, and is a Buddhist himself. It was fascinating listening to his stories on the former monks, especailly those who once served in Vietnam and returned to the west with this Buddhist tradition. After the arms giving the lay people and visitors par took of lunch and refreshment provided by a local Thai restaurant and served by volunteers.
After lunch I found myself winding my way back to the Dhamma Hall at least fifteen minutes before a ceremony of 'going forth', a young novice monk taking the first step before full ordination. His parents gave him his robs, and bowed before him, giving him away. The entire ceremony was taken in Pail, with the novice re sighting the lines from memory. He received a new name and the medicate bowl, as well as changing robes from white to saffron. He may chose to go on to full ordination, or return to everyday life, within a year or so. 'Going forth' refers to the retraction from the world of the sensual, into the spiritual life. The Abbot explained a great deal about the monastric life during the ceremony and how it provides more opportunity to awaken, but, nonetheless, a lay person can experience enlightenment 'if they know how to swing it'.
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