The day began at the same time but instead of morning chanting, we left in the van at 3:30am to go to Wat Phra That Pranom. The first stop was in Mukdahan where we went for the alms round. I was wondering if they had organised anything beforehand but it seemed like Tan Ajahn just got off the van and walked into the market. The people seemed genuinely startled as they suddenly saw a group of western monks (and I) walking with their alms bowl. As we walked, people would suddenly come up beside us, kneel down and offer food. People came to give in droves and I had not experienced anything like it. Since I was the only other monk on the trip, I had the privilege of walking directly behind Tan Ajahn.

When we had received our food, we went a few more hours to Kaeng Krabao to have our morning meal. It’s a scenic viewing point on the Mekong river bordering Laos. The morning was beautiful with a gentle breeze and overcast. Protected against the harsh sunlight we could enjoy and appreciated the sounds of the waves. Nen P. helped to wash the bowl for me which was very nice. I took a bit more food than usual but had to really make sure that I finished in time as I sat next to Tan Ajahn. A group of volunteers had followed the monks and novices as well and it was they who helped us to prepare the food that had been offered in the market.

Phra That Phanom was only a short distance away and it was quite a sight. First we walked around the jedi itself that houses the Buddha relics three times whilst chanting our homages. We would have chanted other parittas too but most of us were novices who didn’t know many chants. Then we did the same but inside the jedi itself. Inside was a large room but the space mainly taken up in the middle by high platforms. There sat many Buddha relics and small Buddha statues. There was only a narrow walkway around the edge of the room and we had to be very careful to not walk into any of the relics as we were pushed right up against them.

Once we came out we sat outside and meditated for a while. I couldn’t sit for long because we were right in front of where people planted their incense for offerings. The sun had moved directly to where we sat and I honestly couldn’t endure being roasted directly for long. If I got up then I thought that the novices would feel better about moving as well because Tan Ajahn sat absolutely still. Then Nen G. got up too and we explored the monastery together and had a chat about meditation. I also got a chance to talk to the priest who had arrived from Germany. It was his son that had come to practice at WPN as a layperson and mere coincidence that he’s from the same village as Tan Ajahn himself. Just like me he found the tradition of giving and charity very heart-warming.

On the way back we stopped by Wat Tham Saeng Phet which had a very beautiful sala and massive reclining Buddha statue. We took some photos at sunset. We met with the abbot there and then returned to WPN at around 8:30pm, in time for a quick shower before bed.

Today was Luang Por Anek’s birthday and a big group went to Wat Pah Sai Ngam which is not too far from WPN. I decided not to go because I wanted to go tomorrow to Phra That Phanom and two trips in a row would be too much. Also apparently Luang Por Anek gives really long Dhamma talks before the meal and I would likely be the only monk squirming in pain from sitting in papiap.

It rained heavily for the first time since I’ve come here and the weather cooled down a lot. It felt much more comfortable doing chores and evening chanting. How wonderful that one appreciates even the smallest things as a monk.

I tried to eat as much as I could yesterday so I still don’t understand why I’m still losing weight. I wish I could have this problem when I return to lay life. Also, I will need to apply anti-mosquito repellent in the morning too before morning chanting. Warmer temperatures mean that they are out in full force and not being allowed to kill means that you’re at its mercy.

Tan Ajahn has a few appointments and outings in the coming days and the one that I would like to attend is on Saturday. It’s a day trip to Wat Phra That Pranom and apparently Tan Ajahn goes 4-5 times a year. All the other monks have been several times so there doesn’t seem to be much enthusiasm for it. It clashes with robe washing and head shaving so I plan to ask someone to help shave in advance.

I didn’t read the label properly on one of the drinks which turned out to be a yogurt that contained cow’s milk. For a Thai person to do that too. I was feeling bloated until the afternoon and it did not feel pleasant at all whilst trying to take a nap in the late morning.

I had a quick shower on the way in and found a nice meditation spot in the library. It’s cool, has seats and fans, relatively insect free and people free at the moment. I think it would be frowned upon if people found out that I was meditating there so I’ll keep it quiet for now.

In the evenings the kuti is getting warm when I return, which is slightly concerning for the night. I will try to leave a window open during the day to see if it makes any difference.

Also today was the first day that I brought a mug to the meal. I’ve always avoided it because the small cartons of milk were always more than adequate, and having an extra thing to balance on the lid of the bowl after the meal was more trouble than it was worth. However, a few drinks get made in the kitchen and I felt bad that I never received any of it without a mug. I decided to give the soya smoothie a try. I don’t think it’s made to be had on it’s own because it was way too thick and bland.

Another interesting thing were some archaic rules around food that once it is taken by novices, it must be re-offered back to monks again formerly. The end result was that it was the monks and not novices that serve out the drinks just before the meal to everyone. I’d heard some monks complain about this because the rules got changed just as they had become monks so they used to do this when they were novices and are still doing it now.

It’s taken a while, but I finally figured out that ovada doesn’t happen around Wan Phra. I always took less food because I didn’t want to be late for ovada. Now I know when we don’t have them, I can take a little more food. It might be a problem if I lose any more weight too.

The weather is getting really hot now during the afternoon and late morning. It’s impossible to stay inside the kuti itself after 11. I took the straw mat and slept on the landing outside, which wasn’t too bad. Chores were the same as usual, really tiring and almost a full body workout. Another thing I noticed was that if I bent down and up again quickly, I got very dizzy.

The evenings are also getting warm and it’s hard to not get sweaty during evening chanting. I’ve started using a small cloth to wipe myself down afterwards instead of showering to save some time and water.