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.