Left: May, 2023, Right: Feb, 2024. Introduction I recently lost about 10 Kg which is over 20 pounds. I’d like to share with you how I gained weight and how I also lost it. It is common for senior monks to gain weight, perhaps due in part to aging, as seniority implies being older. Even though we don’t eat after Solar Noon, gaining weight still can happen. However, if we really want to, we can all easily lose weight…“if we want to”. A 36 minute video version of this post is found at this link below. It is different from this written post, and you migth like to read and watch both.

I spent a little over 30 days in Thailand and I learned a great deal about Thai Buddhist culture and how things things are for monks outside of the vinaya saṅgha. What did I learn? Uncle Sam’s Banana Farm Uncle Sam’s Banana Farm First of all, this trip was well needed. Sabai means to be comfortable and relaxed. I really needed to be comfortable and relaxed and the goal was achieved. I had spent the previous 5 months at The International Institute of Theravāda (IIT) and the learning and study demands had been very stressful. I spent most of my time visiting Uncle Sam who was a Thai supporter I met in Kaua’i, HI. In Hawai’i, we use the word uncle as a respectful prefix for older people. It has nothing to do with blood lines.

Ajahn Mun dark Did Ajahn Mun say the Buddha congratulated him on the night he attained arahant? His biography books says it for sure. Venerable Ācariya Mun Būridatta Thera is one of the most revered forest masters of the 20th century. He is the root guru of both the Dhammayut and Ajahn Chah monasteries. He popularized the monastic practice of living under an umbrella in the forest and his relentless energy is fascinating and inspiring. Although I quote controversial words from the book written about him, I still find his “way of life” inspiring. It is also not proven 100% that these are really the words of Ajahn Mun. On the other hand, I don’t believe his biographer would lie or is lying.