Flirting With Buddhism In Chiang Mai

Monday, November 17th, 2008. Today, Sara and I met a stranger on the street who claimed he was a cab driver (although he had no car nearby and no uniform). We negotiated a rate for a ride up to Doi Suthep, followed him to his car, and jumped in without a second thought. Reckless? Perhaps – but that’s how it’s done here. Our driver was a supremely nice guy and very affordable. If he ever sends me an email with his contact info, I’ll plug his service here on the site.

Doi Suthep mountain offers a great view of Chiang Mai and the surrounding countryside, and it’s also home to Wat Phra Tat, one of Chiang Mai’s many Buddhist temples.

The stairs leading to Wat Phra Tat on Doi Suthep just outside of Chiang Mai.

Buddhism, as I understand it, is the pursuit of enlightenment. Enlightenment is achieved (again, based on my rudimentary understanding) through meditation and selflessness. The path to enlightenment isn’t set in stone, but it’s strongly suggested that you refrain from eating meat. It’s also essential that you abstain from violence and harming others. Finally, you must give to charity. Evidently, if you follow these rules (and likely others I’m not aware of), you have a chance to achieve enlightenment and complete an endless cycle of death and rebirth (reincarnation is a Buddhist tenet).

What most impresses me about Buddhism is it’s passive nature. While I’m certain there’s a powerful organizing force behind Buddhism, I have yet to see any signs of this organization dominating everyday life. Aside from a few customs (more quirky than anything else), Buddhism doesn’t seem to dictate political and legal policies, nor does it seem to “partition” Thai society. Perhaps I’m oblivious to what’s really happening, but Buddhism doesn’t seem to have the same force of rule that’s commonplace with many other religions.

Jason flirting with Buddhism at the Wat Phra Tat Chedi.

While visiting Wat Phra That near Chiang Mai, I decided I would pretend to be Buddhist to see what it was all about. I lit some incense and a candle, kneeled on the ground, and thought about enlightenment. I thought about being more giving, more selfless, and striving not to harm others. I’m not going to say it was a “religious experience” – it was more cultural than religious – but I will say that I have great respect for Buddhism as I understand it. Don’t get me wrong – I’m not converting or anything – but I learned something today.