Moments fro Asia
During my last day in Chiang Mai, I rented a bike and decided to drive out of the city center to explore more interesting places. After driving around for a couple hours, I discovered a Buddhist temple, next to a small village. I left my bike at the gate I entered the temple.
Since I did not have much time left, I was a little bit in a hurry. I was walking quite fast around the temple. I took some pictures and decided to drive back to the city to prepare my over-night journey to Bangkok.
Drop of water
This was the moment when I heard voices behind me. Somebody calling me. I saw a young guy standing in front of a door. When I came closer to him, he told me that the monk wants to speak with me. I was curious and entered the house.
The Buddhist Temple
Inside was a very old monk sitting on a couch in the middle of the room. He offered me water and some fruits. Then he asked me some questions. He wanted to know where I am from and how old I am. After a moment of silence, he told me that he saw me walking around the temple. With a calm voice, he said that I am living and walking too fast. He told me that I should enjoy each single step in life. And if I should notice that I am walking too fast, he recommended me to start staying: ‘Left, right. Left, right….Left, right.’ I should think about my steps and not make a routine out of it, he said.
Ever since I met him, I keep thinking about his words. I do not only keep his words in mind when I am walking :-), but also during many other activities. I also think about it, when I am preparing coffee to make sure that I am not rushing and that I enjoy each single step and drop of coffee. And trust me, after visiting this temple, I enjoy life and coffee even more!
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