to fulfill a promise

[tiltbillings]

I promised in another thread some while ago, as I was just reminded, to post photos of my novice ordination. The fellow with whom I ordained went to become Ajahn Munindo, a student of Ajahn Chah and is now abbot of Aruna Ratanagiri. This was in late 1974 at Wat Bowan in Bangkok.

[Reductor]

You're the bespectacled one, right?

[tiltbillings]

You're the bespectacled one, right?

Bespeckled I am.

[Ben]

Great photos Tilt!
One of these days, you might like to write up some of your experiences as a novice.
kind regards

Ben

[Reductor]

You're the bespectacled one, right?

Bespeckled I am.

Why didn't you take higher ordination? If you don't mind the question.

[tiltbillings]

Great photos Tilt!
One of these days, you might like to write up some of your experiences as a novice.
kind regards

Ben

Not really much to say. It was a "rains" retreat, which I took after the real rains retreat time. I wanted to see if the ordained life was for me. It wasn't, but I did get a lot out of it. No great stories, but small things such as alms rounds, which was a practice of great gratitude for the great generosity of the people who so kindly gave us food.

During a class with the abbot there was an American visitor who was recounting a very grim and serious story of his life, being crippled by arthritis, his struggles with meditation and such. While this was going on for some reason I glanced up at the ceiling of the room and there was a gecko stalking a very large moth. It was mesmerizing the life and death drama taking place over head. Slowly the gecko, upside down, moved towards its prey, all the while this difficult story is being told. I glanced around. No one else saw what I was looking at it, all being transfixed by this man's story. When the gecko got close enough, it shot forward, grabbing the huge moth in its mouth. The weight of the moth was too much for the gecko and it fell to the floor, landing exactly in front of the abbot's scabrous old dog, startling it. It jumped up, let out yip and bolted out the door. That was the damned funniest thing I ever saw in my whole life. Stifling a my laughter with what sounded like a cough, I stood up, gave a quick bow to the abbot and followed the scabrous old dog out the door, getting as far away from that room so I could laugh with tears steaming out of my eyes, collapsing to the ground in laughter. Some of the Thai monks passing by thought I had gone crazy.

Keith and I got to spend a week at Wat Ba Pong in the meditation hall with Ajahn Chah's recently dead mother. That was good time. I got to spend a lot of time with Ajahn Sumedho. He was very kind to me. We talked about Dhamma and bugs and whatever else. I learned a lot from him.

[plwk]

Those were the days when faces were made to hold glasses the size of a espresso cup's saucer...

[alan]

This is the first time I've seen you as a real person. Suspect the same is true for many others.

[tiltbillings]

Good to know you are a real person. It doesn't always come out on you posts.

Always the subtle one, you are, Alan.

[tiltbillings]

Those were the days when faces were made to hold glasses the size of a espresso cup's saucer...

Hey!! Those were very stylish glasses. And very heavy glasses. I'd been in a fuzzy world without them.

[alan]

Always the mysterious one you are!

[tiltbillings]

Always the mysterious one you are!

But as you now see, I am the good looking one.

[alan]

Certainly. As a fellow eyeglass-wearing, silly long haired person, may I ask what year this was?

[tiltbillings]

Certainly. As a fellow eyeglass-wearing, silly long haired person, may I ask what year this was?

OP: "This was in late 1974 at Wat Bowan in Bangkok."

[mikenz66]

Those were the days when faces were made to hold glasses the size of a espresso cup's saucer...

Hey!! Those were very stylish glasses. And very heavy glasses. I'd been in a fuzzy world without them.

Yes, very stylish back then...



Thanks for the pictures...



Mike

[alan]

May I also ask why you quit?

[tiltbillings]

May I also ask why you quit?

I felt that my life would better lived a bit differently.

[alan]

That is a decent answer. But most of us only know you through your dog-faced personae.
Who is the real Tilt?

[tiltbillings]

That is a decent answer. But most of us only know you through your dog-faced personae.
Who is the real Tilt?

Actually, it is a jackal. As for for the who is the real Tilt Billings, you'd have to ask Leo Kottke.

[Reductor]

That is a decent answer. But most of us only know you through your dog-faced personae.
Who is the real Tilt?

Actually, it is a jackal. As for for the who is the real Tilt Billings, you'd have to ask Leo Kottke.

And I thought your name really was Tilt. "What a cool name," I thought to myself.