Hello friends,
I might be in Chiang Mai (and environs) for a week in 2019. What Buddhist places do you recommend I visit in that area? When do you think is the best time of the year to visit?
Many thanks,
Nicolas
Chiang Mai visit?
Re: Chiang Mai visit?
Wat Umong is the only place I can recall (from 1989) that comes to mind.
There is always an official executioner. If you try to take his place, It is like trying to be a master carpenter and cutting wood. If you try to cut wood like a master carpenter, you will only hurt your hand.
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https://soundcloud.com/doodoot/paticcasamuppada
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- Dhammanando
- Posts: 6493
- Joined: Tue Dec 30, 2008 10:44 pm
- Location: Mae Wang Huai Rin, Li District, Lamphun
Re: Chiang Mai visit?
Though it's of antiquarian rather than dhammic interest, I highly recommend Wat Ton Kwen (วัดต้นเกว๋น), an old, beautifully pristine and unmodernised temple, in the Hang Dong District, about 10 km from Chiang Mai's Southwestern city wall.
In the cool season.
Yena yena hi maññanti,
tato taṃ hoti aññathā.
In whatever way they conceive it,
It turns out otherwise.
(Sn. 588)
tato taṃ hoti aññathā.
In whatever way they conceive it,
It turns out otherwise.
(Sn. 588)
Re: Chiang Mai visit?
Thanks for the recommendation Ven. Dhammanando,
I went to visit this wat today. It happens to be only 5 minutes from where I'm currently living in Hang Dong.
What temple are you at?
Cheers.
Sean
I went to visit this wat today. It happens to be only 5 minutes from where I'm currently living in Hang Dong.
What temple are you at?
Cheers.
Sean
- Dhammanando
- Posts: 6493
- Joined: Tue Dec 30, 2008 10:44 pm
- Location: Mae Wang Huai Rin, Li District, Lamphun
Re: Chiang Mai visit?
Since the end of last year's rainy season I've been living in a kuti in a rubber forest in the Phrao District of Chiang Mai. I'm about 4 km from Wat Doi Mae Pang, the monastery of the late Luang Poo Waen.
Yena yena hi maññanti,
tato taṃ hoti aññathā.
In whatever way they conceive it,
It turns out otherwise.
(Sn. 588)
tato taṃ hoti aññathā.
In whatever way they conceive it,
It turns out otherwise.
(Sn. 588)
Re: Chiang Mai visit?
Wow,
So, your not at a temple. It sounds like Wat Doi Mae Pang and you (if your accepting visitors) would be worth a visit. How far is this from Chiang Mai city?
Cheers.
So, your not at a temple. It sounds like Wat Doi Mae Pang and you (if your accepting visitors) would be worth a visit. How far is this from Chiang Mai city?
Cheers.
- Dhammanando
- Posts: 6493
- Joined: Tue Dec 30, 2008 10:44 pm
- Location: Mae Wang Huai Rin, Li District, Lamphun
Re: Chiang Mai visit?
Not usually. If I am it will most often be at one of Thailand's 2,000 or so abandoned wats.
It's about 100 km from the Changpeuak bus station to the market town of Phrao. Wat Doi Mae Pang is about 16 km before Phrao.
Yena yena hi maññanti,
tato taṃ hoti aññathā.
In whatever way they conceive it,
It turns out otherwise.
(Sn. 588)
tato taṃ hoti aññathā.
In whatever way they conceive it,
It turns out otherwise.
(Sn. 588)
Re: Chiang Mai visit?
Wonderful place and opportunity to follow the bhikkhuhood of the Lord Buddha.Dhammanando wrote: ↑Sat Oct 06, 2018 2:05 am If I am it will most often be at one of Thailand's 2,000 or so abandoned wats.
There is always an official executioner. If you try to take his place, It is like trying to be a master carpenter and cutting wood. If you try to cut wood like a master carpenter, you will only hurt your hand.
https://soundcloud.com/doodoot/paticcasamuppada
https://soundcloud.com/doodoot/anapanasati
https://soundcloud.com/doodoot/paticcasamuppada
https://soundcloud.com/doodoot/anapanasati
Re: Chiang Mai visit?
Hi Nicolas, since it’s still early in 2019 I’m guessing you haven’t gone to CM yet? Maybe if you can be more specific in what you’re looking for. There are dozens or hundreds of good places so it’s a bit of a daunting task to start suggesting them.
Are you looking for interesting tourist temples to visit? Walk around, take some photos, soak it all up?
Or are you looking for places to places to stay at for a number of days/weeks to practice meditation?
If you can at least answer this question I’d be glad to follow up with some suggestions.
3 - Triple Gem - TISARANA
4 - Noble Truths - ARIYA SACCA
8 - Noble Path - ARIYA MAGGA
*Middle Path - MAJJHIMA PATIPADA
Study, Practice, Realize - PARIYATTI, PATIPATTI, PATIVEDHA
4 - Noble Truths - ARIYA SACCA
8 - Noble Path - ARIYA MAGGA
*Middle Path - MAJJHIMA PATIPADA
Study, Practice, Realize - PARIYATTI, PATIPATTI, PATIVEDHA
Re: Chiang Mai visit?
Hi Dali348, I'm planning on being there for a week in late-2019 or early-2020, so I have not been there yet, correct.Dali348 wrote: ↑Sat Jan 05, 2019 1:16 am Hi Nicolas, since it’s still early in 2019 I’m guessing you haven’t gone to CM yet? Maybe if you can be more specific in what you’re looking for. There are dozens or hundreds of good places so it’s a bit of a daunting task to start suggesting them.
Are you looking for interesting tourist temples to visit? Walk around, take some photos, soak it all up?
Or are you looking for places to places to stay at for a number of days/weeks to practice meditation?
If you can at least answer this question I’d be glad to follow up with some suggestions.
I'm not looking for a place to stay for days/weeks to practice meditation. My father lives in Chiang Mai so I will most likely mostly stay with him. It'll be more of a "touristy" (& "devotional") visit--I'm not big on photos, but will definitely be soaking it all up. I've never been to Thailand and am looking forward to being there, in a Buddhist country.
Thank you all!
Re: Chiang Mai visit?
The problem (if you want to call it that), with Chiang Mai and the surrounding area is that there are so many wonderful temples... too many to see..
But.... NUMBER ONE... Wat Phra That Doi Suthep up on Doi Suthep mountain to the west of the city.... That's the most important one in my opinion.. and the opinion of many others... It's definitely one of the most sacred Theravada Buddhist pilgrimage places in all of Thailand.
People often simply call it Doi Suthep.... (which is actually the name of the mountain. The temple name is Wat Phra That.(pronounced "Wat Prah Taught)
Go to the street running east and west just to the north of the north wall of the old city...(Manee Nopparat Rd) and take a songthaew west to Huay Kaew Rd., (haggle a tiny bit on price) past the Chiang Mai Zoo (also good to see) and up Doi Suthep mountain to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep.....then either climb all the stairs to the Temple complex.. or take the rail tram to the top. The temple comples is on a few levels... make sure you go all the way to the top. You will see the spot at some stairs where people remove shoes, sandals for going up to the sacred sanctuary with the Chedi and side temples... it's beautiful. You can make offerings and get blessings there from the monks..
There is also a Ficus Religiosa Bodhi tree... grown from a graft brought from the sacred Bodhi tree at Bodh Gaya in India. Very sacred in Buddhism.
Also there is a "Sal" tree (Cannonball Tree) ..also sacred to Buddhism...
And there is a Vipassana meditation center.. and a great lookout area to see all the valley and airport and city of Chiang of Chiang Mai below..(if it is not "smokey" season.)
Take your time at Wat Phra That Doi Suthep..... Go in the morning.... Don't be in a hurry..... Relax there.....
They say if you go to Chiang Mai and you don't go up to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep... then you've never really been to Chiang Mai.
I was fortunate in going up to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep three times while I was living in Chiang Mai.... Loved each time...
But also.... Wat Chedi Luang.... definitely worth the time ( I went to Wat Chedi Luang three times also)...They might still have Monk Chat with English speaking Thai monks... and Wat Phra Singh both of these are in the old city (inside the boundaries of the moat) There are other temples in the old city that I visited and worth a visit.
Wat Umong... west of the airport and in the forest... well worth a visit......hire a tuk tuk for that one...(haggle a bit on the price) I would start with those four temples... and then branch off to others.....
Enjoy your visit to Chiang Mai.... I spent four months living there and in the surrounding area in 2013...
And then in 2017 I spent two months in Cambodia, followed by five days seeing Bangkok temples before flying back to Canada.
Can't wait to return...
Chiang Mai is really worth more than a week..... Have a safe and happy trip.
Last edited by Catoni on Tue Feb 19, 2019 11:23 pm, edited 8 times in total.
Re: Chiang Mai visit?
Thank you!
Re: Chiang Mai visit?
One of my favorite temples in Thailand, but there are a lot of temples to see.
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