016 - Temple Complex of Wat Pho

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91 small stupas or as locals call them, “chedis” stand here, among which the four largest are burial monuments of the first four Chakri kings that built Wat Pho.

Today these stupas are used in rememberance and for meditation.

Buddhists don’t pray in the Christian sense, but try to empty their minds just like emptying a bowl - in order for soothing nothingness to pour in. The ultimate goal of buddhist meditation and buddhism itself is to leave everyday thoughts and troubles behind, cleansing the body and soul which in turn, leads to harmony with the universe.

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WHAT IS TO LEARN HERE?

A common misconception is that all buddhists meditate all the time. On the contrary: most buddhist laypeople don't practice meditation, in fact meditation - especially in the past - was considered a monastic practice and required a certain level of knowledge and deep understanding of the teachings. This is why even among buddhist monks only a special group practice meditation.

Another misconception is that the most common buddhist meditation aims to clear the mind. While it is the ultimate goal indeed, in fact there are dozens of different meditations with specific focuses and goals to practice consciousness and willpower.

What we highly recommend to consider is living by the five precept of Theravada Buddhism. These are the basic rules of life for the masses. Typical of buddhism that these are not godly, strict commands, but rather sort of thoughtful considerations. Understanding is more fruitful than following blindly.

If we could all live by these precepts, our world would be a pretty neat place:

- avoid killing any living creature; - avoid taking what's not given; - avoid sensual misconduct; - avoid false speech; - and avoid intoxicants that may blur the mind.