Saturday, January 15, 2011

BUDDHAS - SMALL AND LARGE !





THE MAIN BUDDHA ON MY HOME ALTAR.




Thailand is a Buddhist country and in fact, is one of the reasons I moved here when I retired.  The Buddhas in this post are ones that  I have obtained over the years...the small ones.


COLLECTION OF SANDSTONE BUDDHAS


THIS IS MY PERSONAL BUDDHA THAT I WEAR WHEN I TRAVEL. IT IS BLACK JADE AND I HAVE HAD IT SINCE 1987. IT WAS CARVED AT THE WAT CHANG HAI TEMPLE ABOUT 30 YEARS AGO. THE MONK IS LUNG PU THUD WHO COULD CHANGE RIVER WATER TO PURE DRINKING WATER.


The next pics are at Buddha Mountain in Pattaya.
THERE IS AN ABUNDANCE OF STAIRS TO CLIMB IN THAILAND!

UNDER THE AWNING IS A SMALL ALTER FOR PRAYER

AS YOU CAN SEE IT IS QUITE LARGE

THERE IS A BUDDHA FOR EVERY DAY OF THE WEEK. THIS GIRL WAS BORN ON THURSDAY.


I WAS BORN ON A MONDAY

THIS MONK THOUGHT HE COULD OBTAIN ENLIGHTENMENT BY STARVATION, BUT HE FAILED.

THIS ONE APPARENTLY DID NOT STARVE.







IT IS TOO HARD TO EXPLAIN ON A CAPTION BUT IF INTERESTED YOU CAN ALWAYS GOOGLE IT.

This of course is not a Buddha, but a Tibetan Wheel of Life and Death.  It is hanging on my wall so I decided to put it here.  It is hand painted and the gold is actual gold!

I tried to put these next pics in a slideshow but do not know how yet.





















Saturday, January 8, 2011

PHANOM RUNG

PHONOM RUNG

Phonom Rung is a temple which was built between the 10th and 13th century in Buriram, Thailand.  It is a Hindu Shrine which was dedicated to Shiva.




IT ALWAYS AMAZES ME WHEN I SEE VERY OLD SHRINES



ABOUT A 20 MINUTE WALK UP!


SOME FRIENDS WHO WERE HAPPY TO WAIT DOWNSTAIRS



ABOUT HALFWAY UP. AS A FOREIGNER I AM ALWAYS SURROUNDED BY YOUNG KIDS WHO THINK I AM A NOVELTY!   I GUESS I AM!


FINALLY THERE!


THE ENTRANCE


THERE ARE ABOUT FOUR POOLS ON OPPOSING SIDES


WITH AN ASPIRING MODEL!

MY BODYGUARDS
RELIEFS  1






RELIEFS 2

RELIEFS 3


Sunday, January 2, 2011

TODAY WE HAVE ELEPHANTS!

Today is Elephant Day...not really a holiday but I like them so why not?  It is my blog!  These pics were taken in Northern Thailand last year by a friend of mine, Mark Beresford.  I hope you enjoy them!


THE MAETANG ELEPHANT PARK

SO BIG AND GENTLE...

AND HUNGRY!

AT THE RIVER FOR...


BATH TIME


NICE MASSAGE


SHOWER YOUR FRIENDS


NOW THIS IS AMAZING!


GRANDMA ELE!


ADD A SPLASH OF COLOR


WHAT CAN I SAY?




Now this is not from Mark but from my trip to Nong Nooch (earlier post -  but I just found out how to post a video!)