Archive for February 3rd, 2012
Wat Maikatingtong Temple – Keeping it Simple
Wat Maikatingtong Temple - Jomtien, Pattaya, Thailand
The Wat Maikatingtong Temple is a nondescript small monastery temple alongside Jomtien Beach. Having seen temples all over south-east Asia, China and India, this little temple appeared to offer very little at first. But then, a close look and a chance meeting with one of the monks changed what I thought was there. This temple is not about tourists or a tourist photo destination. This temple is “home” for a contingent of monks who have said “enough” to the world, men who are for the most part broken and have retreated here to save a small part of their souls while waiting to die. Embedded in the wall that surrounds the main temple are small squares set high in the wall, squares which are filled with the ashes of those whose earthly lives are ended, or else empty and waiting for time to bring the gift of ashes to the wall and waiting squares. The squares filled contain images, names, dates of Thai and Farang alike. If nothing else, the lost souls have been captured for a while defying the descent into nothingness with their memorial space and place in the wall surrounding the temple.
I found myself entranced with this small temple and its few buildings including the crematorium. In such a space, images loom out prominently and powerfully. The temple reminded me that each of us, regardless of how insignificant the rest of the world sees us, is a priceless treasure, a story that has its own gold and silver to share in the telling. There is no grandeur, just the plain truth of ordinary lives. As I left, I saw another monk striding purposefully towards his quarters with a cigarette dangling from his fingers. Honesty and fallibility. Even monks are human and conflicted.
In case you are wondering; no, you can’t find the temple in any tourist guide such as Lonely Planet.
