Best winter home for retired Buddhists?

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Grigoris
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Re: Best winter home for retired Buddhists?

Post by Grigoris »

Cambodia and Laos are even cheaper than Thailand.

When I was in Thailand this year I did not find it that cheap.
"My religion is not deceiving myself."
Jetsun Milarepa 1052-1135 CE

"Butchers, prostitutes, those guilty of the five most heinous crimes, outcasts, the underprivileged: all are utterly the substance of existence and nothing other than total bliss."
The Supreme Source - The Kunjed Gyalpo
The Fundamental Tantra of Dzogchen Semde
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Nemo
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Re: Best winter home for retired Buddhists?

Post by Nemo »

Grigoris wrote: Sat Nov 03, 2018 7:13 pm Cambodia and Laos are even cheaper than Thailand.

When I was in Thailand this year I did not find it that cheap.
It's all relative to your budget. Would you prefer to live simply in Florida or like a king in Bangkok? I have a buddy in Bangkok already and he found Cambodia full of scammers when he went this year. If I was cheap I could go back to the Ph too but it's all guns, bibles and politics, kind of like America actually. The great thing about Bangkok is if you don't mind taking a local airline you can fly to Cambodia, Vietnam, etc for about 100USD. Bangkok and Chiang Mai have lots of ex pats to socialize with going for them too. Retirement can be a bit isolating sometimes.

I'm looking for a base for winter. Do you think Laos or Cambodia would be good for that? Also what do you think are the best temples, amulet shops, healers, etc in Thailand?
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Grigoris
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Re: Best winter home for retired Buddhists?

Post by Grigoris »

Nemo wrote: Sat Nov 03, 2018 8:30 pmI'm looking for a base for winter. Do you think Laos or Cambodia would be good for that?
Winter in Laos and Cambodia is like winter in Thailand.
Also what do you think are the best temples, amulet shops, healers, etc in Thailand?
I only went to Bangkok. In Bangkok the amulet market behind the university is awesome. https://www.google.gr/maps/place/Amulet ... 100.489592

Seedy, grungy, dark and full of everything that you may need for casting spells.

There is another excellent amulet market in a Temple that also has a stupa with Buddha relics. Not as seedy as the above mentioned one, but worth a visit.

I will track down the name of the temple for you as it escapes me right now.

The temples in Bangkok are generally amazing. Even the touristy ones. I was also taken to a temple where they specialised in energy manipulating meditations/visualisations and traditional Thai medicine. They had a side temple dedicated to Jivaka (the Buddha's physician) there. They are considered somewhat heretical.

Depending on your interests the Reusi/Lersi tradition is very interesting: a white-robed lay ascetic tradition more popular in northern Thailand. They specialise in sacred tattos, yant, healing arts, etc...

I had the good karma to hook up with a westerner who studied and practiced in the tradition who also knew Thai, he organised a student of his to drive us around to these more obscure places and we went to a gorgeous Hindu Mahadevi temple in Bangkok to make some offerings too.
"My religion is not deceiving myself."
Jetsun Milarepa 1052-1135 CE

"Butchers, prostitutes, those guilty of the five most heinous crimes, outcasts, the underprivileged: all are utterly the substance of existence and nothing other than total bliss."
The Supreme Source - The Kunjed Gyalpo
The Fundamental Tantra of Dzogchen Semde
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Nemo
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Joined: Thu Jan 21, 2010 3:23 am
Location: Canada

Re: Best winter home for retired Buddhists?

Post by Nemo »

Grigoris wrote: Sat Nov 03, 2018 8:50 pm
Nemo wrote: Sat Nov 03, 2018 8:30 pmI'm looking for a base for winter. Do you think Laos or Cambodia would be good for that?
Winter in Laos and Cambodia is like winter in Thailand.
Also what do you think are the best temples, amulet shops, healers, etc in Thailand?
I only went to Bangkok. In Bangkok the amulet market behind the university is awesome. https://www.google.gr/maps/place/Amulet ... 100.489592

Seedy, grungy, dark and full of everything that you may need for casting spells.

There is another excellent amulet market in a Temple that also has a stupa with Buddha relics. Not as seedy as the above mentioned one, but worth a visit.

I will track down the name of the temple for you as it escapes me right now.

The temples in Bangkok are generally amazing. Even the touristy ones. I was also taken to a temple where they specialised in energy manipulating meditations/visualisations and traditional Thai medicine. They had a side temple dedicated to Jivaka (the Buddha's physician) there. They are considered somewhat heretical.

Depending on your interests the Reusi/Lersi tradition is very interesting: a white-robed lay ascetic tradition more popular in northern Thailand. They specialise in sacred tattos, yant, healing arts, etc...

I had the good karma to hook up with a westerner who studied and practiced in the tradition who also knew Thai, he organised a student of his to drive us around to these more obscure places and we went to a gorgeous Hindu Mahadevi temple in Bangkok to make some offerings too.
Sounds like exactly what I need. This is wonderful information. My time in the military and politics has left me completely burnt out. I need some fresh geography to start the new chapter. Thank you for being so helpful.
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