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"I like Thailand in general. There are many interesting things and places. I like Thai food......I can eat hot food! It's not hard to learn the Thai language. Only the tone is hard to pronounce, the grammar is very easy. I can get on well with my classmates.......they're friendly. I enjoy taking a trip to rural areas but I don't like Bangkok .......It's dirty.," stated Hulda. "I like Thailand," asserted Vilborg. "In school I learned Thai dancing and Thai music. I like Thai- land because of everybody's smiling, everyone tries to be friendly. I think there are many good things in Thai- land. It's a very good country but there are many poor people." Temple of Good Hope The living conditions in Wat Phra Dhammakāya are simple. All people either young or old, Thais or foreigners who go to stay at the Wat are requested to conform to its rules and custom, namely observing the eight precepts, doing some chores, chanting, practising medita- tion, cultivating loving-kindness and so on. Hulda and Vilborg were happy to comply with those. And when they were asked if there were anything in the Wat to be improved; both of them responded without hesitation. "No, really. I can't think of anything to be improved." "Wat Phra Dhammakaya is a very large temple," said Hulda. It's very clean, very beautiful very peaceful and calm. The residents of the Wat and those who attend the ceremonies are all so friendly. I ๔๘ กัลยาณมิตร hope to come back to the temple again. I will come, really, when I can." Vilborg asserted, "I've been to many temples in Thailand. I like Wat Phra Dhamma- kaya very much; it's a very good temple, very clean. I hope to come back to Thailand again, especially, to Wat Phra Dhammakaya to learn more meditation." To All Readers with Love "Our mind ia brilliant if it is in a peaceful state." This Blessed say- ing means that our mind will shine brightly like a star, the moon, or even the sun if it is exactly at our center of gravity. No matter what faith you believe in, no matter what religion you belong to, you can gain this experience yourself if you prac- tise it regularly and properly. This mental brilliance enables you to attain to wisdom and ultimately, to Enlightenment. If you are not skilful enough to see the brilliance, this meditation practice will nonetheless bring your Peace of mind, serenity, and ex- cellent concentration. The two pretty girls, Hulda and Vilborg wished: "All people should try medita- tion because it helps you to relax both body and mind; it also causes you to have good concentration. Generally, meditation is very useful both to our daily and to our studies." It seems to be increasingly the case that those people who come to the Temple for their first taste of meditation, are discovering an aspect to their life which previously left them feeling unhappy through its neglect. Meditation brings with it a light and gladness which transforms a hollow and directionless existence, into a life which flourishes in creati- vity, generosity and wisdom. The experience of nourishing one's life with the "mind-food" of meditation, once tasted is never forgotten. It is a recognition that a part of their life which now brings great happiness, was previously starved and meagre through lack of meditation. Thai and Asian people some- times don't realize how lucky they are to have meditation as a tradi- tional part of their own culture; the essential way out of the Suffering which Life invariably brings. For Western people who come to meditation for the first time, the new-found experience of well-being is especially vivid. Often the im- pression is so positive, that they commit the rest of their lives to the practice of meditation. We therefore rejoice, at Kal- yaṇamitra Magazine, when Western people discover afresh, the vital nature of meditation to a well- balanced and happy life. We wish these two ladies all the best for con- tinuing to cultivate their new-found skill in the familiar home surround- ings of Iceland. We also hope that they can afford to be generous with their meditation and their exper- ience at Wat Phra Dhammakāya explain the benefits of both, to anyone they meet who is interested to know more. มีนาคม ๒๕๓๒ Kalyanamitra.org