After doing multiple trips in northern, central and southern parts of Thailand, the northeast is the region which I had not yet set foot in. More commonly known as "Isan" (a term adopted from Sanskrit that means "northeast"), it occupies 31% of the land area in Thailand. Consisting of 2 major plains and the Mekong River meandering by the east, it functions as the "rice bowl" of Thailand (padi fields could be seen everywhere). In fact, the world-famous jasmine rice hails from this region. Due to various socio-economic conditions and the hot/dry climate, Isan is Thailand's poorest region. As compared to other parts of the Kingdom, Isan does not possess enough attractions to attract that many tourists. Unless they were making their way (enroute by land) to Cambodia or Laos, it would be really strange for anyone to drop by.

The Thai Forest tradition uses remote wilderness and forest dwellings as training grounds for spiritual practice, is a tradition of Buddhist monasticism within Thai Theravada Buddhism. It emphasizes strongly on obtaining direct experience through the practice of meditation and strict adherence to the monastic rules. Monks who adhere to this tradition are often known as "forest monks" because they spent a great deal of time dwelling in forests as part of their spiritual endeavours. According to some historical records, this was exactly how Lord Buddha practises before getting enlightened. And maybe because of the presence of a harsh environment or the lack of attractions (it looks and feel absolutely boring here enough for people not to have any lingering attachments), the Thai Forest tradition actually flourishes here.

As my organisation would be holding the annual meditation retreat in Hua Hin, we arrived in Bangkok just 4 days before the retreat and we headed straight to Ubon Ratchathani via a 1-hour domestic flight (8 hours if by rail), the capital of the province that bears the same name. Bordering Laos and Cambodia, it is located at the far-most eastern tip of Thailand. The objectives of this trip, was to discover (and hopefully experience) what the Thai Forest tradition of Buddhism really is through the 2 monasteries (Wat Nong Pah Pong & Wat Pah Nanachat) the great meditation master Ajahn Chah had set up.

Upon arriving at the domestic airport, our arranged transport picked us up and headed straight to Wat Nong Pah Pong (13 kms away) via Warin Chamrap (a small town just 2 kms south of Ubon). There was not alot of visitors when we arrived (it was a weekday) and thus we pretty much had the whole monastery to "ourselves". While the monastery is large by Sillyporean standards, general visitors should look out for the chedi (or stupa containing Ajahn Chah's relics) and the museum. Being surrounded by a large forest, the chedi is a very suitable place for meditation and self-reflection (maybe it is the mind but the energy levels here seem to be high). The museum (right after the main entrance) exhibits Ajahn Chah's worldly possessions where some items might be considered as queer (a preserved baby foetus and a skeleton jointly tops the list). Perhaps the great master wanted to teach using the simplest and most direct method.