1. The Skull Mantra (1999)
2. Water Touching Stone (2001)
3. Bone Mountain (2002)
4. Beautiful Ghosts (2004)
5. Prayer of the Dragon (2007)
6. The Lord of Death (2009) [Wikipedia]

Just goes to prove “there’s no accountin’ far taste” (to be spoken in the Ozark accent into which I was born; down there, “for” rhymes with “far”).
 
I love the series and highly recommend it. It fits, squarely, within the niche defined in Mystery Series Set in Foreign Lands with one additional quirk: the protagonist is Han Chinese, a disgraced inspector from Beijing who, before he was sent to a labor camp in Tibet, was a highly placed political person in the government.
 
Lest one become too condescending toward China’s Tibetan policy, I think it’s good to remember that…

• our own country’s conquering, killing, subjugation, disenfranchisement, and internment in reservations of the native people of this land has been quite a bit less than humane–nor is there any sign that we intend to make any reparations or amends to them;
• ditto our treatment of the natives of Africa who were enslaved on American soil;
• theocracies of any sort–even Buddhist–are a disaster (even governments too much in the sway of any one religion, such as in Sri Lanka, can become dangerous);
• the media, including fiction but most certainly “news,” is never free from bias, so unless one is actually in the location in question, there is no way to know the real story and most historical theory would say that even then, one cannot know the whole, unbiased story, because one can only view circumstances from a single point in space and time and through a single personal bias;
• and, if one goes back into history to justify a point of view, it is always possible to go back even farther in time and support an opposing point of view–it is best to confront reality solely on the basis of the current situation.

That said…the Tibetan context of Pattison’s novels makes the heart break.
 
Inspector Shan’s heart broke too and he became acculturated to the Tibetan Buddhist sensibility through his contact with lamas in prison camp and, after his release, to the wider Tibetan society.
 
It’s worth taking a look at the Wikipedia article on acculturation. The examples given in the article are of native peoples being exposed to outside culture and gradually adopting and integrating their customs into their own. However, acculturation works both ways.
 
It happened when the Romans brought Greek slaves to teach their young; Greek thought and ideals infiltrated Roman culture. It happened when African slaves were brought to America; “southern cooking” is really African-American cooking and jazz and rock arise from African-American music. It happens time after time throughout history, the “conquering” force always seems to, eventually, absorb and “become” the very thing it conquers.
 
Personified by Inspector Shan, I think that is what Pattison’s books hold out as the eventual solution to the Tibetan future, that the acculturation will eventually go both ways. Perhaps it’s worth remembering that the Qing dynasty became Buddhist with a Tibetan lama as advisor to the Emperor. Might not that be the model for a possible future?

Every week/weekend in Tampa Bay has a lot of activities, but this weekend has more than most that fit my tastes. One you don’t want to miss is the enormous Jade Buddha for Universal Peace at the Vietnamese Buddhist temple in Town and Country (that area of Tampa on the west end of Hillsborough Avenue).

All of the pictures in this post, and the video at the end, are of my visit there yesterday. I went with a friend and we both enjoyed ourselves. It’s like stepping out of the stream of obligations and stresses, just for a little. I recommend going early in the week because the Buddha will only be there through March 14th.

I’d been told about the event by another friend who had read Jessica Balanza’s article in the Tampa Tribune. The address of this article has changed twice, so I want to quote some important information in case it disappears completely; she says:

Valued at $5 million, the precious stone has been making its way around the world to allow people to take in the size and rarity of the statue. The tour began in 2009 and is expected to last several years before the statue makes its way back to its permanent home at the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion in Bendigo, Australia.

The Buddha, which arrived Tuesday after a stop in Orlando, will be unveiled at an 11 a.m. Saturday ceremony. Other days during the stop the public can arrive as early as 5 a.m. to check out the statue. The Buddha will then head to Sugar Land, Texas, before making its way back to the Sunshine State for an April 9-18 stop in Miami.

There is detailed information about the Jade Buddha for Universal Peace, its tour, and its permanent home in Australia at jadebuddha.org.au/en/.

The people at Phap Vien Minh Dang Quang, the Town and Country Buddhist monastery that is hosting the Tampa exhibition of the Jade Buddha, are very kind, very welcoming. If you’ve never been to something like this, please don’t hesitate to go. You’ll feel comfortable–everyone there speaks English as well as Vietnamese. The Phap Vien Minh Dang Quang website, www.phapvienminhdangquang.com is only in Vietnamese, but if you use a browser such as Google’s Chrome or a translation page such as Yahoo’s Babelfish (babelfish.yahoo.com/), you can get enough English words and sentences to guess at what’s intended. (Accurate computer translation of any language has a long, long, long way to go!!!)

There is plenty of parking at Phap Vien Minh Dang Quang which is at 5607 Town N. Country Blvd., Tampa, FL 33615; 813-317-4160; map. The people of Phap Vien Minh Dang Quang are serving food, both free and for a small donation, in case you get hungry. It was the best soup I’ve ever had–no exaggeration!

Also this week (Friday, the 12th through Sunday the 14th) is the 29th Annual Florida Antiquarian Book Fair at the St. Pete Coliseum. See floridabooksellers.com/bookfair.html for all the details.

Friday, March 26th, through Sunday, March 28, there’s another “annual”: the 15th annual Philfest (www.pcfitampa.org/philfest/philfest.html and www.pcfitampa.org/philfest/philfest2010/philfest2010.html) by the Philippine Cultural Foundation (www.pcfitampa.org/. Philfest will be at the Bayanihan Arts & Events Center (www.bayanihanartscenter.org) at 14301 Nine Eagles Drive, Tampa, FL 33626; 813-925-1232; map. I’ll be there, reporting for Asia Trend Magazine (www.asiatrendmagazine.com) and Inkwatu.

Please take a second to watch the video below which is just a slow pan around the grounds of Tampa’s Phap Vien Minh Dang Quang Buddhist monastery and the Jade Buddha exhibition. Also, please check out this blog post, Illuminating the World in Peace, by friends, Say and Bee Lee, on their visit to the Jade Buddha exhibit. Their post has even more photos of more statues, some that I missed completely.

I love all the new Phat Phap statues, but my favorite is the Reclining Buddha (top of post) because it was at the golden Reclining Buddha in Bangkok (pictured left) that I had a profound transcendental experience that led me, eventually, to take lay vows (the Three Refuges) as a Buddhist. The Phat Phap Reclining Buddha is joined by two seated Buddhas (the following two pictures) and a walking Buddha (pictured at end).

 
The most famous Vietnamese Buddhist monk in America is Thich Nhat Hanh who became famous for his attempts to promote peace during the Vietnam war. He has lived in exile until just recently when he was finally allowed by the Vietnamese government to return for two visits. He founded the Plum Village Meditation Center in France.
 
However, Thich Nhat Hanh is a Vietnamese Zen Buddhist, which is a different tradition than Phat Phap Temple.

Phat Phap Temple is in the Theravada tradition. Without going into too much detail, the Theravada tradition considers only the earliest Buddhist writing as being in its canon (book of scriptures), whereas other branches of Buddhism–Mahayana (which includes Zen) and Vajrayana (which includes Tibetan Buddhism)–also accept scriptures written later than the Theravada canon.

Despite these technical divisions (akin to denominations in Christianity) all Buddhists believe the same basics. The best, least sectarian, easiest to understand, short source of information on Buddhism, I believe, is by Barbara O’Brien (buddhism.about.com) who also has a good, free newsletter.

GUAN YIN

To set the mood for this post, click the play button below for a 30 second sample of a luscious, contemporary setting of a traditional Guan Yin mantra. (There is nothing to download–this is streaming audio.) If you would like the short sample to repeat, click on the little icon that shows a loop with an arrow.

The Guan Yin Mantra 2 – Imee Ooi

Guan Yin

Guanyin (Chinese: 觀音; pinyin: guān yīn; Wade-Giles: kuan-yin) is the bodhisattva associated with compassion as venerated by East Asian Buddhists, usually as a female. The name Guanyin is short for Guanshi’yin (觀世音, pinyin: guānshì yīn, Wade-Giles: kuan-shih yin) which means “Observing the Sounds (or Cries) of the World“.[ref]

“…hears the cries of the world…” No wonder one of her names is “Queen Mother of the West,” for what else does a mother do but have compassion for the cries of her children. Catholicism has an analog in Mary, Queen of the Universe. It would be my guess that almost every religion that ever existed has had a compassionate mother figure of some sort who is venerated. This tradition of honoring such figures goes back to even ancient Greece (Cybele) and Rome (Juno).[ref]

Mother’s Day

Sunday, May 10, 2009, is Mother’s Day in the USA. Although the exact name and date varies, this holiday is presently celebrated in almost every country. It’s not just biological mothers who “hear the cries of the world.” Many times it’s a grandmother, a father, an aunt, great-aunt, a parent’s unmarried partner. All of those are honored today.

This holiday is especially difficult for parents who have lost children or who, for whatever reason, do not have children, or who are estranged or separated from them. Think of them, as well.

Imee Ooi

On a less somber note, if you enjoyed that sample of Imee Ooi’s chant setting, there are a number of complete and free videos of other Imee Ooi tracks listed below. They’re all beautiful, very restful, very contemplative…a little cheesy, but–hey!–I like cheese.

Imee Ooi, [is] a Malaysian Buddhist composer from Kuala Lumpur. Her name in Chinese is Huang Huiyin (黃慧音）which means “Wisdom Sound.”
from Dharma Forest

• Heart Sutra
• The Chant Of Metta
• Green Tara Mantra
• Namo Guan Shi Yin Bodhisattva
• The Chant Of Metta
• The Great Compassionate Mantra

It’s hard to know which of those is my favorite, but the Green Tara Mantra is especially appropriate for Mothers Day since the Green Tara Buddha embodies many feminist ideals. Recordings of Immee Ooi’s albums are available at IMM Music Works.

SOME FLOWERS FOR THOSE WHO HEAR THE CRIES OF THE WORLD

Last weekend Wat Mongkolratanaram in Palm River (Tampa) held its Songkran festival. Because of that, there have been a number of recent comments on the Inkwatu post, Wat Mongkolratanaram — Palm River Thai Temple, including one with some excellent photographs of this year’s Wat Mongkolratanaram celebration. I encourage you to visit that post, read the comments, and look at the reader’s pictures.

The Songkran celebration and the recent political events in Thailand reawaken rich memories of my only trip (so far) to Thailand. I hope the friends I made in Thailand weathered the situation unharmed. Tourism was adversely affected by the 2004 tsunami in Koh Phi Phi near Phuket, Thailand; it was important for visitors to return, unafraid, because tourism is the lifeblood of Thailand. For there to be rebuilding, visitors needed to return. Fortunately, they did.

The same is true now. Thailand and its people are kind and beautiful; please visit. I hope to return as well. They need our support if their economy is to heal. (Thailand is still one of the places an American can afford to visit.) These thoughts and memories prompt me to offer, in this post, three (not too lengthy) slideshows of snapshots I took in Bangkok.

I remember, only too well, being a little kid and having to endure my parents’ friends showing us their interminable slideshows of their most recent trip somewhere. Pure agony for a kid (remember 35mm slides?). If you don’t click on the slideshows, I do understand. If you’re willing to brave them, remember that you can manually flip through the slideshows, quickly, at your own pace–you don’t have to wait until the slideshow automatically advances to the next picture. Also, the little symbol in the lower, right-hand corner of the slideshow makes the slideshow full-screen.

One thought: one looks at pictures of cultures that live close to the earth, whether they be folks living on a Bangkok canal or along a Mississippi or Louisiana backwater bayou, and thinks, “such poverty.” Well, yes…of course; and, we must do all we can to alleviate such suffering. But, also one can also see how, despite such very meager means and difficult conditions, people preserve a sense of beauty, community, perseverance, dignity, and personal ownership. Human creativity is inextinguishable.

• BANGKOK’S GRAND PALACE, WAT PHRA KAEW, THE VIMANMEK TEAK HOUSE, AND THE JIM THOMPSON HOUSE
  
• BANGKOK FLOWER AND FOOD MARKETS
  
• BANGKOK CANAL RIDE

click here for larger image
MINIATURE BOUQUET

Once, while visiting San Francisco, a friend who was also there visiting, picked me up to go out to dinner. He was very excited and handed me a self-help book. He’d bought a copy for himself and a copy for me as a gift. This was not a person who was usually given to such enthusiasm, at all, especially about self-help books which he typically held in disdain. But, there was apparently something about the title of this particular book that attracted him and he had read enough of it standing in the bookstore, oblivious to the customers swarming around him, to realize that this book carried a message he (and I) needed to hear.

The book was The Highly Sensitive Person: How to Thrive When the World Overwhelms You by the San Francisco psychologist, Elaine N. Aron. It’s no longer in print (although she now has other titles out). I suggest you look in your local library for The Highly Sensitive Person since used hardcover copies start at $50 and used paperbacks start at $30. The message of the book is simple: if you are shy, overly sensitive to your environment, easily overwhelmed by too much stimuli, need to repair to quietness to center yourself, there’s nothing wrong with you. It’s simply your nature.

That’s a very affirming message and my friend was right, it was one both he and I needed to take to heart. While it’s true that, as humans, we are more alike than different, we are, nonetheless, different. It’s too easy to compare ourselves to others and expect from ourselves what we see others able to do. That’s hardly fair is it? “Compare and despair,” as the old saying goes.

I was reminded of all this when, recently, I stumbled upon a article in the Bhutan Daily News. (No, I don’t read the Bhutan Daily News as a matter of habit; I’d just wandered around the web one morning and found myself reading this article.) In the article, the author, a Buddhist teacher, tells the following illustrative story:

“Once a very shy young man approached a Zen master who was famous throughout Japan for being fearless. He wanted to know whether practicing Buddhism could help him become strong and powerful like the master. In reply, the old monk shouted, “No, Zen is useless”.

“At the time, the young man thought the master was just saying this to prevent him from becoming attached to worldly goals. In his heart, however, he felt sure that if he trained with him he would in fact become strong and less shy.

“The young man became a monk and practiced diligently with his teacher until he died some twenty years later. At that time, he reflected on the conversation held many years before and concluded that he had not actually become stronger and more outgoing. However, there had been a major shift in the way he viewed himself. Before, he was ashamed of his shy nature and the way he stuttered when speaking in front of many people. He was still introvert and stuttered, but now he was not ashamed of his nature. Basically, he had stopped comparing himself with others.

“He described the situation in this way: His teacher was like a huge sunflower. That was his character. He was born like that. On the contrary, he was more akin to a small violet. Obviously a violet cannot become a sunflower – nor in fact does it need to. It is perfect in its own way. Only our conditioning create prejudices such as big is better than small or that one thing is ugly and another beautiful. From their side, there is no such differentiation.”

I can think of other examples from other philosophies and other religions that carry this same message; it’s not necessarily Buddhist. Truth is truth, wherever it is found. And, this is a truth it’s too easy to forget. Compare the flowers pictured in this post, none are “most beautiful.” No flower is too small, too big. Each is perfect in its own way. Each flower’s beauty is unique. Each has its own nature.

click here for larger image
SUNFLOWERS

Buddhism in America

In Hawaii, although government offices are not closed, Buddha’s Birthday is a state holiday celebrated on April 8th. I wish this were true for the remaining states in the union; it would ultimately bring a greater recognition of the plural nature of our country and, perhaps, even encourage some to look at the ideas presented by Buddhism.

Although Buddhism is not exclusively an Asian experience, it does have its greatest presence in Asia. When Asians move to other parts of the world, they bring their Buddhist traditions with them. Although the Tampa Bay Area doesn’t have an Asian population as large, proportionally, as Atlanta, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, or San Francisco, according to the 2000 census it does have an Asian population of 77,296, or 2.00% of the total metro population (I’m sure that’s increased by now, 2008).

That 2% retain their heritage as evidenced by the significant number of Asian temples in the area. That 2% includes folk of Indian heritage for whom the predominant religions are Hindu, Jain, and some Buddhist (see the faith page of the Indian community’s ezine, Khass Baht). That 2% also includes Vietnamese, Chinese, Southeast Asians (Lao, Thai, Cambodian), Koreans, and Japanese for whom the overwhelming prevalent religion is Buddhism. An earlier post reported on the Thai Buddhist temple in Tampa, Wat Mongkolratanaram. So, it should be no surprise that Buddha’s birthday is well celebrated in the Tampa Bay Area! Here’s a list of the Buddhist organizations in the Tampa Bay Area.

Tampabay Ecumenical Vesak Celebration

The name for the Buddha’s birthday holiday is Vesak and it celebrates, not just his birthday, but the three principle days in his life: his birth, his enlightenment, his death. Vesak is celebrated on different days in different ethnic Buddhist traditions and there were a number of different celebrations of Vesak in Tampa Bay reflecting those different traditions. However, this past Saturday (May 31, 2008) there was an ecumenical celebration sponsored and organized by Samadhi Buddhist Meditation Center (SBMC) at the Chinese Community Church (4600 78th Ave. N. Pinellas Park, FL 33781).

Also participating were the Clear Water Zen Meditation Group, the Dhammawheel Meditation Society of Clearwater, Nichiren Shu of Tampa (Japanese), the Mahabodhi Society of India, different Tibetan traditions, the Ehipassiko Buddhist Center (Sri Lankan/Canadian) and the Middle Way Buddhist Association, (Chinese Chan/Pureland) founded by Lily Lee and Tom Lacey.

The program for the Vesak celebration began with video before the event regarding the Buddhist relief effort in Burma. During the films, attendees perused several tables of items for sale–imported religious articles and craft items made by members of the community–all proceeds going to the Burma relief effort. (My favorites were hand painted cards by the Malaysian artist, Bee Khoon.) The actual ceremony began with the awesome tolling of a very large bowl gong 108 times by the Clear Water Zen Meditation Group. Then there were a series of different presentations by different speakers representing different traditions (see the program listing at the end of this article). The ceremony concluded with distribution of holy water and bathing of the baby Buddha.

The Heart Sutra

A special sutra was chanted by everyone in attendance: The Prajna Paramita Hridaya (called the Heart Sutra — translation). The Heart Sutra is perhaps the most meaningful of all the Buddhist scriptures to me, personally, and the video embedded at the top of this post is my absolute favorite melodic setting of this mantra. This particular mantra is at the very heart of Mahayana Buddhism for it is concerned with the bodhisattva of compassion, Avalokiteśvara (Guan Yin in Chinese Buddhism). Mahayana Buddhists, myself included, take, in addition to the Triple Gem vows, The Four Great Vows which express our intention to become bodhisattvas ourselves. My own personal, down-home interpretation: we’re doing this for all of us since we’re all in this together and we’re gonna keep coming back to help until everyone gets their act together!

Here, by the famous Vietnamese Buddhist monk, Thich Nhat Hanh, is a MUCH better explanation of the ending of the Heart Sutra, words often used as a mantra, words I’m sure everyone has heard at least once in their life: “Gate gate paragate parasamgate bodhi svaha.” (Gate is pronounced “gah-tay”–rhymes with “hay,” what cows eat, and has two syllables.)

Thich Nhat Hanh: “Gate means gone. Gone from suffering to the liberation of suffering. Gone from forgetfulness to mindfulness. Gone from duality into non-duality. Gate gate means gone, gone. Paragate means gone all the way to the other shore. So this mantra is said in a very strong way. Gone, gone, gone all the way over. In Parasamgate sam means everyone, the sangha, the entire community of beings. Everyone gone over to the other shore. Bodhi is the light inside, enlightenment, or awakening. You see it and the vision of reality liberates you. And svaha is a cry of joy or excitement, like “Welcome!” or “Hallelujah!” “Gone, gone, gone all the way over, everyone gone to the other shore, enlightenment, svaha !”

For more on the Heart Sutra see this post (that’s an excellent blog overall) and Tam Bao Buddhist Temple.

Burma benefit

As I mentioned earlier, proceeds from the sale of items at the Vesak celebration went to support the Buddhist relief effort in Burma. The videos shown before the ceremony were part of the efforts of another of the Buddhist groups represented at this Vesak celebration, the Buddhist Peace Fellowship of Tampa Bay which is a chapter of the national Buddhist Peace Fellowship. Here is a link to Burma Campaign UK videos, including some of the videos shown before the Vesak ceremony. They are not for the faint of heart. Even more intense is this PowerPoint presentation, For Peace, from the Buddhist Peace Fellowship website. But, if you can handle it, the intensity of the videos and presentation are testament to just how important it is to work for peace, whether you are a Buddhist or not.

Program

Here’s a copy of the program from Saturday’s Vesak celebration.

• 108 Bell Chimes by Clearwater Zen Group
• Welcome Speech by Venerable Bhikkhuni Sudarshana Peliyagoda, Abbess & President of Samadhi Buddhist Meditation Center
• Opening the Altar by our Chief Guest, Venerable Siri Sumedha, and Lily Lee of Middle Way Buddhist Association
• Pali Chanting by Samadhi devotees. The group is comprised of Bonnie Castellano, Gina Castellano, Clair Denney, Charley Denney, Jason
• Chanting of Heart Sutra in English by Clearwater Zen Group
• Meditation Session by Venerable Dhammawansha, Abbot & President of Dhammawheel Meditation Society, Clearwater
• Chanting of Namu Myoho Renge Kyo by Erin Lauer of Nichiren Shu, Tampa
• Dhamma Talk by our Chief Guest, Venerable Kahawatte Siri Sumedha, Assistant Secretary General, Mahabodhi Society of India, and Incumbent-in-Chief, Saranath Mahabodhi Center, Saranath, Varanasi, India
• Tibetan Chanting by Venerable Dharma Master Tashi of Tibet
• A modicum of Buddhist insight from Clair Denney, a practicing Buddhist
• Relaxation Music by Susan Patricia Golden, Founder of Universal Music Way
• Dhamma Talk by Venerable Upananda, Abbot of Ehipassiko Buddhist Center, Calgary, Canada
• Devotional Music by Elli Kelly, a spiritual practitioner soothing the wounded hearts through devotional music.
• Dana Offering to the Sangha by Dorothy Smiljanich
• Devotional Drumming by Marvin A. Sotoamaya
• Blessings from the Sangha
• Dedication of Merit by Venerable Upananda
• Bathing the Buddha by everybody (Please, line up when announced)
• Distribution of holy water (Please, receive yours in person from the Sangha after your turn of bathing the Buddha)
• Refreshments, Vegetarian dinner and social time

temple front

If you take the 50th Street exit off the crosstown expressway, go south across the Palm River, turn left at the first light, and then, soon after the railroad tracks, turn left into the big parking lot, you will be transported to a different mindset, a completely different approach to life and being: Wat Mongkolratanaram, Tampa’s Thai Buddhist temple (map).

garden Buddha

Westerners usually have misunderstandings about what Buddhism is and what’s going on in the ceremonies they may have glimpsed. A one-sentence definition of Buddhism: an approach to living that reduces suffering. No one claims that Buddha was a god and all the bowing is an expression of respect, not worship. Should you care to enter the temple itself, please remove your shoes, and maintain an attitude of quiet respect.

teaching Buddha

Thai Buddhism is based on the earliest Buddhist writing. As Buddhism spread from country to country from its origins in northern India near the Nepal border, more and more writings were added to the Buddhist canon. Theravada Buddhism, the Buddhism of Thailand and Sri Lanka, doesn’t accept those later scriptures. However, all branches of Buddhism accept the first writings upon which Theravada is based. Tampa has an extensive Buddhist community with Lao, Sri Lankan, Thai, and Vietnamese temples as well as Chinese, Tibetan, and Japanese Buddhist groups.

sticky rice steaming

Every Sunday, starting about 10:30 AM, the families of Wat Mongkolratanaram prepare an enormous feast of traditional Thai foods for anyone who comes, and all are truly welcome. The prices are miniscule. Your only difficulty will be in deciding what to eat.

desserts

There is a multitude of desserts—Thais seem to love sweet foods. There are also savory “desserts” such as chopped sweet potato, banana, and taro root (the stuff from which Polynesians make poi) deep-fried in an enormous wok and sprinkled with sesame seeds. Of course, there’s all the usual main dishes such as pad thai and various curries. Food are prepared without hot spices so each person can add hot peppers to their own taste (or not).

fish balls

My favorites are the soups. You have a choice of what you want in yours (fish balls?, onions?, peppers?, thick or thin noodles?) as well as a choice of the basic broth (chicken or beef). Another western mistaken belief is that all Buddhists are vegetarians. This isn’t true. Theravada Buddhists are not. In addition, some Tibetans are not. Even within vegetarian cultures, there are varying degrees; some are much stricter than even vegans are (who eat no eggs or cheese or milk), by eating no garlic, onions, or mushrooms (plants that die when harvested). So, don’t be surprised by all the meat on Wat Tampa’s menu!

pots of soup

There are also tables where one may buy plants and religious articles such as incense, Buddha statues, etc. But…the main even on Sundays is the food and sitting beside the restful Palm River, accompanied only by the sounds of wildlife and, usually, recordings of dharma talks by monks softly playing in the mellifluous Thai language.

spirit house and picnic tables beside river

Thai-rific has grown from a tiny shop offering only tropical plants and a few Thai gifts to a full-service florist and gift shop covering several buildings and greenhouses. They now offer non-tropical as well as tropical floral selections in arrangements created by their highly experienced designers.

They still fill individual requests such as my lei order, of course, but their growth now allows them to handle large weddings and other social events. Part of their recent physical expansion includes a bridal consultation room (see below) with ornate imported furniture covered with hand carved Asian scenes in bas-relief.

They still offer an extended line of tropicals, all of which are grown on the premises. It’s extremely relaxing to visit Thai-rific just to walk through the greenhouses. The sounds of hidden running water and the refreshing ions and clean air from the growing plants makes your cares a distant memory.

Pandy and Peter, owners of Thai-rific, are proud of their achievement and chances are one of them or their family will show you around and tell you about the flowers and items. The entire atmosphere is welcoming. It really is close to the emotional experience of an actual visit to Thailand.

In addition to the floral business, they also have a wide selection of Thai gifts and souvenirs, including imported clothing and smaller home furnishings, such as mirrors, hangings, and decorations.

There are also traditional Thai cultural icons such as this ox-cart out front of one of the buildings. I’m sure this ox-cart is not for sale, though!

However, definitely for sale, are another part of traditional Thai culture: real spirit houses. Personally, I do think that places have spirits. For a western discussion of this, read Care of the Soul, by the psychologist and former Catholic priest, Thomas Moore. Even if only taken metaphorically, honoring the spirit of love in a home has to be of some benefit! Objectifying that honor in a spirit house makes perfect sense to me.

In addition, Thai-rific has a selection of authentic Buddha sculptures and altar accessories. Buddhists do not use Buddha images for decorative purposes, but reserve them for devotional use in small altars in their homes and businesses. This is true, not only for Theravada Buddhism (the form of Buddhism in Thailand and Sri Lanka), but also for Mahayana Buddhism (found in China, Japan, and Tibet).

Whether you need a gift or flowers for a wedding or birthday, or just need to get away for a few minutes, I guarantee you won’t leave a visit to Thai-rific empty handed. You’ll leave refreshed with increased peace of mind.