I used two years of vacation to be a monk for one month
Dewey Weaver
Thailand 1977 – 1979
I really loved living in Bangkok. I was introduced to Khunying (Lady) Khroekeo through the Peace Corps office. She furnished my room with beautiful teak, including a folding room divider with ornate carvings. Ban (home) Hadsadin became a hub, with upcountry volunteers coming to visit or stay. I loved living in Bangkok. After a year or so, my Thai was pretty good.
Within the city there were pockets of other cultures. Two of my favorites were the cloth area (mostly Indian) and the tailoring area (predominantly Chinese). The clothing industry was flourishing, creating clothing in the latest styles from the latest fashion magazines. The cloth area consisted of nothing but city blocks of bolts of cloth. I would buy the cloth I wanted for slacks, suits and shirts. Then after choosing fabrics, I went to the tailoring area of town. While shopping, I would often stop to eat at one of the many hole-in-the-wall cafes serving delicious yellow curry. I loved Bangkok’s sense of fashion, and wearing my tailor-made clothes.
While my original intentions were as altruistic as Peace Corps ideals, I ended up helping a department that was already run professionally by my boss, the head of the Audio-Visual Department within the Ministry of Agriculture. Along with providing audio visual aid to the regional offices, we also covered projects such as 4-H in the hill country or the Thai King’s personal projects. Sometimes we would deliver film to the television stations for agricultural news. We were junior ambassadors, ground roots diplomacy for our country.
My focus on becoming a monk was sparked by my interest in religion. I had at one point considered becoming a catholic priest. Ann Morgan, our PC Director allowed me to use two years’ worth of vacation a be a monk for one month. Even the shaving of the head was a ceremony where friends would get to shave a bit. The ordination was covered by the Ministry of Agriculture’s elite group of photographers. They took the black and white and color stills and shot on Super 8 film. We were all students of the 16mm Bolex film school. My studies at university were mainly about television, but photography was always part of my life. I was fortunate to get this assignment.
My mentor at Wat Phleng Vipassanā was Ajahn Praderm. First, we did two weeks of transcendental meditation. We would wake up early to go beg for food. Making merit is way of life for the Thai people. People made merit by feeding us. Meditation was spent primarily trying to think of nothing while sitting cross-legged for long periods. It was difficult. It boiled down to concentrating on breathing, and the rising and falling of the stomach muscles. The second two weeks, I was in the mainstream population. We went to a new Wat opening. The Lady Khunying Khronkeo, my landlady, and her grandson hosted us for a meal, again earning merit. When we went back to the temple by bus, it was strange boarding and being given the seat up front, safely away from the women (they were not allowed to touch monks).
After the month ended, I still had a choice of whether to stay in or not. I decided to exit the monkhood. People would touch my head as the hair was still growing out because they knew this farang (foreigner) had participated in a ritual that would make me ready for marriage as it was also a manhood rite.
Courting at the Ministry of Agriculture was very proper to say the least due partly to British influence. Bangkok is known for its adult nightlife. Thai culture maintains a strict code for proper young women. Personal contact is only allowed with company.
Kanungnit (Nit) Visetratana had caught my eye. She was, in a word – elegant. She carried herself gracefully. She was beautiful. Her position demanded respect. Her boss was the Director General of the Department of Agriculture Extension of the Ministry of Agriculture. and required an active schedule.
One lucky day, Nit walked up to me with a friend at the bus stop. After cordial greetings, I asked her for a date to go to a Thai movie the next day at the Athens Theater. She accepted. I felt great and somewhat surprised. A proper Thai lady usually won’t go to a movie on the first date and especially not alone. Her acceptance implied that she liked me or she wouldn’t have stepped over traditions so easily.
I don’t remember asking Nit to marry me. It was like we knew we were going to get married automatically. Nit’s father was very pleased with me. I honored him and his family by ordaining monkhood and showed respect to Nit. The religious part of the wedding ceremony was at Nit’s home with a full complement of monks. My mentor from Wat Phleng, her family and dignitaries from both governments were in attendance. The reception was a lavish affair with a 12-course meal with Singha beer and Mekong whiskey and a band that played traditional Thai music and was the Ministry’s event of the season.
Later, we moved to San Angelo, Texas. Eventually, Nit and I separated and she remarried. After her husband died, Kanungnit moved back to Thailand. We are still friends. She has invited me to move back. I’m thinking about it. I am retired now and have no commitments. Moving back to Thailand is a real option. I was comfortable there, and I do yearn for the food as there is no comparison.
