Wan Kao Phansa

I'm a bit behind, but will try to have some updates from the past week posted in the next few days.

Last Tuesday was the start of Buddhist Lent here in Laos, as well as in many other countries with rainy seasons. In Laos the period is called Wan Kao Phansa. The traditional retreat is during the rainy season and lasts for three lunar months from July to October. During this time the monks remain in their wat. In some monasteries, monks dedicate the period to intensive meditation. We met one monk who has a friend who only eats once a week and spends each day meditating in a cave. It sounds quite peaceful, but I'm not sure I'd be up for that challenge. Wan Kao Pansa is said to have originated with Buddha himself. During the retreat the monks stay at one wat and can generally only leave during the daytime. During other parts of the year, monks can travel around from wat to wat and are allowed to leave the wat for weeks at a time. The retreat coincides with the rainy season because during this time of year the rice fields are flooded and full of growing plants. While there are proper roads in most parts of the Lao countryside, I'm guessing that in Buddha's time getting from one wat to the next involved quite a bit of trekking through fields of crops.

So, with that bit of explanation out of the way, my first experience with Wan Kao Phansa was quite enjoyable. This year, the first day of lent landed on a Tuesday and we had the day off of work. I arranged with the neighbors to head to the wat with them. When we made our date all I knew was that I was to meet them around 6:30 in the morning. Monday evening when I got home from the Hash; covered in mud and quite sweaty, Boum informed me that I needed to go to the market to get fruit for the ceremony. So, after a much enjoyed cold shower, Boum and I went to a fruit stall near our house and procured apples, oranges, mangosteens and dragonfruit for our baskets. When we got back home, Boum brought over 3 baskets for the fruit, and Jase provided a saucer-shaped lamp shade from his room. After Boum helped me wash the fruit, she deliberately organized the fruit for us to carry over to the wat on Tuesday morning. We finished making the baskets around 10pm, at which point Boum told me we also needed some sticky rice to take to the wat. Fortunately, I had purchased a sticky rice pot and cooking basket and had some sticky rice I was planning on cooking. So, with the uncooked rice in hand, Boum helped me wash the rice and gave me some instructions I was not too keen on hearing. She told me the rice needed to soak for several hours, and then needed to be cooked for about 30-40 minutes. So, doing the math, she told me I needed to get up around 5am to cook the rice. I had never cooked sticky rice, and while the process did not seem too difficult I asked Boum to meet me and walk me through the process. Also, not being a morning person, I figured misery loves company.

So, the rice having been placed in a bowl to soak and the baskets prepared, I headed to bed around midnight to get a few hours of sleep before my 4:45am alarm beckoned me to the stove. Surprisingly I woke up with little hesitation and was ready to cook some rice when 5am rolled around. Boum wasn't at the house yet, so I sat outside and listened to the chanting from the wat as I watched the sun rise and waited for her. Being someone who often fails to show up on time, I was not too concerned when 20 minutes had past and she wasn't at the house. However, when the clock shifted to the later half of the 5am hour, I reckoned that Boum had failed to wake up and I was going to have to make the rice on my own. I was given some instruction the night before and fortunately was not completely ignorant on the process. After all, I was just steaming rice, not exactly the most difficult cooking task. The rice cooking was a great success, and I finished just as my flatmates were waking up to get ready for our walk to the wat. After I took a shower and got ready, I went back outside with a book to wait for Boum. At around 6:30am, she came out of the house wearing a very apologetic smile. After inspecting and approving of the rice, I teased Boum a bit more about the fact that the foreigner woke up at the crack of dawn to prepare the rice for the wat. After Boum changed into her siin, a traditional Lao skirt, we headed down the street to meet Pik and go to the wat. Pik was also in her siin, and both women looked quite stunning.

The wat is right around the corner from our house, so after a short walk we arrived around 7:15am to find the place packed. The wats typically have a chedi, a large, open room where the Buddha is housed and residences for the monks. Unlike a church, there are no pews inside the room with the Buddha. When we arrived the room was pretty full, but we found a spot on the floor to kneel while the monks chanted prayers. There is a lot going on, most of which I did not understand, but there was also a peacefulness around the ceremony. We remained in the temple for about 20 minutes, then headed outside to offer our fruit and rice. There was a large table set up next to the temple, and we placed our rice and fruit in the baskets on the table as we walked around. The ceremony is to give the monks things they will need for their 3 month stay at the wat. Most people were giving fruit, but some folks handed over light bulbs, batteries, crisps and other packaged snacks. After we had given all our fruit, we walked over to the chedi and lit a candle at the base before pouring water on a tree next to the chedi. I'm not sure the significance, but it was a calming experience.

After about an hour at the wat we headed back home. The experience was really interesting and I'm glad I was a part of it, from cooking the rice down to offering our gifts to the monks.


With the rest of our day off, we headed over to Thailand for a few hours so we could get new Laos visas. Tourists are given a 30 day visa, and our time was about up. After a quick lunch in Nong Khai, we headed back to Laos as quick as possible. Back in Laos, Jase, Simon, Sarah and I rode the motorbikes down the river to the Buddha Park. Xieng Khuen is an odd place. In about 1956 a Thai monk built the park, which features many Hindu and Buddhist images made from concrete. There are some rather impressive images, including a huge reclining Buddha and a large orb that represents the levels of heaven. Lacking some age, the park comes across as a bit offbeat, but the views of the river and the location made it worth the trip.


After a long day, we finally headed back into town. The only problem we encountered was a huge rain storm that dumped on us for the entire 20k ride. It was the first time I was actually cold in Laos. We were all very wet, but it was a fun experience.

Last weekend I went up to Luang Prabang in northern Laos. It was a very good trip. I have loads of pictures I'll upload in the next few days, as well as try to update the blog with my experiences.