you can't get a Buddha tattoo either because for instance, when you're being intimate, it's disrespectful, right? That's right, it's disrespectful to the man. You'd have him there, watching things he shouldn't see. don't fall in love with girls I think I know why this guy is seriously considering not becoming a monk and here on camera, you can't appreciate it, but look at the size of my hand and look at the head of this creature; it could eat my whole arm in one bite good morning, afternoon, or evening, I hope you're doing great friends, right now we are in northern Thailand to start, we came to probably the most beautiful temple, the most art-filled, the most stunning in all of Thailand. what you have behind me is the white temple and we'll soon take a closer look first, look at this work let's first appreciate the art, look at every detail, everything here is carefully crafted, Nothing here is by accident. Observe the figures we find upon arrival, before entering the main temple. Over there is the chapel. Here, everything is symbolic; we'll discover it. But these hands, all that emerges from the ground, represents two things. One could say that, firstly, it may represent hell. It's as if all these hands are in hell, asking for help, trying to get out, begging someone to pull them. I won't do it because I might break a finger and be indebted for life. But basically, they're like asking for help. Remember that here, in Thailand, many religions intertwine. So, even though Buddhism doesn't believe in hell, this concept can be used to scare children so they don't misbehave. Other beliefs also blend, and there might already be a concept of hell. The second meaning we can attribute to this is desire. In theory, what all these hands and figures convey are the temptations that want to grip humans, it's the path we must cross to achieve happiness. Look at this hand I found here; it's typical of someone who, even in hell, hasn't learned. Even in hell, he's still showing the finger, he doesn't want anyone's help. Crossing this bridge means overcoming the temptations that chase us. Something quite curious is that here there aren't only human hands. If you pay attention, there are also scary hands. So, the idea is that, if we overcome desire, we achieve happiness. That's what this entrance represents. It's a bridge filled with mythical creatures on both sides. I love it because it's symmetrical, exactly the same on the left and the right. And right ahead, we find the main chapel. Look at this wonder; it's breathtaking. And this is probably the most important creature of the whole bridge. It's like a fairy merged with a mermaid, a mythical creature. Right now, I'm leaving the temple because it's strictly forbidden to record and take photos inside, and for a good reason. Now I truly understand. Inside, there's an amazing artwork, I can't even process all I've just seen... There's a giant demon on the wall, as big as this entire temple we have behind and inside the demon, there are too many symbols. I can tell you there are Spider-Man, Jack Sparrow, Ironman, Pokémon, the Twin Towers attack, George Bush, and Osama bin Laden. I can't wrap my head around all I've just seen. Basically, the drawing represents many people who were devoured by the demon, others about to be, and some who, through meditation and achieving higher consciousness levels, are escaping from the demon. But it's impossible for you to understand, I'm flabbergasted by what I've just seen. Additionally, something very interesting we found in the Wat Rong Hoong temple, I don't know if I'm pronouncing it right, but it's usually called the White Temple, is that the artist is the one you're seeing. There's a representation of him at the entrance. It's said, this isn't official, don't take my word for it, but it might be inspired by the Sagrada Familia. I don't know that cathedral they say is amazing, but I've heard that this is similar to the Sagrada Familia and the drawings inside are similar to those of Dalí, a very famous painter. This temple project has been under construction for about 25 years and it's still not finished. The artist, the creator, says that even if he dies, it won't be finished. This will continue, and his disciples will carry it on. This is going to be amazing, and we are lucky to be here at the time of this artwork's creation. If we think about it, in 100 years, this will be an ancient temple, like the ones we've found in different parts of the country. Many people will have wished to have seen this place in its prime, and we're seeing it now, right during its creation. Now, the place we're arriving at, we came in an epic Hello Kitty car, that adds points to this place. Look at this massive statue. They told me we were going to visit a statue of a nun. I thought it was something usual here in the village, but I think it's the largest statue I've seen in Thailand. I'm showing it to you from afar for better appreciation. From here, I can't even look up. As far as I understand, we're going to go inside, we're going to enter the nun. This is 76 meters tall. So much so that to get to the top of the nun we went up an elevator 26 floors. Look at this, up here is the nun's head. Observe the level of detail in this place. Look at the dragons, look at all the figures. And these stairs take us to the third eye. Basically, we're going to look through the nun's third eye. Those openings over there are the eyes we see from the outside and this little hole is the third eye. Look at the view, gosh, we're very high, I hadn't realized. Look where we can see the nun below, there are the hands, the dress, the entire structure with the dragon stairs and all the plain and below, it's breathtaking. Also, here, in the construction of this nun, if we pay attention, everything, everything is hand-made. Every line you see in this dragon was done by hand, every pearl you see here was placed by hand, every scale, everything. Imagine the cost of a 76-meter statue with this art inside. Now, pay attention to this fact. It turns out that this gigantic, immense, colossal nun you see behind me is there because of a dream. The thing is there's a monk who has a wonderful project where he helps the elderly, orphans, the poor, and generally needy people. And at one point, that monk ran out of funds to continue building other things around here, a chapel and different parts of the project. And one night, when he was very stressed because he had bills to pay and no money, he dreamed of this nun. He dreamed that the nun came and told him everything would be okay, Upon waking up, he exclaimed: "It was just a dream. We're back to reality." Turns out, that same day after having this dream, a wealthy individual contacted him, telling him that business was going very well and he wanted to support his project. He provided all the money he needed to finish various tasks. So, in honor of that nun he dreamed of, he erected this colossal statue, the largest I've ever seen, and of course, continued with the project. Here, he runs a project where he assists orphaned children and the elderly. Interestingly, one of the reasons there are so many orphans in this area, is because we're close to the border with Laos and Myanmar, in the Golden Triangle, This is the border between three countries: Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar (formerly Burma). It turns out that this area, northern Thailand, is very mountainous and was ideal for growing opium. Opium is a type of drug, basically. Many of those children's parents went to jail for trafficking opium, or because they're still doing it today. Like any drug, it's a business where you get easy money, and there are mafias here involved in it. That's the main reason for the orphans And by the way, very importantly, listen to this, here with us is Laki. We found a Laki in Thailand. —How are you, Laki? —Very well. —How are you feeling, good? —Yes, very well, it's hot. Laki is a Spanish-speaking guide who's guiding us today, pardon the redundancy. Laki is from TúGuíaenTailandia. I've told you throughout the videos we're doing in this country that if you want good guides, transports, tours, and everything you need in Spanish, even assistance in Spanish, which I, for one, appreciate, I'm leaving the contact and links here. And also, as I told you, all the guides are great… Pura vida! This temple we're going to see, was made by a disciple of the creator of the White Temple we visited at the beginning, so it has a similar artistic style. And that means this is going to be amazing. Something very interesting that I haven't told you about Thailand, is that Thailand has exactly the same colors on its flag as Costa Rica: white, blue and red. The only difference is that they are arranged differently. But if you see the two in passing, they are very similar. We are finding that in this temple you can record inside. So, I think for the first time in Thailand I'm going to be able to show you what's inside a Buddhist temple. And finally, it happened, my friend. We managed to enter a temple to show you what it's like inside. To start, this is the Blue Temple, it's one of the most impressive temples in Thailand. Look at the level of detail, look at the level of paintings. My God! As far as I understand, all this painting you are seeing was done by a single person and it took around five years to paint this entire temple. In fact, here you can get an idea, this is somewhat what you find in the White Temple, but darn, I can tell you that the one in the White Temple was much nicer. But still, imagine how that one was for me to say it's better than this one, because this is incredible. Look, inside the temples, something we are going to find everywhere are these special seats that are for the monks. It didn't occur to me to sit here, because they would kick me out, but literally. This is sacred and of great respect. Commoners have to sit here, in this area which, in fact, is lower, because you in theory always have to be lower than a monk in everything. In fact, the only people who can sit here, at the level of a monk, are the elderly who, for some reason, don't have the mobility or who definitely cannot sit on the floor. But usually, it's not possible because monks are seen as teachers, as those who teach the teachings of Buddha. You could say they are superior in society. And another thing that happens in Buddhism, is that they don't have a special day in which what we know as mass is done, but it depends on the Buddhist calendar, it depends on the moon. For example, tomorrow there's a full moon, so tomorrow is a Buddhist day, tomorrow there is a celebration and the rest of the days the temples remain like this, empty, so that everyone can come to make an offering or whatever they want to do. And now I want you to see what we found right in front of Buddha, in front of the main part of the whole temple. Above we have, of course, Gautama Buddha, which is this statue we have been seeing all over Thailand. On the sides we have Buddha's most important disciples and below, basically, are angels and the mythical snake which is part of the mythological creatures of the Thais. This represents basically that they are taking care of Buddha. Even outside, here I'm leaving you a video, outside are the snakes that are confused with dragons but they are snakes that, likewise, what they are doing is protecting the entire temple. It's the god of snakes, that's how it is known in Thailand. And hey, how interesting, Here we have Laki, whom I want to ask some questions regarding the Buddha we have here behind, and that is, for example, in America it is customary to have figures of angels or, for example, of Jesus, it is customary to have them in homes and even to have them as decorations. Here in Thailand, can you have a Buddha like this one? Can you have it as decoration in your house? We can have it in our home too, but we place it in a high place. We don’t use it as garden decoration, nor in the living room, always on an altar. And inside the house, not outside the house. Water can't be falling on it. Sometimes we make a nice place but always inside the house The little houses outside the house are usually for the spirits, because we believe that every land, every house, has an angel, a good spirit living there to protect. That's the spirit house that is outside the houses, we have already seen them. Another question: this representation of Buddha, could I get it tattooed? In general, we ask that you don’t, because it’s disrespectful due to personal intimate actions, especially couple actions. So please, do not get a Buddha tattoo. Hey, how interesting! Laki is telling me that you can’t get a Buddha tattoo either, because, for example, when you are having an intimate moment, it disrespects, right? That's right, it disrespects the man, you would have it there watching you do things it shouldn’t see. And now, listen to this! Here Laki is scolding me. I was just now pointing at Buddha and that can be taken as a lack of respect. What you should do is point like this, do this, instead of pointing with the finger, just like with people. Yes, just like when pointing at a person Another sacrilege that can be committed in Thailand, and I'm going to do this just to show you, is pointing at someone with the foot; there can be no greater lack of respect. Laki tells me that for Thais, feet are the dirtiest part of the body, the lowest. Literally it’s the lowest but it represents human filth. Yes, it's like that. Pointing at a person with the foot is fatal. Yes, it means a lot of disrespect to us. Also the head is very delicate, yes, the head is considered as a thing of high respect. because it's the highest part of the body? Yes. It's where the mind is. That's why, the children of the family should not play with the parents' heads. It’s not good. It's frowned upon. I can’t touch an adult’s head, then, No. it's disrespectful, because I'm touching the most important part of the body. Touching the head with the foot? with that expression, you told me everything. In this incredible place we are arriving at, finally on this trip, we are going to have the opportunity to talk at least for a moment with a monk. Today we are going to learn different things about them because, as I have been telling you throughout this tour, they are extremely important people. In fact, they could be considered superior in Thai society. A very curious thing that happens in this country is that in the past, at some point, all the men in this country were monks because it was mandatory. So, you could even ordain as a monk for a week, for a month, for a year, whatever you wanted, even for a few days. This means that probably many people were ordained for a couple of days, but all, without exception, were monks. Here, where we are arriving, I’m being told it’s like a university for monks because being a monk is not like you decide to be a monk and that’s it. You have to ordain and you have to come to a school where you are going to learn everything about the Buddhist scriptures, you have to meditate and I imagine you have to pass different tests to be finally named a monk. Friends, here we are with Watt, we have very limited time, they just gave us a few minutes. Rather how kind people are around here. It turns out this is like a program in which the monks practice English. So, I have to ask him some questions in my basic English, I hope he understands me, and he will answer us in English. His name is Watt, and I want to start by asking, why did you decide to become a monk? -Why did you decide to become a monk? I wanted to learn about Buddhism and for that I needed to study in a Buddhist school What do you need to live? I don't know, I'm not sure Do you have a phone? Yes. Do you have Instagram or Facebook? Yes. Really?" What do you need to live? I mean, do you need soup? Those things? And nothing else? Don't you need a television? Don’t you need shoes? Clothes? No, I don’t need them. we have a simpler life Something interesting that we can observe in the monks is that all, practically without exception, are shaven. It is a sign that they renounce the material, they renounce the superficial, and there is nothing more superficial than beauty. So, they shave as a sign that it ceases to be important to them; only consciousness matters and achieving nirvana. They also take vows of chastity; that is, they cannot be with a woman, they cannot even touch a woman, nor can a woman touch them. As you hear, if a woman wants to give them an offering, she has to give it to them through a man or through a jar. She has to put the money in a jar and give it to them because they cannot have any kind of contact. That's the level of chastity they reach. What do monks think of the other religions of the world? I believe, that each religion can help turn men into good people. Something very interesting that Watt is telling me is that he is 18 years old and began training when he was 12. So... you still don’t know if you want to be a monk? Right now I am not thinking about being a monk. And do you like women? All, all women are very pretty but you must be able to control your own instincts to not... (Pay attention) not fall in love with girls... Yes, those are the rules that monks have. That very difficult. Very difficult. I think I already know why this guy is seriously considering not being a monk. But you, do you want to have a family in the future? In the future, if I were to be a monk I couldn’t.. If you were to be a monk, you couldn’t. Right, I couldn’t start a family. But do you want to start a family? Maybe? yes... maybe. You have to think about it Hey how curious, a monk wanting to desert! Well, we have to leave Watt now because we are rather taking valuable time from him. It's lunchtime and they only eat once or at most twice a day, so the man is rushing out. He's about to have his last meal of the day and now not until tomorrow. So thank you very much. Thank you very much! pure life. pure life. We are in none other than the Black House. A museum that indeed honors its name. Truth be told, it's quite bizarre, I'll be showing you around. This is the museum of one of the most famous artists Thailand has had, I say has had because he has passed away. But he left this museum with his works, with his thoughts, different pieces of art he created while alive and it's quite bizarre. For instance, there's a lot to observe here. Let's start from the beginning. The whole house is made of teak, because the artist basically wanted to show future generations who will come to visit this place, the importance this wood had in the past and also how things were made in the past. Mainly, here in the north of Thailand, teak was commonly used. I don’t know if it still is, because now everything is changing to concrete , but teak used to be used. Those who know about wood will know that this is extremely good and also fine. Thais love it for the brown color, the dark color, and the fine finish it gives to the construction. Then we find this kind of works around here, which are replicas of the artist's real works; here are the replicas, but the originals are right in front. If you have a few million dollars to spare, you can also take them. I, honestly, hope not to get obsessed with one of these paintings, because if I get it into my head, I'll buy it. So, I better not look at it so I don’t take it. Then we come across a controversial part, which is this one you see here. Basically, there are a lot of animal skulls, different types of horns, a bit smaller than mine but quite large actually. I've never seen them before, but I've seen them in movies. I think those are moose horns. I had never touched a moose horn. They are just like cow horns but on a larger scale. And everything you see here, all these chairs, all of this, is made with horns. This is a giant clam, it’s a clam, if I’m not mistaken. You’ll correct me if I’m wrong, it’s huge, it’s the kind they show taking pearls from in movies. And also, there are several crocodiles all around the museum, like the ones with the leather. And here, it doesn't show on camera, but look at the size of my hand and look at this creature’s head. In one bite it could eat my whole hand along with the arm. Look at this, it’s different from the crocodiles we have in America or, at least, in Costa Rica. It seems they have a very wide snout here. It’s here to make people understand that, if we don’t preserve animals, if we don’t preserve what’s there, this is what we are going to find in the future when we want to know different species of animals. The only thing we are going to find will be leather, bones and the antlers we saw around. So, it’s really a good message, especially considering that these animals weren’t sacrificed. He bought the animals, I imagine, when they died somewhere and used them to put on display here, with the purpose of conveying this message I’m telling you about. It’s a good message. In the center we find the leather of what seems to be, I believe this is a python, it has to be a python to have this colossal size. And this could be about 7 meters long maybe. Here we find the head already passed on to a better life and look how curious, look at the teeth going backwards so when they bite, they stick the teeth in and gulp down the prey. And if you pay attention underneath there is a white leather that is even longer than this python here and it doesn’t even have the head. Imagine the size of these animals! And another thing is that this museum is not just one black house; there are a bunch of black houses where we are going to find terrifying things. And now, suddenly, we go from the black house to being amazed, dude! Turns out I’ve been hanging out with some Spaniards all day and I’ve picked up their words. What you have here behind are some hot springs in Thailand. The guide tells me that they really don’t know what they are. I imagine there must be a volcanic vein around here. Oh my God, almost got splashed with boiling water because this temperature is boiling perfectly! Let’s try now. Oh, it’s boiling! And I’m really drawn to the pressure it has. I imagine it's because of how hot it is, but look, it doesn’t stop; every so often it’s throwing and throwing water. Also, I'm being told that, in general, this is an area where people don’t bathe. Hey, how curious! I don’t know why, but where I come from, we can’t see a little stream of hot water because there we go like sardines. Even if the water doesn’t cover us, we bathe in the Chojin, which reaches us to the knees. It's a hot water river, free, beautiful, and people here don’t bathe, I don’t know why. the guide tells me it’s like a passing place only. Look, these pals brought eggs to boil. Look, this little pool is good, huh? They’re boiling food, smart people! Let’s go a bit further in here because they tell me people here just come, like they dip their feet but they don’t bathe. Because it turns out the area where we were looking at the white temple, the blue temple and all those incredible temples, is called Chiang Rai. It’s about three hours from Chiang Mai, which is like the main city in the north. So, these waters are like in the middle, in between the two cities, and it’s a tactical stop to rest, go to the bathroom and dip your feet instead of bathing. Fun fact. look here the man walking calmly, but yours truly here wants to get to the end of this. I want to discover where this water comes from. The pipe that probably provides the hot water is closed. And right nearby what happens is a river, but this river is a completely normal river with cool water, it’s not a hot water upper river. Well, friends, here our journey ends for today. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. Incredible all that we learned in these places, all that we saw. Tell me what was your favorite place in the comments, what was the fact that caught your attention the most and if you could be monks. Don’t forget to subscribe, share this video if you liked it and see you in the next video. Pura vida and kisses!
