Integrity – a talk at the Floating Market in Thailand
Last night we went to this wonderful night Amphawa Floating market. It’s opens only on Fri 3pm-10pm and Sat-Sun 12pm-10pm. We rented a boat for 600 baht (cheap) and can fit twenty on the boat easily. The boat takes you on a 17 kilometer ride through the market, firefly areas and to generally enjoy the calmness of the river. Afterwards, I decided to speak on integrity… If you don’t want to rent a whole boat, then per person is 60 baht…
Amphawa Floating market is 1 hour from Bangkok with no traffic. With traffic it will take you 2 hours. It is a must visit place for anyone visiting Bangkok. Also they have chalets or houses at the edge of the river you can rent and in the morning go to make offerings to monks also. It’s a very nice place. On either side of the river is many shops, stores, restaurants, eateries, pubs, stalls and other interesting things to see and buy. I really liked the place very much.
Thailand is amazing for sure… so many things to see and do…
Tsem Rinpoche
TRAVEL FACTS:
Amphawa Floating Market
Amphawa Floating Market is located on a canal that flows into the Mae khong River in Samut Songkhram Province, about 80 km and 1 hour drive from Bangkok Central.
The floating market only opens on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. 3 pm – 10 pm Friday, 12 pm – 10 pm on weekends.
There are numerous stalls, shops, restaurants, temples and resorts on both sides of the river bank from street fashion, household items, handcrafted toys, authentic Thai food and art.
The Boat ride costs 60 baht per person, and to rent a whole boat is 600 baht. It takes you on a ride to explore the market and stop at places with fireflies. The whole journey is about 17 km, you can stop the boat anytime if you want to stop to shop or to eat.
Address: Samut Songkhram province, Amphawa
Distance: 80 km from Bangkok Central
By Car: 1 Hour
By Van: Take the skytrain and get off at Victory Monument. Find the bus terminal nearby and hop on to a van going to Amphawa. Fare is around 70 baht per pax.
Make sure to tell the driver or operator that you’re getting off at Amphawa Floating Market. It will take approximately 2 hours.
Admission: Free
Hours: 3 pm – 10 pm (Friday)
12 pm – 10 pm (Saturday and Sunday)
Directions: Come from Samut Songkhram City and drive straight through the city, you will find the junction leading to Amphawa Market with a clear sign on the junction, then turn left and go straight across a cement bridge, continue driving for about a couple kilometer, you would find Amphawa Floating Market junction on the left. The Amphawa Community located next to King Rama II Memorial Park and Wat Amphawan Chetiyaram.
Intention is EVERYTHING! Intention begins with the heart and influences mind and actions. Thank you for sharing your wonderful wisdom.
Dear Rinpoche,
Thank you for this powerful teaching(from Bangkok’s Amphawa Floating Market) on the importance of integrity, keeping our promises, honoring our words and, above all, holding our vows.THe benefits of integrity are tremendous. People will respect us and we will have beautiful and harmonious relationships with our friends,loved ones and the people around us.People who find themselves being shunned or isolated should know that these are the results of not keeping our promises and time-lines and of not showing integrity.
Keeping our promises and practicing integrity will lead us to hold our vows and commitments well. Holding our vows and commitments well will lead us to higher realizations and attainments.Actually, practicing integrity and holding our vows firmly stem from compassion for all mother sentient beings.
Thank you Rinpoche for presenting the importance of integrity and holding our vows in such an unmistakably clear and logical manner for the benefit of all of us.
I love this teaching setting.
Thank you for this pure teaching on the the Vows and how integrity plays it’s important role.
Remembering the benefit from keeping the Vows from Lord Buddha is inspiring. I appreciate that reminder.
I appreciate the reminder that Practice Integrity is very important… Holding our vows comes from honoring the goal to help others.
Positive merit is dedicated to the enlightenment of all sentient Beings. But that cannot happen if we do not hold with honor, the vows.
YES- Honor and integrity help us accomplish the higher attainments.
Thank You for your integrity!
Thanks Rinpoche for this wonderful teaching.
Honoring our words/promises is really important and I feel that it is the basis of any relationship (i.e family, friends, husband/wife, children, colleagues, etc…..)
Just like what Rinpoche said, people will just leave us if we break our promises continuously.
We can’t even help ourselves don’t have to mention others.
Keeping our promises, honor our word is so important and even a basis for us to do anything.
If people trust us we are able to accomplish so many things to help others and people will want join us together to benefits more people.
It’s also the basis in holding our vows for higher practices and realization.
For the children, it’s important to set a good example from young. For them to practice at the early age will make them habituate and as part of their daily attitude. How wonderful.
Almost everything starting from this quality.
Thanks to Rinpoche again for this precious teaching.
Thank you, Rinpoche, for this teaching. The natural setting for this is a change from the norm from Kechara House gompa.
I shall direct friends and people who ask about the why, how and when of holding Buddhist vows by going to Rinpoche’s blog and You tube.
Thank you Rinpoche for giving such a short but invaluable dharma teaching with all the natural setting- the river, boat, shops, people running around.. It’s indeed dharma on the go! It teaches us whenever we are, dharma should not be forgotten. Even we’re on holiday.
Everybody knows what does integrity mean, but how many do really apply it to themselves? Bad habituations arise from our ignorance, desire, negative thoughts etc..Taking vows is one of the methods for us to transform our negative habituations to positive. How people treat you is kinda like a reflection of how you treat others, what you’re experiencing right now is much to do with the cause. If you believe in cause and effect.
Body, speech and mind have to go aligned. No point we read and understand Lamrim or any dharma teachings and don’t apply those teachings into actions. You lose respect from others if you keep giving empty promises and don’t fulfill it.
We have been propelled into a cycle of suffering by our delusions and the actions they create, known as Karma. As a result, we spend our lives enduring all sorts of ups and downs, in trouble and confusion. When we are able to eliminate delusions and Karma by realising the natural purity of our mind, total peace can follow, and thus we can gain the complete freedom from the cycle of sufferings. Like our Guru has constantly taught, if we can do good deeds, such as saving the lives of animals under threat of death and undertake serious practice of Dharma, the condition necessary for gaining a good rebirth, or at least to plant the seedsfor a favourable future rebirth is sown. At this auspicious juncture as said by our honourable Dalai Lama, when we are free of obstacles to hearing and practicing the Dharma, we must not let this rare opportunity passed away! Thank you, Rinpoche for your kind concern and always caring attitude for your invaluable teachings.mablici
Dear Rinpoche,
Thank you so much for the teachings shared to us. It is wonderful teaching. After listen to the teaching like self-reflection to myself. Thank you!!!
Integrity is important in our daily life even if we are not spiritual. We tend not practice when it is not in our convenience.
But with spiritual practice we learn to be consistent in putting good virtues into practice. Thus, making us a better person as time goes by.