Wat Nong Wang - Khon Kaen

Post by **Laan Yaa Mo** » August 24, 2014, 3:31 pm

Despite having visited Khon Kaen numerous times and having lived here over the years for a couple of months, this morning was the first time I have visited this most interesting wat (temple).

It has 9 tiers, and is supposed to give the person a feeling, or a hope, to achieve nirvana by climbing to the top. I arrived just when the mae chee (something like Buddhist nuns, ladies dressed in white) were eating. The wat was very busy with many visitors/devotees in attendance. I might have been the only visitor, and I was certainly the only farang. The wat, I think, is royally sponsored as there are many photos of the royal family.

The first few floors are spacious and the artwork is of interest. The ones on the doors and walls have a Buddhist theme, but the others depict daily life in the countryside. In addition, there are many statutes of the Buddha and important monks.

As you ascend to each new level, the scenery outside grows more and more spectacular. I think I took around 88 photos in all.

A sense of inspiration, hope and achievement are felt as you near the last levels. By this time, the amount of space has been reduced drastically as these material things, I suppose, are to be left behind. There is a sense of accomplishment when you reach the top. The scene is majestic, and anyone in the Khon Kaen area might want to visit Wat Nong Wang. I spent 2 hours there.

Well, if one feels that nirvana is not that far away at the top, I can say that pure joy was felt when I got back to Level One. This is because a lovely young lady smiled to me (perhaps because beads of perspiration were falling from me like rain drops, or that an old man had made it to the top and back). I made her pay for her thoughts by asking her to take my photograph and then asking her mother to take photos of the two of us. Nirvana or joy, which is superior? It is hard to say because once she put her arms around me for the photo shoot thoughts of religion were driven from my being.

All in all, it was a good morning. 555+