Prayer - I am ending this with gratitude

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I feel so blessed to have been on this trip/adventure and to have captured so many pictures that remind me of all that we did.

Sawadi, meaning hello or goodbye, is likely to be the first Thai word you pick up during your travels to Thailand. Ladies add a ka to the greeting, pronounced with a soft and lingering tone to express their femininty. Men add krab, spoken with a deep and resonant tone to emphasise their masculinity. Thai people do not say good morning, good evening or good night. They greet each other with a wai, which is a prayer-like gesture with palms raised. It is customary for the younger or lower in status to begin the greeting. There are various levels of wai: the deeper the wai the more respect is conveyed. When Thais wai to a monk they will completely prostrate themselves.

The Buddha taught his disciples:
When you see, just see.
When you hear, just hear.
When you smell, just smell.
When you touch, just touch.
When you know, just know.

Four Noble Truths:
1. suffering exists
2. it is caused by craving or desire
3. it can be made to cease
4. it can be brought to an end by
following the Noble Eightfold Path.

Following the Noble Eightfold Path conscientiously is necessary if a person aspires to become a saint ready for nirvana.
Right view, or having an understanding of:
Right thought, freedom from lust, ill will, and cruelty
Right speech, which means no lying, gossiping, harsh language, and vain talk
Right action, by which killing, stealing, and sexual misconduct are prohibited
Right livelihood, which requires an individual's sustenance be earned in a way that is not harmful to living things
Right effort, by which good thoughts are encouraged and bad thoughts are avoided or overcome
Right mindfulness, or close attention to all states of the body
Right concentration, that is, concentration on a single object to bring about a special state of consciousness in meditation.

In gratitude for my life and the opportunities that we have as Americans.

Thank you all for letting me share this with you.

You are all in my thoughts and prayers,

Love, Julie

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