Peace of mind far from home

Facilitated by Supawan Green, a Thai based in the UK, the three-day “Bring Mental Self Back Home” workshop brought together participants aged from 13 to 75.

This was the third year that Piangjai Jaroensilp, head of Raktham group and headmistress of Rakthai school had organised the workshop. Piangjai met Supawan when she attended her workshop in Thailand and was impressed at how she well she expressed Buddhism in such simple terms.

“It was so easy to relate to,” she recalls. “I thought it was very good and we should have it in Denmark too.”

Supawan confirms her workshops aim to teach the essence of Buddhism. “I am trying to help people to understand what the Buddha learned on the night of enlightenment, what he knew about nirvana, which I define as ‘innocent perception’,” she explains.

The former UNHCR staff member and mother of three adds that the content of her teaching is about giving access to nirvana. “It is a means to the end within itself. And in this sense, it means bringing the mental self back home.”

To understand this, she says, it’s important to know how the mind works. “The human mind plays the role of both subject and object; the word ‘mind’ alone is not sufficient to explain.” She uses cartoon characters “Tom and Jerry” to differentiate these different roles, making it easier for her audience to grasp.

Participants also learn about the four foundations of mindfulness or Vipassana. Instead of teaching the usual sitting down meditation, Supawan introduces other activities that can help bring consciousness back, such as tai chi, the internal Chinese martial art that she has also taught at the University of Birmingham.

Supawan’s “Bring Mental Self Back Home” courses have proved popular with both Thai and international audiences. Her workshops have been held throughout Europe as well as in Thailand. She has authored more than 10 books including the well-known title “Einstein Asks, Lord Buddha Answers”.

Last month’s workshop was Amornluck Jiropas Christensen’s third. Repetition, the 37 year old says, has helped her understand the concept better. “When I first attended the course, I was still confused. It took me a while to truly understand it. Now I understand it thoroughly. Reading Supawan’s books has also made it much clearer for me.”

Amornluck says practising “bringing the mental self back home” in her daily life also helps improve her work and quality of life. “My health has improved. The stress I used to have is gone. I feel happier.”

Supawan says problems faced by Thais living in Europe are significantly different from those in Thailand, and living abroad does not automatically means a better life.

“A lot of my students are women and mothers. Many have problems with their children, particularly ones that revolve around the language barrier.”

She explains that while the women struggle to learn the new language as well as adapt to the culture, the children suffer too, particularly kids of school age who suddenly find themselves facing a whole new life without any allies. “These children struggle with the new language and environment. They cannot express themselves at school, get confused and frustrated, and the mother cannot help. Often their frustration turns into aggression. Some kids lose respect for the mother and she becomes distraught.”

First-time participant Pachara Witthayasanphet, 21, remembers how tough he found it when he first came to Denmark six years ago to join his mother who had married a Dane. 

While he adjusted “reasonably quickly” to the new language, culture and environment, “it was never easy”. “I kept telling myself that I had to be able to live here, that I just needed to do my best, that no matter how it hard it was, I had to go on because there was no turning back.”

Pachara heard about the workshop from Piangjai. He’d never heard of the concept but felt it might be interesting so decided to give it a try.

“I admit I felt sleepy at some points,” he says with a laugh, “but overall I’ve learned so much, particularly to let go of things in the material world and pay more attention to my mental self. We do not have to take in so many of the unpleasant things that are going on in our lives. We have to learn to let go and realise that we have a choice.”

His aim now, he adds, is to convince his mother to attend next year’s workshop. “It would be really good for her,” he says.

 

Back home

_ Supawan is running workshops on some weekends in October, November and December at the Faculty of Engineering Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok. Session are in the conference room of the Jaroen Wisawakam Building.

_ Workshops will also be held on November 3 to 5 in Phuket, from November 23 to 25 in Chiang Mai and from December 8 to 10 in Ratchaburi.

_ The fee is Bt100.

_ For more information, visit www.SupawanGreen.in.th or call (086) 610 0001, (082) 707 8266, (02) 631 8206.