Metta Farm

[johan]

Hello to all,
This message to inform you we start up the "Metta Farm" In Chiang Rai.
More about this on our future website (coming in april).

The idea is to offer to people who just left the detoxprogramm (in
Thamkrabok) to stay longer in Thailand and work on their future.
Meaning to come and stay in the Metta Farm for a few months.
Calming the mind, using time to find yourself back, working on the
land or on specific projects, using meditation, etc...

The stay will be free and is organised by the Metta Foundation.
Hans and I are now working (we have 150 rai of land in Chiang Rai)
hard for our opening before the end of 2009.

All help or suggestions are welcome.
PS: after leaving Thamkrabok ourselfs meditation, working and calming
our minds was very usefull

[metalface from kent]

Hi Johan.I wish you all the very best with this-I know I was at a bit
of a 'loss' at what to do when I completed my de-tox.I did not want to
go back home and straight back onto the 'scene' and actually (truly)
tore my return ticket in half and stayed in Thailand for a few months
longer.I was very 'touch and go' and probably not the best thing to
do,but it all turned out fine for me.I remember Phra Hans talking of
this 'concept' in the final chat we had,before I left and remember
thinking what a good idea it would be.Well done to you (and whoever)
for finally getting off the ground.I wish you all the very best.MFK

[Vince Cullen]

Hello Johan,

I've heard of this idea - or variations of it - several times over the years but it is not an easy venture to complete so it has never come to anything.  Congratulations on getting this far and I hope everything works out well so that the Metta Farm can open in 2009.  I would like to establish something similar in the UK - not so much a 'rehab' but more of a drug-free, safe house - using work, meditation, Sajja and the Five Precepts as a basis for a healthy and happy Community... but that is just a dream... for now.

Please keep us up to date with your news and progress on the Metta Farm.  Let me know when your website is ready and I will put links to it from FOTM and www.thamkrabok.net

Be well and kind regards.

With Metta,


Vince
__________________________________
240
As iron is destroyed by the rust it produces,
so those who perform evil are corroded
by their own action.
__________________________________
A DHAMMAPADA for CONTEMPLATION (c) 2005 Aruna Publications
http://www.ratanagiri.org.uk/Book/book5/index.htm

[Vince Cullen]

Hi Johan,

Just a quick note to ask how the 'Metta Farm Project' is doing.  Are you still on schedule to open before the end of 2009?

Is the 'Metta Farm' website up and running yet?

I am planning a visit to Thamkrabok sometime in June and would be very interested to visit your project.  Would this be possible?

Best wishes to all.

With Metta,

Vince
__________________________________
256
Making an arbitrary decision
does not amount to justice.
Having considered arguments
for and against,
the wise decide the case.

__________________________________
A DHAMMAPADA for CONTEMPLATION

http://aruno.org//index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=241&Itemid=80

2008/12/9 johan <jha...@pandora.be>

[gary devine]

hi vince,

hope all is well for you,can i just ask about the visa,i am planning to ordain as a tkb monk in late june,and planing to stay in

thailand a longish time,do i have to send my passport to england and should i be looking for a non Immigration visa?

thanks gary devine

[Vince Cullen]

Hi Gary,

How's it going? 

The Thai VISA regulations seem to change on a weekly basis so I'm not sure what the best option for you would be.  I'm not sure what arrangments (or not) the non-Thai monks at TKBM take to comply (or not) with the regulations.  What is for sure is that it is not a viable option to ignore the rules as you will find leaving Thailand very troublesome and expensive. 

In the book Phra Farang: An English Monk in Thailand it talks about foreigners ordaining as monks at a Bangkok monastery just to get a 1-year VISA then disappearing into the night taking the VISA with them and leaving their robes behind!!!

On the first occassion I ordained, I flew into Thailand, ordained the next day, was a monk for 28 days then I flew straight home... all within the 30-day VISA-on-arrival regulation.

On the second occassion, when I ordained for Tudong 2006, I knew I would exceed 30-days by a couple of days or more so Luang Por Charoen kindly provided a letter of invitation (in Thai) to become a monk at Thamkrabok.  I presented this letter with my application for a 3-month Education VISA at the Thai Embassy in London which was granted without any problems.

I not sure if any of this helps... maybe someone else has some recent experience of these things?

Chok-dee with the ordination, and maybe I'll see you there sometime this year.

Best wishes and kind regards.

With Metta,


Vince
__________________________________
258
Those who speak much
are not necessarily possessed of wisdom.
The wise can be seen
to be at peace with life
and free from all enmity and fear.

__________________________________
A DHAMMAPADA for CONTEMPLATION
http://aruno.org//index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=241&Itemid=80

2009/3/5 gary devine <gary...@gmail.com>

[gary devine]

hi vince,

thanks for giving me some info on visa,i have been speaking to m.s.r and she

feels a multiple tourist visa should do the trick for now,i am planning to base

myself over that side of the world for a while.we expect the ordaination to

happen around 21/22th of june,if your about it would be nice to finelly meet

you,did it take you long to settle into monkhood?how did you cope with one

meal a day? god its causing some anxiety for me,but i trust all will be ok

once im back in that special place tkb

 

with metta

gary devine