Nut and Gak
August 7th, 2007
These are two of the people I traveled with in Thailand. Nut, on the left, was a student studying economics but has since dropped out of school, I am told by way of Phramaha Nattapong. Gak, the older fellow on the right, lived in Khon Kaen and was apparently the Thai version of independently wealthy. He had no vocation and lived in an apartment by himself with few worries of money.
He tried to buy my camera, insisting that I mail it to him when I got home. I never did. I did not want to and never promised it to him, despite his insistence. I suppose I could send it now, since I have a camera that is much nicer and have not used that particular one in some time.
Gak had spent six years as a monk during his younger years and seemed to know all the chants by heart, even though probably 20 years had passed. He meditated often, as did Nut, but Gak’s age and experience seemed to translate into a different type of meditation with a different intensity.
Nut’s youth seemed to keep him in the mindset of always striving for the still point in his mind, pushing forward until he finally achieved it. Gak, on the other hand, was more calm, peacefully allowing the concentration to develop. He seemed to watch his mind’s actions, while Nut pushed his mind in different ways.
Traveling and meditating with these two was definitely an eye-opener, allowing me to see where I was a little better and also where I was going. I recognized both styles and appreciated seeing them in other people as a confirmation of what was familiar on both ends.
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