Our Visit to Wat Nawamintararachutis

In preparation for our trip, we visited Wat Nawamintarararachutis, a Buddhist meditation and Thai cultural center in Raynham, MA. We had an opportunity to meet with five of the Thai Buddhist monks who reside at the center to learn about Buddhism in Thailand and practice some of the procedures we'll observe when we visit a few of the sacred Buddhist temples there. When the center officially opens in June of this year, it will be the largest Thai Buddhist monastery outside of Thailand. 

This "wat" - or temple - is dedicated to Therevada Buddhism, the sect of Buddhism that is prevalent in Thailand, as well as Cambodia, Laos, Sri Lanka, and Burma. Meditation and concentration is critical to attain enlightenment in this tradition and the monks there spend much of their time in this endeavor. We brought gifts to the monks - baskets of fruit, food, and a small monetary donation - and participated in a blessing. Although I didn't understand the words the monks chanted during the blessing, it was very moving and I appreciated the time they took to show us how to properly present our gifts and be part of the chant. I was one of the people to present the gifts and I was nervous that I might do the wrong thing. I knew that as a female, I was not supposed to touch the monk; when I presented our gifts I had to place the offerings on a special mat before the monk was able to take the item.

The last time that I was at a Buddhist temple was in Beijing, China where I visited the Yonghe Temple, which is a Tibetan Buddhist temple. I was struck by a number of differences and I think one of the things that I will do prior to my trip is learn a little more about the various sects of Buddhism and then compare the temples that we visit in Thailand with the other temples that I have been to.

If you have a chance to visit Raynham - about 45 minutes south of Chestnut Hill - I highly recommend that you visit Wat Nawamin. It's an amazing opportunity to learn about Thai culture and Buddhism.