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The 5D4N (September 13-17) trip organized by Than Hsiang Temple to Ayutthaya and IBC Korat in Thailand was successfully completed this year. The trip members consisted of seven people, including Venerable Zhen Ru, Venerable Hui Guan, Lim Lay Hong, Jenn Cheah Lai Meng (from Than Hsiang Kalyana Mitra Centre, Pajam, Negeri Sembilan), Lee Choy Kum (from Than Hsiang Kalyana Mitra Centre, Pajam, Negeri Sembilan), Koh Yee May, and her son, Toh Zi Xi. The trip was made possible by Venerable Zhen Yuan's great assistance in arranging local transportation and attractions, providing accommodation and two meals a day, ensuring everyone had a comfortable and enjoyable experience and felt at home! The tour fee of RM1880 per person included transportation from Penang to Hat Yai, round-trip transportation from Bangkok Airport to Pak Thong Cai District and 4 days of local sightseeing, airfare from Hat Yai to Bangkok and back to Penang, hotel accommodation, entrance fees to attractions, lunch and snacks, and donations to the temple. Furthermore, each member made their own donation to the temple before departing that morning.

One of the main purposes of the visit was to observe the graduation ceremony of the International Buddhist College and tour the campus. Five of the seven members were visiting for the first time. From the Malaysian border to Thailand, we used the newly opened Sadao Custom House in July of this year; traffic was light and the customs procedures were smooth. At approximately 9:30 AM, we arrived at the International Buddhist College campus and took a group photo at the entrance. Then, Ven. Zhen Ru led everyone on a campus tour and briefly introduced the history of IBC's founding. After the tour, those who were interested explored the campus further until lunchtime. Lunch that day was a vegetarian buffet, every dish was delicious and healthy, and we all enjoyed it very much. At 12:30 pm, we were all seated in the graduation ceremony hall. This year marked the 19th graduation ceremony of IBC. The hall was decorated both solemnly and festively, reflecting the academic prestige of the event. The graduation ceremony began promptly at 1 pm. and lasted for an hour and a half, proceeding smoothly. For most of our group members, this was also their first time attending such a grand graduation ceremony. After the ceremony, everyone had the opportunity to enjoy delicious tea and snacks. After tea break, we departed for Hat Yai Airport to catch our flight to Bangkok.

The second main destination for our delegation was the IBC Korat Education Center in Pak Thong Chai district, Thailand, a four-hour drive from Bangkok Don Mueang International Airport. Our flight arrived in Bangkok at 7:05 pm., we were fortunate to meet the driver, TOTO, arranged by Ven. Zhen Yuan quite smoothly. Due to the long distance and safety concerns, we stayed overnight at the Ayothaya Hotel in Ayutthaya, halfway through our journey. The next morning, after breakfast at a vegetarian restaurant, we visited two attractions, had lunch, and continued our journey to IBC Korat. We finally arrived at our destination at approximately 4:30 pm. Ven. Zhen Yuan led us to our accommodations, where we rested briefly before having dinner, followed by an online evening prayer session.

The next morning, we participated in morning prayers and a bell-striking ceremony at the Guan Yin Hall on campus. After resting a while, Ven. Zhen Yuan led us to experience alms-round at a nearby morning market. It happened to rain that morning, adding a challenge. Alms-round refers to Buddhist monks carrying alms bowls and walking through the streets to collect food; its core meaning encompasses both the practitioner's self-benefit (cultivating the mind and eliminating afflictions) and the benefit of others (building good karma). Master Hsing Yun once said, "The word 'karma' is very precious, but most people don't understand it. True alms-begging isn't about asking for things, or hoping 'you give to me,' but rather 'I sincerely give you the opportunity,' allowing you to participate in the merits of Buddhism, so that I can act as a bridge between the Buddha and your future life. Isn't that an honour? Isn't that precious?" Therefore, each step taken while begging for alms reveals the path of a practitioner; each step gradually cultivates the practitioner's character, leading to their desired future goals. Ven. Zhen Yuan's alms-begging method aligns with local customs, making it easier for residents to accept and establishing good neighbourly relations. She used to say, "Here, eating from many families is cherishing blessings and forming connections; doing many things is learning and sowing seeds of good karma. Every meal and every act is a connection, every action is a form of practice." The next two mornings of alms-begging were blessed with sunny skies, making everyone's experience even deeper and more joyful and free.

The IBC Korat campus occupies ten acres, with buildings including academic block, a Guan Yin Hall, offices, an early childhood education centre, activity rooms, a kitchen, and dormitories. Other open spaces are planted with vegetables, herbs, bananas, and a large plantation, which is quite a challenge to maintain. Ven. Zhen Yuan picked many naturally grown vegetables from the land to make soup for us, very healthy and delicious! According to the Venerable's report, daily activities here include education (kindergarten, children and adult classes), chanting practice (morning prayers, alms rounds, and online evening prayers), planting (vegetables, traditional herbs, and agricultural cultivation), and home stay (renting out vacant rooms to cover daily expenses).

One of the main institutions arranged by Ven. Zhen Yuan for us to visit on this trip was the Mahapajapati Buddhist College (MBC), Thailand's first Buddhist higher education institution specifically for nuns (Maechee) and women of general public. The college is named "Mahapajapati" in honour of Buddha's aunt, Mahapajapati, the first ordained nun in Buddhist history. Its mission is to elevate the social status and educational rights of Thai women and women who have taken the eight precepts, enabling them to systematically learn Buddhist teachings and modern higher education. The college primarily offers Bachelor of Degrees in Buddhism. In addition to core Buddhist philosophy, precepts, and Buddhist practice, the college incorporates modern general education disciplines such as humanities, social sciences, and education to help graduates better serve society. The college is located in Pak Thong Cai District as well, approximately a 30-minute drive from IBC Korat. The 50 mini fans and 50 bookmarks we brought from Penang came in handy. Ven. Zhen Yuan advised us to take 10 fans and bookmarks as a donation to the temple, and also prepared 1500 baht for an offering. Upon arriving at MBC, we were greeted by Ven. Sirisalab. We exchanged gifts and made offerings to the Venerable in the dining hall. Each of us received a bottle of their homemade tooth powder. After nearly an hour of interaction, we enjoyed a delicious lunch prepared by the college. After lunch, the Venerable led us to visit a large (111 acres) farmland belonging to the Than Hsiang Temple. Back to MBC, we took some group photos and then bid farewell to Ven. Sirisalab.

During our trip, we didn't forget our daily practice. Ven. Zhen Ru and Ven. Hui Guan brought sufficient recitation materials for everyone. The morning recitations for the first two days were conducted on the tour bus, led by Ven. Zhen Ru. Upon arriving at IBC Korat, we held morning prayers at the Guan Yin Hall at 6:00am.every day. Afterwards, Ven. Zhen Ru led everyone in striking the bell three times and reciting the bell-striking verse. The purpose was to remind practitioners to diligently cultivate, using the steady sound of the bell to awaken confused beings, break through the afflictions and attachments of greed, anger, and ignorance accumulated since beginningless time, and allow the mind to regain peace and tranquillity. Evening prayers were held at 7:00pm, and Ven. ZhenYuan arranged for us to practice together online with fellow Buddhists from Than Hsiang Kalyana Mitra Centre, Pajam, Negeri Sembilan. In addition, Ven. Zhen Ru often took advantage of the long journeys travelling time to compassionately give Dharma talks, mainly based on Venerable Dao Zheng's lecture notes on the Amitabha Sutra, "The Buddha Wants to Save You," and Venerable Ci Hang's "Awakening of Faith in the Mahayana." The Venerable especially introduced Master Tai Xu's verse: "The Buddha's teachings are as they are, all dharmas are integrated; the true and the mundane are inherently interconnected; if one can understand the meaning within, it is all found in ordinary daily life." We are deeply grateful for the opportunity to chant Buddhist scriptures and hear the Dharma every day, sharing in its benefits and experiencing profound joy.

This trip also included visits to several major tourist attractions. First, Ayutthaya Historical Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The park encompasses the old royal palace of the Ayutthaya Kingdom, numerous Buddhist temples, monasteries, and Buddha statues, bearing witness to its status as a political and religious centre where Buddhism was the state religion. Second, Wat Mahathat, one of the most important and largest Buddhist temples in Ayutthaya. Built in 1374, it enshrines Buddha relics (Mahathat means Great Relic Stupa) and boasts 198 stupas, including the main stupa. The famous "Buddha Head in the Tree" is a stone Buddha head enshrined within the temple ruins. Third, Wat Chaiwatthanaram, a magnificent royal Buddhist temple. Built in 1630 by King Prasat Thong as a tribute to his mother. It adopts a Mahayana Buddhist cosmology (the main tower is designed in the shape of Mount Meru, surrounded by smaller Cambodian-style pagodas), and houses numerous Buddhist statues. Fourth, Phimai Historical Park, also known as Phimai Stone Palace, is a Buddhist complex located in Phimai District, Nakhon Ratchasima Province, in northeastern Thailand. Built between 968 and 1001 AD, it is often referred to as "Thailand's Angkor Wat." With the assistance of the French government, it opened to the public in April 1979. In January 2009, it was inscribed as a World Heritage Site. Fifth, Khao Yai National Park, also known as the Great Mountain National Park, was established on September 18, 1962, and is Thailand's first national park. Sixth, Wat Khao Chan Ngam, located within Korat Geopark, features mushroom-shaped sandstone formations, megalithic sites, and caves. The mountain forest has a tranquil atmosphere and contains a main hall enshrining relics of Buddha and his disciples. Seventh, the Thao Suranaree Monument, erected in 1934, commemorates the heroic deeds of Thao Suranaree (also known as "Yamo"). She is a heroine deeply revered by the residents of Nakhon Ratchasima Province, and the monument is considered a tribute to the virtues of Thailand's first civilian heroine. Eighth, Terminal 21 Korat is an airport-themed shopping mall that opened in February 2017. Spanning seven floors, it embodies Terminal 21's "one city per floor" design concept. It includes an SF Cinema, a Foodland supermarket, and a 110-meter-high Skydeck observation tower modelled after an air traffic control tower, offering panoramic views of Nakhon Ratchasima province. Ninth, the clock tower and streetscape of Nakhon Ratchasima city centre.

The 5D4N itinerary was packed, but not tiring. The mini tour bus arranged by Ven. Zhen Yuan was very comfortable, allowing for rest breaks along the way. The seven members of the group got along well, helping each other with meals and cleanup. We are also very grateful to Sister Lai Meng, from Pajam, for her help with photography and video production. Also worthy of praise is cute little young boy Toh Zi Xi, who, despite being only 10 years old, is very dedicated to his daily chanting and has a deep interest in Buddhist and Bodhisattva images. He received a Guan Yin Bodhisattva image from Ven. ZhenY uan as encouragement, helping his Bodhi path to flourish. The young Bodhisattva also gave each person a well traced Bodhisattva image as a souvenir. Ven. Zhen Yuan also gave each person a bottle of locally made traditional medicinal ointment. Last but not least, we were grateful for all the auspicious circumstances that made this event a complete success. Amitabha!

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