Temple in the forest and giant snake.

My first week-end in Thailand has been a succession of wonders. Hidden treasures where I was the only tourist.

My colleagues, the Buachet Wittaya teachers have organized a visit of the area. First stop was at the Wat Khao Sala temple. As soon as you arrive, you face a Giant Golden Buddha in meditating position. I was instantly struck by the beauty and size of this statue and also very happy that my researches on Buddha's life and teachings where still fresh in my memory.

As you can see on the picture below, Buddha has a snake standing over his head. It is called a Naga. Naga is the Sanskrit word for a deity taking the form of a great snake, specifically the multi-headed king cobra. It is said that the fourth week after the Buddha began meditating under the Bodhi tree, the heavens darkened for seven days, a heavy rainfall started. The mighty king of the serpents, Mucilanda then is believed to have emerged from beneath the earth and protected the Buddha with his hood as the Buddha is considered the source of all protection. When the storm stopped, the serpent king Mucilanda assumed his human form, bowed before the Buddha and returned to his palace in joy.

This temple is located on top of a mountain and the panoramic view on the Mae Khong River is just stunning ! I swear the pictures are not even close to the true beauty of this view. The couple of golden deers are another reference to the buddha story but it will be too long to explain here so just enjoy the view.

When you leave the temple, as you go down the mountain, you can enter Naga the Giant snake. You can choose to go down the mountain by entering through the tail or go up the mountain by entering through the head. I chose the tail because it was easier (and funnier).

Near the head, inside Naga's body, there is a painting of Siddhartha Gautama's mother named Māyā. That painting is a representation of the Buddhist legend where she dreamed that a white elephant with six tusks entered her right side, which was interpreted to mean that she had conceived a child who would become either a world ruler or a buddha.

Want to know what we did next ? Read the next article about a white bull, ringing bells and a monk fan of roosters.