Nate Morris - Thailand (2)

Here in this land of great beauty and great majesty, one is able to sense an aura of peace, power, and cosmic renewal. I found it interesting, as I perused the northern half of the nation, that this place had come to be known as the "Land of Smiles". One would think that the overwhelming poverty and political tensions would cast a shadow over the people of Thailand, but, for whatever reason the name holds true. In America, we have all we could dream for and then some, yet we are far from earning the title "Land of Smiles". So why is it, then, that even in the most impoverished areas in one of the most impoverished nations on earth, the people are still happy? It is because this place is sacred, because it is holy, because city life, wilderness life, and religious life all come together on a daily basis. As Americans, we are constantly yearning for a connection to the spiritual and a connection to the wilderness, yet we sequester ourselves in luxurious buildings, away from the outside world. We are taught never to speak of religion in a social context, because it is not politically correct. Yet, in a world with so many disparities, where Buddhist worship and offering posts can be found in hotel lobbies, in parking lots, and in store fronts, and where temples and rituals situate themselves on mountaintops, river banks, and open plains, the connection between the earthly and the spiritual, between the physical and metaphysical is consistent and unbroken.