My experience in Thailand centered around one major theme: resilience.
Upon arrival to Wat Sukato, I was informed about a section of forest nearby that was being reforested after a massive fire occurred two years prior. The local community members and monks had spent over twenty years on reforestation of this local forest. Twenty years of hard labor and a large section of the forest was destroyed within hours. I later learned that the massive fire had not been ignited from a natural occurrence, but by man, particularly poachers. Poachers had set up three separate locations within the forest; all three separate locations broke out into flames.
One location within a forest that’s set ablaze is difficult to contain, let alone three separate locations. The massive fire caused much damage. The forest herself had been beaten down without warning. Not only did she suffer from one fire, but from three. She felt helpless, bare and broken. The community members themselves felt the same pain. Twenty years of loving dedication had been destroyed. What now? During times like these, it’s easiest to just give up. Anyone that has truly felt beaten down to their inner core knows this.
After her brief mourning period, the forest was ready to regrow. Nature in itself is always resilient. The community members though, weren’t quite ready yet. Even though we humans are aware that life is filled with suffering, this acknowledgment doesn’t lessen the pain. Sometimes we need to inspire one another in order to stand back up after being beaten down. And this is exactly what happened within the community. But, after this devastation more people, all across Thailand, became inspired to come together and replant trees within the forest. This awful incident strengthened the bonds between people, with one another and with their relationship to the forest.
During times of despair, pain and severe isolation…one must continue to be resilient. Even if one is exposed in front of others as helpless, bare and broken. Be like the forest after the fire, always regrow.
