The Photography of Dr. Jeff Harper

My New Years 2018 rambles were in many parts: (1) Around the Beach, (2) Wat Huai Sai Tai, (3) Wat , (4) Doi Thap Chang, (5) Monsoon Winery, (6) Wat Nong Tung. . . each has its own section below:

AROUND THE BEACH

The Thai university where I work was closed for a few days over the western New Year, so we headed off to Hua Hin, a beach town 2 1/2 hours drive from our home in Nonthaburi. Our view of Hua Hin town from up he coast a few miles away.

 

Hua Hin is located along a coastal shelf on the northwest of the Gulf of Thailand (Siam).

 

I enjoy walking along an unpaved road from where we stay . . . to see what I can see . . . and photograph.

 

The Gulf of Thailand is warm, even at this time of year.

 

There normally isn't any surf to speak of, but storms to the south stirred things up a bit.

 

I am attracted to these wave splashes . . . photographing them . . . stopping them in a moment of refreshment.  I wasn't the only one attracted to the wave splashes that morning.

 

A local young person showed up to play dare with the arriving waves.

 

The siblings showed up . . . very photogenic!

 

A few hundred meters away from where we stay . . . an old original farm.

 

I photograph this old spirit house every time I go to Hua Hin, which is often.

 

I am perpetually fascinated by this spirit house and its contents and details:

 

Although it seems abandoned, there are small signs of it being attended to.

 

A small history of devotional attention.

 

I am not sure if this has become a place for discarding ineffective spiritual paraphernalia . . . or is an active spirit house . . .

 

These were all there in there last photo I took two years ago.

 

I left my old favorite spirit house behind for a long walk a round the area.

 

My walks around the area yields lots of interesting things to think about . . . and look at . . .

 

A large leaf drying on the road . . .

 

The drying leaf (above) is from this plant . . . a tropical climber.

 

This used to be little store a family owned.  I do not know what happened to them . . . perhaps they were squatters.

 

The area behind where we stay is often wet and swampy, especially at the end of the rainy season.

 

The wet ground brings flowering plants and butterflies.

 

Butterflies are very difficult to photograph because they are always moving . . . or do not cooperate when they are still.  This one would not open its beautiful wings!

 

Many and varied beautiful flowers were out on this first day of the year.

 

Beautiful and delicate.

 

Bougainvillea.

 

My favorite.

 

Red puffs and new seed pods . . .

 

Dried bud.

 

Pretty and very tiny.

 

Classic Thai orchids.

 

Not a black and white photo . .  a moldy white wall with snail tracks . . .

WAT HUAI SAI TAI

I can see this Wat from where we stay on the beach, and I have seen buildings go up here over the years, but I had not revisited it in over 10 years.

 

I always liked the architecture of this particular Wat . . . so ornate, yet balanced and dignified.

 

Wat Huai Sai Thai was actually three Wats in one: The traditional Thai Wat, a Chinese Buddhist Temple, and a Shrine to a famous Monk, Luongpor Thonsuk.  The Chinese Temple had a wonderful Guanyin statue.

 

I went in the temple, made a donation, and took up this plate of offerings and ceremonial items to honor Guanyin.  There are cons to drop at each Buddha statue, oil to add to the lamps, incense to light, garlands and pearls to adorn Guanyin and candles to light.  All of these have a particular place and order.  I knew most of them, but there were two very helpful lady attendants who showed me what goes where and when.

 

Many small altars lined the room around the large Guanyin statue.

 

A sitting Happy Buddha.

 

I left my garland here, on the sandalwood Guanyin.

 

I love these fortunetelling machines you sometimes see in Chinese temples.  I could not quite figure out how this one worked, so I didn't put in any money.

 

The Chinese temple (foreground) was one of many small buildings on the Wat grounds.

 

I walked along a path lined with stone balls to another glassed in room full of golden Buddhas.

 

Standing Buddha images along the glass Buddha hall.

 

A glass room full of fantastically beautiful Buddha images.

 

Remarkable beauty.

 

I wanted to go in for close-up photos, but it was locked.  I had to shoot through the dirty windows.

 

Photographing through a window is not always a bad thing . . . the reflections of the frangipani trees help this image.

 

I felt a strong attraction to this particular Buddha image. I saw over a hundred Buddha images on this day, but this one 'spoke' to me.  I will return here to meditate.

 

The third part of the Wat was devoted to a new temple structure in honor of the great revered monk Luongpor Thonsuk. A silver elephant under construction stood out front.

 

An extraordinary structure.

 

Remarkable detail and artistry.

 

Scattered here and there around the temple structure, up in the sacred woods, were pieces of previous altars, the discarded spiritual paraphernalia.

 

There were many, many beautiful Buddha images inside the old monk's temple.

 

Encrusted with small squares of gold ceremonially pressed on by the throngs of pilgrims.

 

The interior was lined with Buddha images surrounding the giant, colossus . . . (folded leg visable in the foreground!)

 

The image of Luongpor Thongsuk was five stories tall!  I only had my 85mm lens with me, so I was unable to get the whole giant statue in one frame!

 

I walked up the stairs and then around each floor in turn.

 

The views from the upper floors were fantastic.

 

A view to a monks cottage over the silver elephant.

 

Looking from the temple out beyond the Wat to a typical Thai rural scene in this part of Thailand.

 

This is a NEW temple.  Buddhism in Thailand is a living, current practice.

 

A nice display of donated ceremonial drums . . .

 

. . . and a beautiful gong.  It was so quiet and peaceful that even I dared not to strike it!

 

On the top floor the walls were adorned with these murals from the Buddhist Jottika Tales.  Three more:

Pictorial lessons of the life of the Buddha Gotama.

 

I could have stayed here all day . . . just looking out of each window.

 

I reluctantly left . . . as I always do, asking myself, "Why don't I stay?"

A RURAL WAT

I continued up and away from the coast on a hot hazy morning on small rural roads.

 

Driving up into the hills I spotted a Thai Wat at its the base.

 

It was before lunch and three monks were having the last meal of their day.

 

This part of the Wat was an open sided shed structure.

 

It appeared as if there had been a big event recently, by the look of these piles of ceremonial objects.

 

Steep stairs led to a hilltop Buddha image . . . I decided to walk up for the view . . . and to respect the big Buddha there.

 

It was worth the many steps up.

 

The view from the top did not disappoint.  The Wat below was wonderful and, try as I might, I could not find the name of this Wat, not is it on a map.

 

Above the hilltop Buddha, a mandala.

 

Another area of the Wat had a marvelous white Buddha image and a shed containing many interesting offerings.

 

These dress offerings are a 'new' feature for me, or I have just not noticed them in the past (which I doubt).  I do not know the significance.

 

A living Wat, recently visited by the reverent.

 

A spirit house type offering plate . . . the ancestors . . . and some make-up . . . just in case.

 

More offerings of all kinds.

 

A revered spirit tree wrapped in devotional colors.

MONSOON VALLEY Vineyards

 Further to the west, and up into the valleys of the foothills, we came to the Monsoon Valley Vineyards.

 

No, this is not France . . . this is Thailand.

 

In addition to the vineyards, there is an attractive lodge with a fine dining cafe set up against the hills.

 

After lunch we walked out into the stunning view . . . .

 

I do not know how the tropical seasons in Thailand effect the growing of grapes, but these seem to be near harvesting.

 

We had a very nice long walk through the vineyards on a 'cool' January day in Thailand.

 

The have done a fine job of making the grounds around the vineyards interesting.  A nice place to spend an afternoon dining and walking.

 

They were growing several grape varieties, these requiring hanging.

 

A pleasant valley scene.

 

The parking lot security guards were a lot of fun . . . typical Thai friendliness.

 

The vineyard looks healthy and productive.  I didn't taste the wine, but my wife said it was 'good.'

 

Beautiful grapes.  Plump!

 

We greatly enjoyed our mid-day visit to the Monsoon Valley Vineyards.  IN th distance, on a hilltop, is a golden chedi shining in the sunlight . . . . I think I will go over there and see what it is . . . .

GOLDEN HILLTOP CHEDI

 

I noticed this golden hilltop chedi from the vineyard across the valley and went looking for the access road . . . found it. 

 

The dirt road up to the Wat below the golden chedi was lined with Buddha images.

 

There were several small structures housing large Buddha images along a hillside path.  Big cobra steps!

 

I liked this Wat very much.  It was modest, isolated, and had grand views of the Hua Hin hills.

 

The valley below: vineyards, orchards, field crops.

 

I walked the many steps up to the golden chedi.

 

So beautiful from below, but I had no idea what awaited me when I arrived on the top . . .

 

Leave your monkeymind behind, Ye who enter!  The real suffering doesn't show.

 

The golden chedi itself was ringed with highly individual Buddha images and elephant bas reliefs.

 

Each of the Buddha images seemed to have been made by a different person/artisan, so individual were they.

 

This particular Buddha image struck an amazing resemblance to a cartoon character from The Simpsons.

 

Magnificent 'naive art.'

 

I wondered if a group of monks might have made these . . . or the financial donors.

 

Such a serene place.

 

I walked around the golden chedi several times, each time noticing more and more . . .

 

Revered monks astride the chedi entrance.

 

It wasn't until my third time around the golden chedi that I realized there was a chamber inside.  Most chedis I have visited do not have access to the interior.  Let's see what's inside . . .

 

What I found inside was astonishing!

 

There was only very low indirect light inside.  I was glad I had on a f1.2 lens.

 

A marvel.

 

The inner chamber was full of Buddha images of all kinds.

 

The unevenly plastered walls were covered with an orange-golden paint . . . a perfect atmospheric backdrop to the exquisite Buddha images.

 

Gold leaf applied to revered Buddha images.  Some of the images faced the open doors . . . making photography easier.

 

Without a doubt, my favorite photograph of a day  . . . in a day of many wonderful images.  Amazing color and light.  A profoundly spiritual space.

 

The walls themselves were a thing of beauty in the magic light.

 

I experiences such a strong reawakening of Wonder in that hilltop place.

 

I walked around and around inside the circle of the chedi in a Vipasana walking meditation.

 

Colorful chamber Bikkus.

 

The chamber attendants/Bikkus.

 

I thought I was alone in the golden chedi until I heard the sound of sweeping.  A nun from the Wat keeping things neat and tidy.

 

There was a chedi within the larger chedi.  I didn't bring my wide angle lens and a tripod . . . but I might go back one day.

 

Yes, thanks for the reminder . . . hold back the river of Mara's temptations to be pulled from The Now.

 

I spent over an hour in the chamber . . . I believe . . . because I lost track of time . . . and left.

 

I exited passed the old monk and the Buddha, found a sala and ate the lunch I had in my pack, and went to the car and drove back toward the coast.

A RURAL WAT

Driving back along a small rural road, I spotted a Wat under construction.

 

I am very interested in Wat construction, having been involved in building a Wat myself.

 

It is going to be a very pleasant place when it is completed.  I will try and make a point to visit here in the future.

 

I went inside through an open door behind the main Buddha image.

 

The main altar was already more or less complete.

 

Very powerful Buddhas here . . .

 

Back outside, I stopped to admire and pay respect to this Buddha image next to a small shrine/spirit house.

 

The shrine/spirit house was much older than the new Wat and was there for the older part of the temple grounds . . . which I was to explore next.  More dress offerings . . .

 

The old wooden Wat structure had these large rain water collection jugs outside.

 

The altar in the old Wat . . . I wonder if they will move these devotional items over to the new Wat when it is completed . . .

 

A rural Wat in an agricultural village would have water buffalo heads, no?

 

I had a wonderful day . . . I hope he rest of the year will be as spiritually illuminating as the first day of the year . . . . . if . . .

 

It will be a good year if the MonkeyMind is disbanded through clear insight meditation.

Happy New Year.