Fa-rang

a monk and magic water

Last week I traveled 3 hours outside of Bangkok to the nearby Lopburi district, famous for its vast monkey population, to visit Wat Pra Baht Nam Phu. This temple serves as a hospice center for AIDS patients. To get here, I tagged along with Dr. Pyorrot and his assistant Kulachad who were going to make observations on their research. I found Dr. Pyorrot to be an eccentric man and he kept the long ride interesting by filling me full of Mangosteins (the ‘Queen of fruit’ in Thailand and my new favorite—tastes a little like rhubarb) and promoting his discovery of MRET water. He spoke of this water in a magical way as though it were going to cure AIDS and told me that if I drink it my skin will look more young and radiant. “Guess how old I am,” he said. I uncomfortably resisted but he insisted so I guessed, “53.” “No! I am much older than that but you wouldn’t know it because I drink MRET water!” I smiled but thought to myself that all Thai people appear younger than their age to me. But I gave into the propoganda and agreed to drink the MRET for the duration of my stay here so we’ll see what happens :). From what I understand the physical structure of the water is altered magnetically, increasing the weight of the proton in the hydrogen atom, making it more efficiently absorbed into the bloodstream. The Doctor has brought this water to the patients at the AIDS temple to observe its therapeutic effects on their immune systems.

While Dr. Pyorrot was collecting his data, I toured the facilities. It was the most devastating picture of AIDS I have ever experienced. There was a building for cremations which Im told is put into use daily, a Buddha image surrounded by the remains of those who have died with AIDS and had no family to claim them, and rows of beds filled with very sick, skinny patients who seemed too weak to move or make a sound.

I met with the monk who started this hospice center about 15 years ago by taking a few abandoned people living with AIDS into the temple and caring for them which has now grown into a 500 bed facility with 10,000 people on the waiting list. He faced a lot of opposition at first; the other monks at the temple left him and the community of Lopburi opposed the center in fear that the “runoff would infect the neighboring fields’ crops with AIDS.” In fact he had only planned on entering the monkhood for a few months, like most Thai Buddhists do at some point in their lives, but ended up staying and persisting with the work caring for thousands of patients and educating the community. It was an inspiring visit.

posted by janel_renee @ 9:04 AM