Sky Lanterns

Imagine walking by a Buddhist temple at night with vendors lining the streets selling all sorts of home made goods and foods, and in the distance you hear the striking of gongs, and see the assortment of candles on alters offered as prayers, and smell burning incense, and feel the serenity of it all. This is the scene that Briana and I witnessed tonight in the small city of Mae Hong Son in NW Thailand. Luckily, we are getting a breather from all the other towns and cities where tourists almost seem to outnumber the locals (i.e. Pai), but here in Mae Hong Son we feel like we are traveling again in a foreign country.

At the Buddhist temple tonight, we bought a Sky Lantern from the monks and set our intentions before we let it fly into the sky. It's quite a surreal scene with many families, couples, and friends lighting these Sky Lanterns, and watching them float upwards to the moon. At one point I counted 9 lanterns floating above us...and with all the sounds, sights, smells, and feelings around us the moment was...well... real. I tuned out all the chatter in my head for just a moment, and in that one moment I was the moment.

This was my meditation for the day...