This is my entry for #bouldersunday on a #treetuesday as they are both in my favorite temple in Bangkok. So, I would like to thank @shasta for making me looking at rocks and boulders wherever I travel, even on a boat trip I have to pierce my eyes along the river bank just in case a big boulder might have been left there by mistake. And all the sacred trees in old temples wish they had legs so that they could hide from me and my camera.
They had been left in peace for hundreds of years until my arrival and demand; I often told them to be still and say ‘cheese’ by spreading their branches and to puff up their size for grandeur. I could hear those tree angels and spirits complaining about my disturbing them during their afternoon nap. But I pretended not to hear their voices. This blogging task is so serious that I would go harassing old trees and boulders in temples. What a toll this blogging has on a mere mortal like me! Trying to catch up with the routine schedule of posting is already interfering with my inner clock. One of these days, I may have to take a holiday so that old boulders and trees could have a rest too.
So, here is the old boulder which could not go hiding from me as the roots of the old Phodi tree have grown around this boulder. It seems this boulder helped to keep the tree trunk very stable. I stumbled on this boulder and tree on my way to the washroom. This did strike me about the age of this temple, Wat Boworn, which is my favorite place for recharging my energy and doing some contemplative walk, and meditation in the Ordination Hall. The original temple building was much older than Bangkok. So, I guess this boulder must have been here over three hundred years. The tree could easily be over one hundred years old.
Three hundred years ago, this temple might be by a canal or river bank; most temples would be by canals or rivers with piers for boats and passengers. Every house would have at least one rowing boat for transportation. There were only narrow dirt roads which went through woods and forest with lots of poisonous snakes, so it was much safer and quicker to travel by rowing boats.
Then, Bangkok was not established yet, this whole area was thick with enormous trees and small waterways connecting with other areas of settlements. Ayutthaya was the capital city of Siam so this area was like a small port for reaching the Gulf of Siam. I think I must have been living in that classic era of high civilisation and excessive wealth flaunting! All pagodas and temple roofs would be adorned with pure gold ornaments so during the hours of sunrise, the whole city was sparkling in yellow gold. This was recorded by a missionary in his old journal which was reprinted while I was studying in Europe.
So, I couldn’t help wondering who planted that tree there beside the big boulder. Could it be me in my past reincarnation as a monk living at Wat Boworn? I will need my crystal ball but I could not remember which box I had placed this big crystal ball. There is another grand old tree in this temple that strikes me as very handsome and special. This old sacred tree must be almost two hundred years old; I find this Banyan tree very gentle and friendly. So, this has become my favourite tree in this temple.
เราชอบไปวัดบวรฯมาก ชอบไปเดินเล่นดูต้นไม้และสวน ตลอดจนสถาปัตยกรรมของตึกเก่าแก่ และโบสถ์ที่มีการตกแต่งแบบจีน โดยช่างชาวจีนที่ย้ายมาอยู่เมืองไทยในสมัยรัชกาลที่3 เราไปเจอหินก้อนใหญ่มากที่ทาวฝั่งขวาของโบสถ์โดยบังเอิญ ที่น่าสนใจคือหินก้อนนี้โดยรากของต้นโพธิ์พันไปรอบก้อนหิน ทำให้หินก้อนนี้ไม่มีทางหนีไปไหน เราคิดว่าหินก้อนนี้คงมีอยู่นานมากแล้ว แต่ต้นไม้นั้นคงมีคนนำมาปลูกภายหลัง เราอาจจะเป็นคนปลูกก็ได้ เพราะสมัยก่อนเราคงเคยเกิดมาในยุคนั้น เราจึงได้ชอบอะไรๆในสมัยนั้นมาก และมีความคุ้นเคยกับของเก่าๆและสถานที่ของสมัยนั้นด้วย นอกจากก้อนหินขนาดใหญ่แล้ว เรายังไปชอบต้นไทรที่ยืนเด่นอยู่ที่ลานจอดรถของวัดบวรนิเวศน์อีกด้วย
ต้นไทรต้นนี้คงมีอายุมากว่าร้อยปีแล้ว คงมีใครตั้งใจปลูกแน่นอนเพราะ มีการสร้างกรอบเป็นฐานให้ด้วย เราชอบต้นไทรต้นนี้มาก ดูเขามีความอ่อนโยนและใจดีมาก เราพยายามจอดรถใต้ต้นไทรนี้ จะได้ไม่ร้อนมากเกินไป และขอให้ต้นไทรช่วยดูแลรถให้เราด้วย เราคงเคยเกิเป็นทหารใสสมัยนั้น และเรามีความคุ้นเคยกับศิลป และสถานที่เก่าแก่ในอดีตมาก เราก็หวังว่าก้อนหินใหญ่และต้นไม้เหล่านี้คงอยู่ดูแลวัดบวรนิเวศราชวรวิหารต่อไปอีกนานแสนนาน
Wishing you peace, good health and prosperity.
Cheers.
Amazing 👌
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Surely they don't want to hide from your lovely photo taking of them!
Really beautiful how the trees hug the stones ❤ @kaminchan! :-)
All those roots, very cool trees, it would be amazing to see one in person!
Thank you very much for such a kind comment!
There’s something about those big rocks. Sometimes they camouflaged themselves to be away from the crowd! They are very old and wanted to be in a quiet cave! They have a lot of dignity and authority somehow.
Really wild looking trees. That's something I found very interesting in the Thailand nature. We don't have any trees similar to these. They mostly have only one trunk and the roots often go in or on the ground.
Then, you ought to Tahoe a few date’ holiday in our national park where you could follow short forest path to see real forest environment and many strange trees. It’s only three hours’ drive from Bangkok. But you have to book the hut or bungalow months in advance! Very popular with nature lovers.
I must keep that in mind the next time we are planning a trip. Hopefully the cryptos soar and pandemic passes soon.
Yep! Hope that things will get back to normal soon. We need tourism in Thailand!
That's true for us too.