http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/thamkrabok-the-last-resort-for-addicts-733958.html
http://groups.google.com/group/Friends-of-Thamkrabok-Monastery?pli=1
...and I remember doing all this
almost three years ago
in March 0f 2006
and exchanging letters with Vince Cullen.
Then, on March 16, 2006, I was brutally and forcefully kidnapped by the man I want to spend the rest of my life with.
---
I have been privileged enough to accompany addicts to Thamkrabok on three occassions. I took a cocaine addict in 2000, a methadone addict in 2002 and a heroin addict in 2005. I’m pleased to say that all are still clean but this is NOT indicative of the Thamkrabok success figures. In reality, the success rate is estimated by Phra (Monk) Hans to be about 30%. Nowhere near perfect but bloody good all the same. I’ve been collecting articles, essays and images of Thamkrabok for a couple of years. These stories, photographs and lots of information about getting treatment at the Thamkrabok Monastery can be found at: - http://www.thamkrabok.net / http://www.thamkrabok.info or the official Thamkrabok Monastery website at: www.thamkrabok.org There is also an online Support Group for ex-Thamkrabok addicts called at: http://groups.google.co.uk/group/Friends-o...rabok-Monastery Or for reference you could try: - Thailand Thamkrabok Monastery Phra Hans thamkrabok@hotmail.com +66 (0) 36 266 067 http://www.thamkrabok.org Scotland Alba-Thai Organisation Stuart Brindley info@alba-thai.org +44 (0) 1382 200532 http://www.alba-thai.org England East-West Detox Mike Sarson info@east-westdetox.org.uk +44 (0) 118 962 3332 http://www.east-westdetox.org.uk England TARA Detox Organisation Vince Cullen info@tara-detox.org +44 (0) 1635 552 665 http://www.tara-detox.org Australia Thamkrabok Inc Maria Bannister info@thamkrabok.org.au +61 4 0513 7863 http://www.thamkrabok.org.au If you’ve got the money you can make your own way to Thamkrabok. As long as you truly want to let go of your addiction(s) you are welcome. The Thamkrabok Monastery gives its services FREE. There is no cost for treatment but you must pay for your food, drink, cigarettes, candy, toiletries etc. ‘Real money’ is not allowed in the treatment compound so you must exchange your cash for ‘Thamkrabok money’. Non-Thai addicts must deposit the equivalent of Thai Baht 200 per day at the Admissions Office before treatment. Each day of your stay you will be given back the equivalent of Thai Baht 200 in ‘Thamkrabok money’. These coupons can only be spent inside the treatment compound. This is quite enough ‘money’ to buy your food and drink etc each day of your stay. The Monastery will not ask for a donation at any time but you may give whatever you wish at the end of your treatment. It is recommended that you stay for a minimum of 10 days. The longer you can stay the better (up to a maximum of 28 days). The Thamkrabok Monastery treatment program involves… Location & Isolation: On arrival at Thamkrabok, each addict is asked if he came voluntarily and if he truly wants to give up drugs. If the addict hesitates or answers ‘no’ to either question, he is sent away and told to return when he is serious. Once accepted as a patient, the addict must hand over all his belongings and exchange his clothes for a uniform of white tee-shirt and loose red trousers. Medicine: Developed over a number of years (since 1959), the recipe is known only to the Abbot and Herbalist. The concoction is emetic, producing “projectile vomiting”. This specific part of the treatment has many components ritual, symbolic, physical effect in purging toxins from the body and the resulting physical weakness.... make no mistake… this is a very real ... very rapid detox. The medicine is not all, one must not forget the part of the ‘Black Pills’ and Herbal Steam Sauna. Meditation: Not necessarily in the traditional Buddhist sense, but just allowing time and space for the addict to think with a clear head. In addition, there are 12 meditations that the Abbot gives to focus the addict on his situation and the way forward Peer Support: The temple can treat several hundred addicts at a time, so there is a lot of support from addicts that have already been through the detox. There is no doubt that after only 5 days treatment, vomiting and saunas, heroin addicts will be largely clean. (Not so for anyone coming off methadone but that’s another story). However, the physical detoxification is only 5% of the treatment. The Abbot of Thamkrabok Monastery (Luangpor Charoen) says “You must do the remaining 95% of the work in your mind and through your actions.” The biggest factor (95%) of a successful detox at Thamkrabok is “SAJJA”. “Taking Sajja” ( a holy VOW ~ sacred PROMISE ~ commitment to the TRUTH ) not to use intoxicating substances is the central theme of the Thamkrabok treatment program. Sajja is considered a sacred act that, if you believe in it, will connect you with your will power and with something "beyond". Sajja is there for everybody; it is not limited to any specific religion or belief system. I believe that the vows (Sajja) taken at Thamkrabok may, or indeed, must change your life and your view of the world. If you keep the Sajja then good things will start to happen in your life and you will be better able to deal with the bad things. If you break your Sajja only bad things will come into your life. But remember, good or bad, all things/experiences are temporary, transient, and impermanent. Thai addicts are particulary superstitious and consider it very bad luck to break your Sajja and much is made of the “accidents” that happen to addicts that don’t stay clean. But this is not purely superstition or Thai Buddhist spiritualism, just simple logic or common sense. Staying clean will allow you get on with your (new) life, things will only get better. If you break the vow and go back to a life of drugs you will be on the fast track to misery and suffering. As one of the Monastery’s slogans says: CLEAN BODY WITH HERBS… CLEAN MIND WITH SAJJA. Regards, Vince Cullen --- |
No comments:
Post a Comment