Tag Archives: thailand

by | December 19, 2018 · 9:21 pm

Buddhism, Religion Must Change

S. W. Eden

Cite this journal as: Eden, S. W. (2018). Buddhism, Religion Must Change. Retrieved from http://sw-eden.net

Buddhism, Religion Must Change

In Buddhism, there are four stages of enlightenment, Sotāpanna, Sakadāgāmi, Anāgāmi, and Arahant. But, why are there less enlightened people today, compare to 2000 years ago?

I think I got an answer. As in the same person, one’s identity could be transformed and changed over the time, the many generation of 2000 years, people could be changed in many things, such as identities, belief, cultures, lifestyle, intelligence, and also relationship to one another.

A lesson could teach and enlighten people in 2000 years ago may not be able to use with the most people living in the current day. 2000 years changed in timeline, and from India to Thailand or China… These are totally different cultures.

change religion Thailand Buddha Buddhism

There should be some change in many parts of lessons or principles. However, most Buddhists cannot accept the change. They believe that all of Buddha’s words are perfect and unchangeable.

They are wrong. If you guys learn about Buddha’s biography, you will found that he changed the rules many times. A very outstanding change is that women were later allowed to become a monk. In fact, Buddha had a very negative attitude toward women, but the monk, Anandha, pointed him to think about the fact that women can be enlightened as well as the men.

Since things could be changed during the time that Buddha were living, it should be able to change in the current day according to culture and laws of the society. These people believe that the only one who could change the principle is Buddha. Even other Arahant monks still cannot change anything.

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by | December 19, 2018 · 9:06 pm

Worst Experience in Buddhism Camp, Thailand

S. W. Eden

Cite this journal as: Eden, S. W. (2018). Worst Experience in Buddhism Camp. Retrieved from http://sw-eden.net

Worst Experience in Buddhism Camp

About 5 years ago, I went to a camp with mother. The camp was run by an organization and they invited a Buddhism monk to teach 3 days in the camp.

I brought my iPad, a very old iPad, to the camp to take the note of the teaching. I have been a very good student in lecturing in any level of school. At that time, I had a positive attitude with Buddhism. I took a note since the first class that monk gave. I can type things in iPad very fast, but a little slower than when I take a note by handwriting.

Worst Experience in Buddhism Camp how to enlightening suck

That monk was very impolite. He raised a bad example which was me. He said that people using the technology did not pay attention to the one in front of them. Moreover, during that 3 days, I wanted to go home earlier because of that monk. I have a small argument with my mother, because of that stuff. That monk saw it. Then, again, he raised a bad example that only bad child had an argument with the parents.

Having an argument to people living together is very normal. Using iPad, laptop, or tablet to take a note is very normal, too. I really really do not like that monk’s behavior.

While the mentioned monk is the anti-technology, there are too many new monks using too much technology. Many Thai Buddhist monks, today, are social network addicts. There are only a few monk I know can use technology properly. These few monks use Audacity and Audition to record and cut their own teaching, put the files into CD and have their own Youtube channel. Some create the website for their own temple, and answer the question of the website visitors who ask them online about Buddhist principles.

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by | November 26, 2018 · 7:26 pm

Buddhism as a Sexist Religion Against Women and LGBT

Cite this journal as: Eden, S. W. (2018). Buddhism as a Sexist Religion Against Women and LGBT. Retrieved from http://sw-eden.net

When people think about Buddhism, they may think about China and Thailand. To learn something about Buddhism very deep, people come to Thailand to see what the original testament said. I went to learn with many monks in Thailand. I do not said that every monk is so good, but some.

I have studying in many (temporary) classes with many monks. Finally, there is only one monk left, that I learn Buddhism with him. I did not prefer listening to the monks who believe in the idea of sexism and selfishness.

The outsiders may view Buddhism as a very perfect religion. However, the teaching or the old principle must not be changed, especially in Thailand. We all know that if you are a Christian, you do not have to kill people with LGBT identity. Something should be able to change according to the morality and society in that era.

Buddhism monk religion
Figure I: Buddhism monk, drawing by S. W. Eden

I cannot stand listening to men who discriminate women and LGBT. These monks believe that to do something nice to men will result in a better outcome that which to women. They believe that to become a gay or transgender in this life, he had had more than one wife in previous life.

And many fictions that these monks use to support the teaching (the fictions in the actual testament) are mostly sexism. Like, the man had the power over the wife, as he could give his wife to others, and his wife did not have any right or her own decision not to go with other guys. Although the wife is not a slave, but men could treat them like a slave. It is worth to note that the current monks praise this behavior as a very very right thing to do.

As I am female, I cannot stand if someone praises those who treat women as less-than-human. In my ID card, there is the word Buddhism on it. I feel like it is the symbol that force me to accept the idea of sexism. I want to ask a government office near my place to remove the word from my ID card. I know that it may have some effect to my workplace or future career. Thailand is unlike in the United States. If I fill in the form and write that I have no religion, others will think that I am weird and having a negative personality.

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by | November 25, 2018 · 10:11 pm

Problem of Thai students’ choice of undergraduate field of study

Cite this journal as: Eden, S. W. (2018). Problem of Thai students’ choice of undergraduate field of study. Retrieved from http://sw-eden.net

Problem of Thai students’ choice of undergraduate field of study

I was born in Thailand in 1987. I had studied in Thai school more than 10 years, including my elementary, primary, middle, and high school. I went to a Thai university for a half year before moving to New York. Later, in 2012, I finished my master degree and became a university lecturer in Thailand and also a doctoral student in both Thailand and Ohio.

The problem that I have found since I was young is that the “disproportion” regarding the number of students, their skills, the number of choices in undergraduate programs, and the number of choices in the real-world career.

First, many parents want their children to study in healthcare related programs, such as medicine, pharmacy, nurse, and also veterinary. With my experience, these people do not expect that their children would help others, but these parents expect their children’s high income and quality of life.

field of study teachers batman and students batman
Figure 1: Field of Study

Generally, there are 3 types of high school in Thailand. During the primary school and middle school, almost all of the students in Thailand learn the same thing set by the government. However, in high school, they are separated to be 3 different programs, which are (1) science and math school, (2) art and language school, and (3) art and math school. Many students have to go to tutor school during the weekend and try many way to get into the first choice, science and math school. This is because it is the gate to get into the healthcare-related career, and also other careers that they could make a lot of money, like, architect and engineer.

For other two choices, the art-related high school programs, students in these two programs could have a ton of choices in their future, but they seem not to be proud of being in these two programs.

This phenomenon causes a too-high number of people studying math-science-and-healthcare-related programs, but finally, many of them have to work in art-and-social-sciences-related careers. In other words, if too many people graduated from such the program, there will not be enough spaces for them in the workplaces.

In my opinion, Thai parents should encourage their children not just to earn the large amount of money, but to devote themselves for the society. There are many jobs that we could balance both at the same time. For instance, I could produce a prosocial film for the audiences to learn from it.

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by | November 23, 2018 · 5:14 pm

How much does a college advisor make in Thailand?

Cite this journal as: Eden, S. W. (2018). How much does a college advisor make in Thailand? Retrieved from http://sw-eden.net

I work in a public university in Thailand. Most of the teachers in our school have to be the advisor of a couple classes of students. A class consists of about 50 students. I know from my friend that these teachers are paid once a semester. I am not in that system, but I just want to share what my friend told me.

My friend is a lecture in a management program. She is an advisor of students in the weekend program. Another teacher in the same program is the advisor of the students in the evening class of weekday program.

I think this may confuse you, if you are from other countries, like the US, Australia, or some from Europe. In Thailand, many universities separate the students by their time that they come to class. In my school, there are 3 of them. First are those who have to study during the day time of Monday to Friday. Second are those who have to study in the evening of Monday to Friday. Third are those who study in Saturday and Sunday.

Thailand Asia wage
Figure 1: Make it in Thailand

Teachers who are the advisors of students in the evening of Monday to Friday will be paid about 60 to 90 USD per a semester. However, those who are the advisor of Saturday and Sunday classes, will be paid only 60 cents per a student per a semester. My friend told me that she got paid only 7 USD per a semester, because her class consists of 12 students.

She feels that the wages are not fair for those who gave to come to school during weekend. I do not know much about this issue, but I think it is good that I am not in this system. I am the advisor of those who are in the day class of weekday. I do not get paid, since my salary covers all the day time.

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by | November 17, 2018 · 11:03 pm

Give me a good reason to leave my job, please.

S.W. Eden

Cite this journal as: Eden, S. W. (2018). Give me a good reason to leave my job, please. Retrieved from http://sw-eden.net

I just found myself become more selfish than the last 6 years. I was a Thai students who graduated in New York and finish a Master degree at Sydney. I went back to Thailand 6 years ago, and became a lecturer in a large university in Thailand. My goal was to provide the knowledge to my students and to have some free time to write my own novel.

The first year of being a university lecturer in Thailand is like a heaven. I got some free time to write the beginning part of my own novel. I got a chance to bring my students to go outside the classroom. I let them take the photos in the important places in Bangkok, and sometimes, I asked them to draw Thai temples.

The first year passed so fast. Everything changed in the secend year. I have to teach 7 days a week. I got no free time. I have to travel to another far-away campus to give a class. They also forced people to continue study in the doctoral degree. I have to go to school again, but in Thailand. I registered for 2 classes in one semester, but I had to teach 30 hours a week.

dog student work alone leave home

I had no more time to prepare my teaching at that moment. I did not correct and provide the suggesting in my students’ worksheet as I had done before. I felt really bad. My graduate school is about 3-hour far from my workplace. I had to run around 3 places each week. They said that if the employees did not continue the education, they would fire us so soon.

While I work so hard and had lack of free time, I compare myself to someone else in the same school. Like, one of my close friend, he has a lot of free time. He asked me to go to see movie with him, and to join his lunch and dinner. I think it is a good thing. He is a friendly one, but I got no time to do all those things. Not just only him, who can do many stuffs. Some also work outside the school. They have secret jobs in other private companies and earn a lot of money.

Moreover, these people got a higher evaluation score than me. Many got a higher salary than me. I began to feel that the life is unfair. I could see that my attitude is changed. I want to do thing for myself more than before. My dream has not been completed yet. I spent too much time for the university, without getting things I actually need. Those people in the higher position keep saying that this university is the university of happiness. However, for me, it is not. My happiness is when I got enough time for my family and for writing my own novel. I do not have both yet. Although I have dinner with my family, but In think I should have spent more day time with them, not just at night.

Those people think that to have a happiness is to work hard to push the university to be in the highest place in the world. They want to see the university being one of the top ten of the country. They believe that if we got into that ranking, everyone will be proud and happy. That is the definition of the happiness they believe. That is not the happiness I need. I need my time. I need to be someone I have dreamed to be. I want to be a cool author who write a famous novel. I want to be a cool artist being known in a specific group of people. My dream does not got walked yet. What should I do then?

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by | November 14, 2018 · 12:15 pm

Got an F or Fail from major courses, What can I do?

S. W. Eden

Cite this journal as: Eden, S. W. (2018). Got an F or Fail from major courses, What can I do? Retrieved from http://sw-eden.net

I am a university lecturer. I know that I should be very serious and all the students should be serious about their education, too. When I was an undergraduate student, about 10 years ago, some friends got an F and I have got a couple of F, too. Although I had never had an absent and I submitted all the class assignment in those two classes, I still got F because I fail in the final exam.

Today, I have been a university lecturer for 6 years, in Thailand. Now is the time that all universities have to think about their future, regarding the decreased number of new students. I think the university would need to consider about the “give an F” policy. They may not like the teachers to give the F to the students, because that reduces students’ satisfaction. Students may quit the university if they found they get many Fs.

The topic that I would like to discuss here is that, should I give an F to a very bad student? Bad students are those who often have absent. In the whole semester, they came to class only 2-3 times. Some did not come to take an exam, but they asked their parents to write the letter to ask me to allow their sons to take the exam after the examination date.

teacher and funny student
Figure 1: Teacher and funny student cartoon drawing

Almost all of these bad students do not submit any assignment, and they often said that they had other work to do to earn the money to help their family. I do not know if it is real or not, but I think, if it is real, they should drop and register for the class again when they have more free time.

Some professors in my university give these bad students the F, but some do not. Let’s talk about those who do not give the F for very bad students. We should be curious about what they actually think.

I have talk to one of them. He told me that if the students are very bad, he should allow them to keep being in the school until they graduate. This is because if no one gives an opportunity for these bad students, they would leave the school and do some illegal job in the future. On the other hand, if they are bad students who graduate, they will automatically find the job that most people look for. This way will help the society as a whole.

However, I still think that this thought is not entirely right. It might be right, but it does not fair for all other students who try very hard to graduate.

Last semester, I allowed a very bad student to pass my class with the grade D-. In fact, he should get an F, because he came to class only 2 times. Then, he took the exam. The total score he got was 30 from 100. I feel really bad about what I have done. I should not let him pass.

You guys… Do you want to say something about this issue. If I engage in this kind of situation again, what should I do?

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by | November 14, 2018 · 11:57 am

I will Burnout. What can a teacher do?

S. W. Eden

Cite this journal as: Eden, S.W. (2018). I will Burnout. What can a teacher do? Retrieved from http://sw-eden.net

I have never feel like this before. I have a negative feeling about the place I am working at. I do not want to name the organization here, and also my name. Only thing I could say is that I am in Bangkok, Thailand. I have worked here about half a decade. And many times, I think that it is enough for me. Many things have changed. I had had many good students in my class, but now there were a less number of good students.

student and teacher cute bird drop water late
Figure 1: A teacher bird and a student bird.

I feel I love a group of Public Relation students, but lately, some of them (3 students) betrayed me twice. They took a photo of me to make an evident for some purpose. One of them said that I gave her a wrong point.

You know what? I knew what I did. I am sure about my grading. These students have problem with the “less than 1 point” (based on 100 points). They fight against me for that “less than 1 point” thing. I could spread negative words about me that the grade was not fair for them.

Hence, what is my problem? My problem is that I am very disappointed. These three students failed me. I feel like, the love I gave them before is nothing. However, I still have a positive attitude about other Public Relation students. I like to teach them better than many other students from other program.

I wish that there would be only these three students that I may have a negative attitude with. I want to keep a positive feeling and all the good moment for all other students.

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