KINGDOM of SIAM

There seems to be an ancient longing in the human heart for good society. And there seems to be proof that such societies have existed in the past and even in the present. For example, the Kingdom of Wa-no-Kuni of Shotoku-Taishi in Japan, the Kingdom of Gesar of Ling in Tibet, Queen Guinevere and King Arthur's Round Table at Camelot, the Kingdoms of Ashoka and Shambhala and Bhutan. Maybe such a place of inspiration for others is your own house.

                         Maybe even your garden.

 Or your work place.

Places founded on the qualities of loving kind-ness and the happy-ness of others first. Persuasion rather than aggression. Places founded on the simple truth that people all have basic good-ness. Perhaps one such country in our human history was the Kingdom of Siam.

There is evidence that even in the 1300's there was a buddhist king in the Kingdom of Sukhothai who did not rule by force; relying instead on virtue to care for both the spiritual and material needs of the people.

All this was destroyed by invasions from outside, but a new kingdom grew-up at Ayutthaya (now a part of Bangkok). Since the 1500's Ayutthaya has been described as beautiful, even as the most beautiful city in the Asia. Even more beautiful than Paris, according to some French travelers. Ayutthaya was the capital of Siam--home to fabulous temples, gardens, Thai national arts and crafts, royal monasteries. The home of great kings and queens, and one million people in 1700. A great spiritual centre in the world. Known to the Portuguese as Siam-- a name that lasted until 1949. Threatened and over-run by neighbours, Siam was the only south-east Asia kingdom to not become a western colony.

Destruction by neighbours is still visible. Repairs are hindered by  "no available funding," advancing tourism, urban encroachment, and flooding. Once the place of a peaceful buddhist nation, now the place of blackened brick and plaster, ruins, head-less statues. And on their way home to Australia, at this place of sacred beauty in Thailand, Amrita and Ben offered

       "A Bowl of Tea for Peace into the Four Directions."

Long long ago, invaders lopped-off this head of a buddhist statue. Somehow it was picked-up by the roots of a tree and somehow sheltered for all these  many years. May this natural shrine from the past be our inspiration to protect the vision of good society in our lifetime, for all the children of the next 10 generations. 100 generations.

                    We are all Earth-Protectors.