Chapter 14: Walking Through Walls
A Journey of Addiction, Healing, and Rediscovery
Day Fourteen: Friday August 29th, 2003
“Once teenagers were soldiers, now they’re just walking billboards” - Phra Peter
Peter said this yesterday. I told him I’d written it down and asked if it would be okay to put it in a song. He said while he’s a monk, that’s okay because monks are not permitted to make things for personal use. I plan on putting it to one of the songs from the earth. I think he’s right, it’s like a whole generation are becoming fuel for advertising, absorbed by the system that my mum’s generation were fighting against.
Today was very emotional for me. We had to say goodbye to K and C. I will miss K a lot. He has been the closest thing to a leader in here since I arrived, and I pray he stays clean because he’s a wonderful person, though he’d be the last to admit it. C is also a very special person and I hope for his sake and his children’s that he makes it. They have both gone to Bangkok for a week and, although it’s tempting to go, I’d prefer to check out one or two days early and stay here as a visitor. Bangkok is ALL the drugs. And I’ve already heard that, for foreigners coming to Thamkrabok, that’s the choice they’re faced with when they get off the plane. Go into Bangkok and get the finest drugs in the world. Or go to Thamkrabok and restart your life. Strange, but very true that the two paths are literally side by side.
I ask Miss Rambhai if I can stay at the monastery until I fly back to England and she says it won’t be a problem, I can stay.
After we said our fairwells, N and I went to help Phra Peter with some work at his home, but actually didn’t do any work because someone had taken the key to his storage room. We chatted and had tea in the baking sun and were joined by Phra Gill and Natalie. It was a good morning and it was followed by a very peaceful sauna. I spent the afternoon at Luang Por’s where we discussed more about the music and it gave me a chance to play him the work I had already done. I love going over there. His home is like an outdoor mad scientist’s laboratory, much as I would imagine Rudolf Steiner’s home would have looked like. Large jars with strange volcanic rock and lava specimens floating in coloured water and sculptures and paintings everywhere.
Although we are assisted by Mrs. Rambhai for translation, we begin to connect between polite smiles and the odd burst of laughter. He demonstrated the process of tracing the tree bark and got me to help him. A Thai girl helped translate and it helped me understand the natural approach he has to this device for unlocking music from nature. On several occasions he said he was not interested in details and seems to have great belief in a song just appearing with little planning in the procedure. It’s a wonderful philosophy to witness, and something I know I could learn a great deal from. During our meeting he said he wants me to make 2 million songs! I’m totally inspired but too tired to write more at present.
I support these organisations who are shaping a system change to integrate mental health awareness and well-being into the music industry. Please do read about their work.
The Creative Well
Music Mind Matters
Waterbear College of Music