“You should be careful about feelings, especially with the word ‘weariness’ that you’re
talking about. It’s a manifestation of someone acting for themselves, or what you call
selfishness,” Lord Phoche advised.

“Just weariness is selfishness?” I asked.

“Weariness is a feeling expressed to escape, to avoid, or to get out of an undesirable
state. What causes this feeling is your conscious mind. And certainly, it releases
negative energy from this process, which is useless to the world. Anyone who still says
the word weariness, whether weary of something, weary of work, weary of people,
weary of society, all weariness is negative feeling released from the conscious mind,”
Lord Phoche explained.

“Then what about some people who say they want liberation, they want Nirvana
because they are weary of the world, weary of being reborn again, things like that? Is it
the same?” I asked.

“I just said that weariness is a process sent from the conscious mind that wants to act
for itself. I ask you back, who are they doing it for when they say they are weary? If it’s
for themselves, then the energy projected is still for themselves. How is it different
from selfishness?” he emphasized.

“Hmm…” I paused, unable to find an argument.

“And do you think selfishness can lead anyone to liberation? Someone who can achieve
a state of liberation must not use a process of acting for oneself, or what you call letting
go of self or ego. And the easiest and most direct process is to sincerely create love and
goodwill in a tangible way. When you can do this wholeheartedly, naturally,
continuously, you will definitely be able to enter that state of liberation. But you must
not create any desire. The more you desire, the less you get. But if you have no desire,
you will get it,” he said.

“Hmm,” I paused again.

“Never mind. When you enter the state of ‘being,’ you will understand everything
yourself. Don’t worry,” he said.

“Uh… Master… where in my past lives are the important stories that you said you want
me to know?” I asked.

“All your lifetimes are important. But there is a most important period, which is a
period related to your friends and to me. Go back about 2000 years from this time.
During that time, you also had a connection with this place,” he replied.

“You mean this temple?” I asked.

“Not this temple, but the area where the city of Sri Ramathep Nakhon and the
surrounding island area are located. But 2500 years ago, it was not yet a city. It was just
a lush forest, abundant with fruits and crops, and it was the location of Master Bavari
the Hermit’s hermitage, who was your great teacher,” he replied.

“What was the story? Can you tell me the background?” I requested.

“I think it’s better for you to experience that time yourself. Then if you have any
questions, I’ll explain,” he suggested.

“Alright,” I replied.

As soon as he finished speaking, the first image of that time appeared before me.
What I saw at this moment was myself walking in a large ancient city. Inside, there
were royal palaces built close together. The pillars of each palace were made of large
logs. The palaces were decorated with elaborately carved wood and covered in gold,
making them appear golden. The walkways were paved with large bricks, looking
orderly. The people were dressed neatly. They wore beautiful and exquisite clothes and
expensive jewelry. The city was surrounded by a large wall. Outside the city wall was a
moat, serving as a barrier against enemy attacks. Along the walls and at each corner,
there were guards watching over every point. At the city gate, there was a large fortress
with soldiers standing guard at the gate to inspect those entering and leaving. It
seemed that only nobles, ministers, royal attendants, soldiers, servants, and guests of
the city’s residents were allowed to enter.

Walking past the city gate, there was a road leading straight to the river. Both sides of
the road were lined with houses, some wooden, some bamboo. Some roofs were tiled,
some thatched. The general atmosphere was bustling with people walking around.
There was lively trading and exchange of goods. The main goods were clothing dyed
with natural colors, pots and pans, livestock such as cattle and horses. Amulets were
sold everywhere. There were various ascetics and monks dressed strangely. Some wore
small pieces of cloth sewn together into large pieces. Some were covered in dirt and
mud. Some had tangled beards and didn’t wear clothes. Some wore tiger skin that
looked sacred. Outside the city to the west, there was a large river in front. People
traveled by rowing boats. Looking at the riverbank, I saw a square stone structure
resembling a palace standing tall, with several tiered spires. When I saw this
architecture, I immediately knew that it was a temple used for rituals, not a residence.
These temples stood tall along the riverbank, both small and large. Each temple was
decorated with elaborately carved gold. At the top of the temples, there were spherical
objects stacked in tiers from large to small, covered in gold and adorned with jewels,
sparkling when they caught the sunlight.

When I looked at myself, I found that I was a young Brahmin, traveling somewhere
with several other Brahmins. I knew I was a Brahmin because the group of Brahmins I
was walking with wore white robes and long hair in a bun, and I wore the same kind of
clothes. From the memory, I knew that I was currently 35 years old, had a wife and one child, and lived in a Brahmin village not far from the city. While I was walking, people
on both sides of the road made way for me and sat on their heels on the ground, raising
their hands in a prayerful gesture to me and my group.

“Lord Phoche, who am I now, and where am I?” I asked.

“Now you are named Achita. You are the son born into an old Brahmin family in this
city, a high priest and royal teacher inherited from the previous king. You are currently
in the city of Savatthi,” Lord Phoche replied.

“Savatthi in India? Was I born in India?” I asked.

“No… this city is located in the northern part of the country where you currently live,”
he replied.

“Northern Thailand?! There’s a city with the same name as the one in India? Or how is
it? Because as far as I know, there’s a city called Savatthi in India, which is related to
the Buddha,” I remarked.

“There is no such city in India. There is only one city of Savatthi, and it’s in your
country,” he replied.

“Oh… then all the history about Buddhism that I learned is wrong? Or is it unrelated?” I
asked.

“You could say it’s wrong, if it’s about the history of the Buddha, especially the
locations of historical events, which all happened in this land,” he replied.

“Is what you’re saying true?” I said.

“Prove it yourself, because you are currently living in the same era as the Buddha,” he
replied.

“Really? Am I living during the time when the Buddha is still alive? Wow! And where in
Thailand is the city of Savatthi? Judging from the geography, climate, and way of life, it
does seem to be in the north as you said. The appearance of the people, houses, and
royal palaces, I feel like it has a Lanna cultural vibe, but it looks more ancient,” I asked.

“The location of the city of Savatthi is where the province of Phrae is located today,” he
replied.

“Phrae province? Why Phrae? It doesn’t seem possible. Do you have any evidence or
symbols that indicate this is the city of Savatthi?” I asked.

“Of course… but for now, explore what you see first,” Lord Phoche suggested.

“Alright.”

When Lord Phoche said that the city of Savatthi was Phrae, I began to observe the
things around me in detail again. I looked back at the city wall I had just walked past.
The height of this wall was probably equivalent to a two- or three-story building. It was
large and ran parallel to the moat, which was quite wide, making me feel the grandeur
of this city. The people outside the wall seemed friendly. I saw the roofs of the royal
palaces rising above the wall, which were ancient Thai architecture, especially the
pointed roofs with seven or eight tiers, making me feel the northern Thai civilization
clearly.