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一次前往 Pun Pun 的学习之旅 —— 与乔恩·詹岱（Jon Jandai）共探生态智慧、社区和谐与精神觉悟之路 曦莲草
长期以来，Yangle 和我一直非常希望能见到并向乔恩·詹岱学习。他在建立可持续生态村和国际社区模式方面的开创性工作，使他成为那些追求人与自然和谐共处之人的一盏明灯。他在合作生活、再生生态设计和精神觉悟方面的洞见，与生命禅院国际家庭社区的核心理念高度契合。
10 月 3 日，我们怀着满心期待与好奇前往 Pun Pun。到达后，我们受到了热情的欢迎，并被邀请与乔恩共进午餐——这简单却充满真情的举动，为这场真诚而有意义的会面定下了基调。这次访问不仅仅是与一位先驱见面的机会，更是一场深入体验——深入感受那种让乔恩的社区蓬勃发展的生活哲学与日常实践。
在交谈中，乔恩分享了他们社区如何培养信任、和谐与共同目标感。聆听他的讲述，我们深切感受到生态觉知与慈悲人性的无缝融合——从选择自然建筑材料到处理人际关系的细节，每一个决定都体现了这些指导价值。这些洞见与生命禅院创建简朴、互爱、灵性成长的乐园的愿景完美契合。
与乔恩见面让人既谦卑又受启发。除了他的专业知识，更让我们印象深刻的，是他如何在生活中自然地践行自己的理念——简朴、专注与灵性觉知，在他的一举一动、一言一行中都流露无遗。
当谈到自给自足、社区意识和新成员培养时，乔恩分享了维系 Pun Pun 运作的多项实用经验。社区种植自己的稻米和蔬菜，经营一个温馨的咖啡馆，并设有一家小商店，出售手工肥皂、洗发水、书籍和编织包等日用品。其中部分产品也在泰国的网购平台（如 Lazada）上销售。
主要收入来源是举办工作坊，每月约可产生 50,000–60,000 泰铢的收入。咖啡馆的月收入约为 10,000 泰铢，网络销售则不固定。参与这些经营活动的成员每月可领取约 6,000 泰铢的津贴。社区收入的一半用于维护和扩建花园——体现了他们对生态复兴的投入。然而，乔恩真正的喜悦在于他慷慨分享种子——他相信，慷慨与丰盛正是可持续性的根基。
在吸引志愿者和提高知名度方面，乔恩建议与 WWOOF（世界有机农场组织）建立联系。WWOOF 是一个国际网络，将志愿者与有机农场和可持续社区连接起来。志愿者（称为“WWOOFer”）通过工作换取食宿及学习机会，而非金钱。在 Pun Pun，每天工作约六小时的志愿者可享受每晚 500 泰铢的优惠住宿价格。乔恩还强调了保持活跃的网络存在的重要性，例如通过 Facebook 和 Instagram 展示社区生活、工作坊和故事，许多国际访客正是因此而了解 Pun Pun 的。
乔恩鼓励我们举办公开演讲和教育活动，向更广泛的受众传播生命禅院关于集体和谐、生态守护与灵性觉醒的愿景。
在 Pun Pun 成名之前，他常常在咖啡馆与社区空间中演讲；截至目前，他已受邀在清迈进行了两次 TED 演讲。
当被问及如何维系社区关系的和谐时，乔恩给出了一条简单却深刻的建议：
“我们必须学会理解自己的情绪与感受，并学会不做完美主义者。和谐的关键在于懂得如何理解并调节情绪健康。”
他进一步阐述了培养人际和谐的几个核心原则：
1. 倾听中的尊重 —— 真正的理解始于愿意深度聆听他人。
2. 认知并尊重他人的需要 —— 当我们超越自我视角时，慈悲便自然生发。
3. 及时化解小矛盾 —— 不让小问题演变成大冲突。
4. 关注细节 —— 对细节的觉察维系整体的和平。
5. 理解他人的困难 —— 每个人都背负着看不见的重担，值得我们的共情。
6. 以觉知与尊重分享权力 —— 真正的领导力根植于谦逊与互敬。
7. 不评判与开放的倾听 —— 接纳之中自然生出理解。
乔恩还以一贯的简朴分享了他的家庭生活。他的妻子是一位美国人，两人在农场志愿活动中相识，他们的儿子目前在美国求学。这种文化交流的自然流动，也体现在他们的生活方式中。他的妻子每年举办数次女性自然建造工作坊，引导参与者通过双手创作重新连接大地。
他还谈到泰国的家庭教育制度。他的儿子从小在家接受教育，而非进入传统学校。泰国政府支持家庭教育：家长需向教育部提交课程计划与教学目标说明，获得批准后，政府会每年发放孩子的学习证明。此外，政府还为实施家庭教育的家长提供约 7,000 泰铢的补助。如果家长想教授更多学生，可申请教师执照并设立社区教育项目——这是一种鼓励自主、价值导向教育的鼓舞人心的模式。
我们也向乔恩分享了关于泰国签证申请费用高、程序复杂的挑战。他建议与一位泰国伙伴合作成立基金会，并咨询律师。基金会注册后，可申请工作签证与志愿者签证。对泰国公民而言，整个过程约需 6 个月；对外国人而言，约需一年或更久。
乔恩秉持“无规则、无领导、但有相互尊重”的生活哲学。他认为，社区成员人数不超过 20 人时，能够自我管理；若人数过多，则需要更多的组织与协调。
在了解生命禅院模式后，乔恩建议我们参访 Santi Asoke（山地阿索克），这是由巴颂拉克法师（Phra Bodhirak，原名 Mongkol Charoenpura）于 1975 年创立的泰国佛教运动。Santi Asoke 强调简朴、自给自足与严格的佛教实践，其有意社区融合了伦理生活、正念与对消费社会的脱离。
Santi Asoke 的核心特征包括：
素食生活 —— 成员严格遵守素食，以体现伦理生活。
简朴生活 —— 社区追求自给自足，种植食物、生产生活必需品。
精神修炼 —— 冥想、道德行为与正念是生活的核心。
集体生活结构 —— 成员共同生活，资源共享、责任共担。
位于呵叻府（Nakhon Ratchasima）的 Ratchathani Asoke 是其分支社区之一，与其他中心一样，实践简朴、可持续与灵性成长的生活方式。
这些社区是“佛法实践化”的典范，将冥想、生态觉知与集体生活融为一体。尽管他们因另类生活方式偶有与泰国当局的摩擦，但依然以独特且鼓舞人心的方式持续存在。
离开 Pun Pun 时，我们不仅带走了宝贵的实践知识，更带着一份焕然一新的清明与虔诚，在喜悦的简朴、相互信任与对万物的敬意中茁壮成长。
我们已邀请乔恩于明年三月前来参访泰国的生命禅院社区，以便更好地了解我们的需要。待他了解之后，将于四月为我们的社区量身开设支持性课程。
2025-10-10
A Study Visit to Pun Pun with Jon Jandai —A Journey into Ecological Wisdom, Community Harmony, and Spiritual Awareness Xilian Jon Jandai has long been someone Yangle and I deeply wished to meet and learn from. His pioneering work in developing sustainable eco-villages and international community models has made him a guiding light for those seeking harmony between human life and the natural world. His insights into cooperative living, regenerative ecological design, and spiritual awareness resonate profoundly with the principles underpinning the Lifechanyuan International Family Community model.
On 3rd October, we traveled to Pun Pun with hearts full of anticipation and curiosity. We were warmly welcomed and invited to share lunch with Jon before our discussion—a simple yet heartfelt gesture that immediately set the tone for an authentic and meaningful encounter. The visit was not merely an opportunity to meet a visionary; it was an immersion into the living philosophy and daily practices that have allowed Jon’s community to thrive.
During our conversations, Jon shared how his community cultivates trust, harmony, and a shared sense of purpose. Listening to him, we sensed the seamless integration of ecological mindfulness with compassionate human connection—how every decision, from the choice of natural building materials to the quality of interpersonal exchanges, reflects these guiding values. These insights align closely with the Lifechanyuan vision of creating sanctuaries rooted in simplicity, mutual care, and spiritual evolution.
Meeting Jon in person was both humbling and inspiring. Beyond his expertise, what left the deepest impression was the way he embodies his teachings—simplicity, mindfulness, and spiritual awareness expressed effortlessly through every gesture and word.
When asked about self-sufficiency, community awareness, and guiding new members, Jon shared several practical strategies that sustain Pun Pun. The community grows its own rice and vegetables, operates a cozy café on-site, and manages a small retail shop offering essentials such as handmade soap, shampoo, books, and woven bags. Some of these products are also sold through popular online platforms in Thailand, including Lazada.
The primary source of income, however, comes from workshops, generating around 50,000–60,000 baht per month. The café contributes approximately 10,000 baht monthly, while online sales fluctuate. Members involved in these enterprises receive a modest monthly allowance of about 6,000 baht each. Half of the community’s income is reinvested into maintaining and expanding the gardens—a reflection of their devotion to ecological regeneration. Yet, despite these structured systems, Jon’s truest joy lies in freely sharing seeds with anyone who asks, embodying his belief that generosity and abundance form the foundation of sustainability.
To attract volunteers and raise awareness, Jon recommended connecting with WWOOF (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms, sometimes also called Willing Workers on Organic Farms). WWOOF is an international network linking volunteers—often called “WWOOFers”—with organic farms and sustainable communities. Volunteers contribute their time and labor in exchange for food, accommodation, and the opportunity to learn about sustainable living practices rather than monetary payment. At Pun Pun, volunteers who work approximately six hours per day are hosted at a discounted rate of 500 baht per day. Jon also emphasized the importance of maintaining an active online presence through Facebook and Instagram, noting that many international visitors discovered Pun Pun through social media stories, workshops, and glimpses of community life.
Jon encouraged us to organize public talks and educational sessions to share the Lifechanyuan vision of collective harmony, ecological stewardship, and spiritual awakening with a wider audience.
Before Pun Pun became widely known, he often presented in cafés and community spaces, and to date, he has been invited to deliver two TED Talks in Chiang Mai.
When asked about maintaining harmonious relationships within the community, Jon offered a simple yet profound insight:
“We must always seek to understand our emotions and feelings, and learn not to be perfectionists. The key to harmony is learning how to understand and regulate our emotional health.”
He elaborated on several key principles for cultivating interpersonal harmony:
1. Respect through listening – True understanding begins with the willingness to hear others deeply.
2. Recognize and honor others’ needs – Compassion arises when we see beyond our own perspectives.
3. Resolve small issues early – Do not allow minor conflicts to snowball into larger problems.
4. Be attentive to the small things – Consciousness in the details sustains peace in the whole.
5. Seek to understand others’ challenges – Every person carries unseen burdens that deserve empathy.
6. Share power with awareness and respect – True leadership is rooted in humility and mutual regard.
7. Practice non-judgment and open-hearted listening – Through acceptance, understanding naturally unfolds.
Jon also spoke of his personal life with characteristic simplicity. He is married to an American woman he met when she volunteered at his farm, and their son currently studies in the United States—a reflection of how cultural exchange flows naturally through his life. His wife leads women’s natural building workshops several times a year, empowering participants to reconnect with the earth through hands-on creation.
He discussed homeschooling in Thailand, explaining that his son was educated at home from a young age rather than attending conventional schools. The Thai government actively supports homeschooling: parents submit a curriculum and statement of purpose to the Ministry of Education for approval, after which annual certificates recognizing the child’s progress are issued. This approach allows families to nurture education in alignment with their values, creativity, and rhythm of life. Jon added that the government provides a financial incentive of about 7,000 baht to parents who homeschool their children. Those wishing to teach more students can apply for a teaching license and establish their own community-based educational programs—an inspiring model for self-directed, values-based learning.
We also shared challenges regarding the high cost and complexity of obtaining visas in Thailand. Jon suggested setting up a foundation with a Thai partner and consulting a lawyer for guidance. Once the foundation is registered, it can apply for work and volunteer visas. The process typically takes about six months for Thai applicants and around a year or more for foreigners.
Jon prefers to live by a philosophy of no rules, no leaders, but with mutual respect. He advised that a community of no more than 20 members can self-manage effectively, while larger groups require more attention and organization.
After learning about the Lifechanyuan model, Jon recommended visiting Santi Asoke (or Santi Asoka), a Thai Buddhist movement founded in 1975 by Phra Bodhirak (formerly Mongkol Charoenpura). Santi Asoke emphasizes simplicity, self-sufficiency, and strict adherence to Buddhist principles. Its intentional communities integrate ethical living, mindfulness, and reduced dependence on consumer society.
Key aspects of Santi Asoke include:
• Vegetarian lifestyle – Members follow strict vegetarianism as part of ethical living.
• Simple living – Communities prioritize self-sufficiency, growing their own food and producing basic goods.
• Spiritual discipline – Meditation, ethical conduct, and mindfulness are central.
• Community structure – Members live collectively, sharing resources and responsibilities.
Ratchathani Asoke, in Nakhon Ratchasima (Korat), is one of the branch communities. Like other centers, it practices simplicity, sustainable living, and spiritual cultivation.
These communities serve as practical examples of applied Buddhism, integrating meditation, ecological awareness, and communal living. While occasionally facing tension with Thai authorities due to their unconventional lifestyle, they persist as unique and inspiring models of ethical and intentional living.
Leaving Pun Pun, we carried with us not only practical knowledge but a renewed sense of clarity and devotion, thrives in joyful simplicity, mutual trust, and deep reverence for all forms of life.
We had invited Jon to visit the Lifechanyuan community in Thailand, and he intends to come sometime in March to better understand our needs. After gaining this understanding, he plans to prepare and offer courses in April, tailored to support the people in our community.
2025-10-10
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