The abbot’s idea transformed the cemetery of Wat Nong Khayat in Chonburi into a paradise by making it a ‘cemetery cafe’. He took the food he received from alms rounds and the people who made merit and gave it to tourists for free. The villagers were happy to make merit with the temple.
This is the cemetery of Wat Nong Khyat, Nong Khyat Sub-district, Phanat Nikhom District, Chonburi Province. The abbot of the temple has transformed it into a paradise by making a café and a place for villagers to bring food to distribute for free, called ‘Pa Cha Cafe.’ It is made into a walkway archway, with food stalls, a coffee shop, and an inn. The items inside the Pa Cha Cafe are items that the villagers have worked together to make merit and given away for free to visitors without paying a single cent. The atmosphere is lively and lively, with a constant stream of tourists. Even though the surrounding Pa Cha Cafe may seem desolate, as it is surrounded by many pagodas containing the ashes of the deceased. When you walk i
n, you will find them on the side of the road, but once you reach the Pa Cha Cafe, it’s like another land, like being in a different world.
Phra Athikarn Boonsueb Rakkhitsilo, abbot of Wat Nong Khyat, said that this plot of land was an old cemetery of the temple, which had no value at all. The villagers did not even dare to drive through it. Even the monks in the temple were afraid and did not dare to enter the cemetery. They thought about what to do with the cemetery, so they came up with the idea of ??creating benefits for the villagers and making it a place of study for people in the community, showing them that a scary place is not as scary as they think. They transformed the cemetery into a place for people to come and study, calm their minds, and eliminate their fear.
After it was built, there were supportive villagers who brought snacks and various foods to make merit and distribute to tourists who came to visit this place. Moreover, the coffee shop that was built was free of charge. There was no cha
rge because most of the food and expenses here came from the alms of the monks and relatives who came to make merit. I felt happy that the villagers were able to participate in creating benefits for this place. And the villagers seemed happy with what they did because they were making merit together. Therefore, it was the origin of ‘Pa Graveyard Cafe’ from transforming the graveyard into a heavenly land. From a place that the villagers were afraid of, it became a place that the villagers wanted to come to.
Source: Thai News Agency