01x04 - Happiness Is Quieting Your @#$%^&* Mind

[bunniefuu]

[birds chirping]

[cow moos]

[bell dings]

- You're finding inner peace.

Find it.

Do it.
Do it.

[fly buzzes]

What is the meaning of life?

Also, what is that smell?

How common is male pattern
baldness among monks?

Ugh! How much longer do
I have to sit here?

I'm just gonna do it.
I'm--

Shut up. Stop talking--
pee my pants--

in your brain--
they won't even know.

Bears, beets,
"Battlestar Galactica."

Oh, my God, can we please
literally go anywhere else?

Silence the chatter.
Bjork, Bjork, Bjork.

Shut up, brain!
Shut up!

Gah!

[Nicky Blitz' "Blast Off"]

- * Getting too close,
better pull on back *

- What if I travel the world,

exploring what makes some
places happier than others?

- * Need a one-two *

- I'm looking at the ways
that where we are...

- * Yeah, I'm a-comin',
I'm a-comin' *

- Affect who we are.

- * Whoo, I'm a-comin' *

* I'm a-comin', yeah *

- It's been said that
the search for happiness

is the chief source
of unhappiness.

- * I'm a-comin',
I'm a-comin' *

- Well, that's okay.

I'm already unhappy,
so I've got nothing to lose.

- * Let's blast off *

* Let's blast off
blast off *

[upbeat music]

* *

- Oh, man, this view is insane.

Chiang Mai, Thailand's
rose of the north,

a 700-year-old holy city

boasting 300 Buddhist
temples, and...

You want to get
massaged by an ex-con?

I know just the place.

Where the sacred
and the profane exists

side-by-side in fantastically
strange matrimony.

I never thought I'd see
someone vacuuming

a Buddhist temple
in a Tupac t-shirt.

Some Buddhist dogs.

These dogs are
so in the moment.

Now, I've visited Thailand
before as a tourist,

but I'm back because
this is the most

joyful place I've ever been.

And I've only just
scratched the surface.

* *

- In Thailand,
it's just the normal way

to interact with everyone.

- Abroad, maybe you would
have that close up right away.

Like, don't enter my
space and enter my world.

As a Thai, I feel like
they're very kind.

- Thais have names
for 13 kinds of smiles.

- That's known as
the yim thak taai.

- That one's the yim
thang namm taa, I think.

Maybe.

- No.
That's the exact same smile.

Stop it.

- That one's called the--

oh, I don't know.

I give up.

- [laughs]

- Thais excel at a
specific kind of happiness,

different from
Icelandic resiliency

or Ghanaian optimism.

[upbeat jazz music]

Each year, Gallup asks folks
around the world questions

like, "Did you smile or
laugh a lot yesterday?"

And, "Did you learn or do
something interesting?"

It's known as
a positive emotions poll.

[all shouting]

Thais report
extremely high levels

of enjoyment,
low levels of sadness,

and are constantly
trying new things.

These people know
how to have fun

for the sake of freaking fun.

So I'm in Thailand
to find out,

do I just need to learn
to enjoy myself?

To get started,
Best Chitsanupong

is the poor sap tasked with
having to explain fun to me.

And I'm about to
ruin her close-up.

Hey, there.

both: Hi!
- Rainn.

- Nice to see you. I'm Best.
Nice to meet you.

- Best, it's so
nice to meet you.

Best and Rainn.
- Yeah.

- Those are some good names.

So where--where
are you taking me?

- I'm going to take you
to one of the--my secret,

but it's not really secret,
because it's so amazing

that everyone knows it.
[laughs]

- OK.
All right.

Sounds intriguing.

Hey, Kyle.
How's it going, man?

- What's up, brother?

* *

Wow.
Look at this.

Please.
- Thank you.

Welcome.
- OK.

Drag show cabarets have been
a fixture of Thai culture

for half a century.

They're places where
people from all walks

of life leave their
bullshit behind

and just enjoy themselves.

So this is the perfect first
stop as I learn the art

of cutting loose a little bit.

Look at that stage.
- Yes.

- I've performed on
stages like that before.

- Oh, I would love to see that.

- I wonder what my
drag name would be.

Bobby Bliss.

Shannon Scranton.

John Krasinski.

Do you ever perform here?

- No.

Maybe when I'm drunk.
- OK.

[both laugh]
OK.

- There are so many
places in the world.

Why you chose to be
here in Thailand?

- I really wanted
to explore Thailand.

There's something about
the beauty of the people,

of the culture, the kind
of radiant joy and fun

that the Thai
people express so--

so easily, so naturally.

You know, I struggle
myself with happiness.

I'm--I'm in my head
a lot, doubting myself.

I have a lot of
negative self-talk.

Maybe there's some
keys here, you know?

Maybe there's
a little bit of hope

to be found here in Thailand.

- I feel like this place,
this the right place

that you can feel
joy and feel sanuk.

Sanukis like happiness,
but with joy.

Because you come here,
you see the show,

you get entertained, right?

You can be who you are.

[cheering]

[upbeat dance music]

* *

- Sanuk is often
translated to mean fun,

but there's more
to it than that.

Sanuk is a way of life,
a perspective.

Thais find ways to crack
jokes as often as possible

and find pleasure
in everything they do,

even the boring stuff.

Whether it's in the office,
the paddy fields,

or the drag show cabaret,
if it's notsanuk,

then it's not worth doing.

[cheers and applause]

Hi, thank you.

Wonderful.

Wow, fantastic.
Amazing.

So many sequins,
so many feathers.

Unbelievable.
That was great, you guys.

Wow.

With 30 pounds of
feathers on your head.

This place is so much fun.

* *

What do I need to know
to begin this trip,

to look for happiness?

- But I have a question.

Is it hard to be sad,
sometimes,

in Thailand, if there's
a lot of pressure to smile

and be happy?

Is it difficult sometimes,
if you're--

if you truly are angry, or
you're sad, you're grieving?

- Well, that's
a wonderful attitude.

How do you say thank you?

- Kob khun krup.
- Kob khun krup,yes.

- Kob khun--
kob khun krup.

* Kob khun krup *

That's mine.

- * Kob khun krup *

- Yeah.
- OK.

Was that good?
- So cute.

[laughs]
- Thank you so much

for sharing your dancing,
your show,

your sanuk,
with all of us today.

It was really beautiful.

But I'm just going to have to
take something before I go,

so thank you.

[chatter, laughter]

- OK, you can--
- All right.

- Oh, my God.
- Wow!

- Yeah!
- Yes.

- * Kob khun krup *
- Yes!

[engine rumbling]

- Ugh, this thing stalls.

[engine revving]

[upbeat music]

* *

Perhaps Thailand's
fun fixation

is explained by the fact
that the country

is over 90% Buddhist.

Sanuk is a Buddhist concept,

a reminder of the importance
of living in the moment.

But it's easy to have fun
when surrounded

by dancing and music.

What about
the rest of the time?

To see how Thais find
sanuk in the day-to-day,

I dust the glitter off
my shoulders and head

to the peaceful Chiang Mai
countryside.

* *

Hello.
- Good morning.

[speaking Thai]
- [speaking Thai]

- Nice to meet you.
I'm Prapat.

- Prapat?
- Yes.

Welcome to visit my family.

- For 150 years, Prapat
Rhum Kowyanun's family

has lived on this land.

And today,
multi-multi-multi-generations

live here together...

growing all kinds of goodies
and teaching visitors

about the culture
of the Lanna,

the indigenous people
of Northern Thailand.

- What do I need this for?

- Buddhism teaches
a connection between

our natural environment
and our spiritual health.

Caring for the land means
caring for ourselves.

Prapat's been kind enough to
invite me to a family feast.

- But he's making
me work for my meal.

I feel like I need a shovel.
It's big.

And I just broke--
turmeric broke my knife!

What?

- What are you doing here?

Wow, this is huge.

This garden just
goes on and on.

- You have a moat.
Amazing.

- Ginseng, yes.

- OK.

- Viagra?

- Yeah, Viagra. Yeah.

I wouldn't know anything
about--about those pills.

So-
- OK.

- Oh, OK.

- It's a vag*na shrinker.

All right.

Prapat may seem like
a sly old rascal

with a side hustle

peddling sexual enhancement
supplements,

but, in truth, he has
a deep devotion

to his native land
and its history.

The Kingdom of Thailand was
established in the 1200s,

and over the centuries, it
has maintained its autonomy.

It's the only Southeast
Asian country

never colonized by Europeans,

so there's a rich
set of traditions and customs

that have evolved here

for hundreds of years,
undisturbed.

Traditions that Prapat and his
family continue to carry out.

- Excellent!

[light music]

- Here, show me how it's done.

You try it, tough guy.

That's pretty much what
I was doing, right?

- Yeah.
- What is your uncle's name?

- Nunang.
- Nunang.

- Yeah.
- I come from America,

but I come to Thailand
to look for--for joy.

Do you--do you have any
secrets to happiness?

- Stay with the family?

- It's very sad in America.

We really abandon
our old people a lot.

- That's a work of art,
right there.

Look at that. Mmm.

Mmm!
- Good?

- It smells so good.
- Yeah.

- Mm, smell that.

Oh, and the whole
family's here!

[laughter]

Hello.
[speaking Thai]

Hello.
- Welcome, welcome.

- OK. Thank you.

- Big family, yes.

- Ooh, what's in here?

- Nam ngiew.

[chatter]

- [coughs]

- A little spice in there.
Yeah, indeed.

- So this is really a
question for the whole family.

You have visitors come
here and visit your--

your beautiful
house and garden,

and cook and eat together,
and you teach them

about your way of life.

What's important
to impart to them?

- How do you preserve this way
of life, this way of living,

this way of being, with the
modern world encroaching?

[laughter, chatter]

- Growing up,
I remember sitting

in silence over
frozen TV dinners

with my dad and stepmom.

There wasn't a ton of love
expressed in my house,

and I was desperate for the
kind of family I watched

on my favorite sitcoms.

So when I see the joyful
faces of Prapat and his family

as they share a meal,
I'm actually overwhelmed.

- She's asking,
why do I look so stressed?

- Yeah.
- Um, I don't know.

I'm--I'm kind of an
anxious guy, you know?

I get stressed out easily.

It's a struggle for me to
control my fear, my worries.

This is one of the
reasons why I really

wanted to come
to Thailand and why

I wanted to meet all of you.

- So you make
the best out of today.

- Make today is the
very happy today.

- Mm-hmm.
- Yes.

Something--do the best today.

- Eating together, enjoying
your culture,

living one day at a time--

is it really that simple?

- Simple.

[contemplative music]

* *

[chatter, laughter]

- [speaking Thai]

* *

- So back at my hotel room
after a nice, hot shower.

Such a beautiful hospitality.

I struggle to know
how to interact

with people that are so kind
and warm and open-hearted.

I go to being
a little acerbic,

being the funny guy.

I don't know if that's just me
or if that's my Americanness.

I'm not exactly sure.

I've spent my life trying to
think my way to happiness.

But perhaps the source
of my frustrations

isn't flawed thinking,

but the act
of thinking itself.

In Thailand,
you either come around

to this way of not
overthinking everything,

or you go insane.

It's too soon for me to say on
which side I'm gonna land.

[mellow music]

[meows]

- Oh, I'm sweating so much.

* *

I'm questioning where all
these years of introspection

have gotten me--

a library of self-help books
and an annoying tendency

to make things about myself.

In a place as magical as this,
surrounded by folks who seem

to have it all figured out...

[sparse applause]

I'm kinda lonely.

Everyone keeps telling
me not to worry,

to live in the moment.

But, you know, that's
easier said than done.

Do I--do I stop and
buy the KFC socks?

Oh, my God.

That's when I stumbled
upon a fortune teller

who I figure can't possibly
make me feel any worse.

- Future. OK, wow.

- Every month,
money's coming to me.

Yeah. Uh-huh.
It's called residuals.

- I love shopping.
I live for shopping.

- Oh, happy love. Good.

- Happy family.
Wonderful.

- So what does that mean?
I pray to God?

- Oh, that's no good.
All right.

- Wow, I got a lot out of that.

Good money, pray every night,
big money coming my way.

[ringing bell]
Thank you.

[strumming guitar]

That's a smooth groove, bro.

Well, those were not
the uplifting words

of enlightenment I hoped
Thailand would provide.

All we are is dust in the wind.

But as I wallow in
self-pity, I remember

there are some people
across Thailand enduring

all sorts of real problems.

both: * Dust in the wind *

- In a place where
overthinking is taboo,

I want to see how folks
deal with actual adversity.

both:
* Is dust in the wind *

- And hey, since I'm facing
hospitalization anyhow...

let's just go full throttle.

[engine turns over]

How many CCs?
- 650.

- 650.
- Yeah.

- Nice.
- Yeah.

- Nice. That's a--that's
a nice Thai stallion.

[revs engine]
- Oh!

- This patient angel is Yaya,

a tuk-tuk driver who shepherds

annoying tourists like me
across Chiang Mai

as we attempt to
eat, pray, and love

our way to spiritual clarity.

- Push.

- Do these things flip?
You didn't say anything

about these things can flip.
- [laughs]

- Hold on! Hold on! Hold on.

Do you feel like I'm
ready to hit the road?

I feel like I'm ready.

- I'm ready for
the roads of Thailand.

Here we go!
Oh, my God!

- Please!
[laughs]

[upbeat music]

- Wow, this is cool.

Hello, Thailand!

Yes!

Does this have a horn?

[horn beeps]
- It's a beautiful drive.

- Yeah.

* *

- All righty.
- OK.

- I didn't k*ll anyone.
- No.

[both laugh]

- Thai iced tea is always good.

- OK.

- This for you.
- Thank you.

This looks great.

- Mm, look nice.

- Kob khun krup.
- That's great.

- Thank you for
the tuk-tuk lesson.

- You're welcome.

- And you're really
the only woman

tuk-tuk driver that takes
people up into the mountains?

- I think so.

* *

- People like Yaya
help make this country

a paradise for others,

but they often can't
afford the same luxuries.

For all of Thailand's joy,
itssanuk,

the nation only ranked 61st
on the World Happiness Report

in 2022.

- The number one business
in Thailand is tourism.

And for two years,
tourism shut down.

Like, no tourists allowed.

- Yes, correct. Yeah.

- And I even heard
from another tour guide

that she knew a tour guide
that had committed suicide.

- Mm-hmm.
- Because, um,

one of the
kind of dark secrets about--

about Thailand,
even though it's

such a beautiful,
peaceful, wonderful place,

is there's a lot of debt here.

- Correct.

- You had 12 credit cards?
- [laughs]

- Right, yeah.

- Eventually, Yaya managed
her way out of debt.

But she knew she wasn't alone.

So she started
a social media channel

to connect with other Thais
struggling like her,

taking everything she'd
learned the hard way

and sharing the wisdom.

It wasn't long before
Yaya became the Thai

tuk-tuk TikTok finance guru.

And by the way,
this isn't a business.

Yaya does this purely out
of a desire to help others.

- Yeah. You didn't want to do
the silly dancing TikTok.

- What kind of fascinates
me about your story is,

like, this impulse
to help people.

Like, you're struggling.
- Yes.

- You're suffering.
- Uh-huh.

- But you wanted to reach out.

You wanted to do
something positive.

- I love your spirit.

You taught yourself
to be a tuk-tuk driver.

You taught yourself
financial literacy.

You taught yourself
to be a social media

influencer for good.

This is--shows me so
much about who you are.

- Thank you.
- That's really beautiful.

That's very powerful.
- Thank you.

* *

- Yaya is onto
something with this whole

helping others thing.

Researchers at the
University of Chicago

surveyed 50,000 people
in widely varying careers

to study their levels of
professional fulfillment.

High prestige jobs,
like lawyers and bankers,

scored low.

Who reported the highest
levels of happiness?

Nurses, physical therapists,
firefighters, and clergy.

In other words,
helping professions.

Hi, everybody. Thanks.

Uh, we're going live on,
uh, Yaya's TikTok channel.

I've never--actually never
been on TikTok before.

- Oh, yeah.

- Um, so we are
here to show you

some really crazy dance moves.

Ready?
- OK--

- No, no, I'm kidding.

Anyone have any questions?

The happiness research
tells us that helping others

is one of the most
efficient ways

to make yourself happier.

Make sure to follow,
like, and subscribe.

In the face of hardship, Yaya
embraced a very Thai mentality

by getting out of her
own head and focusing

on those around her.

I've just spent too
much of this journey

thinking about myself.

It's time I do
something for others.

[light music]

* *

- There's a concept in
Buddhism called making merit.

It's sort of like
a karmic bank account.

Thais believe that
doing good deeds

earns them major points,
redeemable in the present

or a future lifetime.

So around here, every kind
gesture comes from within.

- The use of the word heart,
the word jai,

has so many meanings.

- Jai dee,
so, heart good.

- Hua jai, sook jai.

- Nam jai.

- Nam jailiterally
means water heart.

- Floats, you know?
Like, generous.

- Kindness.
- Yeah.

- Thai people lead
with kindness.

Like, everything is led with
kindness and compassion.

[laughter]

- Since I arrived in Thailand,
I've only been given things--

good advice, good food,
good conversation.

It's time I participate
in this spiritual calculus

and try making a little merit.

And where better to
do that than a place

responsible for
protecting Thailand's

most beloved
national treasures?

- [speaking Thai]
- Hello. [speaking Thai]

- Welcome to our Elephant
Pride Sanctuary family.

- Oh, wow.

Is this all a family?
Is this an elephant family?

- They are the same family,
from generation to generation.

The left-hand side
is named Noni.

- Noni?
- Noni, 21 years old.

And Bunjen, she's pregnant.

- Centuries ago, Thai
elephants were domesticated

for transportation and labor.

They're no longer
needed for either,

but today, they wouldn't
survive in the wild.

So Chanchai and his family
maintain this sanctuary

to allow them to live
out their days in peace,

which, when you think
about it,

is making merit
on a colossal scale.

- Oh, that's so good.

They're so excited
for the sunflower seeds.

They're hosing them up like a
vacuum cleaner out of my hand.

OK. All right. OK.

[squeals]
Oh, that's--

That's a weird sensation.

Oh, my goodness.
[elephant trumpets]

But it was wonderful.

Thank you for the kiss.

That is the third most
memorable kiss I've ever had.

I can't get over their eyes.
They're so ancient.

It's like they look
into your soul.

Yeah.

[light music]

* *

[chatter]

There's some nice, fresh
elephant dung right here.

It looks pretty healthy.

How deep is it here?
- Not too deep.

[speaking Thai]

- Whoa!
[laughs]

We're in the
jungles of Thailand.

I thought the river
would be warmer.

[laughter]

Hi, buddy.

[chatter]

Oh, scrub. OK.

[chatter]

Normally, I charge for this.

That's my good boy.

- He loves you.
- Good boy. OK.

Where are you going?
Hey, where are you going?

* *

It was really magical to
be hugged by an elephant,

to wash an elephant.

This wassanuk,
and making merit,

and, like, 17 other lessons
I've learned on this journey,

all wrapped into one moment.

And you know what?

My brain was quiet.

I wasn't questioning
happiness.

I was just enjoying it.

They're so ancient and
primordial, and their skin--

it's like nothing I've
ever touched before.

I love the eyes of
the elephant, too.

So wise, so knowing.

I'm so glad that they
have a loving home.

It was a powerful day.

We're searching for bliss.

Can we find it with a handful
of really simple ingredients?

Connection, warmth,
nature, play.

So far, you know,
the Thai people

are really leading the way.

[laughter]

This is what heaven feels like!

[thunder rumbles]

[light music]

* *

- Spirituality is a key
component of my life.

- It's good to have, like, a
guideline in life

that teaches you
and reminds you

to, like, take a step back,
slow down, and look inside.

- I guess
the word spirituality,

for me, it's like getting in
touch with your own spirit.

Like, your inner self.

- Know yourself.

Imagine just when
everyone on Earth,

we really know ourselves.

It's turned my life
and my attitudes to, like,

happiness immediately.

Just like that, yes.

* *

- Throughout all the
turbulent times in my life,

one consistent source
of well-being

has always been spirituality.

Since childhood, I have
been a member

of the Bahá'í Faith,

which I'm pretty confident

you're googling
right about now.

[horn honks]

But just as it's my belief
in the divine

which colors my worldview,

so it is with Thailand.

Buddhism teaches
Thais to accept

what happens in life because
they take the long view--

eternity.

Periods of good fortune
naturally alternate

with periods of adversity,

which is why Thais
are such a remarkably relaxed,

meditative people.

[grunting]

Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait.

OK. You know what, I don't
like where this is going.

* *

This dude with the biceps,
and quads,

and pecs
is Chris Smith.

He's an American Marine vet
who now runs

a Thai kickboxing gym
in Chiang Mai.

So you're going to teach
me the ancient, mysterious,

deadly art of Muay Thai?

- Are you up for it?
- No.

[laughter]
But I'll do it anyway,

because it's great television.
- Yeah. [laughs]

[grunting]

- Is that all you got?

Of all the places I've
been to in the world,

perhaps the most peaceful
people I've ever met

are the Thai people.
- Yeah.

- And the Thai people
have created

one of the most violent martial
arts in--in human history.

- Yeah. Historically, I think
it's because there's

a lot of fighting
that happened in Thailand.

So it's a cultural
martial art

that has just evolved
over time.

- Chris teaches Muay Thai,

also known as the art
of eight limbs,

because of its powerful
combination of kicks,

elbow jabs, knee attacks,

and pretty much anything else
that can render a man sterile.

Ow!

Chris moved to
Thailand 10 years ago

and opened this facility,

where he trains young people
struggling with addiction

and mental illness.

- I'm half Thai,
so I thought I'd go

and see the other side
of who I thought that I was.

- Yeah.
- So I went on the adventure,

fell in love with Thailand,
and here I am, still here.

- And you live near here.
- Yeah.

I lived on site because,
you know,

I built this place
for myself, too.

- Mm.
- You know, um--

I had a lot of trouble coming
out of the States, you know.

A lot of issues with myself,
you know, internally.

So I just wanted to make
a positive environment,

help out with the community.

And then people started to
gravitate towards the idea,

and they just kept
coming and coming.

So now we help--
- So it's kind of

a Muay Thai resort, too.
- Yeah.

So we're going to pad you up.

Do you want to change
over into any gear?

- I want the whole thing.
- You want the whole garb?

- I want the whole
outfit, yeah.

Whatever you got.

[rock music]

* *

- Ready, go.

1, 2, 3, 4, 5.

Do you have any injuries
that I should be aware of?

- I'm solid.
I'm just tight,

and I'm out of shape.
- [grunting]

Smash the guard. Hey!

So chicken wings, like this.
Again. Yes.

- Am I the whitest guy
that's ever been in this gym,

by the way?
Shin to the kidney.

[grunts]
- That's good.

- It hurts my shin.

- [grunting]

That's it. That's it.

- All right.
- Yeah. Good?

- Good. Did I pass?
- Yeah.

We'll take a break, and
then we'll go into the ring.

- All right.

- All right,
grab some water.

- Can I have a Thai iced tea?
[laughter]

[dramatic music]

* *

Just up and over.

[grunts]

Wait, are you--are you going to
wear pads or something?

- No, I'll be fine.

- You have something down
there, though, right?

- No, I'll be fine.

- I don't want to
accidentally hit you

in your Thai family jewels.

- OK.
Here we go.

Go ahead.

- OK. What am I doing?

- Hit me with your right.
- [grunting]

Harder, harder.
Come on.

- You don't have any pads on!

- Come on!
- You're a lunatic!

It's like hitting a tree.
- Yeah. Come on.

- [grunting]

- Yeah, go.

Come on.
- Gotcha!

Ahh!

- Faster. Come on.
Faster.

- [grunting]

Oh, my God.

Ding, ding.
- Kick! Come on, kick!

[grunting]
- Oh, man.

[groans]

OK.

[panting]

Wow.

That's really intense.

- How do you feel?

- Worn out.
- Yeah.

- A little invigorated.
- Yeah.

- [groans]

That didn't look awkward,
did it?

- No.

- OK. We're chilling here?
- Yeah, yeah.

- All right.

[exhales]

So how did you end up
here in Chiang Mai?

- I grew up in a broken home.

About 16 years old,
I left the house.

After that, I decided to
join the Marines.

- Mm-hmm.

- Once 9/11 hit,

I was the first wave in.

- So you were
in active combat?

- Iraq, yeah. Yeah.

You know,
I came back with PTSD.

I came back with issues.

I had a lot of nightmares,
you know, flashbacks.

I got into a lot of trouble.

You know, drugs and alcohol.

It's like putting
a Band-Aid on a lesion

that's just continually
flowing.

I was looking at all of
these external factors

to bring me happiness--
medication, alcohol, drugs,

women, relationships, cars.

- That's the American way,
isn't it?

- That's the American way.
- Looking for happiness

outside of ourselves.
- Exactly.

And how many people out there

are actually really,
really happy?

- Mm. So did you come to
Thailand to escape?

- I came to Thailand
to discover my roots,

to be honest.

I fell in love with the place.

People here are,
you know, very kind.

They're friendly.

They're generous
towards each other.

I was feeling more comfortable.

I was reinventing myself.

I want to say it's
spiritual awakening.

- In addition to founding
his Muay Thai gym,

Chris also became a devout
follower of Buddhism,

trained as a monk, and
has integrated meditation

into his daily life.

You talked about
a spiritual awakening,

which is such an important
part of the recovery process.

I know, for myself, I've had
a few spiritual awakenings

in my recovery.

And it's something that
I'm always chasing.

And I think it's a healthy
thing to chase, right?

It's not--it's not chasing the
next high or the next drunk.

You're chasing that kind of--

the sublime.

Have you found some wisdom?

- If you could imagine some
gung-h* Marine as*h*le,

that's what I was.

And now, like, this
is me 10 years later.

And it's because of
the surroundings.

It's because of the people.

It's because of Buddhism.

But everybody has
their own journey.

Everybody has their own path.

And at the same time,
you have to be ready

to face your demons.

- That's the journey.
- That's the journey.

- It's inward.
- It's inward.

It's absolutely inward.

You're not going to
find it looking outside.

You're just going to
find all the distractions

that keep you away from it.

How many people get a job
because it just pays well,

or get married for the
wrong reasons, or you know,

have cars to compete with
your neighbors, or you know,

a bigger house?

All of that stuff is what
brought me to where I am now,

because I learned from it.

And I learned,
and I understood,

and I understood
more about myself,

and I came to
those conclusions.

But I had to dig.

It's not--it's not free.

And maybe it takes a thousand
lifetimes for some people.

- Chris and I have
very different stories.

While he was overseas
serving our country,

I was directing a weird
off-Broadway artsy play

about clowns sharing
an apartment with fish.

And yet, we have
a few things in common.

We both survived
rough childhoods.

We both leaned on drugs and
alcohol to escape our sadness.

But seeing Chris
not only surviving

but genuinely thriving

proves that a reinvention
of our relationship

with happiness
is within our grasp.

Chris, it's been
just honestly--

just such an honor to--

to train with you.

- Kob khun krup.

- Can I give you a hug?
- Yeah, sure. Yeah.

- I won't grapple.

- Come here, come here.

Wanna fight you.
[laughter]

[horn honks]

[light music]

- I've spent so much of
this international journey

looking outward that I've
neglected to look inward.

And yet, it took all
of these experiences,

from Iceland to Ghana, to see
myself a bit more clearly--

looking inward,
but finally wearing

the right prescription.

* *

But before I leave Thailand...
Hello!

- I'm making one final stop.

- [speaking Thai]

- Thank you.

- [speaking Thai]

- I like your dogs.

- Yeah.
- These are beautiful dogs.

Wait--wait a second.

I didn't even see that
there's so many dogs here.

These are terrible watchdogs.

[laughs]
- I did not expect to find

a monk smoking in a La-Z-Boy
surrounded by dogs.

So you've defied
all of my expectations.

- [laughs]

* *

- This is Pra Vijia.

For the last 40 years,
he's pursued inner peace

in these rolling hills
of Chiang Mai

as a Theravada Buddhist monk.

But he's not just any monk.

He's a fortune-telling telling
monk, which isn't actually

tied to his monk status
in any way,

but I'm hopeful he'll
provide more profundity

beyond my body
being bad and death

awaiting me at a hospital.

- I have a lot of stuff.

I have a swimming pool.

I have a nice car.

But I'm seeking
even greater inner peace.

Basically, I came to you
for the meaning of life.

So can we just boil
it down to that?

Thais are
a superstitious bunch,

and the old world tradition
of numerology--

drawing meaning from
different numbers and letters

in a person's life--

is still commonly
practiced today.

I've given Pra Vijia my
birthday and time of birth,

and nothing else.

- Thanks so much. OK.
[laughter]

Good.
I made a monk laugh.

I love it.

Um--no, that's
beautifully said.

That's really so simple.

And, um, how does one stop
feeling disappointed?

Life is a series of constant
disappointments, isn't it?

- What you're saying really
resonates with me so much.

Um, so much of my
life is so busy,

countering countless texts,
and emails, and needs,

and scheduling.

I live a lot in
disappointment,

and also anxiety
for the future.

And just even having
this conversation

makes me realize that
there's greater resonances

to love
by being more present,

more mindful,
more in the moment.

So your words bring
great peace to my heart,

and I thank you for them.

May I ask, can I
have a cigarette?

- Kob khun krup.

- Mmm.

- My mother left me when
I was two years old.

So at the root of
everything, I suppose,

is that gaping wound of,
like, I'm not lovable enough.

That's why I've been in
therapy for 20 years.

- Hm.

- That's very true.

I had a great deal
of suffering,

when I was younger,
and when I was older.

But this shaped me
into who I am.

I wouldn't be who I am
as an artist,

as a human being, if I hadn't
gone through that suffering.

So in some ways,
I am very grateful for it.

- OK. I'll let it go.
Fine.

- [laughs]

- You're a lot better than my
therapist at home, by the way,

I just want to say.

And he charges $350 an hour.

[birds chirping]

- OK.

[soothing music]

* *

- Yi-Fu Tuan said,
"Happy people

"have no reason to think.

They live rather than
question living."

I've spent a good chunk
of time this past year

trekking around the world
in search of happiness,

but was this journey
one giant fool's errand?

Should I have been looking
within myself all along?

After so much time away
from my family and friends,

I'm ready to head back
to the cultureless void

of Los Angeles and find out if
this whole quest for bliss...

[horns honking]

has made any damn difference.

[pedals squeaking]

- It's a very inexact science.

- Oh, I'm turning too much.