English Monk in Thailand....

[Para]

Thank you again for this explanation Para.

 

This raises a few questions with me.

 

Wearing shorts. How long should they be to be considered decent? Below the knees?

How about dress code for women visiting a temple?

 

Then you talk about the different ranks of monks. How can we recognize these? How do we know we are talking to the abbot or a senior monk?

 

(Again feel free to move this to the bottom of the queue)

 

I knew I would miss stuff sorry!

 

Short length as long as they aint speedo's you are fine slightly above knee is no problem.

 

Ladies again simple respectful shorts and t-shirts are fine BUT you may well find a TG will fully cover her legs and arms.

 

Recognizing a Monks rank is easy just look at how many stripes he has on his robes! Joking its impossible to ever know first off hence address him a Luang Por that way you will never go wrong.

 

Normally the Abbot doesn't walk around the temple so you would generally be taken to meet him at his kuti (Monk house) so will know before hand who he is. While I have seen Thai's prostrate to a normal Monk its generally reserved for high ranking ones. Even as a Monk when being introduced to a very senior Monk we would prostrate in front of him.

 

The real important things to remember are be quite and respectful. Take your shoes and hat off when going into a building. Don't point your feet towards a Buddha icon or Monk. I would also say remove a hat if walking and see a Monk.

 

There are tons of fine details I could go into but IMO its not needed. As a foreigner even being in a temple will be of great interest to the Monks and trust me when I say Thai Monks LOVE practicing their English and are normal people who do like to talk with visitors.

 

Does that help?

[furryman]

Need a good mnemonic for the prostration thing, sort an equivalent to "Spectales, testicles, wallet then watch"

 

Good to see you back Para

[Para]

Need a good mnemonic for the prostration thing, sort an equivalent to "Spectales, testicles, wallet then watch"

 

Good to see you back Para

 

LMFAO where did you get that gem from? Or do you simply apply the same rule before a BF leaves after you are done!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[eXplosief]

Thanks, that should answer the questions i had after your previous post.

[furryman]

LMFAO where did you get that gem from? Or do you simply apply the same rule before a BF leaves after you are done!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's to help one remember the how to do the sign of the cross. I first saw it in the film 'Nuns on the Run' with Eric Idle, but the reference to wearing a pocetwatch in the right side chest pocket makes me think it's got a longer history than that. 

[marko456]

Thanks, at least so far I'm not making any major gafs....did shake the abbots hand the first time

Mark

[Para]

Thanks, at least so far I'm not making any major gafs....did shake the abbots hand the first time

Mark

 

And what did the Anbbot do or say?

[marko456]

He asked if I wanted some coffee, how was I, etc. Next visit I did the 3 wai, and when leaving he stuck out his hand to shake mine

[eXplosief]

Reading this article (http://www.pattaya-addicts.com/forum/topic/147336-hustling-monks-scolded-for-working-overtime/#entry2129595) made me wonder 2 things.

 

First of all i know, also from information posted in this thread, that monks should not be walking the street for alms after 8AM. I however never knew they also had a starting time of 5:30AM.

 

Now in this article it is about 3 real monks, not fake ones. They collected alms outside the appropriate hours and police took action. This raised my first question: How much are the police involved in upholding religious rules?

 

The 2nd question is if it is normal for monks to be collecting so far away from the temple where they are ordained? These 3 monks where not even from the area of Pattaya.

[Para]

He asked if I wanted some coffee, how was I, etc. Next visit I did the 3 wai, and when leaving he stuck out his hand to shake mine

 

LOL love it!

[Para]

Reading this article (http://www.pattaya-addicts.com/forum/topic/147336-hustling-monks-scolded-for-working-overtime/#entry2129595) made me wonder 2 things.

 

First of all i know, also from information posted in this thread, that monks should not be walking the street for alms after 8AM. I however never knew they also had a starting time of 5:30AM.

 

Now in this article it is about 3 real monks, not fake ones. They collected alms outside the appropriate hours and police took action. This raised my first question: How much are the police involved in upholding religious rules?

 

The 2nd question is if it is normal for monks to be collecting so far away from the temple where they are ordained? These 3 monks where not even from the area of Pattaya.

 

 

It’s the media blowing things out of proportion that really puts a negative mark against the whole Sangha.

 

The Vinaya states a Monk is not allowed out unaccompanied after dark but different temple start their Alms rounds at different times depending on the length of the route. Ours was fairly short so we would leave at 6am and be back by 7am to give the food to the helpers and get ready for breakfast at 8am.

 

Every temple has a set route/s they over and walk it at the same time so the lay people are able to get ready. If we turn up 30 minutes early one day they won’t be there 30 minutes late and they will think we are not coming. So looking to cover an Alms route at 02:30 is simply crazy and will certainly generate a call to the police to check their papers. I simply have no idea at all why they would even consider going at that time let alone actually doing it. I also don’t understand why laypeople would offer Alms at that time as they would know something was off.

 

So the police quite rightly rounded them up and did an ID check but they had the correct 'yellow book' so why the need to drag them to the a Temple for the Abbot to decide is over the top and as you say they are genuine Monks so have not broken any laws by collecting Alms. They are guilty of a minor violation of the 227 Vinaya rules a Monk has to follow but even if they were to do it again the Abbot would be overstepping his mark in disrobing them sounds like he is more worried about them being associated with his Temple and the loss of face that will come with it hence the dramatic public display of something that is nothing.

 

The worst bit is the Monk running off as that screams guilt of some form I wonder if they were drug tested like the Monk the other month?

 

Your question about the Monks being so far from their own temple is actually fairly common. Some Monks move around from temple to temple every couple of Months while some spend months wandering Thailand either spending the night at the nearest Temple or sleeping under a small tent they carry.  I got to know a very old Monk who had come down from Udon to Pattaya so he could help raise the money his local temple needed. He lived in a small hand built wooden shack in someone’s back garden we used to spend hours with him each day after he had finished Alms. He was one of the main reasons I ordained.

 

It seems to be a definite bad trend in Monks now ordaining. Before if they didn’t do it for life it was for quite a while and always through choice. Now they ordain to make merit for their Mothers and only stay in robes for 1 month. With men either being forced into or on some level resenting having to ordaining and only do so to keep their parents happy where is the correct intention in that to earn merit? Also Temples are more and more frequently becoming refuges for people hiding from the police so sadly the future isn’t looking that good right now.

[eXplosief]

Thank you.

 

There is a lot of food for thoughts in that last paragraph.

[furryman]

He asked if I wanted some coffee, how was I, etc. Next visit I did the 3 wai, and when leaving he stuck out his hand to shake mine

The first time i went to a buddhist temple and did the little cermony to get blessed and get the string tied around mywrist was at the Wat not far from Walking Street the morning of my departure on my first trip. The girl I was with wanted to get me blessed to be sure I was safe getting home. After stumbling through when my turn came to get my string the Monk asked me in perfect english where I was from, and when I answered Northern California he was delighted to spend a few minutes talking with me about the area, as he had spent a good bit of time there previously. Small world. Finally someone in the line behind me sort of poked me and the monk and I sheepishly realized we were keeping a line of folks waiting. Afterwards my girl really wanted to know what the monk and I were talking about, and hardly believed me whan I told her. Sort of an amusing first Thai Wat experience.

[Para]

Thank you.

 

There is a lot of food for thoughts in that last paragraph.

 

I know and its sad thinking about it.

 

The first time i went to a buddhist temple and did the little cermony to get blessed and get the string tied around mywrist was at the Wat not far from Walking street the morning of my departure on my first trip. The girl I was with wanted to get me blessed to be sure I was safe getting home. After stumbling through when my turn came to get my string the Monk asked me in perfect english where I was from, and when I answered Northern California he was delighted to spend a few minutes talking with me about the area, as he had spent a good bit of time there previously. Small world. Finally someone in the line behind me sort of poked me and the monk and I sheepishly realized we were keeping a line of folks waiting. Afterwards my girl really wanted to know what the monk and I were talking about, and hardly believed me whan I told her. Sort of an amusing first Thai Wat experience.

 

Its nice having you post the stories as it shows that Monks are still humans and like to chat with people. It seems to be the Thai lay people that give the distance between themselves and the Monks not the other way around.

[JAI DEE MAK]

Good thread and I look forward too more.

 

Your Board name intrigues me.

 

Anything to do with 1, 2 or 3 ?.

 

JDM

[Para]

Good thread and I look forward too more.

 

Your Board name intrigues me.

 

Anything to do with 1, 2 or 3 ?.

 

JDM

 

Welcome JDM glad you are enjoying the thread.

 

Sorry mate I'm not an ex-services gut the handle was 'given' to me many many years ago during a period I need reminding never to go back to.

 

Feel free to jump in with any questions, comments or general posts.

 

With metta

 

Para

[Para]

Made a BIG mistake yesterday......

 

Was looking for something irreverent on the Net yesterday and as typically happens before long I am a million miles from where I started. So I hit liveleaks.com been so long since I had looked at it I had forgotten all about it. Did a Thailand filter and saw some really bad stuff I think the worst was the 2 British guys in Pattaya on a bike.

 

Anyway so as I get further in all that is coming up is the troubles in Southern Thailand with insurgents. Watched one which I had to watch a couple of times before it sunk in.

 

Two army guys are walking along protecting a Monk on his Alms when they are machine gunned down by at least 5 people in the back of a pick-up. I wont link or embed it but search for this 'CCTV footage of drive by shooting in Thailand' remember its not nice.

 

WTF?

 

OK I understand the Muslim belief is a strong one but where does fighting a war hiding behind a Jihad cross a line? What chance does the world have all the time ANY religion condones or supports acts of violence?

 

How many people have been killed by Buddhists to promote the 'word' of Buddha?

 

How many Buddhists have died defending it?

 

[Para]

Sorry double post IT woes.....

[Joseph Kerr]

Made a BIG mistake yesterday......

 

Was looking for something irreverent on the Net yesterday and as typically happens before long I am a million miles from where I started. So I hit liveleaks.com been so long since I had looked at it I had forgotten all about it. Did a Thailand filter and saw some really bad stuff I think the worst was the 2 British guys in Pattaya on a bike.

 

Anyway so as I get further in all that is coming up is the troubles in Southern Thailand with insurgents. Watched one which I had to watch a couple of times before it sunk in.

 

Two army guys are walking along protecting a Monk on his Alms when they are machine gunned down by at least 5 people in the back of a pick-up. I wont link or embed it but search for this 'CCTV footage of drive by shooting in Thailand' remember its not nice.

 

WTF?

 

OK I understand the Muslim belief is a strong one but where does fighting a war hiding behind a Jihad cross a line? What chance does the world have all the time ANY religion condones or supports acts of violence?

 

How many people have been killed by Buddhists to promote the 'word' of Buddha?

 

How many Buddhists have died defending it?

 

 

Not something that I will be looking up. Just knowing this stuff goes on is scary enough.

I would not believe the religeon condones this behaviour. I have muslim friends that do not condone any violence. In fact the true Islam is somewhat moderate. However just like any religeon, you get bad factions. In Islam's case it is the Wajabi sect.

Also from what I hear the buddhists in Southern Thailand are responsible for plenty of attacks against the muslims too.

I hate violence full stop no matter where it is coming from and hearing about cowardice acts like the monk and police getting gunned down bothers me greatly.

Sent from my GT-N7105T using Tapatalk 2

[Para]

Not something that I will be looking up. Just knowing this stuff goes on is scary enough.

I would not believe the religeon condones this behaviour. I have muslim friends that do not condone any violence. In fact the true Islam is somewhat moderate. However just like any religeon, you get bad factions. In Islam's case it is the Wajabi sect.

Also from what I hear the buddhists in Southern Thailand are responsible for plenty of attacks against the muslims too.

I hate violence full stop no matter where it is coming from and hearing about cowardice acts like the monk and police getting gunned down bothers me greatly.

Sent from my GT-N7105T using Tapatalk 2

 

I have well at least thought i had a strong stomach liveleaks made reference to another site that even looking at the front page made em feel sick could not look at any of the videos. What one man will do to another is beyond me.

 

To be honest as I say I have no idea about the reasons behinds the South's problems but was looking into it then got distracted by the latest nano robots the army are testing. Will get back to what I started looking for!

 

I fail to see how killing civilians or even army personnel can do anything to resolve, promote or even justify the problem as the Thai decision makers are nice and safe in their big houses......

[Para]

OK still haven't quite managed to focus to get the history of the South BUT I did find these!

 

 

Paris Hilton as a 'Monk"!

 

 

 

Have to laugh.....

 

 

Come on Joseph help me out here I feel like I am playing to an empty audience! It doesn't help both dancaholic and daddee are both in Pattaya right now having fun!

[fforest]

Para

 

I just found this thread...I was very surprised to find a thread like this on this board.

Pleasantly surprised I guess.

 

I have a very strong interest in Buddhism and Theravada Buddhism

 

The thought of becoming a monk at some point in my life has crossed my mind more than once.

 

I have a few questions that have been thinking about for many years..There maybe no answer to

these questions.You might only have a opinion or maybe none at all to these questions and

that is OK...But I will ask them any way in the next post...Thank you Forest

[Para]

Para

 

I just found this thread...I was very surprised to find a thread like this on this board.

Pleasantly surprised I guess.

 

I have a very strong interest in Buddhism and Theravada Buddhism

 

The thought of becoming a monk at some point in my life has crossed my mind more than once.

 

I have a few questions that have been thinking about for many years..There maybe no answer to

these questions.You might only have a opinion or maybe none at all to these questions and

that is OK...But I will ask them any way in the next post...Thank you Forest

 

 

Sorry no request today.....

 

Joking! Welcome Forest to a fairly odd area of the board but one we seem to of carved out a pretty nice niche for ourselves.

 

Considering you have just waded through 11 pages to get here I would agree your interest in Buddhism is strong.

 

I have plenty of opinions fire away I am more than happy to help as best I can!

[fforest]

Para

 

Question #1

 

At many of the Wats or temples in Thailand a number of times a year they have carnivals of

a commercial nature where people sell things and they have games to play and things such as this.

The carnivals or fairs are low key and good natured and I am sure they bring in needed money

for the monks to do good work....But.....

 

A part of me feels a Temple should be a place to connect to spirit,God, Buddha and I am I cannot

quite see how the selling of things at a fair fits in with the spiritual life of the monks?

 

How do you or the Thai monks see this?

[Para]

Para

 

Question #1

 

At many of the Wats or temples in Thailand a number of times a year they have carnivals of

a commercial nature where people sell things and they have games to play and things such as this.

The carnivals or fairs are low key and good natured and I am sure they bring in needed money

for the monks to do good work....But.....

 

A part of me feels a Temple should be a place to connect to spirit,God, Buddha and I am I cannot

quite see how the selling of things at a fair fits in with the spiritual life of the monks?

 

How do you or the Thai monks see this?

 

Answer #1

 

I have seen what you are talking about its generally the larger temples when they celebrate traditional holidays. The temple doesn't receive anything from it but accepts it as a way to keep the the lay people that support the temple all year happy. Often at big Buddhist ceremonies there will be hawker stands and such like set up it again not connected to the Temple just working Thai seeing an opportunity to make some money.

 

Same as a lot of Temples have Amulet vendors in their grounds.

 

A Monk would not see it as anything to be honest. It is simply what it is nothing more nothing less.