Buddhist Lent 2015

This week the Monks came to the school.  Wednesday was Asalha Puja Day (sometimes called Buddhist lent).  Here you can read about it from last year.  The secretary bought me some food so I could give it to the monks this year.  Nine monks came.  They chanted, prayed and collected food.  The students and parents always bring SO MUCH FOOD!  THe monks don't leave the temple for 4 days, so they will eat some of it then (usually they go out every morning around 4am to collect food donations for the day).  What ever they have left they will donate to the poor.

Families starting to gather

Some of the food donations

More food

Kids praying with the monks

And a picture from Facebook of me with Lin and Ioon

The Monks Came Again

They have special days here in Thailand where the monks stay in the temples and don't leave.  A lot of people go to the temple since the holiday means there is no school and no work.  When this happens the monks go out the day before and collect food and donations.  They will come to the school and the kids and parents give them offerings.  The monks do some chants and prayers with/for the kids.

Bhuddist Lent

      Monk Day! July 11^th marked the beginning of Bhuddist Lent.  That meant that 1) We got 2 days off of school! 2) the monks would stay in the temples and not leave, and 3) We had a celebration at school and the students and parents donated food so they would have food while they were in the temple.   Usually they go out every morning and collect food offerings from people’s houses.  I was expecting a small-ish contribution from the school kids and their families.  They brought so much food!!  Nine monks came, sang and prayed, and collected the food.  

         

      

     

      On a side note, monks aren’t supposed to touch women or be touched by women.  It will most likely result in them having to quit being a monk.  I am so scared I am going to get too close and touch one and have to live with the guilt of getting him kicked out.  On those particular day I felt like one of them might bump into a woman, but to my knowledge that did not happen.  I really like getting to be part of celebrations and cultural events.  I feel like that’s a big difference between traveling to a country and living in a country.