Buddha Says . . .

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Monks

Today is Asalah Bucha Day in Thailand. Considered one of the most important Buddhism’s holy days, it honors the day the Buddha preached his first sermon 2,500 years ago at the Deer Park, teaching that the ills of our life come from the inability or desire to get something is the base of suffering; and that when stop the cycle of coveting, you become free from suffering. This is called the “middle way,” which leads you on a path between extremes of indulgence and asceticism, and moves you to the expelling of desire.

Ironically, Thailand’s expats celebrate the day by bitching that their favorite watering hole is not allowed to serve booze and spend the holiday searching out a place that will serve them their daily ration of gin. It’s an honored tradition among those who have decided to call Thailand their home.

And it’s good practice for tomorrow, Khao Phansa, also known as Buddhist Lent, a time devoted to study and meditation, the start of the ‘rains retreat’ period which traditionally lasts for three months during which Buddhist monks are expected to stay in their own temple to study the Buddha’s teaching as well as meditating. They are not allowed to travel anywhere or revert to being laymen.

Fortunately for the disgruntled and suddenly sober sexpat population the bars do not remain dry for the entire three months. Or the period would be known as ‘it’s raining flying farang’ instead of the rains retreat.

During this time the devout abstain from alcohol. They pray for assistance and guidance to encourage merit and happiness in their lives. It encourages them to follow the five major Buddhist precepts: don’t kill animals; don’t steal or engage in corrupt acts; don’t commit adultery; don’t lie; and avoid drinking alcohol. Many take time away from work to make merit for deceased relatives. They also offer robes to the monks.

Celebrations for the start of the Buddhist Lent take place all over Thailand. The most elaborate are Saraburi’s Tak Bat Dok Ma and – Ubon Ratchathani’s Candle Festival and parade. Both events draw devout Buddhists from all parts of Thailand.

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Chiang Mai, Monks, Photography

Yeah, I know, but the monk on the baht bus shot is a staple for me. My goal is to get one with a yellow bus, I’ve already got black and several reds. And yes, I am easily amused.

Uh, need I say I took this photograph in Chiang Mai?

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Monks, Photography

Mae Sai Monk

The shaved head on young monk hunks can be sexy as all hell. Which is probably where I’m headed for thinking that way about a monk (but then seriously that’s probably the less of my transgressions). This shot is from up north along the Burma border where you see more of the monks wearing red robes than saffron. Mae Sai is a typical border town, a constant stream of locals passing back and forth between the two countries drives the hustle and bustle of what otherwise would be a bucolic rural town. A great people watching spot, monks are everywhere and the mix of sects and robe colors is nirvana for a photographer.

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Chiang Mai, Monks, Photography

Feeding Time At The Wat

It’s always cool to run across a monk or two when you are visiting a temple in Thailand. It’s even better stumbling upon a whole gaggle of them. If the wat is one of those that includes a school for novice monks you can increase you chances of hitting an orgy of monks by visiting at feeding time.

I hadn’t planned my visit to Wat Phra Singh in Chiang Mai that way, I’d been out wandering from wat to wat for the day and just happened upon this saffron colored feeding frenzy by luck. One of the more important and well-known temples in the city, it has a large school attached and is one of the best to hit if you want to find large numbers of monks at a wat. Lunch time, which due to the number of mouths being fed runs in shifts, is even better. It’s also one of the few times you can point your camera at a monk and not be noticed. Their entire state of consciousness is directed toward the food being ladled out of large pots.

I’d guess from the looks of the not-so-little guy in the foreground of this shot that grabbing seconds, or even thirds, is permitted.

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Luang Prabang, Monks, Photography

Not destined to be on the honor role.

I’m sure one of the main reasons I liked Luang Prabang so much was its over abundance of monks. By far the majority are baby monks, which has more to do with education than religion. The wats in Laos, many of which receive donations from European countries, serve as the country’s school system so students get a healthy dose of Buddhism along with their basic education.

Wat Siphouthabath at the foot of Mount Phousi has an extensive compound of classrooms with students of all ages. And like school kids everywhere in the world some study, some hang out waiting for their friends to get out of class. The studious ones were not as photogenic.

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Bonus Shot: Wat Dubphai

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Chiang Mai, Monks, Photography, Wats

Monks and Monk

When I first entered the grounds of Wat Dubphai, I snapped off a quick shot of these cute little garden statues, just in front of the temple’s large hanging drum. After visiting the back of the grounds and the area of the monk’s quarters I headed back to the front to check out the wiharn. Just as I came to the statues, a young novice monk flashed by. Quick with my camera, I caught his saffron robes as a backdrop. ‘Cuz any picture is better with saffron in it.

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Chiang Mai, Monks, Photography

Cafe Monk

Unusual for a temple in Thailand, Wat Lok Molee in Chiang Mai has a small coffee shop on its grounds, a nice shady spot for visitors to rest, to relax a few minutes in the serenity of the temple’s garden. Seemed to be a good place for one of the wat’s monks to catch up on neighborhood gossip, too.

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Wat Bo Window

Of course the ancient temples that make up the Angkor Wat complex are the major draw in Siem Reap. But there are several wats within the town that are worth visiting too. The furthest from the city’s major touri area is Wat Bo, one of the town’s oldest and largest temples. It’s a quiet, rural temple that isn’t heavily trafficked by touri. There are lots of monks around and usually a gaggle of local kids who for once aren’t trying to sell you a damn guidebook or a bunch of worthless postcards. Here you’ll actually find the peace and serenity you expect at a Buddhist temple. The grounds are a photographer’s wet dream to boot.

Saffron monk robes, whether being worn or not, always catch my eye. My camera is also attracted to old windows but unlike with monk robes with windows the more worn the better. And while I’m not overly fond of kids on a one-to-one basis, for photographs they add a nice dimension. So I hit a trifecta with this one. And the robe qualifies it as an official Monk Shot! in my book.

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Chiang Mai, Monks, Photography

Wat Chiang Man Monk

The 7 shot rule aside, I’d be hard pressed to pick which Monk Shot! from my most recent trip to Chiang Mai is my favorite, but it would be easier to do if I separate old monks from novices. Then, this one would have to rank at the top of the pile.

I was inside the main prayer hall at Wat Chiang Man and spotted this monk through the doorway of the modern wiharn next door. Had I still been shooting on film like in the old days, I would have had to pop open a few cannisters to cover all the shots I took. My original idea was to include the wood bars of the window I was shooting through in the foreground (and I did take lots of those). This photo, however, with the wiharn’s exterior detail framing part of the shot, I like the best. Shame the monk hadn’t been sitting on an Ubiquitous Plastic Stool, huh?

Monk Shot! #42

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Monks, Photography

Wat Sri Suphan monk

Walking into the main chapel at Chiang Mai’s Silver Wat, it was a veritable smorgasbord of monkhood. Groups of novice monks filled the place, some working, most just chatting or horsing around. Lots of different little saffron draped tableaus to shoot presented themselves. Monk ‘action’ shots are always good. And I captured a lot of great scenes that day. But it was this one, a sole monk in a most monk-like pose, that I ended up liking the best.