TripLekLek, the world as seen by a thai girl

admin June 9th, 2007

t night in Luang Prabang everyday after dinner me and Luca

we have to go to work at the internet shop before they close at 10.00 p.m.

The first night and many nights in Luang Prabang I always saw saam naehn (Buddhist novice or monk below the age of twenty) in the internet shop.

I feel wondering and think how is it possible that they are there.
Because I know that in the night time monks or saam naehn (novitiate; novice monk) have to stay in the temple, they can’t walk around outside.
Every Buddhist knows this rule and walking outside like this I’ve never seen in Thailand.
Maybe because they are just saam naehn, not monks yet, that’s why people here do not look surprised.
Also everything has changed in this world, so maybe the saam naehn just come here to have access to a more global technology, the internet.

I saw they chat and some wrote e-mails or go around web-sites.
I might not be polite to look at what they do but I did it because I am really curious.
Anyway I try not to stay too near in sign of respect even if they are not monks yet, but anyway they are in the jee waawn (a Buddhist monk’s robe) and do a religious duty learning the Lord Buddha’s teachings, morals and ethics; the good and decent principles of life.
For that reason ladies can’t touch the monk or saam naehn and they can’t touch the ladies neither.

One day, early in morning, at around 6.30 am me and Luca woke up because we wanted to take photos of monks and saam naehn, who come to receive food offerings (or in thai: bin-tá-bàat).
I want to present food (tak- baat) to those Monks and Saam Naehn so we get ready and go to wait on the street.
When I am in front of the guest house many Laos lady come to me and offer me sticky rice for present to Monks.
They start offering it to me and of course it is more expensive than in the market or cooking by yourself, but I have no choice because I do not have kitchen in the guest house so I intended to buy, but then Luca said to me:
“Lek , Don’t buy rice from them” .
I am looking at him and start feeling bad because I wanted to do it today but he said “No” to me and that is bad sign for me.
Then he starts explain “Did you see the notice on the guest house yesterday, it said not to support or buy food on the street from those lady because they are spoiling the real meaning of the alms donations”.
I answered:
“Yes, I know but we can’t cook and we have to buy anyway. If we ask somebody to cook for us well we have to pay anyway”.

For me it’s not because of money if you want to present food to Monk but the important thing is to do it by pure heart .
Because I believe that when I die then a good things I do in this life will help me to go to heaven or reborn in a good form.
I learn this from my family, we believe also to cook by ourselves and go to the temple.
Because the food we offer to the monks must be clean, you should keep it in a high place, not on the floor, and that food should not be part of your own food but bought and cooked especially for them.

Because of nowadays our life is always in a rush so in Bangkok if we have no time we can buy rice and food on the street and present it to the monks when they pass in the morning.

So the food must be clean, new and ,important, you present it to the Monk by your pure heart.

Anyway after I explain to Luca I hope he understands me because his idea is “Don’t buy food from the lady on street as it’s not a good way because it’s a business and bad for their tradition“.

So I do without rice but with the canned food I carry it from Bangkok. I feel more peace and happy when I am done with my offering.
Then I stand to look at the many people presenting food to the Monks”.

On the way back to the guest house we visited one temple and I found an old man working.
He was painting the door of the temple, so I start asking him:
“Uncle,Why are there so many temple in Luang Prabang ?”.
(If I don’t know somebody’s name, I guess how old they are and call them like Sister,Brother or Uncle or Aunty….).
He said to me “Because before (around 100 - 200 year ago) in Luang Prabang we have Jhao-Mueng (the appointee of the King for the province).
He liked to present food or offers to the monks, and he ordered that every village must have at least 3-5 temples”.
So I continue and asked him more.
“Why people here tak- baat (present food) to monk only sticky rice?”.
I ask because I saw people here put only rice in the baat (the bowl carried by a Buddhist monk).
He answered to me.
“When the monk and saam naehn come back to the temple from bin-tá-bàat (alms) they will find some village people who brought different kinds of food direclty there, so that the monks can have also other kinds of food, not only sticky rice” .
I feel that is right because in Thailand we also have two choices: present food to monk on the street or bring the food to temple.
But in Thailand we also put rice and food together in the baat while here they put only rice and instant noodle or canned food.

Well I have asked my last question to him because I disturbed him too long already.
“Why here many saam naehn (novitiate; novice monk)?”.
He said.
“Because they come from many places in Laos for study and education”.
Yes I forgot this is. In Thailand we have the same but some come to be monks or saam naehn and some just to stay in the temple and help monks.
Well I left Uncle saying “ kòp koon kha” (Thank You) to him.

One thing I see is that there are many tourist ladies who come to take a picture when the monk walk while the people present the rice.
For them it is amazing and they enjoy to see it, as much as I do.
It’s amazing and happy to see and come to Luang Prabang , but I keep that happiness in my heart and stand far from those monk for respect.

I know I have no right to blame those tourists ladies.
Probably nobody told them that when the monk walk past, they should stay far, but they stand very near to take a photo, for a good shot and without knowing the rule or culture.

Normally when we talking to the monks or stay near them we are sitting and joining hands in sign of respect.

So I hope if somebody reads my blog and would love to visit to Luang Prabang remembers this:
If you are a lady please stand far from the monks for respect.
By the way without knowing nobody is guilty, but if you know it and do it, you are.
Think! That if you do as you please without respect, you harm the very culture you have come to enjoy.

Sawasdee Kha

Lek

• My Travels , Laos , culture