So me and my girlfriend went up to the north east of Thailand to see something that I have always wanted to witness. When she said to me ” Do you want to come to Udonthani to see my friends boyfriend become a monk ” I jumped at the chance. So after a 8 hour bus ride from Bangkok we arrived and was kindley made welcome at the monk to be’s parents for 3 days. :wink::love:
After a good sleep on a hard mat we woke up at 6am and went to the Temple.
Day1.
Arrived at the temple and we all went inside, I sat on the mat and feeling a litttle weird, all eyes were on me and not on the monk to be, but I sat in silence and respected there religon. So it started with the prayers singing and wailing,which was comforting, I even but my hands together and waied at the budda image. After the food was given to the monks (giving arms) we got are share of food and sat and ate. Then I meet him , the monk to be. I wai, and said “sawadcup” He smiled and said ” hello”. Took a walk to the other temple and began cuting his hair. The Thai’s had got all the equipment ready including a leaf which catches the hair as it falls. This leaf is kept by the family. The family first cuts the hair and even gave me the scissors to have a snip. Then the monks shave the hair and the eyebrows. I asked my girl why this is done and she says ” so a monk does not need to rely on shampoo and is going back to a new birth “. Then he went into the temple and he got his ‘angel dress’ This garment is given before the orange robes as a symbol of a new begining. We went back to his house which is in the temple complex were he signs some paperwork. He then went to pray and we went home to eat again. A monk only eats once a day and this is in the morning. 😉
Day2
This seemed a longer day with lots of praying and singing. Lots of speeches or prayers all in Thai so I really didn’t understand much of what was happening. We then got up and walked to the other temple. Then they walk around the temple. The monk walks around the temple 3 times with all his family and friends chanting at the top of their voice with drums banging and flutes tweeting (it sounded like bad teckno). He stops at the main door then enters the temple after asking the head monk to enter the monk hood.
Then the monks dress him in his orange robes and is escorted to the front of the temple. He ask’s pemisssion to enter the temple, goes inside and sits in front of the budda image. Then is surronded by the other monk’s, they pray together. After a good 30 mins he comes outside and the party begins. He is now a monk and I’m in ore.
I have tryed to tell this story from what I know and what I saw but as you know Buddism is a complexed religon. So If I have left something important out I’m sorry. Also I added alot of photos I hope it isn’t to many but every picture paints a thousand words.:wink:
