Collecting Alms
In Theravada Buddhism, monks collect daily alms of food. In the early morning they set off walking barefoot around town to collect food in their large bowls.
People stand by the side of the street and place food in the monk’s bowls as a way to make merit.
This photo was taken in Luang Prabang, Laos, at about 7 am when the monks were out on a cloudy morning.
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Hey Mark, this photo reminded me of my childhood, I too used to go in the morning to seek alms. Not every day and certainly not dressed colourfully like that.
Priyank recently posted..Time travel in Quito
Cool, thanks for sharing Priyank!
Do they collect the food for themselves, or is it to give away to others?
Their bright clothing is such a stark contrast to the surroundings!
Emily S. recently posted..How NOT to Smuggle Cuban Cigars into the United States
Hey Emily. They collect food together as monks from a temple, then they go back to the temple and share the food amongst themselves. The contrast is what I really liked about this photo!
For some reason, this saddens me. Maybe I’m too far removed culturally and looking at this with Western eyes, but it seems like they are begging….but I am glad that people are sharing their food with them.
This is an amazing pic. I can relate with the Jain monks who too have similar routines. People fold their hands and give them food, it is considered very good.
Arti recently posted..Celebrating 2 Years of Togetherness with a Heartfelt Thank You…
Thanks for the comment Arti!
the Buddhism monk is laborious. In this picture they are collecting food in large bowl amazing…….
Thanks!
i would love to see the monks collecting alms in the morning.I didnt see them falling in line in bangkok,there were just two or three at a time begging for alms