Friday 29 August 2008

Middle path



Giving is believing
In the early morning if you walk along the old city of Bangkok, you will bound to meet a group of monks - young and old - walking barefoot across the neighbourhood getting their alms.

This is probably one of the beautiful sights Bangkok can offer to a visitor, provided of course you can rise up early to witness it. If I stay at the Arun Residence by the Chao Phraya river, usually I will get out of bed at 6am, half an hour later I will be seen with foods in my hands, ready to make my offering.

The monks are not supposed to look around while walking. And they should be mindful not to step on any living creature on the ground, be it a little worm or an ant, to avoid killing.

Some of the monks have to travel from the other side of the river by boat to get their morning alms. From my hotel balcony I can see Wat Arun in the background, with twinkling orange-robed novices on the wavy water of the mother river.

Novices with their morning alms, Thailand

2 comments:

maple said...

I like this picture.

Vancelee Teng said...

HI Maple,

This picture was taken in pattaya of thailand on a very early morning.