trumpet player at ordination of monk ceremony, pong pang temple,bank of Mae Klong River , Amphawa, Samut Sakhon, thailand
The Importance of Being a Monk for Thai Men - Most men in Thailand will eventually become a monk. Not as long-term as it would be in the west, being a monk in Thailand can be as short as for only a day or as long as the rest of the man's life. Most Thai men fall in between. A week, a few weeks or a month or two is quite common with most Thai businesses allowing unpaid leave so a Thai man can become a monk. Becoming a monk for a man in Thailand shows his commitment to his Buddhist faith. It also is usually a precursor to marriage, with some families refusing to allow their daughter to marry a man who hasn't been one. The first part of the ceremony involves the man's head and eyebrows being shaved off. After this, he is dressed in a white robe and is then taken to the temple, carried on one of his close friend's shoulders, with his family and friends following. Once at the temple, followed by family and friends, he will walk around the temple three times with friends and family carrying offerings for the temple monks. On the third completion, the young man will climb the temple steps and throw money and candy to everyone waiting below. Then, into the temple followed by everyone else, he will be met by monks who will now officiate for the ordination ceremony. You'll hear a lot of chanting in the Pali language (that's the language of the Thai temple), the young man will give offerings to the monks, then he will be taken to the back of the temple where he'll change into the saffron orange robes of a monk and given an alms bowl (the bowl the monk uses every morning to ask people in the community for food).
Size: 2831px × 4256px
Location: temple on on the bank of Mae Klong River , Amphawa, Samut Sakhon, thailand
Photo credit: © paul christoforou / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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