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Tak Bhat
Tak Bhat – daily offering of alms to monks..
This is the most common Buddhist activity in the country, with millions of
Thai Buddhists coming out in the early morning to wait for the passing of
Buddhist monks. The monks come one at a time, in small groups, or, from some
monasteries, in long lines.
A monk stops in front of those waiting, his eyes still cast towards the
ground, showing no emotion. Food is then placed in the monk’s bowl. Usually
rice willl be spilled to the bottom of the bowl, with curries and other wet
dishes to accompany the rice meal seal up in plastic bags. Some monks are
handed a tiffany ??, each tray containing a different dish. The giver will
retrieve the containers with a visit to the monastery.
After placing food in the monk’s alms bowl, the merit-maker then shows
respect to the monks with the Thai wei greeting. In some parts of the
country they also kneel. Often the monk chants a small mantra as a form of
blessing, then quietly walks his way. Normally, no words pass between them
during this solemn but happy, everyday ceremony.
It is an act of merit that all Thai Buddhists love to make. Hardly an act of
‘begging’ by the monks, as it is sometimes called, the monks also give
people the opportunity to do a meritorious deed, ensuring both parties
benefit. But still, it is the giver who is seen to have gained the most
through his act supporting the Buddhist faith.
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