Over the years I have attended the morning alms round at least a dozen times in order to take pictures of the monks going out from their temple to collect food  from local people. One time I even acted as a “temple boy” and carried the monk’s bag. But, it is not often that I have witnessed monks doing their alms round by boat. Certainly not in Bangkok.

Kwan Riam Floating Market is one of the latest tourist attractions for Bangkok. It is on Ramkhamhaeng Road in Minburi. If you visit Wat Bamphen Tai at the weekend you will be able to witness this event. It’s a great way to start your visit to the floating market. Give alms to monks and then shop around the market for some breakfast.

The alms giving starts at 7:30 a.m. with some chanting. While this is going on, people are lining both sides of Saen Saeb Canal, sitting politely with their hands together in a prayer like position. There are actually two temples here. Wat Bamphen Nuea is on the northern side and Wat Bamphen Tai is on the southern side. It doesn’t matter which side you sit.

Once the chanting finishes, the monks get into two long boats and they are then rowed along the canal bank collecting alms from people as they go. Once they reach the far end they will switch to the other side. It usually takes about 45 minutes in total from the time that they start chanting until they have finished collecting alms.  Really worth a visit to witness this unique ceremony by boat.

I have posted a map over at Thailand Photo Map.

The National Office of Buddhism (NOB) has revealed more than a 111 temples across the country have been seriously affected by the flooding to the level that monks cannot go out to receive alms-offering. NOB Director General Nopparat Benjawatananun said that the situation has been so serious that monks at these flood-hit temples have to move things to a higher ground while finding it impossible to go out to receive daily alms-offering. He added that the NOB is still awaiting the damage report from the southern region as the number of temples and monks hit by floods remain unknown. As these temples have been literally cut off from the world, the NOB Director General is asking the public to provide necessities to the flood-affected monks (NNT).

I’m always on the lookout for unusual or rare Buddha images. I saw this one posted today on the Facebook page of Aungkana Pumpaka. She didn’t give much information other than to say it was taken at Wat Tha Mai in Samut Sakhon (วัดท่าไม้ จ.สมุทรสาคร). Click here to see what I think is the location of the temple on a map. I have made a note to visit the next time I am in that area and will confirm this for you. From the picture, it looks like the Buddha is holding his hands up to his ears. What is also unusual is the way he is crossing his legs.

Let me know in the comments if you know of any other unusual Buddha images in Thailand.

I have seen some strange Buddha images in my time. Everything from a Buddha where you can go inside to see the heart to one with eleven toes. At first glance this is another one of those strange ones. It looks very much like the birth of a Buddha or maybe an Inner Buddha. In reality, it is a small Buddha that had decayed over the years and the Abbott had decided to build a bigger one around it. Then the other day the frontal section of the Buddha cracked revealing the smaller Buddha inside. I am not sure if they will keep it like this. I hope they will. If you are anywhere near Wat Ban Kaeng Tai in Tron district of Uttaradit, then go and take a look and let me know.

About five years ago the BBC had a story about an image of David Beckham that could be found at a Thai temple in Bangkok. It was never the easiest of temples to reach, but since they opened the BRT bus route it is now very convenient to go to this temple as it is right next to BRT Wat Pariwat. You walk down a lane until you reach the main buildings. I asked a nun if this was the right temple for David Beckham but she had never heard of him. Obviously she doesn’t watch English football. But, she took me to a monk who does!

The monk confirmed to me that Wat Pariwat was indeed the famous David Beckham temple. However, he said in the last few years hardly anyone has come to see the image of the footballer. The building with the blue roof is normally locked but he asked someone to go and open it for me. This is the main Buddha shrine inside the chapel. It is easier to find it open on “wan phra” days which are the Buddhist holy days which coincide with the phases of the moon. If you find it locked then they don’t mind opening it for you.

To the right of the Buddha image in the far corner you will find that one of the images decorating the base to be very familiar. It is indeed the famous English footballer David Beckham! It is also worth visiting around the back of the temple alongside the Chao Phraya river. I was told that this is a popular location in the evenings where people come to eat and also feed the fish. The people there were really kind to me and gave me a free iced fruit drink! Obviously not many foreigners come here. But, maybe this will change soon.

During March 2012, there will be a series of six alms giving ceremonies around Bangkok involving an estimated total of 100,000 monks. The purpose is to celebrate the 2,600th anniversary of the Lord Buddha’s Enlightenment Day. The first event took place early this morning, 10th March 2012 along Phahonyothin road near Ying Charoen Market. It was difficult to estimate the number of monks present today, but I reckon that there were at least 8,000.

Monks traditionally go on alms round near their temple. Usually they leave the temple in the early hours of dawn while it is still dark. The Buddhist faithful are waiting for them in front of their houses. On Wan Phra days, which is the Buddhist sabbath, the monks stay in the temple and the lay people go there to make merit. However, these days it is not always easy for people to make merit in this way as they need to get up early to go to work.

There are two other kinds of alms giving that I have witnessed. One is often held on special occasions such as New Year’s Day or the King’s Birthday. The lay people line the side of the road in groups and as hundreds of monks pass, they offer the food. With the mass alms giving that I attended this morning, that method isn’t practical. After chanting and a short sermon, the monks walked down the rows in front of the seated lay people until everyone was in position. Then, after a signal, everyone offered alms at the same time.

As a foreign tourist you are welcome to watch this event. You can even join in if you like. Set up along the road there are many tables where vendors are selling bags of food for offering to the monks. As there are thousands of people, you need to arrive early to get a good spot. The ceremony starts at 6:30 a.m. and so it’s best to arrive before 6 a.m. if you can. The roads will be closed so its best to go by public transport or by taxi. If you are taking part you need to wear white clothing.

The following are the locations for the alms giving events in Bangkok this month:

Sunday March 11th, 2012 – Kaset Junction – Ratchayothin Crossroad
Saturday March 17th, 2012 – Ladprao 5-Junction – Saphan Khwai
Sunday March 18th, 2012 – CentralWorld Department Store, Ratchaprasong Road
Saturday March 24th, 2012 – Yaowarat Road – Charoenkrung Road
Sunday March 25th, 2012 – Ladya Road – Wongwian Yai

I have prepared a google map of these locations

Deputy Prime Minister Yongyuth Vichaidit said that he wants to promote the Phra Borommathat Chedi at Phra Mahathat Woramahawihan Temple in Nakhon Si Thammarat province as a UNESCO’s world heritage site. According to the Minister, he will ask the cabinet later this month to propose that the Phra Borommathat Chedi be named a UNESCO World Heritage Site. He asserted that the government is willing to give its full support in order to achieve the goal and secure the Buddhist pagoda the world heritage status.

Mr. Yongyuth pointed out that proposing the matter to the cabinet during the upcoming mobile cabinet meeting in the southern province of Phuket during 19-20 March, is most opportune since the cabinet will be meeting in the region where the pagoda is situated. Additionally, the locals of Nakhon Si Thammarat province and the southern region will also rejoice at the news and demonstrate their pride in this significant religious site.

Source: National News Bureau

One of the most important events in the Thai Buddhist calendar is Makha Bucha Day (sometimes spelled Magha Puja). It takes place on the full moon day of the third lunar month which is usually late February or early March. This year it was today, 7th March 2012. Like many Thai people, I was up early this morning before the sun rose to go and visit my local temple. I took my first picture at Wat Klang in Paknam shortly before 7 a.m. There was already hundreds of local people there making merit.

There were many food stalls outside the temple selling various food such as curries and Thai desserts. However, these weren’t for the lay people to buy to take home and eat. These were pre-cooked food to give to the monks in order to make merit. Strictly speaking, to make the most merit you need to prepare the food yourself, but who has time for that these days? After choosing the food that they wanted to offer, the vendor then worked out the cost.

Once they had bought a tray load of food, they then usually squatted down, held the tray up to the level of their forehead and then said a small prayer. There was also a small Buddha shrine there which people paid respect to. Next they then added the rice and bags of curries to a long line of alms bowls. The monks weren’t actually sitting there which always seems a bit strange to me. But, I guess the Thai people felt they were still making the merit.

Once the people had made merit they made their way to an open area in front of a long narrow platform. This is where the monks from the temple were sitting waiting to start the chanting. It was a good turnout this morning. Very impressive. The chanting went on for about an hour. There was also a sermon from the abbot. People also had an opportunity to make a personal offering of essential items or food to their favourite monk. Most people would then go home though others might stay the whole day and practice meditation.

In the late afternoon or evening, people will head back to their local temples for “wien tien” which is a kind of candlelight procession around the ordination hall or chedi. I usually go to Wat Asokaram in Samut Prakan which is a very famous meditation temple in Thailand. Many people stay here overnight. They wear white clothes and practise meditation. The real “wien tien” is with candles in the evening after the chanting which usually starts at about 7.30 p.m. But many people go earlier to walk around the temple three times in a clockwise direction.

Buddhist Thais are expected to spend nearly six percent more on the merit-making activities during Magha Puja Day, according to a recent survey by the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce.

Around THB2.6 billion would be circulated during Magha Buja Day this year, which is 5.6 percent up from the THB 2.5 billion spent last year. On average, one Buddhist is likely to spend THB1,000 on religious purposes. The spending increase results from the price hike.

The poll has also found that Thai people are less interested in going to temples. Fifty-six percent of the respondents go to the temple no more than three times a month. Thirty-five percent go to the temple no more than five times a year.

Nearly 60 percent pay less importance to major religious days, whereas 36 percent view major religious days as important as ever. Only two percent pay more attention to major religious events while three percent pay no attention at all.

Sixty-eight percent of the respondents can explain the importance of Magha Puja Day. The rest either give a wrong answer or have no idea about this festival.

Fifty-two percent define religion as something they can cling to spiritually, 23 percent view religion as a form of tradition or rite, and 22 percent view religion as the guideline of life.

Source: National News Bureau

A Buddhism week is being held nationwide to mark Magha Puja, the first major Buddhist anniversary of the year. People have been invited to join the week, scheduled for 3 to 7 March 2012, with various religious activities, especially Dhamma practice. In Bangkok, the focal point of this event takes place at the Sanam Luang ceremonial ground and in the provinces at major temples. Magha Puja falls on the full-moon day of the third lunar month, coinciding with March 7 this year. Three other Buddhist holy days include Visakha Puja, Asalha Puja, and Khao Phansa, or the beginning of the Buddhist Lent.

On the full-moon day of the third lunar month, a total of 1,250 monks from different places gathered to pay homage to the Buddha, each on his own initiative, without prior notification. All of them were enlightened monks, and they had been individually ordained by the Buddha himself. Such a unique gathering had never occurred anywhere else. On the evening of that day, the Buddha gave them the Ovadha Patimokha discourse, laying down the principles of his teachings: to do good, to abstain from bad, and to purify the mind.

Buddhism and Thailand have a close relationship. The roots of the Thai nation are evident as far back as 2,000 years ago. In the same period, Buddhism came to the region and it has played an important part in Thai history ever since. The Thai nation became firmly established in present-day Thailand 700 years ago. Also seven centuries ago, it adopted the present form of Buddhism.

Out of the population of 63 million, more than 90 percent of Thais are Buddhists. So Buddhism has had a deep influence in Thai arts, traditions, learning, and the character of the people. The charm that has earned Thailand the reputation as the “Land of Smiles” undoubtedly comes from the influence of Buddhism over the people. Being interdependent, Buddhism and the Thai nation are bound together by mutual responsibility to contribute to the well-being of all people.

Source: Foreign Office, The Government Public Relations Department