Alms Giving in Thailand

Saffron-robed monks on their early morning alms round are enduring figures in the Thai landscape, both urban and rural. The monkhood is central to Buddhism, and monks are central to the practice of the faith in Thailand. In addition to religious rites and ceremonies, many aspects of Thai life involve the presence of monks, none more important nor so visible as giving alms.

Every day between 5:30 and 7am, monks parade with their alms bowls, walking singly or in a file, to receive offerings of food from the lay public.

Typically a devotee approaches a monk, who removes the lid of his alms bowl into which the devotee places a serving of cooked rice or other food and then makes obeisance by bowing and raising the hands together in a wai.

For this part, the monk makes no gesture of recognition or thanks. The purpose of the alms is, in fact, not so much about giving as of receiving the opportunity to make merit. Buddhist philosophy holds that an individual is responsible for his or her own destiny, and that destiny can be changed for the better by the accumulation of religious merit.

Giving alms is, of course, not the only way to make merit, although it does play an essential role in the daily lives of the Thai people.