Offerings to monks in Laos!

[Namdrol]

We have seen this a lot in Thailand, now some pictures from Laos!

[Namdrol]

more pics

[biggyboy]

Thank you Namdrol for posting all these beautiful pictures where monks are available in Laos for people there to make offering to. How virtuous it is for all to do so. At the very least people in Laos have this kind of opportunity to do so.  While many countries in the world not to mention Thailand, Burma, India nor Sri Lanka could not do so or willing do do.  Laos, Thailand and Burma to name a few here where population are mainly Buddhist and they rever all their Sanghas and Spiritual teachers.  Even the Thais rever their King as high as the Buddha.  I am so happy to see all these and hope one day I would be able to be in either Thailand, Laos or Burma to do these offerings to them.

[RedLantern]

I like the pictures very much,thank you for posting these pictures.Offering food to monks is a meritorious act that also reminds us not to be greedy or selfish.It is a way for lay people to accumulate good wholesome karma and gain inconceivable merits.Monks deserved a lot of respect and veneration though ,as they've
dedicated their lives to understanding to what the Buddha has taught-the Dharma.Monks are compassionate
people and they are very happy to help those seeking the teachings of the Buddha.

[Positive Change]

Fabulous pictures... thank you for sharing Namdrol. I remember my last trip to Thailand where I had the great fortune to offer Dana to the monks then... it was THE most wonderful and most memorable time I ever had in Thailand.

Some of the monks were wheelchair bound even and were wheeled around by younger monks... but what was amazing was there was a genuine happiness radiating from these monks who always had a smile and always were so humble when receiving the Dana. Incredibly humbling experience for me and will remain as one of the most memorable times of my life.

If ever any of you get the chance to visit any of these south east asian countries, this is a must do. Very meritorious and incredibly rewarding!

[pgdharma]

Beautiful photos, thank you Namdrol. Countries like Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and India have a lot of monks and it is the custom and culture of the lay people to make offerings to monks. From the photos, even children are taught at an early age to make offerings to the monks.This is a very meritorious act and the practice of giving. It helps to cut away our miserliness/greediness and practice generosity.

[vajraD]

Yes I have seen pictures of the people offering food to the monks in Thailand but not so much in other country. It is good to know is also done  some where else. Thank you for sharing all the beautiful picture Namdrol. I have not experience giving offering in Thailand or Laos before hopefully 1 day I will have the good fortune to be able to serve the monks in their country.

[jeremyg]

In Thailand, for some, it is tradition and culture, to start the day with an offering to the monks. Even before some go to work, to school; they offer food to the Sangha. I believe this is truly beautiful. Being able to create a habit out of something as meritorious as this is super beneficial. Then these children, who start giving from a young age, will learn values far beyond children who don't have this experience. They will also earn merit, as an offering to the sangha is highly meritorious.

[Aurore]

What I like about these Buddhist countries such as Thailand and Laos is that they truly see the value of dana offering (making offering to monks). Over there, monks are highly respected and the lay people will take the opportunity to make offerings and even help out the older monks by carrying the offerings. People rush to the monks to give them food. Unlike many developed countries, where monks are seen to be of some sort of low status. Getting sponsorships and food becomes much harder to the point of begging. It is very sad.

Thank you Namdrol for sharing these pictures so that more people can see that monks are meant to be respected and not scorned.

[negra orquida]

Wow great photos and striking colours of the monks robes! Thanks for sharing!

Offering of dana is a practice of generosity, which is one of the antidotes to the 3 poisons.  It paves the way towards selflessness. "Dana" means alms-giving of basic necessities such as food, clothing, money etc to monks, needy persons or family members.  As with all deeds, merit arises from offering dana when intention of the action is noble, and is not merely based on the action itself.

There are 6 kinds of dana and their resultant benefit are as follows (http://www.thisismyanmar.com/nibbana/vasava01.htm):

1. Offering of alms-food amounts to offering of vitality and strength.
2. Offering of clothing and robes amounts to offering of pleasant appearances.
3. Offering of vehicle and conveyance amounts to offering of happiness and comfort
4. Offering of light (as of candles, lamps, electrical energy etc.) amounts to offering of eyes (visual capacity).
5. Offering of dwellings, lodgings, rest houses and monastic buildings amounts to offering of all the four gifts
6. Offering of Dhamma by preaching, admonishing or distributing and propagating scriptures doctrinal books etc., amounts to offering of Nibbana bliss - deliverance from all suffering.

Speaking of the act of giving / sharing, I did this little experiment where I gave out candies to young children who walked past me at a public area during an event.  Most would take one candy for themselves, very few would take more than one, and none thought taking one candy for their parent(s) or sibling(s).  However when I told them to "take one candy for mummy / daddy" they would do it without hesitation and very gleefully.  Almost half of parents would reject the candy, but when I told them to "take it, it teaches the children how to give / share what they like" most would immediately take the candy.  I found this rather interesting 

[Jessie Fong]

In countries where they are predominantly Buddhists, it is so much easier for the people to offer Dana to the monks. In fact it becomes a morning ritual.  We should thank these monks for giving us the opportunity to collect merits when we offer them dana.

Dana offering allows us to collect merits and at the same time we get to practice giving.  If we are not so fortunate as these people in Thailand, Myanmar, Laos or Sri Lanka, we can also make offerings in temples near where we stay.

[brian]

Thank you for posting such lovely pictures Namdrol! I love the pictures very much. Such is an act of giving. It is always soothing to look at the pictures of such nature. Monks who had little gives more (they gave up their life to beenfit others!). So in turn, laymen has a duty/responsibility to give back in a similar fashion. And more so giving without wanting back is a form to merit collecting field I would suggest. More so if the form of giving is for sangha members! Anyone agree with me?

[ratanasutra]

Thank you for posting photos which bring smile and happy..

Many countries in Asia are Buddhist country so people who stay in those countries have a very fortunate opportunity to make offering to sanghas daily such as the photos.

One of six paramita is generosity and making offering is create generosity. By making offering help us to cut down our attachment. For those who are not stay in Buddhist country where you can make offering to monk like people in the photos, but you can make offering in other way such as make donation to support buddhist centre, make offering to the lama who are there, contribute towards the building fund of temple, contribute to puja, or contribute towards whatever projects they have which available in Buddhist centre in your country.

[Tenzin K]

Wonderful!

What a great opportunity for the people in Laos.
Making offering to monks create a great merits and I love seeing the people in the pictures. This is the great thing that I love in a Buddhist country. Giving Dana is so common and it’s an opportunity for the lay people create great merits. The monks spend most of their time to learn and benefit others. They hold their beautiful vows and if we make offering to them is such a meritorious act.

I’m just so happy to see it and love to be at this country.

[rossoneri]

How beautiful be able to offer Dana to the monks daily. People in Thailand, Laos, Burma and Cambodia are very fortunate in terms of spirituality. Monks are highly respected in Buddhist countries and the lay man will seek any opportunity to make offerings and will help out in any ways with their abilities. Not like most of the developed countries, where monks are perceived to be some one who is a society failure or of low status. It is very difficult for the Dharma to penetrate into their materialistic and selfish minds.