During the past fortnight, I was invited to join my wife at the local Buddhist temple in Bangkok, to support her 11 year old cousin, as he temporarily became a monk for 14 days, along with 50 other children. This process of a child becoming a temporary monk is called “Buat-Nen” in transliteration (บวชเณร) and means ordination as a novice.
Surely, a particularly tough undertaking, as the child monk (‘Nen’) is separated from their family, and sleeps in shared accommodation with the other Nen. They study Buddhism each day, how to meditate properly, and are entirely without their phones or any form of digital device / technology. Family are able to visit in the morning, in the afternoon, and in the evening.
We opted to visit each morning, whereby the little monks emerged from their dwellings holding their alms bowls - a large metal bowl which is referred to as a ‘baat’. Family members outside remove their footwear, and ladle a spoonful of rice into the alms bowl of each monk as they walk past. This is referred to as giving alms to the monks - “Si Baat” in transliteration (ใส่บาตร / ตักบาตร ).
The little monks then add cooked food - which has been prepared by the temple staff - to their bowls, and sit in the lotus position in rows, before chanting prayers, and listening to a short talk given by an elder monk, before they can eat.
Whilst the monks are chanting, we, and the other families, poured water from a small golden container into a golden bowl. In transliteration, this is called “Glu-at Naam” (กรวดน้ำ). One family member pours the water, with the others touching the hand or arm of the pourer at the same time.
The meaning behind the action is to represent whatever good thing(s) we’ve done in that moment, to reach out to our relatives who have passed away, to angels who protect us, and to enemies from our past lives - to receive this offering and to forgive us for whatever bad things we may have done to them; either intentionally or unintentionally. We then pour the water out slowly at the base of a large tree within the temple grounds.
Towards the end of the 14 days, there was one morning with an elder monk giving a short talk to the child monks as we watched and listened. I was able to understand most of what he said because he spoke slowly and clearly.
Now you have all been here for several days and several nights. You have been without your mobile phones, your computers, your apps, your online games, and other digital technology. Are you happy? Are you no longer stressed and worrying about things? Do you feel that you are free? You are no longer crying for your Mothers. You have learned to control yourselves, to be respectful, and to live in the real world.
Nowadays, people can order food online. They can shop online. Students can request teachers online. Teachers can request students online. Parents can talk to their children online. Children can in turn communicate with their families online. Through apps. People like to play games on their devices, and to use apps, because they can control the app. You cannot control real life. People are lost in technology and in apps. They are addicted. Some countries have laws to limit screen time for children. Thailand does not. The level of illiteracy amongst children is higher than it has ever been in modern times. Children no longer take an interest in reading books. Nor do adults, it is becoming more common. This becomes more dangerous as you grow older, to be illiterate. To only play games, to use apps, and to watch videos, to navigate life.
Do you want to live in the real world? Or do you want to live your life online, in a world that is not real? Make the most of your life. It is your choice how you live it.
There is a great focus on the role of the Mother throughout the lessons taught at the temple to the child monks, with Motherhood receiving high praise, to be cherished for its nourishment and critical development of the child. A song which is unique to this temple, having been written, produced, sung, and recorded especially, is played as the child monks are seated before their morning meals, and again when they return to their dwellings, signifying that family visitation time is over.
The song is quite beautiful.
Translation of lyrics
Mother's love song Written by Piyasophon, Wat Rama 9 Kanchanaphisek Melody - sung by Pin Kawisara Teeranasan. Music by Thai Watcharamat.
Love is encouragement.
Caring is the divine medicine. A Mother gives divine medicine for their beloved child in warm arms.
A Mother brings stories and lullabies to life. Show your child the difference between right and wrong. A Mother's love is a lifeline. Her love replenishes the child’s tired mental energy, her love is warm and touching whether happy or sad.
Nicholas Creed is a Bangkok based writer. All content is free for all readers, with nothing locked in archive that requires a paid subscription. Any support is greatly appreciated.
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This uplifted me and gave me hope. Thank you for sharing this wonderful experience, which was highly educational as well as inspiring. I agreed with all the monk's sentiments and wisdom. Many children are lost in the artificial world of technology. Many adults are too. It has become a comfort blanket and prevents human to human interaction. Many teenagers and twenty-somethings have no skills in conversation, nor depth of thought. Older adults, too. Everything is superficial. Real life is dismissed because it involves moving through pain and beyond it. Most are addicts to the apps/technology now. Apps and mobiles are their life, they cannot function without it. They do not see the danger. It holds them in shallow waters and stifles deeper thought. Recently, I have been focusing on peacefully asking for all errors to be forgiven, and for all magnified, malicious harm that has caused suffering to all life, to be gathered up and returned to all those who have caused the malicious harm (to release that harm from entangling all the innocent and vulnerable life forms) I follow that with asking for all that has been lost to be found (because we are losing life force codes when we use this technology). Our energy/life force needs protecting, as does the children's. They lose life force whilst on the tech./apps and this needs to be our focus because of the harm this technology is doing to humanity. I feel the tide is turning. Much help has arrived for humanity to help them and to protect the children. The whole of Creation has been called upon by many small voices and their calls for help have been answered. Humanity is becoming more aware. I loved the beauty and sincerity of the water pouring ceremony...thank you so much Nicholas, I read your wonderful post all out loud to my husband. It moved us.
Important and well-phrased though the monk's sentiments are, how long will it take for those young lads to forget his words once they are reunited with their electronic lives? My guess is, about three-tenths of a second.
The fact is that most young people have been corralled into seeing real life as a poor substitute for the online world. As a consequence, their personalities are irretrievably stunted in both depth and breadth.