Monks lining up for lunch – Kyakhatwine Monastery, Bago, Myanmar
I love food – all kinds of food.
I live for food. I run so I can have an extra piece of chocolate; cycle so I can have a glass of wine with dinner.
Why am I telling you this? Because I cannot begin to imagine enjoying life without the pleasures of food! And, with a tendency to hypoglycaemia and a family history of diabetes, I like my meals small and frequent.
Buddhist monks, however, eat only two meals a day. The sixth of the ten basic precepts that order monastic life is to abstain from taking “untimely” meals – with “timely” defined as between dawn and noon. So, the last meal of the day, at 11:00 am, is an important one.
On the second day of my PhotoTour with Karl Grobl in Myanmar, I was lucky enough to visit the Kyakhatwine Monastery in Bago in time for the monks’ lunch. We were strictly observers, mind you, and our guide, Mr MM gave us clear instructions ahead of time, so that we would not interfere: no speaking and no crossing in front of the monks as they walk in and out of the lunch hall. This is a teaching monastery, housing up to 1000 monks and novices at any one time, and their lives are ordered by immutable routine. Visitors are welcome – provided they stay out of the way!
The Dining Hall is ready and waiting.
All is quiet in the corridors of Kyahkatwine Monastery.
The statue in the courtyard at the monastery struck me as incongruous; I never found out who the local hero on the horse was.
A senior monk and our guide MM negotiate our presence at the monastery.
At ten minutes to eleven, a monk hammers the gong, all the temple dogs start howling, and the monks materialise from where ever they were hiding.
The monks come from several directions; soundlessly and in orderly queues.
Each carries his own alms bowl.
One step, two steps…
… the monks keep coming.
A silent face in the queue.
Mindfulness.
A temple dog knows the routine and waits for its turn.
I feel sorry for the younger ones; they must get very hungry before the day is finished!
Rice out of a massive pot is scooped by the plate-load ~
~ into the alms bowls of the waiting monks as they pass.
Silently, the monks find their places, sit, and commence eating.
Focus on lunch.
As noiselessly as they entered, table by table, the monks start filing back through the room…
… and out of the dining hall.
By 11:20, clean up is well underway in the kitchen –
– the cook still stirs a pot on the fire –
– and the cleaned teapots are ready and waiting.
And, finally, the dog gets its reward.
Food that is not consumed one day is not meant to be saved; it either goes back to the community that gave the donation, or to the indigent people or stray dogs that might make the temple their home.
Buddhist monasteries are completely dependent on the lay community outside their walls: they do not produce or purchase their own food. Therefore they get what they are given – whether by central collection, as is the case with large teaching monasteries like this one, or by way of daily alms rounds, and monks are asked not to favour one food over another.
I would find that almost as difficult as only having two meals a day.
Food for thought, indeed, as we left the monastery to have our own, rather more sumptuous, lunch at a restaurant where we chatted, and picked what we liked.
Mmm – bliss!
Pictures: 12September2012
Fascinating I cannot imagine for one second Phillip not being able to chatter through a meal, sit quietly and focus… some of those boys looked even younger than 11 (Phillips age).
I know routine is good…not sure how I”d manage myself.
wonderful as always.
Never mind Phillip – I’d have trouble! It was an interesting morning. Thanks for the visit, Signe. 😀 … and Gabe. 😀
I can’t imagine 1000 people dining @ one time in total silence. Must be a sight/sound to behold!
Ursula. This monastery is such an awesome place, isn’t it!? Great job telling the story – both the words and the images. Lisa
Hey, Lisa! Yes, I loved Kyakhatwine. 😀 Thanks for stopping in.
So interesting to see how untouched this experience was 5 years ago. We were there last week, and now it is always packed with tourists who are watching the lunch line up. And it is far from quiet.
Hi Ben,
I’m sorry to hear that! We were clearly told what we could and couldn’t do before we went into the area, but even then some tourists are less than respectful, and spoil things for everyone!
Cheers, Ursula
Hi,
In september 2016 i visited thus monastery. While the monks passed me in the long corridor to pick up the rice, I was strucked, I got a spiritual moment. Dificult to explain, but the only thing I wanted to do that moment was helping with pooring in the rice in the bowl of the monks. I gave my camera to my wife and started helping. From that moment on I was in trance, I never felt so lucky, it felt as if I was coming home. After helping, I went into the dininghall, I sat down against a wall and started crying. Pure happiness. The days after I was searching for an explanation what to me. I’m still searching.
It is a very special place.