Lamphun monks use portable kitchen cabinets for alms to reduce plastic bags

 

 

About 20 years ago, long before plastic waste became recognized as a global problem, monks at Wat Pa Book, in the Pa Sang district of Thailand’s northern province of Lamphun, were at the forefront of the campaign to stop the use of single-use plastic bags by using a portable kitchen cabinet to receive alms from Buddhist disciples.

 

Phra Samutnatthee Suvathato, the deputy abbot of the temple, told Thai PBS that, originally, the monks each carried a Bento lunch box to receive alms from followers but, eventually, changed to a portable kitchen cabinet placed on a push cart or a tricycle, which is more convenient and can carry more food.

 

The senior monk said that, at first, people put food in plastic bags and gave it to the monks, but he asked them to put food on plates or wrap it in banana leaves.  He admitted that, during the initial period, his advice wasn’t followed because most people in the neighborhood bought food at the market, because the alms were collected in the very early morning.

 

Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/lamphun-monks-use-portable-kitchen-cabinets-to-receive-alms-to-reduce-the-use-of-plastic-bags/

 

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2019-08-22

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13 minutes ago, webfact said:

originally, the monks each carried a Bento lunch box to receive alms from followers but, eventually, changed to a portable kitchen cabinet placed on a push cart or a tricycle, which is more convenient and can carry more food

but is not as easy to put in the fridge like a bento ..

40+ years ago, I remember the big begging bowls where people would throw in a spoonful of whatever food in the bowl.  Take it back and mix it all together, or volunteers would sort it out a bit.  Not much in the way of soup, though they did have plastic bags back then.

 

I wonder how many monks these days eat only once daily.

Hopefully this is not just another opportunity for an amusing little photo opp .....

3 hours ago, Damrongsak said:

40+ years ago, I remember the big begging bowls where people would throw in a spoonful of whatever food in the bowl.  Take it back and mix it all together, or volunteers would sort it out a bit.  Not much in the way of soup, though they did have plastic bags back then.

 

I wonder how many monks these days eat only once daily.

Not many.  The only ones I know of are the Thammayut monks.  Sorry, not sure of my spelling. 

The Monks I see in CM some are really Fat TIT

Actually all forest monks, specially those following the lineage of Ajahn Chah, founder of the wat Nong Pha Pong in Ubon Ratchani, and that are living in forest monastery, eat only once a day after the alms round.

5 hours ago, Rinato said:

Actually all forest monks, specially those following the lineage of Ajahn Chah, founder of the wat Nong Pha Pong in Ubon Ratchani, and that are living in forest monastery, eat only once a day after the alms round.

Correct.  And vegetarian.