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Buddhist Monk Give Water

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I was sitting in the shadow of some trees on a bench with some Thai friends near a Bhuddist Temple and monk housing in Isaan when a monk came from one of the houses and walked the 60 meter straight to me and handed me over a new fresh bottle of water after wich he immediately returned back to the building he came from.

As far as I know monks do not give but receive, so now I am interested what this behaviour could mean.

  • Author

That he thought you looked thirsty?

I was actually drinking when he left the house and walked into my direction.

Monks often bless water and give it to people. They also use water a in their rituals as well. The missus often comes back from the Temple and washes me with a bottle of water or I have to drink it.

I would say he didn't need it and wanted to show you a kindness.

Monks often give things away when they have surplus, some things they are not allowed to store so must give it away if they can't use it, in Thailand they often have a surplus.

Why didn't you ask your thai friends why the monk gave it to you?

(and I hope you wai-ed him :wai:)

  • Author

I asked my friends and they did not know. maybe this monk was just showing kindness and the water was a way to do so.But because we had drinks with us and actually drinking our self, to us this was also a surplus and made it difficult for my to understand.

As I wrote before to me it was only known monks do not give and mainly receive, the giving of water, blessed water, is as far as I know doen in ritual handlings not in the way I experienced here.

I would say he didn't need it and wanted to show you a kindness.

Monks often give things away when they have surplus, some things they are not allowed to store so must give it away if they can't use it, in Thailand they often have a surplus.

Yes, that's the most likely reason. Same thing happened to me last week at Wat Lan Boon in Bangkok.

It's a Thai tradition to give a stranger water when you visit their homes, and since the wat is the monk's home, it can be seen, more or less, as an extension of that custom.

visualised a connection, a bond and was materialising the 'image'

  • 8 months later...

I would say he didn't need it and wanted to show you a kindness.

Monks often give things away when they have surplus, some things they are not allowed to store so must give it away if they can't use it, in Thailand they often have a surplus.

Yes, that's the most likely reason. Same thing happened to me last week at Wat Lan Boon in Bangkok.

It's a Thai tradition to give a stranger water when you visit their homes, and since the wat is the monk's home, it can be seen, more or less, as an extension of that custom.

This is exactly right. thanks Sabaijai .. It is a Thai tradition.

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