Magazine feature

laos

laos

iving ltradition Laurie Weed offers a masterclass on Luang Prabang’s tak bat ritual so visitors can brush up on alms-giving etiquette and more actively take part. pictures by scott A Woodward

98 fah thai november • december 2008

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laos

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Previous page and left, a Luang Prabang morning silence is broken at dawn each day by a chorus of padding feet shuffling out of monasteries Below, anyone may give alms, but tak bat is typically performed by women

In the milky pre-dawn light, women dressed in traditional sinh spread their plastic mats end-to-end alongside the road. They remove their shoes and kneel, arranging their woven baskets of sticky rice. Each one drapes a textile over her left shoulder. Their murmuring voices fall away as they wait, poised and listening. Soon, a faint rustle moves through the line, as if the wind has changed, and a stream of vibrant orange parts the early morning mist. Dozens and then hundreds of monks flow by in a single file, silent and solemn. Their feet are bare, eyes averted, bowls outstretched to accept alms from the devout.

All over Laos, from the cities to the smallest villages, each new day is greeted with the picturesque ritual of tak bat, or feeding of the monks. The ancient ceremony is perhaps at its most revered and colourful in Luang Prabang, where the country’s Buddhist heart beats with the steady resilience of a temple drum.

But you don’t have to be Buddhist to appreciate the ethereal beauty of the scene; visitors come from around the world to witness this piece of living history. The Land of a Million Elephants welcomed more than 1.3 million tourists in 2007, with Luang Prabang their top destination. And while most of those who flock to see the morning alms are respectful, their sheer numbers can change this tranquil scene into something resembling a red carpet event, with cameras flashing non-stop and people jostling each other for space while tour buses idle noisily behind them.

100 fah thai november • december 2008

ในแสงนวลก่อนอาทิตย์รุ่งอรุณ หญิงชาว ลาวต่างเตรียมพร้อมริมถนนเพือ่ ตักบาตร ข้าวเหนียว เสียงงึมงำเงียบลงเพื่อตั้งใจฟัง เสียงเท้าของเหล่าพระเณรนับร้อยที่เดิน เรียงแถวออกมาบิณฑบาตในยามเช้า การตักบาตรข้าวเหนียวในเมืองหลวง พระบางเป็นสิ่งสะท้อนถึงความเป็นเมือง พุทธศาสนา ทั้งยังดึงดูดนักท่องเที่ยวนับ ล้านเพื่อมาชมประเพณีเก่าแก่ในดินแดน ล้านช้างแห่งนี้ ฝูงชนส่วนใหญ่จะชมการ ตักบาตรด้วยความเคารพ ทว่าแสงแฟลช ทำให้บรรยากาศคล้ายงานเดินพรมแดง

Where to see tak bat The monks depart from their temples just before sunrise, and not just in the World Heritage zone. For a more intimate experience – and fewer tour buses blocking your view – walk or bicycle to less-visited temples such as Wat Visoun and Wat Apham, south-east of Phousi hill. The west side of the city and the villages across the Nam Khan are also good places to experience a local tak bat.

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The monks view all this extra attention with “benign humour”, according to local resident Ken Yarbrough. A retiree from Arizona, Ken came to Luang Prabang in 2006 to study meditation and lived in a monastery for 10 months as a novice.

“There’s a wide range of personalities in a temple,” Ken says.

“Some young novices love to have their pictures taken and generally the monks don’t mind. Being the only farang (foreigner) in the temple, I had my picture taken more than most and it was never an offensive thing.”

The immense popularity of tak bat as a photo opportunity concerns some people, who fear the 700-year-old town will lose its Buddhist soul. Not to worry, says the venerable Monk Pra Sert, who lives at Wat Pu Kwai. The recent influx of tourists has had “no bad effect on temple life or the tak bat.”

คุณเคน ยาร์โบร ชาวอเมริกันผู้อาศัยในหลวงพระบางให้คำ แนะนำว่าการถ่ายรูปพระที่นี่เป็นเรื่องกระทำได้ ไม่กระทบต่อ วิถีชีวิตของพระแต่อย่างใด และสามเณรนั้นมักยินดีให้นัก ท่องเที่ยวต่างชาติถ่ายภาพเสมอ แม้บางคนจะกลัวว่าเมือง เก่าแก่ที่มีอายุกว่า 700 ปี แห่งนี้จะสูญเสียจิตวิญญานแห่ง พุทธศาสนาไป

The meaning of tak bat

Above, a young monk peers through the door at Wat Pha Mahathat – most Lao men spend at least two years as joa (novice monks), usually before marriage Left, Buddhism honours the grace in giving and receiving

Monks and novices, collectively known as joa, do not grow, cook or store food at the monasteries, so the food they receive on morning rounds is all they have to consume for the day. But it’s not just about getting breakfast. Ken describes the process as being akin to taking sacrament or communion in Western churches: “When a person puts something in the bowl, that moment is special. There is a blessing mantra we joa are taught to invoke each time a hand drops something into our bowls. The person giving is also praying; there is a blessing being exchanged.”

Monks pray and meditate on behalf of the entire community and in return, lay people support the temples, gaining ‘merit’ by giving alms.

Monk Pra Sert explains: “This is a very Tak bat etiquette old tradition. The Buddha himself did Spread out Every temple does tak bat, tak bat over 2,000 years ago. In giving, and receiving alms is not only a ceremony, but a real need the people make good merit. They can Arrive early, especially if travelling give to anyone, not just monks.”

โดยปกติแล้วพระและสามเณรจะไม่หุง หาอาหาร พระจึงฉันอาหารจากสิ่งที่ได้ จากการบิณฑบาตในแต่ละวัน การตักบาตรนี้เป็นประเพณีของพุทธศาสนิกชน ที่สืบทอดมากว่า 2,000 ปีแล้ว การให้ ถือเป็นกุศลไม่ว่าจะกับพระสงฆ์หรือคน ธรรมดาสามัญและยังถือเป็นการอวยพร ให้แก่กันอีกด้วย 102 fah thai november • december 2008

en masse Keep silent during the procession Remove your shoes and sit/kneel; your head should be below the monks’ heads Come prepared Organise your own mat and offering the night before Bring yogurt, not just sticky rice The joa are growing boys and they can’t eat after noon, but little boxes of drinking yogurt are usually allowed

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Buddhism is inclusive by nature, as are the local people. The locals are well known for their gracious hospitality, and that extends to the tak bat. “It’s fine for anyone to participate,” Ken says. “Like learning a few words of Lao, people here are appreciative of the effort. Monks feel the same way.”

Monk Pra Sert agrees. “They are making merit when they participate. The opportunity is there for everyone: Lao, Thai and foreigner alike. If they just want to take pictures, that is okay too.

It never bothers me.”

Whether you choose to give alms, take pictures, or merely observe, consider tak bat from a Buddhist perspective: not as a tourist attraction, but an exchange of blessings. Take a few moments to learn tak bat etiquette before you arrive, and please, feel free to join in. ■

ชาวหลวงพระบางขึ้นชื่อในเรื่องการมีน้ำใจไมตรีพระก็เช่นกัน การที่คนต่างศาสนาร่วมตักบาตรเป็นเรื่องกระทำได้ แต่ควร กระทำในมุมมองของชาวพุทธ มิใช่มองเป็นจุดท่องเที่ยว 104 fah thai november • december 2008

Clockwise from top left, hundreds of monks and novices occupy the 32 active monasteries that line the city’s narrow, dusty streets; silver alms bowls are slung across monks’ shoulders; former novice Ken Yarbrough; and Monk Pra Sert of Wat Pu Kwai

Bangkok Airways flies daily between Bangkok and Luang Prabang (see Destination Guide on page 129). For more information, visit www.bangkokair.com

other buddhist ceremonies Morning and evening prayers take place daily at every temple. Visitors are welcome to observe chanting meditations at sunset, or 4am, if you’re a very early bird.

Full Moon Holy Days celebrate the life and enlightenment of the Buddha with temple ceremonies and colourful processions. Many businesses close for the day so that families can spend the day together.

Buddhist wakes are officiated by monks and attended by the family and friends of the deceased. The ceremonies may spill out onto the footpaths and streets, with many rounds of chanting and blessings followed by a feast. Unless you’re invited in, watch from a respectful distance and keep your camera holstered.