Monks, Naens and Maechi
I was awakened this morning by the monks chanting. They chant at least twice a day. The male monks wear bright orange robes and the female monks wear white robes.
A monk dressing to go out
The female monks are called, “mae chi”, which means mother spinster. Young monks are known as naens and they often live and study in the wats.
Two young monks (naens) out for a walk
The monks live in Wats which are Thai Buddhist Temples. The Wats can be very elaborate, many times they are made of gold. There have beautiful grounds, flowers and statues. The Wats also can have dragons and mythical creatures on the roofs and at the entrances.
The front entrance of a wat
Every morning the monks go around the streets and people place food in their monk bowls. Monk bowls are the one worldly item monks can own. The official monk bowls are hammered metal and come in many sizes. There are various stores where you can buy gifts wrapped in cellophane for the monks. Most Thai Buddhists worship as monks, with shaved heads, for at least a few months.
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