Giving Alms in Luang Prabang

waiting for the dawn and the monks

Ariel

 Each morning monks take to the streets silently and receive their food.  Giving alms for a Buddhist, is a way to gain merit.
One of the reasons to come to Luang Prabang  was to participate in this holy and meditative tradition.

WHOA! DID  i just say Meditative?????????
Well, it may have been my intention..... but it turned out to be a scene from Lucy and Ethel on the assembly line at the candy factory!
Remember that hilarious scenario?

We are instructed to have fresh sticky rice made expressly for this.  i did that at the corner cafe/ alas it was not ready,  therefore we were harassed into purchasing from the "suppliers" on the road.  We waited. 
Then the monks arrive, a gong preceding them.  One must not look at the monk's face, but make a ball with the RIGHT hand (Ariel and I are both Lefties) and then supposedly bless it by touching your forehead then placing it into their open bowl.
Well, sounds easy right???????
They come like LOCUSTS.  Quietly, stealthily and quickly.
who has time to even make a proper ball?   And then they just walk on.... and you feel terrible that you have missed giving a monk their special food.
And then you run out.... (but luckily there are always the suppliers to give you more.....for a price).
Spiritual...... Meditative........... well
waiting for them was like this.....
but the action was absolutely like Lucy and Ethel.....
I just kept falling behind....and frantically trying to catch up.....

Oh well......another way of thinking....
of doing........
of accepting.....
what is........
not what one thought it would be!

travelin' woman