Temple Boys Of Thailand

In the country-side of Thailand one will find many boysBuddhist precepts strictly, they will eat only one meal a
working in the temples as temple boys. These boysday. The leftovers are eaten by the temple boys as it
help monks in their alms collecting as they go fromis considered a sin for lay people to eat before monks
village to village. A temple has the responsibility of theand novices. After midday, the only food consumed by
monks alms bowl and food career. The temple boymonks and novices is liquid like water or pasteurized
accompanies the monk when they are their dailymilk.
rounds of alms collection.A temple boy undertakes work of a housemaid in a
If a temple has many monks and novices, then thetemple. The only difference is that the temple boy is
alms collection is normally divided into several routes.not paid for the work. A temple boy gets free food,
On certain routes only one temple boys assists theaccommodation and merit in exchange for work.
monks while on others there can be two or more. ThisMostly poor farmer families send their boys to the
usually depends on the quantity and amount of foodtemple to live temple boys. It is their way of ensuring
offered by lay people.that their sons gets free food and accommodation.
On return to the temple, temple boys prepares foodHowever, there have been cases when boys from
for the monks and novices. As a religious rule, monksaffluent families live in temple compounds.
are not allowed to eat food unless it is presented by aLife of temple boy in a village can be difficult when the
lay person. This excludes water and liquids. After thefarmers in the village are poor. As a result the food
monks finish eating, temple boys will keep some foodoffered to monks would be extremely limited and it is
the monks for their second meal which must takequite common for little food to be left over for the
place before midday. However, if some monks for thetemple boys after monks and novices finish eating.