Burmese Days : Monks

When travelling through Myanmar, one sees many monks in red robes and nuns in pink, busy in the streets and in groups hanging out.
Becoming a monk is a regular part in the life of a Burmese boy - for girls it is quite common too, but a harder sacrifice for most of them, as they have to shed their long hair. Nearly all young boys strive to become a novice monk at least once in a lifetime, and unlike christian monks and nuns, choosing this path does not mean they have to commit for life. They join a monastery, get shaved, wear the robe and get an introduction to the faith. Their task is to collect their own food and alms for the monastery in the mornings. Afterwards they attend lessons. Lunch is the last meal of the day, after that they have to fast until the next morning. Our guides were all monks at some stage of their lives, one just for a day, some for longer periods or repeatedly.

                                                                             Novice monks sharing their collections

                                                                     Duties

                                                                A group of young nuns collecting alms

                                                                 A monk resting at the Su Taung Pyai Pagoda in Mandalay