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Monk Chat - Interview with a Buddhist Monk, Chiang Mai, Thailand

9/7/2017

17 Comments

 
Monk Chat, Interview with a Buddhist Monk, Chiang Mai, Thailand, It’s a Monk’s Life, unusual and unique things to do in Chiang Mai, Monk Chat at Wat Suan Dok, how to join Monk Chat, Chiang Mai, Feet Do Travel
Have you ever visited a Buddhist country and seen Buddhist monks walking around wearing their distinctive orange robes? Do questions ever pop into your head? Do you wonder what their lives are like, what their daily routine is and if they miss anything?

I have asked myself these questions, so when we were in Chiang Mai, Thailand we  discovered Monk Chat. I knew this would be my chance to ask them questions, and find out more about their lives. Monk Chat is the perfect unique and unusual thing to do in Chiang Mai.

We were told we would have about an hour with the monks, but would we be able to fill the time with our questions or would there be periods of awkward silence? Would they be able to understand our English language and accents? I had questions about my questions …

I guess it’s time to find out!

Feet Do Travel share Monk Chat: an interview with a Buddhist Monk in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
Monk Chat, Interview with a Buddhist Monk, Chiang Mai, Thailand, It’s a Monk’s Life, unusual and unique things to do in Chiang Mai, Monk Chat at Wat Suan Dok, how to join Monk Chat, Chiang Mai, Feet Do Travel
At Wat Suan Dok in Chiang Mai, between 5pm – 7pm Monday to Friday, anyone can attend Monk Chat. There is also an option for a one or two day meditation retreat . Thailand is full of Buddhist Temples and when we visited them, watching the monks going about their daily business intrigued me. In truth, the life of a monk has always intrigued me, especially after I read the Dalai Lama’s autobiography.
Monk Chat, Interview with a Buddhist Monk, Chiang Mai, Thailand, It’s a Monk’s Life, unusual and unique things to do in Chiang Mai, Monk Chat at Wat Suan Dok, how to join Monk Chat, Chiang Mai, Feet Do Travel
Wat Suan Dok Temple at dusk - one place you can attend Monk Chat in Chiang Mai, Thailand
Monk Chat, Interview with a Buddhist Monk, Chiang Mai, Thailand, It’s a Monk’s Life, unusual and unique things to do in Chiang Mai, Monk Chat at Wat Suan Dok, how to join Monk Chat, Chiang Mai, Feet Do Travel
Monk Chat, Interview with a Buddhist Monk, Chiang Mai, Thailand, It’s a Monk’s Life, unusual and unique things to do in Chiang Mai, Monk Chat at Wat Suan Dok, how to join Monk Chat, Chiang Mai, Feet Do Travel
Monk Chat, Interview with a Buddhist Monk, Chiang Mai, Thailand, It’s a Monk’s Life, unusual and unique things to do in Chiang Mai, Monk Chat at Wat Suan Dok, how to join Monk Chat, Chiang Mai, Feet Do Travel
Monk Chat, Interview with a Buddhist Monk, Chiang Mai, Thailand, It’s a Monk’s Life, unusual and unique things to do in Chiang Mai, Monk Chat at Wat Suan Dok, how to join Monk Chat, Chiang Mai, Feet Do Travel
Monk Chat, Interview with a Buddhist Monk, Chiang Mai, Thailand, It’s a Monk’s Life, unusual and unique things to do in Chiang Mai, Monk Chat at Wat Suan Dok, how to join Monk Chat, Chiang Mai, Feet Do Travel
Monk Chat, Interview with a Buddhist Monk, Chiang Mai, Thailand, It’s a Monk’s Life, unusual and unique things to do in Chiang Mai, Monk Chat at Wat Suan Dok, how to join Monk Chat, Chiang Mai, Feet Do Travel
Monk Chat, Interview with a Buddhist Monk, Chiang Mai, Thailand, It’s a Monk’s Life, unusual and unique things to do in Chiang Mai, Monk Chat at Wat Suan Dok, how to join Monk Chat, Chiang Mai, Feet Do Travel
Why Monk Chats are important

A monk’s purpose in life is to learn, practice and share. That is what makes them happy and fulfils their purpose. Their life is made up of three duties; Temple/Monastery duties; Personal Duties and Social Duties such as monk chats. By taking part in Monk chats, the monks are not only learning English but it helps their education towards becoming a Senior Monk.
​
This is why the monk chats are so important. It’s not just for you to find out more about monks, it’s so you can both learn from one another. Monks value their time with us; it helps their spoken English and learn more about a life they do not lead. By chatting with the monks, you are sharing valuable information and, as sharing is a value taught in Buddhism, this is an important part of Buddhism.
Monk Chat, Interview with a Buddhist Monk, Chiang Mai, Thailand, It’s a Monk’s Life, unusual and unique things to do in Chiang Mai, Monk Chat at Wat Suan Dok, how to join Monk Chat, Chiang Mai, Feet Do Travel
It's important to be respectful when attending Monk Chat, Chiang Mai
Upon arrival at the temple, we strolled around and took photographs, then looked for the room where Monk Chat was to be held. We were invited to sit at a table and two monks sat opposite us. We never shook their hand, it is forbidden for a monk to touch a woman and I didn’t wish to make them feel awkward by holding out my hand as is customary in the Western way.

Our monks introduced themselves, the Senior Monk was Phra KK who was born in Bangladesh, and Phra Ram from Nepal. The word “Phra (pronounced Pra)” means monk. 

Phra KK asked us for our names; “I’m Simon” said Sy “Ahhh Simon is a common name isn’t it, like Simon from Britain’s Got Talent”.

Well, we weren’t expecting that! I asked him how he knew about this English show, he told us he had learned about it through monk chats; he had been inspired by the British people to watch it. 

Simon Cowell – if you are reading this, you can count this monk as one of your fans!
Monk Chat, Interview with a Buddhist Monk, Chiang Mai, Thailand, It’s a Monk’s Life, unusual and unique things to do in Chiang Mai, Monk Chat at Wat Suan Dok, how to join Monk Chat, Chiang Mai, Feet Do Travel
Phra KK is opposite Sy and Phra Ram is opposite Angie for our Monk Chat - Interview with a Buddhist Monk
We were in Chiang Mai during Songkran, and on our scooter on our way to the Temple, we were squirted with a water pistol. A bucket of water was also thrown over us, so one of my opening questions had to be “when you are walking around during Songkran, does anyone throw water at you?”.

I am pleased to report that in Thailand, monks are respected so no it does not happen. It does sometimes happen by accident and, hilariously, the next day we saw a few monks actively getting involved in Songkran.

We then continued asking our pre-written questions, although sometimes the conversation veered in a different direction as a result of their responses, so we simply went with it and let the natural conversation flow – it was so very interesting!

Phra KK, the Senior Monk, started to answer questions first then he remembered that Pra Ram was new to monk chat and this was part of his development. He would then invite Ram to speak first.

​How long have you been a monk and what did you do before?
KK – 15 years, I was young when I become a monk so didn’t do anything before.
Ram – 8 years and before this I was a student.

How long will you stay a monk?
Ram – Now I am a monk, I don’t think about the future. That could change, but [at the moment] I don’t think about it. I don’t think about whether I will be a monk in 1 minute, or 1 hour or one day from now. All that is important is now.
KK – I don’t think about it, I live in the present and am happy as a monk.

What led you to become a monk?
Ram – I saw a monk when I went to Kathmandu and I wanted to wear the robe so I went home and asked permission from my parents who were Hindu. I went for 7 days and stayed as a novice.
KK – I have a different story to Ram. I grew up in the hills of Bangladesh and lost my mother when I was 8, then I was orphaned at 13. I started chatting to a monk about why I was feeling this pain and how would I be looked after and fed. The Monk made me realise that I wasn’t the only one who had lost someone, people all around me had lost someone. Not long after I decided to become a Monk. Over the years I studied in Myanmar, India, Sri Lanka then I had an opportunity to come to Thailand.

Is there anything you miss?
Ram – Life is good as a monk so I don’t miss anything. I don’t focus on what I have lost or I might miss, I just focus on what I have as a monk.
KK – When I see people playing cricket then I remember when I used to play it when I was younger, but Buddhism teaches you how to deal with this and move on. You feel it, accept it and learn to process that feeling and put it behind you. We are taught to learn from the difficulties then overcome then.
Monk Chat, Interview with a Buddhist Monk, Chiang Mai, Thailand, It’s a Monk’s Life, unusual and unique things to do in Chiang Mai, Monk Chat at Wat Suan Dok, how to join Monk Chat, Chiang Mai, Feet Do Travel
Phra Ram (left) and Phra Ram (right) - our Monk Chat: Interview with a Buddhist Monk
What is the hardest part of being a monk?
Ram – It was very hard at the beginning, but after 8 years, it’s easier, nothing is difficult. But yes, at the start, learning to change from a normal life to a monk life is difficult but I like being a monk so it’s not hard anymore.  We wake up at 5am, we are chanting a couple of times a day, we meditate a couple of times a day and usually we are in bed by 9-10pm.
KK – Yes in the beginning it is difficult because there are 227 rules a monk has to live by, some are major which are easy to follow such as not killing someone, but there are also a lot of minor rules to remember that are more difficult. For example, you are not allowed to eat between midday and midnight. I like food a lot! Another minor rule is that we are not allowed to sing songs.

It was at this point in the conversation we started to discuss what little we knew about Buddhism; what I had learnt from reading the Dalai Lama’s autobiography, and what we had both been taught from the few Buddhist lessons we had attended.

So what do you enjoy most about being a monk?
Ram – Making friends with monks from other countries and meditating. In our temple we live with 200 people in peace and happiness and we learn to lose the word “I” and we say “we”, for instance you may say “it’s my house” but we say “it’s our temple”.
KK – Going back to what you said about the Dalai Lama’s teaching, that happiness is within us. You can have peace within yourself, it’s a state of mind, you just need to train and learn to unlock it. The more you have, the more you want and you have stress and anxiety. Life is about balance. People take care of their bodies and go to the gym but they don’t look after the mind and have stress in their life. Take care of your mind not just your body. 

So what I enjoy the most is being happy in the present.
​
Don’t believe anyone but yourself.
Monk Chat, Interview with a Buddhist Monk, Chiang Mai, Thailand, It’s a Monk’s Life, unusual and unique things to do in Chiang Mai, Monk Chat at Wat Suan Dok, how to join Monk Chat, Chiang Mai, Feet Do Travel
Buddhist quotes at a monastery
You mentioned minor rules, what happens if you break one?
KK - If you break a major rule, you are not considered to be a monk so you obviously have to leave, but for minor ones, you may need to mediate for a few days. Senior Monks are there to show you the right path as we are always learning and there are so many to remember. A Senior Monk is like a parent teaching their child and showing them the way. 

Describe your typical day
We wake up at 5am and during the day we meditate, chant, carry out monastery and social duties then we go to bed around 9-10pm.

Can anyone become a monk and how do you start?
KK - Yes, anyone can become a monk at any age from any religion; it’s a way of life and not a religion so Christians, Hindu’s, Catholics, anyone can seek Nirvana and have the right to gain happiness. You start a new life as a monk so you don’t need to know anything about Buddhism in advance because you learn this from the start as part of your teaching.
​
You just need two things; first is permission from a family member; if you are married then it will be your wife and if you are single then from your parents, this is so you won’t disappoint anyone when you are not around to earn money and provide for your family. The second permission is from a Senior Monk or your “teacher” as they will take care of you and teach you when you are learning.

If you are under the age of 20 years old you are known as a novice and in training to be a monk, when you are over 20 then you can choose to become a monk.

You mentioned permission from a Senior Monk, how do you become a “Senior Monk”?
KK - All monks are equal regardless of age but it’s experience and practice that makes you a senior monk. For example, Mr Simon, if you were 70 years old and wanted to become a monk, Ram here would be your senior even though he is 25 because he has been a monk for 8 years so has more experience.

Experience is knowledge.
Monk Chat, Interview with a Buddhist Monk, Chiang Mai, Thailand, It’s a Monk’s Life, unusual and unique things to do in Chiang Mai, Monk Chat at Wat Suan Dok, how to join Monk Chat, Chiang Mai, Feet Do Travel
Your English is excellent, how did you learn to speak it so well? 
Ram – I started learning English when I was young at school but then I studied it at University, I have just graduated actually, I studied Humanities. But we also speak many different languages as there are many different nationalities here so we all communicate in Thai, English, Nepalese, we are always learning lots of languages.
KK – To answer your question, I would say I learnt the most from the Monk chats and from the people that come here. When we sit and talk with you, that is how we learn.
Monk Chat, Interview with a Buddhist Monk, Chiang Mai, Thailand, It’s a Monk’s Life, unusual and unique things to do in Chiang Mai, Monk Chat at Wat Suan Dok, how to join Monk Chat, Chiang Mai, Feet Do Travel
Our new-found friends at Monk Chat; our interview with a Buddhist Monk was over
I wanted them to teach me something, so I asked them both to teach me the word “friend” in their native tongue. 

In Nepalese it’s “Sathi” and in Bengali it’s “Bondu”.
​
I was now able to end our conversation by saying “thank you friend” to both of them.
Monk Chat, Interview with a Buddhist Monk, Chiang Mai, Thailand, It’s a Monk’s Life, unusual and unique things to do in Chiang Mai, Monk Chat at Wat Suan Dok, how to join Monk Chat, Chiang Mai, Feet Do Travel
We looked at the clock and realised we had been chatting for an hour and a half, and it was now dark outside. So much for wondering whether we could fill the hour without awkward silences!

We walked into the room wanting to ask the monks questions, however we left feeling like we had made friends, and learnt from one another. It was very humbling.

If you are in Chaing Mai, I would urge you to seek out a Monk Chat, it was such a rewarding experience for us, but more importantly, it was useful for these warm and kind people.
​
If you are interested in attending a Monk Chat, visit Monk Chat website. If you would like to participate in a one or two day meditation retreat, you can email them.
Monk Chat, Interview with a Buddhist Monk, Chiang Mai, Thailand, It’s a Monk’s Life, unusual and unique things to do in Chiang Mai, Monk Chat at Wat Suan Dok, how to join Monk Chat, Chiang Mai, Feet Do Travel
Monk Chat, Interview with a Buddhist Monk, Chiang Mai, Thailand, It’s a Monk’s Life, unusual and unique things to do in Chiang Mai, Monk Chat at Wat Suan Dok, how to join Monk Chat, Chiang Mai, Feet Do Travel
Location of Wat Suan Dok, Chiang Mai
How to get to Chiang Mai

​Flying: All major airlines fly to Bangkok, then take a short internal flight, Air Asia are the cheapest and most popular.

Sleeper Train from Bangkok: Sleeper trains are modern, clean and super efficient. We checked the schedules online and booked in advance via the 12GoAsia website. The office is  located across the road from Bangkok’s Hua Lamphong train station; buying and picking up the tickets couldn’t have been easier and I would thoroughly recommend them! ​

​If you had an opportunity to chat with a monk, what question would you ask? Let us know in the comment section below.

Disclaimer: This post contains some affiliate links. If you click through and make a purchase, it won't cost you any extra, the small commission we may earn will help support the FeetDoTravel community.
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When in Chiang Mai, Thailand, Feet Do Travel had the chance to interview a Buddhist Monk. Monk Chat at Wat Suan Dock is an unusual and unique thing to do when in Chiang Mai. Let us show you how to join #monkchat in #chiangmai #thailand #temples #thingstodo #traveladvice #travelguide #traveltips #budgetravel
When in Chiang Mai, Thailand, Feet Do Travel had the chance to interview a Buddhist Monk. Monk Chat at Wat Suan Dock is an unusual and unique thing to do when in Chiang Mai. Let us show you how to join #monkchat in #chiangmai #thailand #temples #thingstodo #traveladvice #travelguide #traveltips #budgetravel
17 Comments
Penny Walker link
21/7/2017 06:32:29 am

A fascinating insight into the lives of the monks and beautiful pictures too! Thank you!

Reply
Stephanie (1AdventureTraveler) link
21/7/2017 04:50:42 pm

Wow, what a great article on chatting with a monk. In my travels in Asia I have interacted with a few monks and you were able to obtain answers to my questions. What an amazing experience. I would love to take the time and visit a Monk Chat. Thanks so much for sharing! Love your photos... :-) #feetdotravel

Reply
Lolo link
21/7/2017 05:34:49 pm

Oh wow what a cool experience! Do you just talk about anything or more philosophical topics? #FeetDoTravel

Reply
FeetDoTravel
30/7/2017 02:14:52 am

You can talk about absolutely anything you like with them, it doesn't have to be philosophical or religious, as you can see from our encounter, we talked about TV :D

Reply
Anna link
21/7/2017 09:56:47 pm

So interesting, I've been to many Buddhist temples but never heard of Monk Chats! Such an open-minding and learning experience for both sides! After reading this I feel like I need some Buddhism in my life: feeling, accepting, learning to process the feeling and puting it behind...thanks for sharing #feetdotravel

Reply
sandy & Vyjay
21/7/2017 11:29:52 pm

This was a really enlightening post. My deep interest in spirituality and fascination for Buddhism and the life of the Buddhist monks assured that I was riveted on each and every word. I really love the philosophy expounded by one of the monks where he says that he does not think of the future and lives in the now;

Reply
Paul and Carole link
22/7/2017 10:49:27 am

Really enjoyed reading this. We have always been fascinated by the Monks in Thailand and will often get up early to spot them collecting alms. I have never heard that you could have a Monk Chat how brilliant is that, something we would love to do. Laughed that they knew who Simon Cowell was too! Excellent post thanks for sharing. #feetdotravel

Reply
Garth link
23/7/2017 03:58:12 pm

What an amazing experience to do. I've always been fascinated by Buddhism, so interesting to read the responses to your questions. When we saw monks in Bangkok we wondered if they do stuff like watch TV, that's so funny he knew who Simon Cowell was!

Reply
Marcelle link
24/7/2017 01:41:37 pm

Your article is a very inspiring read, thank you. I've seen monks in Laos in their orange robe and was thinking how their life is. Some of them were only boys. I didn't know they are not allowed to touch women. Are we (again) untouchables - impure? Obviously another man-made religion ...

Reply
FeetDoTravel
30/7/2017 02:30:23 am

A Monk's life is fascinating isn't it! The reason why they aren't allowed to touch women is because they aren't allowed any sexual relations with women so it's to avoid making them feel uncomfortable, even the King of Thailand had to abstain when he entered the Monastery for a small period of time.

Reply
Shona link
28/7/2017 03:24:28 am

What a fantastic experience, one I will definitely do when I am in Chang Mai. Thank for letting us in on it.

Reply
Only By Land link
28/7/2017 10:53:31 am

I have often thought about staying in a temple and being a monk for a month or so. It was actually Chiang Mai I was looking at. It's interesting to read about what kind of experience I would have. If I didn't have time for a full month. The monk chat sounds perfect as they speak good English, it's interesting to see life from another perspective.

Reply
Travel Lexx link
29/7/2017 10:48:55 pm

Wow, such a fascinating read - despite my many visits to Chiang Mai, I am yet to attend a monk chat and I definitely will try to do it next time I am in the region. I found out a lot from reading your post and I am sure it was a very rewarding and special experience. I know where that temple is so will definitely try and visit it one day!

Reply
Travel4lifeblog link
4/8/2017 11:19:31 am

Thanks Angie for sharing a very informative article and for sharing your experience with a monk. We found this article very interesting and inspiring. We visited many places with monks but never dare to talk to them but thanks to you, we will try next time!
Keep up the great work.
Patrick and Cécile

Reply
Rob+Ann @TravelLatte(.net) link
4/8/2017 10:48:53 pm

LOVE this! The temple we visit most often doesn't have a Monk Chat, but it's a great idea. Generally, when the monks are available and not busy, they're more than happy to sit and talk with you. Sometimes they have questions, too. It would be great to visit the monks at other temples - we'll keep an eye out for Monk Chat when we finally get to Chiang Mai!

Reply
David link
7/8/2017 07:11:57 pm

What a fascinating insight into the life of a monk. You asked some great questions here and I really did find it quite intriguing to learn the stories of Phra KK and Phra Ram.

Reply
Kreete link
20/8/2017 04:53:54 am

Thank you Angie! This has been a very interesting read. I can only imagine how humbling the whole experience must have been and the thoughts you may have had after the chat. I had no idea these chats even existed and will definitely seek one out when I go to Asia again. It really makes you think if you need all the material possessions in life and how most people live their life as robots, doing things automatically or chasing a goal that is not worth anything in terms of personal growth. My views align with Buddhism as well and I have always wanted to go to a meditation retreat and in some cases you can even stay in their temples. One day.. :)

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