People in village of Mongnai, Burma

Mar. 02 WHEN A BURMESE BOY BECOMES A MONK..he dresses up in traditional finery and joins in Village activities which take place to musical accompaniment. WHEN A BUDDHIST BOY ENTERS A MONASTERY.. In the remote Shan states of Burma, one of the great days of a boy's life is when he enters a monastery for a period of up to one week's induction into the 10 precepts of the Buddhist faith. Dressed up in traditional robes, with face powdered and stencilled with floral designs and wearing an intricate headdress, the cost of which is often contributed to by an entire family and their friends, he and any other boys about to enter novicehood are carried around the monastery on the shoulders of adults for all the village to applaud. To celebrate the occasion everyone contributes presents for the monastery. these gifts range from mats and tools, to cutlery, waterpots, fans, slippers, spittoons, betel boxes, tinned sardines, cigars etc. Music is provided by the quaint village band. Once the celebrations outside the monastery are over and the boys are taken in by the simple monks they are divested of their clothing and put on the plain, simple robes of the novice. Almost at once their strict, disciplined training begins. Reading and prayers, the teaching of Gautama Buddha. The rules of Buddhist life - all are taught so that when the boy leaves he is considered a full member of the faith. While studying with the monks, the boys live a life which depends for food on begging. Thus, out on the streets these temporary novice monks may be seen with their alms bowls reciting the scriptures and collecting for themselves.These pictures were taken during induction festival and ceremony in the Shan Village of Mongnai

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Accompaniment Alms Applaud Becomes Begging Begins Betel Bowls Buddha Buddhist Burmese Cigars Collecting Considered Contributed Contributes Cost Cutlery Depends Disciplined Divested Enter Enters Entire Everyone Finery Gautama Induction Intricate Joins Mats Monks Novice Often Powdered Prayers Precepts Provided Quaint Reciting Remote Rules Sardines Scriptures Shan Slippers Stencilled Strict Studying Taught Temporary Themselves Thus Tinned

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