ORDINATION CEREMONY
Exclusive Photo for your special momen
Location : Nonthaburi Thailand
Location : Nonthaburi Thailand
Photographer : Sedtanut Sugimoto
By : DrawingSnap
Why Thai Men Ordain as Monks Before Getting Married
Buddhism permeates Thai life and culture, with an estimated 90%
Buddhism permeates Thai life and culture, with an estimated 90%
of the population prescribed to the faith. With such intense cultural importance,
everyday citizens are encouraged (and even expected) to enter monastic life
at some stage, cultivating a deeper devotion and understanding of their religion.
For most men, this is done before marriage.
Entering monastic life
It is first important to make the distinction between ordained monks and novices.
The latter are young boys who live and often grow up in monasteries
and temples throughout Thailand, set to spend their lives devoted to the faith.
The vast majority of monks in Thailand only do so temporarily,
taking on short term ordinations for any period between a week to three months.
Short term ordinations are somewhat unique to Thai Buddhism,
with the practice neither common nor expected in many other Buddhist nations.
In the past, encouraging citizens to enter monastic life was a way to prevent Buddhism
from becoming extinct. Today it is more about empowering the rich traditions and
cultural importance of the faith, by cultivating it in the hearts and minds of Thailand’s people.
