Thailand – The monks of the remote island | October 2017
It is seven o’clock in the morning when the monks of Koh Phayam, a remote island in south-west Thailand, come out of their temple for their daily quest, the collection of food offered by the local population. It is an ancestral tradition.
All around, the silence is broken only by the sounds of nature. The waves mark the time, while sea eagles fly overhead. The ritual is called Tanbum and it strengthens the bond between the community of monks and the population, giving lay people the chance to practise the perfection of generosity, as an antidote to greed, which is considered one of the worst inner evils.
The temple at Koh Phayam has a mystical location, rising in the middle of the Andaman Sea and can only be reached by crossing a long, striking white bridge, which Buddhists consider a symbol of purity.
