Buddhist monks in Laos don't just sit and pray, meditate, or walk on the streets in the morning to collect offerings, but they also need to work hard to keep their temple compound well maintained.

Please note that Buddhist monks can't eat anything after 12pm (noon), so the only way to get their energy back after a hard day's work is to drink some form of liquid.



Buddhist monks are hard at work at the temple in Vientiane, Laos

http://www.laopride.com/pictures5/buddhist-monks-are-hard-at-work-at-the-temple-in-vientiane-laos-1a.jpg

Please click on image to view a larger version






http://www.laopride.com/pictures5/buddhist-monks-are-hard-at-work-at-the-temple-in-vientiane-laos-2a.jpg

Please click on image to view a larger version






http://www.laopride.com/pictures5/buddhist-monks-are-hard-at-work-at-the-temple-in-vientiane-laos-3a.jpg

Please click on image to view a larger version






http://www.laopride.com/pictures5/buddhist-monks-are-hard-at-work-at-the-temple-in-vientiane-laos-4a.jpg

Please click on image to view a larger version






http://www.laopride.com/pictures5/buddhist-monks-are-hard-at-work-at-the-temple-in-vientiane-laos-5a.jpg

Please click on image to view a larger version






http://www.laopride.com/pictures5/buddhist-monks-are-hard-at-work-at-the-temple-in-vientiane-laos-6a.jpg

Please click on image to view a larger version






http://www.laopride.com/pictures5/buddhist-monks-are-hard-at-work-at-the-temple-in-vientiane-laos-7a.jpg

Please click on image to view a larger version






http://www.laopride.com/pictures5/buddhist-monks-are-hard-at-work-at-the-temple-in-vientiane-laos-8a.jpg

Please click on image to view a larger version






http://www.laopride.com/pictures5/buddhist-monks-are-hard-at-work-at-the-temple-in-vientiane-laos-9a.jpg

Please click on image to view a larger version






http://www.laopride.com/pictures5/buddhist-monks-are-hard-at-work-at-the-temple-in-vientiane-laos-10a.jpg

Please click on image to view a larger version






http://www.laopride.com/pictures5/buddhist-monks-are-hard-at-work-at-the-temple-in-vientiane-laos-11a.jpg

Please click on image to view a larger version






http://www.laopride.com/pictures5/buddhist-monks-are-hard-at-work-at-the-temple-in-vientiane-laos-12a.jpg

Please click on image to view a larger version






http://www.laopride.com/pictures5/buddhist-monks-are-hard-at-work-at-the-temple-in-vientiane-laos-13a.jpg

Please click on image to view a larger version






http://www.laopride.com/pictures5/buddhist-monks-are-hard-at-work-at-the-temple-in-vientiane-laos-14a.jpg

Please click on image to view a larger version






http://www.laopride.com/pictures5/buddhist-monks-are-hard-at-work-at-the-temple-in-vientiane-laos-15a.jpg

Please click on image to view a larger version

Do most Lao men become Buddhist monks for short time in their lives? Can Laotian monks get married, i.e., as Japanese monks can?

If monks cannot smoke, drink, or have girlfriend, then their dedication is impressive. Add in hard shovel work and I am humbled by my spiritual laziness.

Yes, they like to do it for their parents while they are still alive, and for their loved ones after they die.

They also like to become Buddhist monks for other reasons, whether it's for short term or long term.

Laotian monks can't get married while they are still a Buddhist monk. They can get married after they stop being a monk, or before they become a monk.

Buddhist monks are allowed to smoke.

So no BeerLao or women for Laotian Buddha monks? What about money and jewelry etc.? In Thailand I saw a Buddha monk wearing a gold watch.  It was a disconcerting sight.

  Secondly, do Laotian women become Buddha nuns? With the shaved heads?

Buddhist monks are not allowed to wear jewelry or a watch. He could be a fake Buddhist monk, or a genuine Buddhist monk who is not following the proper rules of Buddhism.

Buddhist monks are allowed to receive monetary donations.

Laotian women can become white-robed Buddhist nuns, and yes they also need to shave their heads.

I assume no red meat for monks; can they eat fish? Or are they reduced vegetables?

Buddhist monks can eat red meat and fish. They are not vegetarians unless they choose to be, they are allowed to eat anything that a normal person likes to eat.

They can also eat any type of dessert at the end of their main course meal.

The same dietary restrictions apply to Nuns? No food after noon-time leads me to suspect they must wake up early in the morning.

Yes, the same rules apply for Buddhist nuns. Monks are used to waking up early in the morning. They usually have something to eat early in the morning, and then the heavy meals begin at around 11:00am.

Please let me rephrase what I said in my first message.

Buddhist monks and nuns are allowed to eat past 12pm (noon) IF they are still eating. In other words, you can't take the food away from them at 12pm sharp and say "that's it, your time is up".

If Buddhist monks started eating their meals at 11:30am and finished at 12:30pm, that is perfectly fine because they are allowed to continue eating until their stomach is full.

They are not allowed to finish eating at 12pm and then 30 minutes later eat something again at 12:30pm because once they've stopped eating at 12pm, that's the end of their meal time for the day.

The Buddhist rules allow some leniency, for instance if a Buddhist monk is really sick in hospital and the doctor tells them they need to have some food in their system with their medication, then there's no time restrictions when they can eat.

I hope you have learned a few things about Buddhism.

Thank You for being patient with a slow learner. Can foreigner become Buddha monk?

Yes, definitely, but there's no special treatment.

Foreigners need to follow the same rules as any Buddhist monks for when it's time to pray, when it's time to eat, and when it's time to work.

If the head monk tells you to grab a shovel and dig some dirt or sand like those monks you see in the pictures then that's what you need to do.

I know that there are a lot of foreigner monks living in Thailand

  Then Laotian Government issues some kind of Buddha/Study Visa for foreigner to live in monastery?

The Lao Government issues Student Visas, but I am not sure if studying in a Buddhist Temple is regarded as "studying" because it's not an educational institution, but a place where people go to worship.

If a foreigner wants to live and study at a specific temple, and there's a lot of them in Laos, they need to talk to the Buddhist Temple directly about their intentions because you can't just go to live in a Buddhist Temple if it hasn't been approved by the head Buddhist monk.

That's the first step, and then maybe if the foreigner can provide evidence to the Lao Government that they will be living in Laos to study at a Buddhist Temple, they may give you the appropriate visa, it's best to check with the Lao Embassy.

I can't speak for Laos but I know Thailand will grant a non-immigrant O visa for bona fide Buddhist monks or those who wish to join the monastery.  I would imagine Laos would be similar.