AS outlined in my chapter on The Buddhist Influence the practice of giving Alms to the Village Monks  is very important to the  people of Ban Phutsa. No funeral, wedding or house warming would be complete without the presence of Buddhist Monks.

One of the most important of these occasions is when villagers invite the monks to visit their homes. This is done to celebrate important events such as birthdays, the blessing of elders or in the main just another means of making merit. The making of merit which increases  an individuals stock of good Karma is very important to the villagers and Thais in general. Every trip that we make back to Ban Phutsa Mali and I always invite the Monks to the house.

In the main it has been simply for a blessing or on occasions such as our daughter Natalie's 2nd birthday in 1984 or when on a spur of the moment in 1991  Mali and I decided to renew our marriage vows by getting married Thai style. The actual invitation is free of any stuffy protocol - just a trip down to the village Wat and a chat with the Abbott. After about fifteen minutes of casual conversation the date is finally set. After that its simply a matter of letting friends and neighbours  know and invite them along. The presence of the Monks at the house involves the offering of alms the most important of which is a meal.

It is both a point of honour and an increased emphasis on the importance of the alms giving that the best food possible be offered to the Monks. This normally requires a trip to the morning market at the nearby town of Phimai to buy the freshest ingredients. Friends and neighbours all pitch in and help prepare the food which is not seen as an onerous duty but another chance to socialise and have a drink or two.

In years past after being invited to a villagers house the monks would walk to the house in single file led by either the Abbot or  a senior monk. Of course in modern times the greater availability of vehicles means that the monks invariably get picked up at the temple and later on driven back.

When we invited the Monks to the house back in November 2005 the monks in our families honour elected to walk to the house instead of being driven. This was done in  memory of Mali's mother ( she died in 2002) who was devoted to Buddhist practice.

The following is what happened the last time the monks visited the house. As the Monks walked into the front yard of my Sister-in-Law Orrathai's house they were greeted by friends and neighbours who had already gathered. Although the Sangha (community of Monks) has an elevated place in Thai society (just below the Monarchy), Thais in general have a very easy go relationship with their local monks. Jokes and smiles are exchanged between villager and monk and people don't forget that beneath their robes the monks are friends, brothers and sons.

The  Monks  then settled in on the verandah of the house. Woven mats had been placed on the floor and the monks as per tradition sat in strict order of seniority. The prayers than commenced led by a village layman well versed in the Pali Canon. The Monks than began chanting led by a series of prompts by the village layman. After the first of the prayers had been offered the first of the alms were offered. The members of the Sangha depend entirely on the lay Community for the provision of food , shelter and even their robes. In return the monks provide a spiritual anchor - there is a wonderful synergy between the two. At ceremonies such as this it is common practice to present "practical" alms such as mosquito coils, matches and personal toiletries such as tooth-paste and soap. Of course modern times have kicked in - now in supermarkets and shops it is possible to buy such alms all neatly packaged in a saffron coloured bucket.

Of course  the alms presented in this instance can be very eclectic. On our 1984 trip I had bought Mali's dad a carton of duty-free cigarettes. When we had invited the monks to bless our daughter Natalie on her 2nd birthday, I noticed that in front of each Monk  a plate had been laid with a packet of Marlboro cigarettes on each one. At the time I absent-mindedly thought that the tobacco company would love to have exploited that scene in an advertisement.

As the first part of the ceremony was now complete, it was time to move onto the core part of the ceremony - the offering of food to the Monks. On a separate table sat a row of empty rice bowls - one for each of the Monks. People moved  in turn moved around the table and placed a spoonful of rice into each of the bowls. As they did so the bowls rapidly  filled with fragrant Jasmine rice.

The rice bowls were then placed in front of each Monk and prayers were then made for its significance. After this individual trays laden with plates and bowls filled with Isaan dishes and tropical fruit were brought out from the back of the house. People took it in turns to present a tray to each of the monks.

It never ceases to amaze or move me when I see the reverence in the offering of food at these ceremonies. Especially when they are being offered by big boned country boys and men. Their hands may be rough hewn from heavy work but they make the offerings with an exquisite gentleness.

After the monks have eaten it is a tradition that one of the Monks will deliver a sermon. At the last visit in 2005 one of the middle ranking monks (in terms of seniority) talked about the evils of alcohol. This caused my sister-in-law Porntip to call out " well if that's your attitude that's the last time that I'm going to invite you to this house". Of course she was joking and everyone laughed including the monks. The young Monk then continued with his sermon.

After the sermon, more prayers were offered and then the Monks rose signifying that the ceremony was now complete. After exchanging a few words and smiles with family and friends they commenced their walk back to the temple.

Over the years I have thought much about the "inviting the monks home" and other similar ceremonies to try and nail down their significance. I can appreciate that from a western perspective that merit making by offering alms  can seen a tad mercenary - buying your way into heaven.

As I explored in my chapter on the Buddhist Influence ,there is little to be gained in analysing events like this and placing a western judgment on it . The intrinsic value of inviting monks to the house is that it can't be explained totally. Again you must feel it.