Photos

Sitting for some hours in the Burmese temple complex in Penang can give very interesting insights in the daily life of the monks. Devotees and visitors keep on coming and going, some stay briefly others sit in the shadow and relax like we did and others are talking with the monks or requesting services from the monks. Generally speaking Buddhist monks do their chantings, read their holy script, meditate, bless visitors if asked and act as adviser to the public. Some of the blessing rituals they are asked to perform go as far as seen in this photograph to bless the motorcycle - certainly to protect the driver against accidents - but also cars and houses can be blessed. These blessing rituals certainly help to overcome fear when somebody is very superstitious, what many Asians are, even only some admit it.