The Rules & History of Giving (and Receiving) Alms [Season 4, Episode 11]

It’s been a long time since we sat down with our most returningest guest ever, so we’re psyched to chat with Phra Pandit for our first show of 2020. 

We’ve all seen monks going on their daily alms rounds, walking slowly and stoically as laypeople put food and other items in their บาตร, or alms bowl. But how many of you know the history of giving alms? Phra Pandit gets into the details of the practice and answers a few questions - why only go in the morning? Why do monks look so sombre when they do it? Can you refuse an offering? And what types of items in their bowl makes a monk light up with an (inner) smile? 

Phra Pandit also gives us his impressions of how the desire for ‘the perfect alms photo/video’ can sometimes corrupt the purity of the process (watch the video he mentions here), and tells a story that is, as Greg puts it, “the most metal story about Buddhsim ever.”

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