Motorcycle Monks and Building a Buddha

Wherever you are  in Thailand there is a wat (Buddhist temple) nearby.  There are a few within walking distance of my home, and many more within driving distance.  I met a work crew building a statue of Buddha at the wat near my house.  Like most Thais they were very friendly and let me hang out with them for a while.  Here are some pictures of them and their work.

 

Monks are generally very friendly and love to talk.  Sometimes this is called "monk chat."  Extra points if you can guess the topic of this monk's chat.

This is Ja, one of the artist's on the crew building a statue of the Buddha.

This is Tu, who is married to Ja.  Tu listens to American country music while working.



Another member of the crew.  Note the covers to protect their work from the rain.  Even though it dumped rain for a few hours every day, the wet concrete and paint was never damaged.

Monks at the wat participate in the work.  They are hard working and usually do the dirty jobs.

Almost done.  It took a crew of five about a month to complete the statue.

 

 

 

 

Above is Wat Pribath.  It's one of the most beautiful temples I've seen.  If you ever visit northern Thailand you might want to rent a motorcycle and visit this place.

Even artists need to eat.  Some of the crew take a break at the nearby fast food establishment.  On the menu:  rice, pork, veggies, and beer.

Here he is again, the same monk at the begining of this post.  He was very interested in our motorcycles and he talked a lot about them.  He told us that he once owned a Ducati.  When asked what happeded to it, he told us that he sold it to a friend before becoming a monk.  I asked if he wanted to take a spin on mine, but he politely declined.  "I'm not allowed when I'm wearing my robes" he said.  The next time you see a guy on a motorcycle, be kind.  He might be a Hell's Angel, or, he could be a monk.