Have you ever been blessed by a Monk?
And by blessing, I mean the full-blown thing- sit down, shoes off, doused in holy water, and blessed.
If you’re anything like me, chances are you have your reservations about it.
Why would you want a Buddhist blessing if you’re not Buddhist?
Why would you want to kneel before a monk and have him spray holy water on your temples and bless you?
Seeing Monk’s for the first time in Cambodia
I can’t say being blessed while exploring the ruins of the Angkor Wat Temples in Cambodia was something I had on my bucket list. In fact, it was something I didn’t even know existed until I saw it happening to people around the temples.
My visions of interactions with monks were far off what it actually was like.
I’d thought a glimpse of orange robes and shaven heads from a distance was lucky; a thing unheard of unless you were high out of civilisation and in the hills where nature and holiness merged together. I guess this comes from devouring Buddhist culture and exploring the depths of Buddhist history throughout the course of my history degree.
But I was so, so wrong.
I had forgotten one simple fact: monks were human. Sounds ridiculous, right? But it’s true. We often forget that although their way of life is different from how many of us choose to live, they still lived amongst the world as normal human beings.
And so as I wandered through the temples, I came across Monks (most of them much younger than I was) snapping selfies on their iPhones just like me. They laughed, drank soft drink from cans, and they asked for photos with me and my friends!
Note: I wouldn’t recommend asking for a photo with a monk if you see one around the temples- the man in this photo below me approached me first, as did many of his friends.
Being Blessed by a Buddhist Monk
You’re probably thinking that this is a silly tourist trap. And it probably is. My Cambodian guide didn’t have anything to say about the experience and said that he was under the impression the money went back into the livelihood of the monks. My guide grew up in Siem Reap and so I trusted his word that it wasn’t doing more harm than good.
When you’re visiting Angkor Wat you’ll most likely come across several monks throughout the temples, so choosing which one to go to can be hard.
I think of it like this- it’s a rather spiritual experience, right? So find the one who calls to you.
Then approach him, take off your shoes, kneel on his mat, and donate what you find appropriate (don’t be stingy!).
After giving my monk a small donation, I sat down and gently greeted him.
My Monk was friendly. He threw the water on me while giggling and smiling (which was an unexpected bonus because it was 100 degrees outside and I was DYING in my long, black skirt).
One of the interesting things I learned after this experience is that monks do not touch women, so they have to be very careful not to make contact with you at all throughout the ceremony.
He will sprinkle the water on you while chanting and after saying some words for a happy life and blessing, he will tie a red string around your wrist- a band that must stay until it naturally falls off. According to my guide, the longer it’s on, the happier your life will be. If you pull the band off, you’ll get bad luck.
From memory, my band lasted another three-four weeks, which I was rather happy with considering I was travelling, being very active, and showering several times a day to stay cool!
The quick ceremony is then finished with the Monk thanking you and bowing.
Angkor Wat is obviously the must-do when you go to Cambodia…and if you do go to Angkor Wat, you can’t miss the sunrise… but you also can’t miss a blessing by a Buddhist monk.
To conclude this short but sweet memory of something wonderful that happened to me in Cambodia, I’ll leave you with a short quote from the monk we all love and adore, no matter our religion, Buddha.
“In the end, only three things matter: how much you loved, how gently you lived, and how gracefully you let go of things not meant for you.”
For more Cambodia wanderlust, check out these posts:
The Killing Fields and S21: A Chilling Cambodian Experience
Surprising Facts You Didn’t Know About The Angkor Complex!
bookmarked!!, I like your blog!