In Thailand, at every early hours of the morning, we always see monks wander on the streets on their daily almsround to collect food for their day. In Buddhism, alms or almsgiving is a sign of respect given by lay Buddhists to Buddhist monks. It is not a charity as presumed by the Western culture; rather, it is perceived as an opportunity for the laypeople to make merits.

Merit, being considered as pure energy, is behind all successes in life, such as physical appearance, economic standing, and reputation. In addition, almsgiving establishes a symbolic connection among spiritual enthusiasts as they all come together for a single purpose. It is also their way of showing their humbleness and respect for the noble ones. At the break of each new dawn, Thai people always prepare the alms food that would include rice and other recipes for the monks.

Giving is an act of peace and a basic moral fundamental for anyone who wants to live in this world with kindness and compassion. This belief has been embedded in the Thai people’s heart for thousand of years. Moreover, almsgiving is a stress of inner peace and personal honesty, which is the first step to the purification of the mind that will lead to the higher inner grace which are scruple precepts and meditation. Therefore, the peace takes over the hearts of Thais everyday at the crack of dawn.

But in a competitive society we live in today, this moral and ethical activity seems to be gradually ignored in the rural provinces.