Real Monks & Bogus Monks

Very often we can see Monks walking around at the Market with their Alms bowl and a handful of amulet. They will approach us to ask for donation and we will be given a amulet as a token. So, How True are they? Sometime I do wonder are they real monk or are they not. I do not wish to offend anyone, but as far as I know, monks in thailand will come out of the temple early in the morning to ask for donation, most of the time villager will offer food to them and they will then bring back to the temple and consume the food for breakfast/lunch. They DO NOT ask for Money.

How to Tell: Who is Real? Who is Bogus?

Real (food-collecting) Monks

1. Stand still outside hawker centre.
2. Wait for food donor to approach.
3. Alms bowl covered with a lid which is opened when donor wishes to offer food.
4. Do not carry pendants/ amulets.

Bogus (monetary-collecting) Monks

1. Walk from table to table in hawker centre.
2. Approach patrons at tables.
3. Alms bowl open all the time.
4. Carry pendants/ amulets as a form of repayment to donors.

For Thai Buddhist monks present in Singapore, there is a Singapore Thai Sangha Council (i.e. Singapore Thai Samatca) and they take a serious view of any Thai Buddhist Monks violating precepts and they will take disciplinary action as well. Thai Buddhist monks are actually issued with identification cards as proof of their monkhood.

Table information extracted from for you buddhism article~ provided by Palelai Buddhist Temple.

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