A Journey with Bare Foot

When I was traveling in Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos (where Theravada Buddhism is very popular) , I saw monks are everywhere. They wake up very early in the morning and do prayers, going out to the streets to receive food offerings and bless the residents, and they are also giving food to the poor.

In some of the villages, their roles are as a doctor, a carpenter, a counselor and a priest for the wedding.


These monks are often in orange, yellow or maroon color robes, 1) 下裙 2）七衣　３）九衣. It's made by white cloth, dyed by boiled twig from Jack fruit.


It's just simply beautiful to see these monks, walking bare footed as part of the Dharma practices, to live with absolutely nothing, follow the vows and their gurus. The objective is to train them to let go on their ego, which is basically will cause the "3 poisons": greed, anger and ignorance. To give up attachment in life and going to the state of mind of emptiness and selflessness.


Many Chinese Malaysians claim to be Buddhist but never practice Dharma or don't even understand the 3 jewels of Buddhism. In my personal understanding, Dharma is the answer of everything and it's an art of happiness. And the ultimate goal is to be free from the six realms （Samsara), including Devas (Gods), Asura (titans), Hungry Ghost, Hell, Animal and Human.


The nature of one's existence is determined by karma. Some realms seem more pleasant than others -- heaven sounds preferable to hell -- but all are dukkha, meaning they are temporary and imperfect.

I learn all this in my journey. It helps in my self-realization, learn to appreciate life and always think of benefiting others (Compassion).


This slideshow is simply amazing.It's captured by a monk, who used to be a professional photographer -- Ajahn Cagino. Ajahn has been in robes for 14 years and most of the time in North Thailand, and these days his dream is to build a Dharma Orphanage Home for the poor children who's suffering from poverty, lack of food, education, taking risk in drug trafficking, and sometimes killed by the gangsters. 


In the pictures, it's beyond beauty, it brings you to a place you never been before. And eventually you'll understand what is inner peace.


Gosh, I miss these monks from those countries...