Monk with Begging Bowl

Posted on March 19, 2014 by Mary Strong-Spaid

Monk-with-Begging-Bowl
Zen Buddhism
Begging bowl in hand,
practicing non-attachment—
the humble monk stands.     ~ms

About Mary Strong-Spaid

You can find me any time wandering around in my own mind gathering thoughts.
This entry was posted in Buddhism, Haiku, Philosophy, photography and tagged , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

11 Responses to Monk with Begging Bowl

  1. windhound says:
    March 21, 2014 at 3:01 am

    This is one chique Monk! Everything about his appearance is immaculate, a world in himself. I am being serious when I say that looking at this I can understand why fashion has a place in society. We can laugh at people with matching shoes and handbags but a well balanced outfit is perhaps another way to show respect to the human form. This is such a mesmerising image.

    Like

    Reply
  2. Mary Strong-Spaid says:
    March 21, 2014 at 4:39 am

    Definitely! And “chique” is probably the best word to describe this monk. I keep looking at this photo…there is something about the stance and the positioning of the body. I have a feeling that this monk might be a “she” and not a “he.” There are 1,600 temples in Kyoto, Japan, and a few of them are run by female monks. http://www.gojapango.com/travel/kyoto_temple.htm
    Whatever the case, it takes a lot of physical strength to stand motionless for so long, with arms raised up! I probably would not be able to hold that position for more than 5 minutes or so. I will have to try….out of curiosity. 🙂

    Like

    Reply
  4. elmediat says:
    March 23, 2014 at 10:54 am

    An Intriguing & effective image. I had the impression that the figure might have been female.
    It would be interesting to see how the mood/tone would shift if the image were in B&W. Colour carries certain emotions and shift emphasis. 🙂

    Like

    Reply
  5. Amy Pinkrose says:
    March 27, 2014 at 9:52 am

    Heart touching. Thank you! xx

    Like

    Reply
  6. SuzyHazelwood says:
    March 29, 2014 at 12:07 am

    Don’t know how they do that, stand so still for so long. My body would be aching in no time at all! I went to see Swan Lake (ballet) for the first time about 8 years ago, and I was really struck by the dancers that had to stand perfectly still, swans round the edge while the two main dancers took most of the attention. I remember being very impressed by how much strength was needed to form that pose that looked so relaxed. Must be very boring too! 😉

    So, was that bowl for donations? They like to collect in a traditional way, no internet media for raising money! 🙂

    Like

    Reply

Leave a comment