Making merit: The monks' tak bat in Laos

by Jack Kurtz - Sept. 12, 2009

The Arizona Republic

LUANG PRABANG, Laos - The monks filed past us silently, their bright saffron robes cutting through dawn's haze like a beacon. The only sounds were the chirping of birds and the clicking of tourists' cameras photographing the monks on their tak bat, Lao for "monks' morning rounds" or the Lao tradition of monks walking silently through their communities soliciting rice and alms.

It's not unusual in Southeast Asia to see monks on the street early in the morning with their alms bowls, going from home to home to receive a small donation of rice or, occasionally, money. It's all part of the Theravada Buddhist tradition of "making merit."

But in Laos, this tradition is done a little differently. Instead of a small group of monks going out in the morning, tens or even hundreds of them go out at dawn, walking silently through the cobblestone streets. The Lao faithful line up, kneeling on straw mats or sitting on small stools, to give each monk a small portion of rice. It's a silent, beautiful tradition that has become one of the main reasons tourists are flocking to Luang Prabang.

Our first stop in Laos was Vientiane, the capital.

The Hotel Beau Rivage Mekong, where we stayed, is on the Mekong River in a residential neighborhood about a mile from downtown and close to five or six Buddhist temples (called wats, as they are in Thailand). During the rainy season, when the river is high, the water is about 30 feet from the hotel's front door. During the dry season, the water recedes to about half a mile away.

The first morning in Vientiane, I got up before dawn to wander around the neighborhood and look at the temples. As the sun came up, I was greeted silently by 20 monks starting their tak bat.

Fewer monks participate in the tak bat in Vientiane than in Luang Prabang, but far fewer tourists are out in the early morning in Vientiane. In fact, I was the only non-Lao out that morning.

After two days in Vientiane, we headed north to Luang Prabang, Laos' ancient imperial capital, the center of Buddhist teaching in Laos and the city where the tak bat is done with the most fervor.

We hired a car and driver for the 10-hour drive. The car, a 2006 Ford Ranger 4x4, cost $65 per day, with unlimited mileage (we paid for the gas). The driver received $12 per day. That included his overtime, hotel and meals. Hiring a driver was one of the smartest things we did. He spoke English and translated for us. He knew the area when we wanted to get off the beaten path.

Luang Prabang is a quiet mountain town, home to dozens of temples and thousands of monks.
The heart of the city is a peninsula between the Mekong and Nam Khan rivers. It's a very compact area, about one-third mile long and a couple of hundred yards across. This is a town best seen on foot. The streets are very narrow, some barely more than alleys, and traffic is light, so it's easy to get around. Because there's water on three sides, it's hard to get lost.

I think it's best to find a hotel or guest house on the northeast end of the peninsula, where the rivers come together. Most hotels are at the entrance to the city, so if you stay at the end of the peninsula, you'll be farther away from the tourist traffic. Also, many of the wats are at the end of peninsula.

Luang Prabang is fast becoming Laos' most popular tourist attraction. There are lots of visitors on the streets, but it's nothing compared with Thailand or Cambodia.

There are hotels and restaurants to fit nearly every desire and budget. There are $20-a-night guest houses and $200-a-night resorts. For dining, you can choose from $30-per-entree French restaurants with linen tablecloths and candles or $2-per-meal Lao eateries with chopsticks and candles. (The power goes out frequently in Laos.)

We ended up in a delightful, 15-room hotel, Lotus Villa. It's at the northeast end of the peninsula, very close to several temple complexes and on the monks' tak-bat route.

The hotel staff was very helpful, and breakfast (included with in the rate) was served in a cozy garden between the hotel's wings, shaded by a couple of very large banana trees.

The tak bat is the highlight of most visitors' time in Luang Prabang. It's easy to find. The monks go up Th Sakkarin ("Th" is the Lao abbreviation for road or street) five or six blocks, cross, then walk back down Th Kounkoa to their temples.

The tak bat starts at sunrise and ends 30-45 minutes later. Some tourists go to Th Sakkarin, near Wat Si Bun Heuang, a few minutes before sunrise and walk with the monks.

Remember that this is a traditional religious practice, not a Disney-fied version of one. Be respectful of the monks. Do not block the sidewalk or otherwise impede the monks. Do not walk alongside the monks; rather, walk in the middle of the road or on the opposite side of the street. If you sit or kneel along the route, make sure your feet are not pointed at the monks. (Pointing your foot at someone is a great insult in Thai and Lao culture.) If you photograph or videotape the tak bat (which is permissible), do not use flash or other light sources, which the monks find distracting.

Finally, you may be tempted to participate in the tak bat. If you kneel on the sidewalk and offer rice, the monks will accept it. Lao vendors have recently started selling rice to tourists specifically for the monks. But the temples have asked that tourists not participate in the tak bat unless it has great personal meaning for them, and several monks have reportedly gotten sick from rice presented to them by foreign tourists who purchased it from street vendors.