I took this set of photos last night at Wat Pan Tao in Chiang Mai. It’s an important time for Buddhists in Thailand with yesterday being Asahna Bucha Day and today being the start of the Buddhist rains retreat known as Phansa. The three-month long Phansa period is sometimes called Buddhist Lent and some Thai Buddhists will make an attempt to give up one of their ‘vices’ such as cigarettes or alcohol even if it’s only for a few days or weeks. For more devoted Buddhists, regular meditation is believed to be beneficial to mental and physical well-being. Despite the crowds gathered at the temple, these young novice monks were fully focused on their meditation (once the dog in the bottom photo had been gently persuaded to move!).
