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A Monk Walks Into A Graphic Design Printers Shop
ThailandTom
Veteran
No it is not the start of a joke, I was sat at work with nothing to do watching the movie 'Training Day' when I saw a monk walking up the stairs. I was a little surprised as you can imagine, he wanted a huge banner designed for the death of a woman or something so sat down next to a girl I work with to plan out the design. Yes I know things are changing in the world as they inevitably do but three things right here he broke.
1. In Thailand Monks cannot sit next to women
2. He had money
3. He was eating something at one point past midday.
And this isn't really a rule but he had a mobile phone too hehe. I am not saying he is bad or whatever, just a story to share. He was quite old so I guess he is probably a monk who is in permanent robes and not someone who is just doing committing to a few weeks. Here is the picture I took.
1. In Thailand Monks cannot sit next to women
2. He had money
3. He was eating something at one point past midday.
And this isn't really a rule but he had a mobile phone too hehe. I am not saying he is bad or whatever, just a story to share. He was quite old so I guess he is probably a monk who is in permanent robes and not someone who is just doing committing to a few weeks. Here is the picture I took.
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Comments
the money thing and eating past mid day are pretty iffy as well.
My response is this. When I was speaking with one of my teachers Bhante G about ordaining with him at Bhavana Society, the issue of me almost being at the age limit (36) came up and then I asked if there was an age limit in Sri Lanaka and ordaining there. He said " you don't want to ordain in Sri Lanka, they get in robes and sit around all day, they don't practice dhamma".
I think this is probably something that is more and more common in "buddhist cultures". There is a quote from Ajahn Lee about the Sangha at the end of "Blistered feet, blissful mind" where he compares the Sangha in the east to an old tree and the west to a young tree.. fragile but full of great potential. I hope to be one of those Western monks soon enough.
I have a statue of Buddha in meditation next to my front door. It never handles money, eats after noon, or talks to women. There are enough statues of Buddha in the world. Monks should get out there and help people. If an old monks needs a snack at 2pm to keep going, then give him a snack.
There are very few, new original and funny 'Buddhist' jokes currently.
We could do with a new injection of fresh humour.
Now go away and design some.
:thumbsup: Keep up the good work!
Here in Thailand, or at least the area in which I live monks cannot or should not sit next to females, I was on a bus type thing called a songtao and I moved to let a monk sit down once and he looked so surprised and kind of worried as I had left him a place to sit next to a woman, my girlfriend. She quickly explained why he couldn't sit down.
Anyway I may had been a little judgmental I guess, and I really did love your post Cinorjer, quite a clever post to say the least.
My work, I have no time to do anything else at the moment. I wake up and go to work at that place from 9-5 six days a week, then I come home and have a freelance job which is a full company brand from scratch, logo design, business card, stationary, app icons! I do that until i sleep most days, hope to finish it before 2013 lol. I am physically drained.
The designs at this place are so simple and IMO not too attractive, they are signs to grab peoples attention and my boss simply uses a bright background, puts the text down, adds a stroke to it and then prints. Sometimes there are photos or images, and on rare occasions we have more detailed designs. I will put up some which are a little more interesting that I have done, we do maybe 5-10 designs a day depending on the workload. My boss has gone into hospital from today until the 28th, something about his thyroid, so it is me and the 2 women here who have to run the show.
The tutoring is cool, too!
So, you found employment with someone, as a farang? A regular 9-5? That's amazing!
@Dakini yea I was working for a place known as the artist village which is a beautiful place and one day a printer they use came by and asked what I did, so I went on to say I am a graphic designer and now I have a full time job. No work permit though! :eek2:
Sounds great, though. Nothing like a steady paycheck!
It was empty.
" Our abbotts mother is giving him a hard time, can you design something as a warning ? "
The proprietor thinks for moment... " Banner ? "
" we will if we have to " replies the monk. "
Tom: do you have a web presence? Maybe you haven't had time to set up a website. But you could get international clientele that way. Graphic design seems like a perfect career for working by internet.