BUDDHISM AND THAI WAYS OF LIFE

1. BUDDHISM AND THAI WAYS OF LIFE ENGLISH 42206-7 ENGLISH FOR TOURISM BY MS JANTANA KHAM-ANUKUL

2. SOME DIFFERENCES BETWEEN A MONK AND A NOVICE VOCABULARY Novice , whether…or not, monastery, acquire, Religious, at least, ordained, obligation, conduct, behaviour, comprising, precept, govern, Monastic rules, remain, option, available, Compulsory, traditionally, socially, accept, Career, merit, decease,

3. The tourist sees some Buddhist novices in the temple. He wants to know whether they are monks or not. Read the dialogue. Tourist: Are those boys in yellow robes also monks? Guide: No, they aren’t. They are novices. The novices are normally young men who enter the monastery to acquire religious training.

4. Tourist: Can a novice become a monk? Guide: Not until he reaches the age of twenty. A man must be at least 20 years old before he can be ordained a monk. Tourist: Do all novices become monks? Guide: There is no obligation for them to do so. Many of them return to the life of a layman. Some of them choose to continue their lives as novices.

5. Tourist: Do they follow the same codes of conduct as a monk? Guide: Oh, no. A novice is guided by a code of behaviour comprising 10 precepts, while a monk is governed by 227 monastic rules. Tourist: Do monks have to remain monks all their lives? Guide: No, they don’t have to. They can leave at any time. The option is always available to them.

6. Tourist: Is it compulsory for every man to become a monk? Guide: No not really. However, traditionally a young man is not socially accepted until he has become a monk. Many parents insist that after a son reaches the age of twenty he be ordained before marriage or starting a career. Tourist: Is that the only reason why Thai men become monks? Guide: In fact there are many other reason, for example, to make merit for deceased. relatives, or to make merit for one’s parents when they are still living.

7. Exercise 1 Answer the questions in complete written sentences. Use the information in the dialogues to answer the questions. 1. Tourist: Is the little boy wearing the yellow monastic robe the son of a monk? Guide: …………………………………………….. 2. Tourist: I am 18 years old. Can I become a monk? Guide:……………………………………………..

8. 3. Tourist: Can I be a monk for only three days? • Guide: …………………………………………….. • Tourist: How many rules are there governing • the conduct and manners of a monk? • Guide: ……………………………………………… • Tourist: Are the novices governed by the same • rules? • Guide: ………………………………………………. • Tourist: Why do Thai men think that it is a good • thing to become a monk once in their • lives? • Guide: ………………………………………………..

9. Exercise 2 Word Form • The suffix – hood means “in the state or • condition of”“Priest-hood” means in the • state of a priest. What other words can • you think of that end with “hood”? • 1. priesthood 2. ………… 3. …………. • 4. …………………

10. Exercise 2 Word Form 2. What other possible word forms are there for the following list? noun Adjectives Verbs ………………… ordain …………………… acquire obligation ………………. ………………….. Return conduct ……………… …………………… guide behaviour ……………….. …………………. …………………… govern ……………………. Monastic ……………………………………….. available

11. Exercise 3 Write TRUE or FALSE in front Of each sentence. ………1. Novices are young monks under 20 years old. ………2. All novices will become monks when they reach the age of twenty. ………3. Monks are governed by 227 precepts but novices are guided by monastic rules. ………4. There is no obligations for a monk to remain a monk all his life. ………5. It is compulsory for every Thai man to become a monk before he gets married. ……….6. Becoming a monk is a form of merit-making. ……….7. Most parents insist that their sons be engaged before marriage. ……….8. The only reason why a man is ordained is that he wants to make merit for his parents.

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