Little Angels: Life as a Novice Monk in Thailand

by Phra Peter Pannapadipo

Great condition! Ships very quickly and packaged carefully!

Genres: Nonfiction, Buddhism, Memoir, Asia, Biography

314 pages, Paperback

First published June 2, 2005

Reviews

[Danial Tanvir · Rating 5 out of 5]

i have read many books on religion and also on buddhism.
this book was well written and just lovely.
i bought it from a book shop in bangkok,thailand.
and it is a great book on buddhism.
it should be read again.
it starts about telling how many buddhist monks there are in thailand , actually there are thousands of them.

it is actually a collection of lovely stories about thai novice monks who live in monasteries as they are poor and have no where to go so as a result they end up becoming monks and pratice buddhism.
these stories told me a lot about the lives of these monks and about what happens in thailand.
this would be the best book written on this topic.
i liked it a lot .

[Lorna Allan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent. I teach novice monks in Wat Kireewong school in Nakhon Sawan, and this book really helped to prepare for my time teaching there and helped me to empathise with these young boys. I am also friends with two of the novice monks written about in the book, who after ordaining as monks for a time have gone on to very successful careers due to the SET foundations help. A must read for all.

[Tim Corke · Rating 4 out of 5]

humbling read that explains the plight of young impoverished children and their journeys into the study of Buddhism by becoming novice monks.

[7jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Pannapadipo sounds like the word in Finnish for a tea cosy, ‘pannupipo’ (or ‘pannumyssy’).)

This is a collection of stories of 12 current or former novice monks, who, like many other poor youths in rural Thailand, join monasteries to get the high school certificate (and often also benefit psychologically from the beliefs and rules). Pannapadipo (a Brit who has been a monk in Thailand since age of 45) and some friends have formed Students’ Education Trust for these sort of boys (and girls) for their further education post-disrobing, and sometimes offer also support during the high school years (and sometimes also offer medical help, like getting eyes checked for possible glasses etc.). This book is from 2001, and the SET is still going; at the end of the book it is introduced more.

In these stories, some boys are yet to make a decision about staying or disrobing, some have decided to become monks, but most are planning or have disrobed and gone on to further studies; one has moved back home to help family. The reader might wonder a bit how they are doing now, about 20 years on. Most have backgrounds of poverty, broken homes, addiction (alcohol and drugs, especially amphetamine), but how unhappy they have been varies. Many stories have an afterword, but some are open. The stories are compiled from questionnaires and interviews. Pannapadipo introduces the subject in the first three chapters: how he has gotten used to life in Thailand, how ordination lenghts vary from just one day to years (and people do it often to make merit for things like recent deaths), what a daily life in a monastery is like and what are some duties novices have, how many rules there are just for novices (and punishable and expulsion-meaning deeds), plus how bad behavior can damage the reputation of everyone else.

There are some similarities in the boys’ stories, but enough variety to make each have their unique things. Different ethnic backgrounds, seeing ghosts (2 cases), having good or bad people in their lives, health issues, happy details in life (favorite buffalo, cabbages, nearby forest), examples of other relatives religion-wise (incl. them also joining a monastery). Some love studying in their monastery, some just do it to get education and then get on. Monastery life has often helped some to achieve a more mature outlook in life and better understanding how to life a good life. Some observe that getting further education in agriculture will help them be better farmer than their parents or grandparents if and when they are finished at the monastery and disrobe. SET helps many to get this education, or something else.

Reading these stories might make one think how much better one’s life might be, or be inspired by the spiritual side, or even think about charity giving. But in a country like Thailand, it is clear that the monasteries, no matter how big or small, or how well their education system is arranged, are often safe spaces and places of hope and education that are much needed.

[Hannah · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really disliked the introduction, which made the author seem very judgmental and narrow-minded indeed. I felt like if I met him in person I would very quickly realise that I couldn’t stand him at all. Luckily there were some introspective moments when I saw a glimmer of hope, so I kept reading.
My heart broke a little reading about Novice Banchar’s life before attending the monastery, and swelled a little on reading Novice Nares’s success story from starving child to a career in the Thai Royal Air Force.
But, after that, unfortunately all the stories kind of blended into one and it was hard to tell them apart. I was hoping for some final (more human) reflections and responses from the author, but they never came. Perhaps he really is as judgmental and harsh as he first appeared?

[Anna · Rating 2 out of 5]

The stories in this book are pretty heartbreaking, I'm not sure if 18 years after its publication the social problems are as bad, I'd be interested to know. I REALLY did not like the introduction and almost gave up there. The tone and judgement of the author was really offputting. The other thing that made this a hard read was that the translation made every single person have the same tone and language so you didn't get an individual sense of each person in that way.

[Jimmy J. Crantz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Engaging stories that introduced me some to poverty in Thailand and the important role that Buddhism and temples play in Thai society. I feel like some things are going to stay on my mind for a long time; such as the role of the water buffalo as more than just a farm animal, children taking and introducing other children to amphetamines, and the Dhamma teaching on how nothing is permanent.

[Bethany · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collectiom of short autobiographical stories told in first person by young monks or novices of their journey to their current situations, enlightening the reader toward issues of poverty, domestic abuse, drugs, and rural life in Thailand.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

the book opened my eyes to why a lot of novices join a Buddhist monastery ie. due to family being poor and unable to provide them an education

[Susie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really loved this book, I've been to Thailand a few times and have always loved to see the monks. I've always had a lot of respect for Buddhism but this book gave me even more. I'm slightly ashamed that although I knew that the whole of Thailand wasn't rich, I didn't realise the extent of some of the poverty. It tells the stories of the novice monks, many of whom are impoverished and use their time in the monastery to gain further education. This is often the only way they can afford education and also relieves their families of the burden of trying to feed them. The stories are all different but what shone through for me was the kindness of the monks and what a positive force Buddhism is. The last story in particular was so sweet it had me in tears. The English monk who wrote the book has set up a fund that helps some of the monks go onto university. They will definitely be getting a donation from me. An inspiring read

[Dennis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this on my way back from spending a month in Thailand. It confirmed my feelings that the temples are used somewhat as "prep" school for kids and that families often send them there much like we in the U.S.A. would send our kids to summer camp.

But, I wasn't prepared for the hard role that poverty plays in this. Ordaining is often the only viable survival option for both child and family. This book shares first person accounts of a dozen or so boys during their novitiate experiences. The boys reflect on their home lives, their monastic lives and expectations for their futures.

Highly recommend to anyone visiting Thailand, or who is interested in Buddhism, religious beliefs and daily life abroad in a country that is still very poor in finances and resources.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this book was very depressing. I ended up skimming through much of it, as I found a lot of the stories to be redundant. I was completely unaware of this problem in Thailand, young boys entering the monastery, not because they wished to someday ordain as monks, but because they wanted to escape poverty, drugs, and get an education. It blew my mind to learn that these boys also enter the monastery as a sort of rite of passage from boyhood to manhood, and that not doing so causes a boy to remain immature. Overall, I found this book interesting and informative. I am glad I read it.

[Shantiwallah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Phra Peter is an English monk who was ordained in the Theravada tradition of Buddhism in London but since has taken up residence in Thailand. He has been working with novice monks, many of whom have been sent to monasteries because their parents may not have had the means to look after them. The book provides touching portraits of some of the young novices.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has several stories written from the points of view of various Thai Buddhist novices--I enjoyed the insight into their culture.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Learn a lot from this book. Make sure to read the forward.

[Lars Gaustad · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though certainly tales of hardship, the book couldn't be less depressing. Very well written and offers an excellent window into Thai society and Thai Buddhism.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Will give you another view of Monks and how they redirect boys lifes in Thailand