How to Give Alms to Monks in the Morning
Preparing food, choosing suitable items, removing your shoes, giving without touching the monk, receiving the blessing and dedicating the merit, for first-timers.
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1
Find out when and where monks walk for alms
Monks usually walk for alms from dawn until about seven in the morning; the route and time vary by temple and area, so ask neighbours or watch for a day or two. To give on an observance day (wan phra), check the site's calendar of observance days. If you cannot give in person yet, try the site's daily online morning alms activity, open every morning, as a way to build the habit of giving.
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2
Prepare the food the night before
Prepare cooked rice or sticky rice, dishes in sealed bags or boxes, fruit, sweets and drinking water, arranged on a tray so they are easy to pick up. It need not be a lot or expensive; simple food offered with care is enough. If you buy a ready-made alms set, check that the food is fresh and in date.
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3
Know what not to put in the bowl
Do not offer alcohol, cigarettes, raw meat, or food that is unclean or spoiled. Do not put money in the bowl, since the monastic rules do not allow monks to accept money directly; if you wish to give funds, do so at the temple with a pavāraṇā note. Do not have an animal killed specifically to feed the monks.
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4
Take off your shoes and stand quietly
Wait by the roadside, dressed modestly. Take off your shoes, hat and sunglasses, since the monks walk barefoot; you can stand on a mat. Older people or anyone with a health problem need not force this and may keep their shoes on. As a monk approaches, say softly 'Nimon khrap' (men) or 'Nimon kha' (women), meaning 'please, venerable sir'; there is no need to call out loudly.
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5
Set your intention and give without touching the monk
Raise the food to your forehead and give with a glad mind. When the monk lifts the lid of his bowl, place the rice and food in gently, without touching the monk or the bowl; women should take particular care not to touch him. If the monk holds out a bag or a helper takes the items, put them there instead. Do not rush and spill things.
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6
Squat or kneel to receive the blessing
After giving, step back a little. If the monk stops to give a blessing, squat or kneel with palms joined and listen quietly. In some places monks bless every time; in others they walk on, and customs differ. If there is no blessing, simply wai (join your palms and bow your head) and wait for the monk to pass.
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7
Pour water or dedicate the merit
If you have water, pour it while the monk blesses, or at home, saying 'Idaṃ me ñātīnaṃ hotu, sukhitā hontu ñātayo' (may this merit be for my relatives; may they be happy), then pour the water under a tree. Without water, dedicate in your mind. See the guide on pouring dedication water and the chant page 'Dedicating merit to those who have died'.