PHOTO PROMPT © David Stewart
“Is it still an active monastery?” asked one of the tourists.
“Yes, but there are very few monks now, compared to when it was built.”
The visitors watched silently as several monks filed by–orange, red, and yellow robes.
“Are the colors significant?”
The guide paused. “You know, I’m not sure.”
“What do they actually DO all day?”
Another tourist spoke up. “They do alms in the morning.”
“Begging?’ sneered another.
“Keeps them humble. They have daily chores. They meditate and discuss their doctrines.”
“What a drag,” offered a young man,
“But it harms no one.”
Silence reigned.
Just Writing! 
Yes, I can see how a life of contemplation would sit at odds with those more accustomed to a life of aggravation.
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Your second line says a lot. 🙂
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The young man is a lovely touch
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Thanks, Neil. One in every crowd, right?
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Tourists would be hard pressed to understand the monk’s lives. Well done.
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Yes. To turn one’s back on all worldly goods is a very foreign concept for most of us.
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We all live in our own world.
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Yes we do. Sad thing is that not all of us have learned to allow others to live in a world different from our own.
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First do no harm. I like it.
Tracey
You have a typo in line 7 “they” instead of the?
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Thanks, Tracy. Fixed it 🙂
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To each his (her) own, but I feel most of the tourists will plan on keeping their own path and not running off to be a Buddhist monk any time soon.
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Very likely not. One can at least hope for a new perspective on the part of the tourists.
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Yes, agreed.
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I saw a group of monks last year in a National Park I was visiting. Now I also wonder what the significance of the color of the robes are.
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I feel a google coming on 🙂
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Nothing quite like ignorant tourists. At least one in every group.
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🙌💕
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After hearing so many ignorant tourist comments over the years, the monks are probably happy not to be a part of the material world. Good story, Linda.
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to each according to his calling, i suppose.
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Yes. And to all of us, respect for the others’ choices.
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thank you Linda. So lifelike, the disrespect of tourists in holy sites.
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Dear Linda,
Not everyone enjoys the hustle and bustle. Some prefer a quieter, contemplative lifestyle. Viva the Golden Rule.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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I’d rather spend a day in the company of the monks than people who refuse to even try to understand. Very true to life.
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Thank you 🙂
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They must be American tourists. We always know better than everybody else. Of course, I could never imagine being a monk. I’m not disciplined enough to write for an hour without watching a YouTube video or some other nonsense.
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