with abbot amphaivong ko

MONK KO

Abbot Amphaivong Ko left his native village in northern Laos’ Bokeo Province, at an early age to enter Luang Prabang’s Wat Mahathat’s monastery as a novice and receive an education. In Buddhism, becoming a monk is considered “making merit” – garnering good karma for yourself and your family.

Having recently become the Abbot of Wat That Noi temple (below middle), he carries many responsibilities on his 24-year-old shoulders and is possibly the town’syoungest abbot. Under his charge are 17 novices aged between 13 and 20.

A DAY’S WORK A typical day starts at 4am and begins with meditation. After cleaning the temple, the monks go out into the streets of Luang Prabang to collect alms (below right) or receive food donations.

Once breakfast is over, the novices go to school, where the Abbot himself is a teacher. Apart from giving instruction and running the temple, he also helps out with chanting at religious ceremonies.

A DAY OFF Though he stays busy during the week, Abbot Ko’s weekends are his own.

“I visit other temples where my friends are,” he says. “I love to go on adventures on the river and return to nature. Besides that, what excites me most is teaching the novices as well as the many foreign visitors who drop by our temple.”