How to Get Mongkol Blessed in Thailand

[fightchase]

I was interested to know the proper way to go about having a Mongkol bless at a temple. I recently got a Mongkol while training at Samart gym, they were making them right there. I do not speak enough Thai to go and ask on my own. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you! 

[LengLeng]

9 hours ago, fightchase said:

I was interested to know the proper way to go about having a Mongkol bless at a temple. I recently got a Mongkol while training at Samart gym, they were making them right there. I do not speak enough Thai to go and ask on my own. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you! 

I have a colleague who recently spent two weeks at a temple as a monk. I asked him if he could help me and he sent me a pic of three monks and told me to pick and choose . My advice would be do the same, ask a thai person you know (maybe use google translate?)to help you. Or simply bring your mongkol, visit a temple and ask. My experience is that most thai people are incredibly helpful about these things. 

[fightchase]

6 hours ago, LengLeng said:

I have a colleague who recently spent two weeks at a temple as a monk. I asked him if he could help me and he sent me a pic of three monks and told me to pick and choose . My advice would be do the same, ask a thai person you know (maybe use google translate?)to help you. Or simply bring your mongkol, visit a temple and ask. My experience is that most thai people are incredibly helpful about these things. 

I visited a temple for my birthday this year and had no clue what to do. I simply asked 2 woman that were taking some photos and they actually walked me through everything it was an amazing experience. I know I could do the same for this, I was just wondering if anyone had first hand experience having it done. As for what the proper offerings and things like that.

[Sylvie von Duuglas-Ittu]

1 hour ago, fightchase said:

I was just wondering if anyone had first hand experience having it done. As for what the proper offerings and things like that.

I'll try to answer this tonight. 

[Sylvie von Duuglas-Ittu]

7 hours ago, fightchase said:

I visited a temple for my birthday this year and had no clue what to do. I simply asked 2 woman that were taking some photos and they actually walked me through everything it was an amazing experience. I know I could do the same for this, I was just wondering if anyone had first hand experience having it done. As for what the proper offerings and things like that.

If there is an assistant to the monk somewhere, that's always an appropriate person to ask. If there's nobody to ask, you can tell the monk that you would like a blessing ขอให้พรมงคล (koh hai pon mongkol). It's appropriate to offer something to the monk before he does the blessing. You can often buy these at the temple, right at the front and they come in kinds of packets or baskets of pre-set items. Usually they're toiletries or things that are needed to be shared by the monks for day-to-day living. But you can always offer fruit, flowers, packaged foods like soy milk or those yogurt drinks. It doesn't need to be (and likely shouldn't be) fancy. 

Once you've communicated what you're asking for, put the Mongkol on a tray or just hand it to the monk (women can't hand it directly, so put it on a piece of cloth that the monk will have in front of him, or on a tray). On your knees, bow to him 3 times, touching your hands and forehead to the floor like in the Wai Kru in the ring. Then sit with your feet behind you or under you with your hands in a "wai" as the monk does whatever he does with the mongkol. He'll likely bless you at the same time, with the water splashing, but once he's done with the mongkol he'll put it back on the tray or cloth or hand it back to you. Wai to him the same way you started, the 3 touches of the head to the floor, thank him and leave a donation in an envelope at the appropriate place in the temple for this. Don't give it to him. Put it in the box or whatever they have there. The amount is up to you, but 100 Baht is perfectly enough. But the fruit or gifts you can give to him at the start, after you've done your first "wais".

In my experience, monks LOVE blessing mongkols. They get excited to see farang fighters doing this. So, just smile and be polite and any of the miscommunications or awkwardness is no problem. 

[fightchase]

Thank you for all the help was able to get this done today. I was not sure what temple to go to so I just want to the one near my condo here in Jomtien and the ladies out front said they do not do it here and actually called the monk that was closest and wrote down the address (in Thai) for me to give to a motorbike taxi. I went and spoke to a motorbike taxi and he was happy to take me not yet knowing why I wanted to go to this temple.

We got to the the temple (Wat Thong Phatthana Ram) And he asked if I wanted him to wait. I said sure and then explained why I was there and showed him the Mongkol. He offered to help me out after asking if I spoke Thai and I informed him not enough lol. We walked up the stairs of the first small building where the monk was and he was super happy and friendly especially after my taxi driver told him why I was there. I said I need to get an offering and the monk insisted I not worry about it. It seemed like there was no one else even at this temple. At first I was feeling bad and unprepared. He insisted I not worry and he said him and I were the same. I placed the Mongkol on the plate. and my driver retrieved an envelope that I put 100THb in and it was placed on the tray with the Mongkol. 

At this point I was instructed to sit with a few incense facing the buddha statue on the monks right side. I did the 3 wais to the buddha then I was told to repeat the chant the monk was saying and did so I believe 3 times . I placed the incense in the pot in front of the buddha ,Then 3 more wais and moved back in front of the monk. I now handed him the tray with the Mongkol. He retrieves a small bag with gold leaf and a small jar with white paste. He dotted the Mongkol with the paste and applied a gold leaf to it. He then places it onto my head and I wai to him as he recites a chant and sprinkles water over me.  he removed the Mongkol handed it to me and had me place it back in the tray as I did the 3 wais to the monk. He made sure to remind me that it was not to touch the ground and must be kept up high. The monk was very friendly and laughing.

I respect the Thai culture so much I am always afraid I will do something wrong in these situations but it seems I am alway over stressing them. It was a great experience. I will be making a video of the for my site soon. Thank you again for your help!

 

[Kevin von Duuglas-Ittu]

3 hours ago, fightchase said:

We got to the the temple (Wat Thong Phatthana Ram) And he asked if I wanted him to wait. I said sure and then explained why I was there and showed him the Mongkol. He offered to help me out after asking if I spoke Thai and I informed him not enough lol. We walked up the stairs of the first small building where the monk was and he was super happy and friendly especially after my taxi driver told him why I was there. I said I need to get an offering and the monk insisted I not worry about it. It seemed like there was no one else even at this temple. At first I was feeling bad and unprepared. He insisted I not worry and he said him and I were the same. I placed the Mongkol on the plate. and my driver retrieved an envelope that I put 100THb in and it was placed on the tray with the Mongkol. 

At this point I was instructed to sit with a few incense facing the buddha statue on the monks right side. I did the 3 wais to the buddha then I was told to repeat the chant the monk was saying and did so I believe 3 times . I placed the incense in the pot in front of the buddha ,Then 3 more wais and moved back in front of the monk. I now handed him the tray with the Mongkol. He retrieves a small bag with gold leaf and a small jar with white paste. He dotted the Mongkol with the paste and applied a gold leaf to it. He then places it onto my head and I wai to him as he recites a chant and sprinkles water over me.  he removed the Mongkol handed it to me and had me place it back in the tray as I did the 3 wais to the monk. He made sure to remind me that it was not to touch the ground and must be kept up high. The monk was very friendly and laughing.

I respect the Thai culture so much I am always afraid I will do something wrong in these situations but it seems I am alway over stressing them. It was a great experience. I will be making a video of the for my site soon. Thank you again for your help!

That was so cool. I have to tell you, I've lived in Thailand for now maybe 7 years? I've read and heard a lot of western experiences and had my own as well. For some reason your entire description really moved me. Really, almost to the point of tears. (Ok, maybe a tear.) There is such sincerity that we all feel, but we just also feel like we are only going to do it wrong. But really all it takes is moving forward, taking the adventure a little, and opening yourself to chance. That you just went and did it, and how your driver helped you, and that you realized that these are just very human things, that a blessing in Thailand is not some fancy - better not blow it! - event, but it's conditioned by heart. Fuck, this is good stuff. You have a very blessed mongkol! This is the very best of Thailand. Pretty cool. (Would love to see a photo of your mongkol if you can post it.)

[fightchase]

1 hour ago, Kevin von Duuglas-Ittu said:

That was so cool. I have to tell you, I've lived in Thailand for now maybe 7 years? I've read and heard a lot of western experiences and had my own as well. For some reason your entire description really moved me. Really, almost to the point of tears. (Ok, maybe a tear.) There is such sincerity that we all feel, but we just also feel like we are only going to do it wrong. But really all it takes is moving forward, taking the adventure a little, and opening yourself to chance. That you just went and did it, and how your driver helped you, and that you realized that these are just very human things, that a blessing in Thailand is not some fancy - better not blow it! - event, but it's conditioned by heart. Fuck, this is good stuff. You have a very blessed mongkol! This is the very best of Thailand. Pretty cool. (Would love to see a photo of your mongkol if you can post it.)

Thank you Kevin, I truly appreciate all that you and Sylvie do for the culture. You both have dedicated your lives to help share and inspire this amazing place and people! With my site I try to just give people a little insight into training here and the amazing culture in order to spark that interest for others to take that step to start their own journey and experience everything that Thailand is.

[Kevin von Duuglas-Ittu]

1 minute ago, fightchase said:

take that step to start their own journey and experience everything that Thailand is.

That is so awesome. Love those photos.

[Xestaro]

Actually I was wondering if one could have that done here in Germany, too. Not that I'd need it. I neither own a Monkol nor will I fight anytime soon but I just found it interesting if it would be possible.

We don't exactly have a lot of Buddhist monks around though, much less Thai ones.

[fightchase]

I put together a video of the blessing on my Mongkol.

[515]

On 7/26/2019 at 3:45 PM, fightchase said:

I put together a video of the blessing on my Mongkol.

Thanks for sharing it with us!