Monk Thong - our first student

The first student whom we wish to support is an ordained monk, originally from the Boun Heuang Temple in Luang Prabang. With the support of the Trust he has now moved to the Wat Phonesay in Vientiane, preparatory to starting University in summer 2006. He is aged 23 and has been a monk for 7 years but for three years before that he was a temple boy; that is to say he lived in the temple as a lay person, supported by temple in return for undertaking small tasks.

He was born in the north of Laos in the village of Leang, close to the border town of HuayXai. His parents were poor rice farmers and typically he spent much of his childhood helping his parents planting and cultivating their crops. He has two sisters and one brother.

At the age of 11 Thong was befriended by a Monk and moved south to Luang Prabang as his local temples provided no educational opportunities apart from study of the sacred Buddhist texts.

In his own words Thong writes: "I am good luck a bit to meet a kindness monk who came from Luang Prabang and he said I can help you to stay in LP and instead in my room".
"When he left from I am very sad and to be alone because in that time I don't know every body and some night cried alone in the room because wanting to go back home and a day there was a novice and he persuaded me to studies English with him at school and when I saw like that I felt more better an no thinking about home".
"When my age arrived 20 years old there was old lay sister to be side of the temple to took me and her son to be monk together, but now that monk stopped already to become a monk, as for me still refuge in temple for learning English and Dhamma again".

Thong is now a fully ordained monk, hugely grateful for the education which he has received in the temple and for several years was responsible for the care and education of a group of young novices. But he sees a life for himself beyond the temple and wishes to go to University to study English and train to become a teacher of English. He could do this by remaining in the temple and combining his role as a monk with that of a student at a local College, but he has ambitions to go to the University and study as a full time student there. That will eventually mean forfeiting the support of the temple and being responsible entirely for his own support.

Of course, as a monk Thong has no funds, is not allowed a bank account and the only money which he ever receives is when well-wishers put small offerings of money in his begging bowl as he processes with all the other monks in the City in the 5am alms round. His father has moved to Thailand as a day labourer and he has not seen the rest of his family for 7 years.