Religion is not something we write about often. Max and I are both non-religious, but we travel with an open mind, eager to understand the cultures and traditions we encounter. In some places, faith is so woven into daily life that to skip it would be a travel sin of its own. Myanmar, or Burma as many still call it, is one of those places.
We photographed monks all over the country, from Yangon in the south to the temple plains of Bagan, across Inle Lake, and up into the hill country around Hsipaw. This is a closer look at the daily life of a Burmese monk, from the dawn alms round to the last meal before noon, told through the people we met and the photos we took along the way.
The Daily Life of a Burmese Monk at a Glance
| Who | Theravada Buddhist monks (bhikkhu) and young novices (samanera) |
| Wake up | Before dawn, usually around 4 a.m. |
| The alms round | At first light, walking barefoot to collect the day’s food |
| Meals | Two, both eaten before noon, nothing solid after midday |
| What they own | A set of robes and an alms bowl, little else |
| Where we shot these | Yangon, Bagan, Inle Lake, and the hills around Hsipaw |
Around 89% of the Burmese population are devout Buddhists, following the Theravada branch of Buddhism. It is estimated that Myanmar has roughly 500,000 monks, about 1% of the population, though based on how often we saw them, that figure feels understated. Unlike much of Southeast Asia, where meeting a monk usually means visiting a temple, in Myanmar monks are simply everywhere, part of the daily fabric of the country.
Who Are Myanmar’s Monks?
Most Buddhist men in Myanmar are expected to enter monkhood twice in their lives: once as a novice, usually between the ages of 10 and 20, and again as a fully ordained monk after they turn 20. The first ordination, a ceremony known as shinbyu, is one of the most important moments in a young boy’s life.
Some stay only a few weeks, fulfilling the tradition before returning to ordinary life. Others remain monks forever. A novice is called a samanera and follows ten precepts, while a fully ordained monk is a bhikkhu, bound by the much longer monastic code. Both shave their heads, wear the same burgundy robes, and own almost nothing beyond those robes and an alms bowl.
For many families, especially in smaller towns and poorer communities, sending a son to a monastery is also a practical choice. Monastery life means free education, food, and a place to sleep, which is why some boys spend their whole childhood as novices.
While they serve, monks live communally, sharing simple quarters with novices and elders alike. The rooms are modest, but like everything else at the monastery, they are provided free of charge.
Burgundy is not the only robe you will see. Myanmar’s Buddhist nuns, called thilashin, wear soft pink, and their numbers are rising. The country’s nunneries take in women and girls from as young as 9 to as old as 94, for reasons that range from devotion to poverty to escaping difficult homes.
A Day in the Life: A Monk’s Daily Routine
A monk’s day runs to a rhythm that has barely changed in centuries, built around discipline, study, and the morning alms round. It starts long before sunrise and is shaped by a single firm rule: no solid food after midday.
| Time of day | What a monk is doing |
|---|---|
| Before dawn (around 4 a.m.) | Wake, wash, and begin morning chanting and meditation |
| First light | The alms round, walking barefoot to collect food from the community |
| Mid-morning | Return to the monastery and eat the first meal |
| Late morning | Study of scripture, lessons for the novices, and chores |
| Before noon | The last meal of the day |
| Afternoon | Teaching, temple upkeep, quiet study, and rest |
| Evening | Chanting and meditation |
| Night | Reading and sleep |
The most visible part of the day is the alms round, known as pindapata. At first light, monks leave the monastery in single file and walk barefoot through the streets with their bowls, accepting whatever food local people offer. The giving has a name of its own, dana, and it sits at the heart of Buddhist practice. The offering is not charity but an exchange: the community feeds the monks, and the monks give the community a chance to earn merit.
Back at the monastery, the food is shared and eaten, and the rest of the morning turns to study. For novices that means real schooling, from scripture to subjects like maths and English. By late morning the monks eat their final meal, because from noon until the next dawn they take no solid food at all.
The day is not all discipline, though. When they are not praying, studying, or collecting alms, young novices are allowed to be kids. We watched them play football, mess around with friends, and crowd around a television, just like any other children their age.
Off duty, novices can also come and go, visiting their families when their duties allow. One of the most touching moments we saw was a young novice slipping home to see his baby sister.
What Monks Eat, and Why Not After Noon
Monks do not cook or shop. They eat what is placed in their bowls during the alms round, which can be anything from rice and curry to fruit and sweets. Most monks are not strictly vegetarian, since the tradition is to accept whatever is given with gratitude, though some monasteries do keep a meat-free kitchen.
The rule that shapes everything is the one against eating after midday. It comes from the monastic code, and the idea behind it is simple: fewer meals means less time and energy spent on food, less craving to manage, and a clearer head for study and meditation. After their late-morning meal, monks take only water, tea, or juice until dawn the next day.
Monks Are Part of Everyday Myanmar
What struck us most was how present the monks are. Far from being confined to the monastery, they ride the same buses and boats as everyone else, queue at the same stalls, and turn up on streets and back roads all over the country, from the dirt tracks of remote hill-tribe villages near Hsipaw to the busy pavements of Yangon.
The respect they are shown is obvious. Burmese people often refer to monks as the sons of the Buddha, give up seats for them, and offer food without a second thought. Yet the monks themselves move through it all quietly, whether crossing a railway line or gliding across Inle Lake in a wooden boat.
Meeting and Photographing Monks Respectfully
Many of the monks we met were happy to stop and talk. They were curious about the world beyond Myanmar, and just as interested in our life back in Canada as we were in theirs. Those conversations, often in a mix of careful English and gestures, were some of the warmest moments of the whole trip.
If you do get the chance to meet monks, a little awareness goes a long way. Always ask before taking a photo, and never treat the dawn alms round as a photo opportunity, since blocking it or crowding the line is deeply disrespectful. Dress modestly at monasteries and temples, remove your shoes where required, and keep some distance. Women should avoid touching a monk or handing anything to him directly. A small donation to the monastery is always welcome and goes further than a photo ever will.
It is also worth being honest about the bigger picture. Myanmar has been through serious political turmoil in recent years, and travel there is far from straightforward right now. Check your government’s current travel advice before making any plans, and weigh whether your visit helps or harms the people you would be visiting.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is the Daily Routine of a Buddhist Monk?
A monk’s day starts before dawn with chanting and meditation, followed by the morning alms round to collect food. The rest of the day is given to eating the two permitted meals before noon, studying scripture, teaching, temple chores, and evening meditation before an early night.
What Time Do Burmese Monks Wake Up?
Most monks rise before sunrise, often around 4 a.m., so they can meditate and complete the alms round at first light, before the heat of the day sets in.
Why Don’t Buddhist Monks Eat After Noon?
The monastic code asks monks to take no solid food from midday until dawn the next day. The aim is to spend less time and craving on food and more on study and meditation. After the late-morning meal, monks have only drinks like water, tea, or juice.
What Do Burmese Monks Eat?
Monks eat whatever is offered to them during the alms round, commonly rice, curry, fruit, and sweets. Most are not strictly vegetarian, as the tradition is to accept any food given with gratitude, although some monasteries keep a meat-free kitchen.
Can Buddhist Monks Marry?
Fully ordained monks take a vow of celibacy and do not marry while they serve. Because many Burmese men are monks only temporarily, they can return to ordinary life, marry, and start a family once they leave the monastery.
Do All Burmese Boys Become Monks?
Nearly all Buddhist boys in Myanmar spend at least a short time as a novice monk, marked by the shinbyu ceremony. Many serve only a few weeks or months, while a smaller number choose to stay and become fully ordained monks for life.
Final Thoughts
Spending time around Myanmar’s monks was one of the highlights of our trip. There is something grounding about a way of life built on so little, ordered around the alms bowl at dawn and quiet study by day. If you want more on the country, see our guide to the best experiences in Myanmar. And if you are starting in Yangon, the Shwedagon Pagoda is a good place to meet young monks keen to practise their English.
Have you ever had the chance to chat with a monk during your travels? We would love to hear about it in the comments below.
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