Why is it everytime a buddhist monk passes within a block of me...they make a beeline straight to me and stick out their hand with a little gold card and completely ignore the locals?
Why is it everytime a buddhist monk passes within a block of me...they make a beeline straight to me and stick out their hand with a little gold card and completely ignore the locals?
Not when they're fake. Real monks wouldn't walk around begging
Indeed, the apparent ‘Buddhist monks’ that approach you on the streets actually devote their life to deception rather than reflection. As pointed out above, they are fakes/imposters – while it is very common in some other countries for Buddhist monks to beg/collect alms, the HK Buddhist Association specifically prohibits this practice. I understand, that this is in order to protect tourists (and sylvesterjay ;-) ) from fake monks.
>> they make a beeline straight to me and stick out their hand with a
>> little gold card and completely ignore the locals?
Because the locals know that the monks who beg on the streets in Hong Kong are more than likely fake.
The monasteries in Hong Kong forbid their monks from begging on the streets.
Good to know, i never heard this before. Maybe the police should round these guys up and stick them on a mainlander tour of over-priced stores!