I chose the name “Monk Bought Lunch” while in Japan, only a few days after I had left an English-teaching job in China to travel full-time.
As I sat looking through pictures of my previous travels trying to get some inspiration for the name of the travel blog I wanted to start, I was listening to a song called “The Soft Parade” by The Doors where around the 3 minute mark a “the monk bought lunch” lyric shoots quickly through.
I don’t know what Morrison meant when he wrote the song (Does anybody? Did he?) but the lyric made me think back to Luang Prabang, Laos where local monks take to the streets each morning to receive alms for the day from the townspeople. Here, like in much of SouthEast Asia, monks don’t have to pay for food because they have the constant support of the people who live there.
This then, lead to thoughts about hospitality in general, and how almost all of the best moments of traveling are those bright spots of unexpected hospitality or connection with people along the way.
So, it became MonkBoughtLunch.
Shortly after that lyric?
“This is the best part of the trip. This is the trip. The best part. I really like.”
Maybe he and I are on the same wavelength after all?
For my continued sanity’s sake, I certainly hope not.
Hi, I’m Stephen. I wasn’t born a traveler, but over the years I’ve sort of grown into it. Aside from a few days or months here and there, my first big trip out of the US was moving to China in 2008 just a few months after graduating from college.
After a year and a half of living in Shenzhen, China as an English teacher I decided I’d had enough. Quit my job on March 20th, 2010 to travel the world until further notice. I spent my time doing a bit of watching, a lot of photography, and occasionally even write something I’m proud of.
Before I quit that teaching job, I traveled mostly in China. Since then, I’ve been all over Asia with some short forays to North America, Europe, and the Middle East when I needed to change things up. My current focus is on Central Asia, because I continue to find it to be one of the most interesting and beautiful places on earth. Look at the “Where I’ve Been” tab up top to see more, or check out my personal portfolio.
I love that cd.. it is my fave from the Doors. I adore that this is your blog name.. lol. It made me giggle.
Who ever knows what the Lizard King was thinking?
http://www.myitzy.com
The whole thing is amazing, isn’t it? I’m sort of puzzled these days as to why I thought it was a great name for a travel blog but, eh, at least the song itself stands the test of time!
What an interesting story – especially about the monks in Laos. Since I saw image of Laos and its beauties, I have always longed to go there.
So, Stephen, what kind of lunch do you buy usually? :)))
The Monk bought lunch refers to the contradiction…the hypocrisy of a monk buying lunch. Monks are suppose to be poor and live by begging alms; they have no money. The Soft Parade song is replete with social criticism. It appears he is calling out hypocritical exhibition of false piety. Me thinks.
The Soft Parade (the song) is a story about a man’s rejection of God and his travel to hell. The character rejects the invitation of Christ that we petition Him in prayer to pay for our sins. The man wants to find a pathway to heaven outside of God’s path, but he can’t find it. The man realizes that life is short and his possessions and fun are worthless ultimately.
When he says the monk bought lunch, he is implying that organized religion, maybe the Catholic Church, is nothing but a business. Organized religion will take us to hell: “this is the best part of trip, the best part, I really like.”
The character initially thinks that hell will be fun. Hell is The Soft Parade: a contradiction in terms, an oxymoron. Hell is composed of beings who are half animal and half human. The character learns the truth: we need something or something new, something else to get us through. He can’t find it.
Thus, when all else fails, he can whip the horse’s eyes, and make them sleep and cry, which means that life in hell is pointless, purposeless, and amoral.