The monk blessing ritual, a tradition in the Thai culture, was performed by nine Buddhist monks from the Wat Thai Buddhist Temple located in the San Fernando Valley at Coldwater Canyon and Roscoe Blvd.

The Buddhist ceremony involved the traditional rituals of holding the holy string, chanting and prayer, the lighting of candles, and the sprinkling of the holy water to bring well being and prosperity.

In the Buddhist ceremony the holy string passes from the golden statue of Buddha, winds around the bowl of holy water and passes through the hands of the nine monks.

By linking these three things together, the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha, it powers the holy water.

The monks, dressed in the traditional safron robes, are seated as they prepare and setup for the ceremony. 

While linked together by weaving the holy string through their hands, the monks perform the ceremony with chanting and prayer.

The nine monks are seated at the ceremony table as the blessing ritual continues.

Friends and family are gathered around to partake in the ceremony.

Pam, seated at the left, is the owner of the restaurant. Pam’s brother-in-law Ken is seated at the right.

Family members gather outside of the kitchen as they participate in the blessing ceremony in prayer.

A joyous spirit of celebration has everyone smiling.

The Thai dishes are prepared and set out on the table in preparation for the banquet to commence.

The dishes include “Steamed Green Mussels, “Baked Mussels”, “Pad Thai Noodles”, “Thai Green Curry”, “Hamhock over Rice”, “Fish Cakes in Curry Sauce”, “Spicy Catfish”, “Tom Yum Fish”.

The Buddhist monks continue with more chanting and prayer as they finish the first part of the blessing ceremony.

After the ceremony of prayer and blessing, the monks sit down to enjoy the banquet prepared in their honor.

The ceremony took place in the morning hours, so that the monks could particpate in the banquet meal. The Buddhist tradition forbids the monks to eat after midday.

After the meal is finished, the monks gather with members of the family to finish with prayer and blessings as the ceremony is completed.

Afterward, the monks used the bamboo stick to sprinkle holy water throughout the restaurant including the kitchen.

The Buddhist ceremony performed by the Thai monks was a moving experience for all of us.  We all enjoyed the festive gathering of family and friends to help us celebrate the blessing of Rachada Thai Cuisine.

And you probably didn’t know … there is now a Thai restaurant in Moorpark that’s been blessed by the monks!