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Practical Skills Training

SEWING ROBES
It is part of the basic training of a forest monk, to be able to sew and repair one’s robes. Sewing robes also fosters a number of important Dhamma qualities e.g. mindfulness, patience, helpfulness etc.
See here for some pictures.

MAKING DYE FOR ROBES
At SBS we make dye for robes either from the heartwood of the Jackfruit tree, or from the bark from Pakau tree. Both methods result in a similar shade of brown, typical for monks of the (Thai) forest tradition. Depending on the source material the boiling process may last between 6 – 24 hours.
See here for more pictures.

FIRING BOWLS
According to Vinaya rules, a bowl must be fired before it can be used. This also changes its color from shining/sparkling silver, to grey or even black (depending on the method and temperature used).
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MAKING BROOMS
As the saying goes “A new broom sweeps well”. It is one of the skills of a forest monk, to be able to make a good broom, which not only makes sweeping forest paths more efficient, but also makes the monk independent from commercially manufactured brooms.
See here for more pictures.

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