Vat elders (Vat Houa Xieng)

Photographer

Halpern, Joel M. (Joel Martin), 1929-

Date

• 1957

Summary

• Old men such as these, most likely former monks themselves, often serve on temple committees. It is a central concern of their lives in their advanced age. These patterns appear to have continued even with the disappearance of the monarchy. In retrospect it has become clear that the close contact between the royal officials and Buddhist institutions was crucial for the limited survival of the former but not the latter.