The Buddhist Monks of Florissant
Shannon Howard | Oct 15, 2009 | Comments 2
Would you expect to see monks like these in Florissant? You should.
I was at True Value Hardware in Florissant several years ago and was shocked to turn around and see three Buddhist monks, all dressed in blazing orange robes, standing right behind me. It’s not something you see every day, especially in Florissant (or most places in the US), so I had to know where these mystery men came from.
Turns out, Wat Phrasriratanaram, the Buddhist Temple & Meditation Center of Greater St. Louis, is located right here in NoCo. And it has been for 19 years!
Residing in a former church at 890 Lindsay Lane, the temple is home to 4-5 monks, all of whom were ordained in Thailand at least ten years ago according to the Thai Theravada tradition. Similar to Catholic nuns, the monks live a life of simplicity and poverty, observing 227 moral codes, including practicing celibacy.
They rely exclusively on the community for their food, shelter, and any other needs. In return, they offer spiritual guidance and teach meditation classes that are open to the public – every Saturday from 7-9pm.
I attended one of the classes last year, and even though I’m not Buddhist, I found the lessons on mindfulness and self-awareness to be quite helpful. I left the temple feeling very peaceful and centered, and very happy that these gentle, kind men are a part of my community.
A dancer performs in traditional costume at Thai New Year
One other bonus: having a Thai temple in town means you will also have excellent Thai restaurants, because the owners often support and feed the monks. Florissant has two such establishments, both serving fantastic food – Simply Thai at 2470 N. Lindbergh and Pearl Cafe at 8416 N. Lindbergh.
The family that owns both restaurants participates in the temple’s annual Thai New Year celebration, which takes place in mid-April and offers food, dancing, and a captivating glimpse at Thai culture.
The St. Louis Thai Temple is truly the heart of the local Thai community, and we are very lucky to have it in NoCo!
UPDATE: Reader Linda let me know that the temple also hosts a monthly Thai Food Fair, held the third Sunday of every month, 11am-2pm. The next event is this Sunday, 10/18. Thanks Linda!
Filed Under: Get Involved • People
Check out the Thai Food Fair on Sunday, Oct. 18 (held the 3rd Sunday of each month) from 11am-2pm at the Buddhist Temple.
Great to see some positive area news!
[...] ladies line up to serve their home-cooked best, you should have a good idea of what to expect at Wat Phrasriratanaram‘s monthly Thai Food Fair. Of course, the church ladies are all Asian and you’ll find no [...]