Two women were resting in front of an alter in Wat Mangkon Kamalawat

While walking, I arrived at a Buddhist temple. It is Wat Mangkon Kamalawat. This temple in Bangkok's Chinatown is built in the Chinese style. I don't know the details, but there are Chinese characters written on the temple grounds, and the atmosphere is clearly different from that of Wat Phra Kaew and Wat Pho. This is the most prestigious Chinese Buddhist temple in Bangkok.

Wat Mangkon Kamalawat is not only prestigious but also very popular. It is said that people believe that their wishes will come true if they pray here. Temples that claim to offer worldly benefits are popular everywhere. I have a feeling that the teachings of Gautama Siddhartha are not about worldly benefits, but I guess it doesn't matter.

The temple was built in the Chinese style with several altars, just like the Buddhist temples I have seen in Taiwan and Vietnam. The difference was that there was a custom-made table and chairs for resting in front of the altar (I don't know if this is common in Thailand or if it was just a coincidence). Two women were sitting on them, chatting and resting. They were chatting and not looking at the altar. They did not seem to be interested in the god enshrined on the altar at all. If it weren't for the altar behind them, I would have believed them even if they told me they were relaxing in a coffee shop.

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