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Bedok temple clarifies monks spotted on alms round were real after passerby calls police over 'fake monks'
The temple has responded to similar allegations before.
A passerby notified the police about "fake monks" after he spotted them begging for alms outside a hawker centre in Bedok.
It turns out that the monks aren't fake.
In fact, the monks are from Palelai Buddhist Temple in Bedok; they go on daily alms rounds in the area.
The temple has responded to similar allegations before and emphasised that monks only accept food and not money when seeking alms.
Calls police on monks begging for alms
The passerby, surnamed Wang (transliteration) told Shin Min Daily News (Shin Min) that on Mar. 19, he saw the monks outside Bedok 216 Food Centre and Market.
"They usually appear at around 8am, and people will go up to them to give them food. I've seen some people put other items into their alms bowls, which could have been money. Others would even kneel down in respect," said Wang.
Wang said the monks were accompanied by three to four helpers who assisted with food collection.
He added that he had seen monks from the same group begging for alms outside The Marketplace@58, another hawker centre in Bedok.
Suspecting that the men were "fake monks" soliciting money from the public, Wang notified the police.
Monks don't accept money: Temple
According to Shin Min, the monks were from Palelai Buddhist Temple, a Theravada Buddhist temple founded in 1962, which is currently situated in Bedok.
A volunteer at the temple, surnamed Hong (transliteration) told Shin Min that their monks do visit the nearby areas to beg for alms, but they only accept food and not money.
"Some members of the public may not understand this and give money out of kindness. If that happens, the volunteers will collect the money and deposit it in the temple fund. The monks will not keep the money," Hong said.
Previously, Stomp reported that another member of the public raised concerns after seeing the temple's monks begging in Bedok, and questioned if they were real monks.
In response, Chao Khun Keng Khemako, president of Palelai Buddhist Temple, clarified that their monks were on their daily alms round, a daily practice for the past 25 years.
"This practice allows the public to learn about the Theravada Buddhist tradition's monastic way of living and the mutual support between monastics and lay supporters," Chao wrote.
He said that as part of the practice, monks will stand still with their alms bowl, and do not ask or make a gesture to seek alms.
Anyone is welcome to offer consumable or uncooked food requisites, but monks will strictly not accept money in their alms bowls.
Any excess food will be shared with the wider community and the needy.
An explanation of the practice and the locations where the alms rounds are held can be found on the temple's website.
A 'fake monk' incident
In January, a man in monk's robes was seen in Bras Basah approaching tourists to ask for money.
He allegedly offered "Buddhist beads" to a family of four, claiming they would bestow blessings, in exchange for a S$20 donation, Shin Min reported.
The Singapore Buddhist Federation condemned the man's actions, stating they tarnished the reputation of Buddhism.
Top image from Shin Min Daily News
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Bedok temple clarifies monks spotted on alms round are real
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26-Mar 2025 Wednesday
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