Book Reviews

Buddhist Temple Life in Laos:

Wat Lok Po Luang

Ilse & Birgit Schrama

, with photography by

Ilse Schrama

First edition 2005, 175 x 245; 128 pp., 130 colour plates, map

ISBN-10: 974-524-073-7 $26.00
ISBN-13: 978-974-524-073-5

Translations of some comments on the Dutch Edition of Buddhist Temple Life in Laos:

. Splendid pictures and sayings of these novices and monks can be found in the book that Ilse and Birgit Schrama made about a monastery called Wat Sok Pa Luang. [.} Their daily worries and the creative ways of dealing with the many rules, what the youngsters learn and believe, has been captured in a beautiful way.
Vorm en Leegte, Boeddhistisch Tijdschrift, January 2006, Netherlands.

[.] The elegantly designed book gives an intimate and perceptive portrait of the day-to-day life of the monks, novices and nuns of a temple complex in Vientiane, capital of Laos. Reading and looking, you will find yourself immersed in their Buddhist lives, in an accessible way. .
Azië, Number 110 February/March 2006, Netherlands.

Intimate essay on Buddhist temple life. [.] The various ‘confessions’ of these youngsters clearly indicate that Ilse and Birgit Schrama had won their trust. .
Han Schoonhoven, at www.photoq.nl, November 2005, Netherlands

.‘There were some activities the monks and novices didn’t want us to capture in photos,’ tells the photographer. ‘It’s not good to make fun, for example. We also saw them sporting, larking about, and playing computer games [.] One evening we were invited to watch a Bollywood movie with them. Everybody was sitting cosily in front of the TV. But on this occasion too we were not allowed to take any pictures.’ [.] Nevertheless, Ilse Schrama managed to make some photos of a novice demonstrating the fighting sport Kung-fu, a sport monks are forbidden to do. ‘He enjoyed showing it to us, and it was clear that he was very good at it.’
Interview by Leonoor Kuijk, in Trouw, 25 October 2005, Netherlands

The secret of Buddhism [.] This is where you want to go.
Columbus, February 2006, Netherlands

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