us amusements," they are also bound to follow 227 rules governing daily life and can own only "the yellow robe, the alms-bowl, and a few personal necessities" (Ross 71). To obtain food, they depend upon the generosity of strangers to fill their alms-bowl (Ross 72).
In addition to living the rigorous life of a monk, Mongkut also made long pilgrimages throughout his future kingdom, learning his country's geography and people, and at the age of 47, after 27 years as a Buddhist monk, became the Supreme Ruler and Lord of Life of Thailand (Ross 72). Upon becoming king, Mongkut "embarked on reforms of a most progressive nature" (Ross 72). Believing that it would be impossible to keep Western nations out of Asia, he welcomed them and fostered a new world view, as evidenced by hiring the governess from England and setting up printing presses, building roads and canals, creating a modern currency, and asking French and English scientists to exchange ideas with him and even "teach" him (Ross 72). Thanks to his Buddhist beliefs, Mongkut "showed a marked absence of religious bigotry, encouraging Western missionaries in their educational and medical work," although when he saw Buddhist traditions " threatened with destruction by Western influences," he took action to "[breathe] new life into his country's form of Buddhism, thus helping to turn it into a vital force" and bringing Siam "out of its cocoon of insularity" (Ross 73). As a monk, he founded the Thammayut sect of Buddhism, whose name meant "adhering to the dharma" and that "placed special emphasis on strict observance of the code of monastic discipline" (Lopez 188). In addition, he made many changes to the monastic life, including "the way that robes were worn" (Lopez 188).
Interestingly, however, as king, Mongkut laid aside the ascetism of Buddhist thought and entertained his guests as a typical non-Buddhist monarch would, in grandiose style. For example, when th...