Carrying the simple garb of a monk, more than 30,000 men spread out across the plaza in front of Dhammakaya’s Cetiya temple, as a lengthy ordination ceremony approaches its climax. The men will soon take their vows and then don the saffron robe that signifies their acceptance into the monkhood. Afterward, they will be assigned roles in temples across Thailand, where they will follow the sacred Buddhist precepts.
