The Icons
  • SDG
  • ESG
  • Leadership
  • Business
  • World
  • Health
  • Succession
  • Innovation
  • More
    • Women
    • Entertainment
    • Academic
    • Culture
    • Lastest
    • Lifestyle
    • Tech
    • Opinion
    • About《The Icons》
  • Chinese 中文
Login
No Result
View All Result
The Icons
No Result
View All Result
Home Culture

a Different Style of Practice! Burmese Monk Naing Win: I Travel around the World by Making Friends

Victor Chou 周允德 by Victor Chou 周允德
December 21, 2022
a Different Style of Practice! Burmese Monk Naing Win: I Travel around the World by Making Friends

In the impression of the world, monks are often highly respected and far away from the world. After becoming a monk, they settled in monasteries and lived a regular life of practice, chanting, and worshipping Buddha–This is what people think. 

You might also like

Former Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama: Reframing Civilisation Through the Lens of Yuai

BCCTaipei Better Business Awards: The True Measure of a Company Lies Not in Its Size, but in Whom It Influences and What It Leaves Behind!

TENG SHU-LAN, Director of HUAYEN, LUNG YEN Authorized Distributor: When You Learn to Make Peace, You Can Take the Helm of Your Own Life!

However, the wonderful life of the junior Burmese monk Naing Win, now living in Yangon, may completely break our established impression of monks. Not only does he “work remotely”, stays outside the temple for most of the year, but he can also enjoy high-end cuisine regardless of meat or vegetable, and even  accepts the sponsorship of friends to travel around the world and enjoy life in star-rated hotels just because of “mutual trust”.

This time, Naing Win was invited to be interviewed by “The Icons” to reveal his unique Buddhist practice life.

Myanmar monasteries are more free than you think

Naing Win was travelling abroad at the time of the interview, and he was interviewed at the hotel with a polite, shy smile and peaceful Buddhist music in the background. 

Naing Win explained that at the age of 6 or 7, Buddhists in Myanmar will be sent by their families to monasteries for free enlightenment education, learning their own cultural knowledge and Buddhist knowledge. After several years of education, young monks can either choose to return to secular life, stay as a monk, or even “transfer” to a different monastery.

Naing Win is an example of transferring monasteries. He shared: “When I was 7 to 10 years old, I practised in a monastery in my hometown, Mandalay (Burmese: မန္တလေး), but as I got older, I wanted to visit bigger cities, so I went to the monastery in Yangon (Burmese: ရန်ကုန်မြို့, the largest city in Myanmar), and stayed until now.”

Source: Naing Win

The life of a monk is actually more like a “working holiday”?

So what to do in a monastery? Naing Win said that being a monk in a monastery is actually not like working. You don’t need to “check in to work” every day. When you are in a monastery, you will meditate and recite scriptures, or help those who want to learn Buddhism, but most of the time he prefers to travel outside, and the way of travel is also very special. 

His trips are all based on friendship, with his friends sponsoring his travel expenses, while he accompanies friends to meditate, or acts as a tour guide to introduce Myanmar. 

“I just went to Thailand a while ago, and I’m going to Japan next week. Actually, I prefer to go to Dubai, but my friend doesn’t want to go.” Naing Win said with a smile.

Next stop on the world tour, Dubai

“I have experienced Michelin restaurants and five-star hotels, so I don’t have strong desires now.” Because eating meat is not a taboo for Buddhist monks in Myanmar, plus Naing Win is not bound by the  monastery, Naing Win has already tasted all kinds of delicacies and stayed in different sorts of high-end hotels under the sponsorship of friends.

He said that his current hobbies are photography, riding motorcycles, making friends, and introducing Burmese culture to foreigners. “What is your goal for the rest of your life?” Satisfied with his life, Naing Win only said: “I want to continue to travel around the world, especially Dubai, which I have longed for!”

More from《The Icons》:

Initiate ESG, Influence The World with A Piece of Paper! President of Taiwan Lung Meng Advanced Composite Materials CO., LTD, Henry Liang: Use Stone Paper to Create Midas Touch

Unbox The Special Burmese Monk’s Life, Naing Win: Use ESG to Make Friends from Everywhere

ShareShareTweet
Victor Chou 周允德

Victor Chou 周允德

Hi I'm Victor Chou, Consultant of The Icons, graduated from National Taiwan University department of English.
大家好我是周允德,The Icons顧問,台大外文系畢業。

Recommended For You

Former Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama. (Photographic: CGTN)

Former Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama: Reframing Civilisation Through the Lens of Yuai

by Gary Kung
October 28, 2025

...

From top to bottom, left to right: Saxon Chen, Co-founder and CEO of H2U Corporation (Photo: Tatler Asia); Cheng-Hung Chen, Chairman of Heng Leong Hang Co., Ltd. (Photo: Manager Today); Fu-Sheng Liao, Chairman of J&V Energy Technology (Photo: J&V Energy); James Hsiao, Senior General Manager of Medtronic Taiwan and Hong Kong (Photo: AmCham Taiwan); King Hsin-I, Founder of buydirectlyfromfarmers (Photo: 104); Ali Ying-Che Hsieh, President of the Cambridge University Taiwan Alumni Association (Photo: Manager Today); Paul Lin, CEO of Poseidon Global Industries (Photo: Poseidon Global); Terence Ong, Managing Director of Pernod Ricard Taiwan (Photo: WSD); Ho-Cheng Yao, General Manager of Long Life Trading (Photo: Japan Whisky); and Vicki Wu, Executive Director of the British Chamber of Commerce in Taipei (Photo: Vicki Wu).

BCCTaipei Better Business Awards: The True Measure of a Company Lies Not in Its Size, but in Whom It Influences and What It Leaves Behind!

by Gary Kung
October 23, 2025

...

TENG SHU-LAN, Director of HUAYEN, LUNG YEN Authorized Distributor. (Photo: HUAYEN, LUNG YEN Authorized Distributor)

TENG SHU-LAN, Director of HUAYEN, LUNG YEN Authorized Distributor: When You Learn to Make Peace, You Can Take the Helm of Your Own Life!

by Nelson Tseng 曾竣賢
October 21, 2025

...

From left: Sam Laakkonen, Senior Director at the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL); Dr Mei-Yu Chang, Director of the International Affairs Office at Taiwan’s National Institutes of Applied Research (NIAR); and Professor Radek Holý, Director of the Advanced Chip Design Research Centre, Czechia. (Photography: The Icons)

Euro–Asia Collaboration on Sustainability: Redefining the Global Order

by Isabelle Leclerc
October 13, 2025

...

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres (Photo: Club de Madrid)

COP30 Leaders|United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres: COP30 Marks a Critical Moment for Humanity

by Kawin Lee
October 10, 2025

...

Next Post

Is ESG a Challenge or Opportunity for Success? Sunny Huang, CEO of The New Wide Group, Co-Founder of Smart Capital: It’s The Path for Living!

Please login to join discussion

Top Views

Kate Wylie, CHANEL's Chief Sustainability Officer. (Photography: CHANEL)

Vision and Commitment to Sustainable Development! CHANEL Chief Sustainability Officer, Kate Wylie: Climate Change is No Longer a Future Problem but a Present Reality We Must Face

September 30, 2024
The Ageless Idol Jimmy Lin (Photography: Jimmy Studio)

The Ageless Jimmy Lin: Awakening Social Awareness and Sustainable Thinking with “Gentle Out of Control”

August 15, 2024
Kecia Steelman, CEO of Ulta Beauty. (Photography: WWD)

Kecia Steelman, CEO of Ulta Beauty: The Future of Beauty Is Not Just a Trend, but a Responsibility and a Call to Action

April 3, 2025
Flora Chang, Board Director & ESG Head of YESIANG Enterprise. (Photography: YESIANG Enterprise)

Technological Innovation and Sustainability United! Flora Chang, YESIANG Enterprise Board Director & ESG Head: Setting a Global Standard for the Green Economy

January 10, 2025
NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang(Photography: BusinessToday)

NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang: AI and Sustainability Dual Engines Driving a New Era

July 2, 2024
Vandana Shiva’s Pioneering Efforts in Sustainable Agriculture: A Manifesto for Mutual Futures

Vandana Shiva’s Pioneering Efforts in Sustainable Agriculture: A Manifesto for Mutual Futures

December 13, 2023

The Icons

  • About 《The Icons》
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Women

CATEGORIES

SDG Business Succession Academic Lifestyle
ESG World Innovation Culture Tech
Leadership Health Entertainment Latest Opinion

Contact us

Email: hello@theicons.net

   

© 2025 THE ICONS COLLECTIVE LTD. All Rights Reserved.

Sign in or create your account
OR USE
Please wait. Signing you in...
Forgot Password?
Signin with another account
OR USE
Please wait. Signing you in...
Already have an account? Login.
OR USE
Please wait. Signing you in...
Enter your email address or username to continue.
No Result
View All Result
  • Chinese 中文
  • SDG
  • ESG
  • Leadership
  • Business
  • World
  • Health
  • Succession
  • Innovation
  • Entertainment
  • Academic
  • Culture
  • Lastest
  • Lifestyle
  • Tech
  • Opinion
  • About《The Icons》
  • Login

© 2025 THE ICONS COLLECTIVE LTD. All Rights Reserved.

Are you sure want to unlock this post?
Unlock left : 0
Are you sure want to cancel subscription?