The procession is ready to begin. At the head of the procession are John Massey's closest friends who, according to the Renunciation of Prince Siddhatha Gotama, are to try to dissuade him from his objective with their worldly lives. This is not taken seriously and any attempts are made in fun. To John's left is another American Buddhist who is holding the begging bowl that he will offer John once he is ordained. Traditionally, the monks beg for their daily food during morning rounds through the village.
Ordination of Novice Monk, photograph 17 of 30, from Cambodian Traditional Crafts and Religious Ceremonies.
View the Ordination of Novice Monk group of photographs in order on the Internet Archive,
https://archive.org/details/OrdinationNoviceMonk.