Youth Spotlight - 17th Book Offering: 100 Days for the Royal Grandmother

Chulalongkorn University's Book Center, in collaboration with Wat Phra Ram 9 Kanchanaphisek and the university's Asset Management Office, organized the 17th 'Book Offering: 100 Days for the Royal Grandmother' event to pay homage to Her Majesty Queen Sirikit and continue her educational and Buddhist preservation efforts. This year, the event invited Thai citizens to donate books to 51 monks and novice monks studying at Buddhist schools from Wat Phra Ram 9 Kanchanaphisek and Wat Yan Nawa. A dharma lecture titled 'Mother Leads Reading... Children's Lives Become Complete' was delivered by Phra Thep Wachara Yanakawi, an assistant abbot at Wat Phra Ram 9 Kanchanaphisek. He emphasized that reading helps discover love, hope, and inspiration that can improve our world and lives. Novice monk Woraphat Kaewsawat from Wat Yan Nawa shared his preference for books about life development and self-improvement, noting that while AI can provide information, books written by humans contain genuine feelings and thoughts that AI cannot replicate. Another novice monk, Thonboon Phromka from Wat Phra Ram 9 Kanchanaphisek, expressed his interest in Chinese history books and selected additional writing materials. The book offering was described as different from traditional food offerings, representing a gift of wisdom that nourishes the mind and supports monks' educational development, ultimately preserving Buddhist traditions.