Monks follow a disciplined lifestyle, adhering to no fewer than 227 rules. These rules prohibit activities such as; eating after midday, intimate relationships, sleeping on overly comfortable beds, engaging in entertainment, and handling money.

Monks venture out barefoot from the temple each morning after an early breakfast to collect alms from the community. Walking barefoot is a way of ensuring they keep themselves in touch with reality at all times. In return for a layperson's generosity, they offer blessings. The ritual of offering food each morning is highly formal, with neither monk nor layperson making eye contact with each other. The monks bless the food, and the donors receive nothing save a blessing and its karmic benefit.

Their lives are deeply intertwined with spiritual practices, education, and community service. Monks participate in various community ceremonies for births, deaths, and weddings.

Boys as young as seven can join a monastery and are called Novice Monks. Having a son who is a monk is thought to bring good karma to the child, the parents, and other family members. Religious tradition however is not the only reason young boys join the monastery. For children from remote areas, attending a monastery can be a way to get an education or escape family poverty. Some boys have parents who cannot care for them or are orphans, while others wish for their sons to deepen their understanding of Buddhism. The novice monks are trying so hard. But every so often you see they are just mischievous little boys.