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It's a potent act of religious devotion that takes place every day across countless communities in Myanmar, an overwhelmingly Buddhist country.
But powerful clerical voices here believe their faith -- and by extension, these traditions -- is in danger.
The main threat? Islam, says Thaw Parka, a monk who speaks for a hardline, monk-led Buddhist nationalist group known as Ma Ba Tha -- the Association for the Protection of Race and Religion.
Its role in sowing anti-Muslim sentiment is coming under scrutiny as a brutal crackdown unfolds in Rahkine State in western Myanmar, sending more than 600,000 Rohingya Muslims fleeing to Bangladesh.
"It is not like what the international community is saying. It is not genocide at all," the 46-year-old abbot told CNN in September from ZayTaWon DammarYone Monastery on the outskirts of Yangon, where he leads more than 100 monks.
'Wild accusations'
Thaw Parka describes these claims as "wild accusations" and believes Buddhists in the state are the main victims of the violence.
"Our ethnic people are starving. They abandoned their villages. It is impossible to make a living, (If) they remain in their village."
Buddhism under siege?
It's difficult to see how Muslims, or any other religious group, could pose a threat to Myanmar's dominant religion.
Thaw Parka says that he and his group work in harmony with "educated Muslims who live among the indigenous people of Myanmar" and he only opposes Muslim extremists and terrorists that threaten Myanmar's sovereignty.
"We have many Muslims among our friends. We hang out. We work together. We do charity work together. There was no problem. But with some Muslims who are in contact with a form of extremist terrorist, it is very difficult for peaceful existence."
The monks say their fears for their faith are also fed by wider concerns about a resurgent radical Islam and the belief that Buddhism is under siege.
One English-language pamphlet produced in 2015 by the group as a "must-know, must-read, must-keep booklet for every Myanmar citizen," says different religions are "devouring" the faith of Myanmar. It warns that if Buddhist leaders don't take care "Buddha's teaching will soon disappear" -- something the booklet says already happened centuries ago in nearby Mulism-majority Malaysia and Indonesia.
"These monks look at Thailand, which has embraced a Western outlook and consumerism, and that has affected the standing of monks there," he says.
"They feel the (Myanmar) government is weak on the protection of Buddhism and keeping the morals of the country intact."
Suspicion of media
Thaw Parka said Wirathu had worked "hand in hand" with Ma Ba Tha since its inception. However, he stressed the firebrand monk didn't officially represent Ma Ba Tha -- a fairly loose coalition of monasteries and supporters.
"People want to attack U Wirathu, they cherry pick his extreme words," he said.
The monks view international media and their coverage of the Rohingya crisis with deep suspicion and carefully took notes during our hour-long interview.
"When we look at them, the news sources, (we find) that they did not investigate themselves. They fell for what (the Rohingya) said. They believed them and made accusations."
"We don't want to have these kind of grievances. You have to go to the affected areas and investigate yourselves."
Myanmar has largely blocked international media from traveling to the affected northern areas of Rakhine State and journalists that have been allowed to go have do so under government escort.
Crackdown
Ma Ba Tha remains popular in Myanmar despite efforts by the civilian government led by Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace prize winner who spent years under house arrest, to limit its influence.
"There is no change. It is just taking down sign boards. Some do, some don't."
"We are in compliance with the constitution and we have a righteous stand," he adds.
Thaw Parka says his group supports Suu Kyi and the country's transition to democracy.
Suu Kyi hasn't denounced the alleged atrocities against the Rohingya community and claimed the government needed more time investigate the exodus from Myanmar of more than 600,000 members of the minority Muslim group.
'Much more than an extremist group'
Monks head out to collect alms from Insein Ywama Monastery near Yangon. Behind them are posters offering English and computing classes.
The government's moves to rein in the group fail to take account of the fact that Ma Ba Tha is a social movement that appeals to many ordinary Buddhists, says Horsey, the political analyst.
Ma Ba Tha runs religious education classes, provides disaster relief, legal aid and "engages in a wide range of good causes at the community level," says the report he authored for the International Crisis Group.
Thaw Parka's monastery, like others, takes in orphans and educates the sons of poor families. Posters at the nearby Insein Ywama Monastery, which serves as the headquarters for Ma Ba Tha, offer classes in English, computing and coding for members of the local community.
"It's much more than an extremist group and efforts to ban it miss this point. It doesn't take account of the fact these monks are extremely revered," Horsey says.
"Wirathu has notoriety but many others involved in the group are seen as the leading monks in the country and they have enormous religious legitimacy."