In Japan, there's a practice called takahatsu, literally "carrying bowls," in which the monks go out every day to collect food. It dates back to the old days of the Buddha, before the monks settled down in monasteries with kitchens.
But the practice of takahatsu is not just about collecting food offerings. It's also about how to deal with all the offerings. The monks wear large straw hats that hide the upper half of their faces. They do not look directly at the person making offerings or at the food that is offered. Whatever is given is accepted with gratitude.
— Bernard Glassman, Rick Fields, Instructions to the Cook