Whats the difference between a buddhist monastery and a buddhist meditation center

Ayhalilfallah

I have been wondering bout this, if I wanna try a year as a monk and I search to a meditation center maybe it´s isn´t a monastery :P

So please get me straight on this one

lobster

A monastery will tend to have at least one monk, you could say with one monk it is a hermitage. A Buddhist center may or may not have resident monks and tends not to. You should be searching for monasteries . . .

BhikkhuJayasara

Lobster is right you want to be looking for a monastery.

you can try the world buddhist directory at Buddhanet.net http://www.buddhanet.info/wbd/

good luck in your search and your aspirations for ordination. I am also moving towards ordination however I'm looking at possibly for life.

Citta

Just to complicate matters Amravati in the UK which is a monastery.,(.which btw is not defined by numbers, but by the existence of certain ritually marked boundaries in which ordinations tale place, known as a Sima...) is called Amravati Buddhist Centre.....

Ayhalilfallah

OK really thx guys for clearing this up, ok Jayantha best of luck

DairyLama

Ayhalilfallah said:

I have been wondering bout this, if I wanna try a year as a monk and I search to a meditation center maybe it´s isn´t a monastery :P

Just get in touch and ask. Usually you would need to visit a monastery and do some retreats before thinking about ordination.

person

Also its only the Therevada tradition that allows temporary vows. You can also live in a monastic setting while only taking lay vows as another option.

lobster

Some Zen and Tantric monasteries allow temp vows. Not just a Theravada opportunity . . .