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looking for a monastery
being
Veteran
Hey!
I'm writing this in hopes of finding someone experienced/knowledgeable, who could help me out. Maybe just by telling how should I look for a monastery.
I want to go live at a (Theravada preferably) Buddhist monastery, where I could live a monks life and basically meditate and progress towards enlightenment. But I have many questions and problems that are troubling me.
The most I have done so far, is a 10-day Vipassana course and even tho it was hard, I enjoyed that type of life.
I would like to find a place, where it's serious work, where people get up every day to progress, not just 'get it over with'. I'm not saying I want to be meditating from morning till evening, but I hope you get what I mean.
A place, where there would be a very good teacher (enlightened preferably
). And where you could get by with English, cause that's the only foreign language I speak reasonably well.
I'm willing to travel to pretty much to any place on earth. But that again contains a problem - you need visa in a lot of countries and can't stay for long etc.
So far I have considered Thailand the most. I believe you can get 90day visas there and you can do 'visa runs' by going out of the country and coming back for like 2 or 3 years. It costs tho, so it's not a perfect solution at all, but Thailand monasteries (especially Wat Pah Nanachat) have been the most appealing to me so far.
Since I'm from Estonia (tiny country in EU), it would be much easier to go to any European country, but I'm worried that the monasteries here are not that serious and 'cost' more.
Another big question I haven't really figured out is exactly the cost... I understand, that all the upholding of a monastery has to come out of someones pockets, so should I be worried about donating or is this usually not a problem.
I believe my father could and would support the monastery I would be staying at with tiny monthly donations.
I know that in many monasteries most of the food, if not all, comes from the lay people alms. But I'm not so sure about this in European monasteries.
So pretty much the most important for me is a very good teacher, a disciplined environment (not too relaxed, not unreasonably hard) and no expectations of big donations.
I hope this doesn't sound too demanding. Just trying to explain my preferences. ^_^
any help appreciated,
thanks in advance,
being
I'm writing this in hopes of finding someone experienced/knowledgeable, who could help me out. Maybe just by telling how should I look for a monastery.
I want to go live at a (Theravada preferably) Buddhist monastery, where I could live a monks life and basically meditate and progress towards enlightenment. But I have many questions and problems that are troubling me.
The most I have done so far, is a 10-day Vipassana course and even tho it was hard, I enjoyed that type of life.
I would like to find a place, where it's serious work, where people get up every day to progress, not just 'get it over with'. I'm not saying I want to be meditating from morning till evening, but I hope you get what I mean.
A place, where there would be a very good teacher (enlightened preferably
). And where you could get by with English, cause that's the only foreign language I speak reasonably well.I'm willing to travel to pretty much to any place on earth. But that again contains a problem - you need visa in a lot of countries and can't stay for long etc.
So far I have considered Thailand the most. I believe you can get 90day visas there and you can do 'visa runs' by going out of the country and coming back for like 2 or 3 years. It costs tho, so it's not a perfect solution at all, but Thailand monasteries (especially Wat Pah Nanachat) have been the most appealing to me so far.
Since I'm from Estonia (tiny country in EU), it would be much easier to go to any European country, but I'm worried that the monasteries here are not that serious and 'cost' more.
Another big question I haven't really figured out is exactly the cost... I understand, that all the upholding of a monastery has to come out of someones pockets, so should I be worried about donating or is this usually not a problem.
I believe my father could and would support the monastery I would be staying at with tiny monthly donations.
I know that in many monasteries most of the food, if not all, comes from the lay people alms. But I'm not so sure about this in European monasteries.
So pretty much the most important for me is a very good teacher, a disciplined environment (not too relaxed, not unreasonably hard) and no expectations of big donations.
I hope this doesn't sound too demanding. Just trying to explain my preferences. ^_^
any help appreciated,
thanks in advance,
being
0
Comments
I don't know if you are still looking here, but I have been to the temples Wat Amaravati and Wat Cittaviveka. They are both in England and usually have many European people there. They also have other temples around Europe. I believe if you go to Forest Sanghayou will see the affiliated monasteries HERE. They live by the Theravadan Vinaya, and based on the popularity of Ajahn Sumedho etc (he is retiring this month though) the monasteries seem to have no problems with alms. etc .
Good Luck with it all.
PS I believe you have to stay there first before they accept you as an 'anagarika' so it's not a quick process all round.
My advice would be to do about a dozen more 10 day retreats before you even consider ordination.
And secondly the ordination is not important for me. I'm not going doing this 'to become' someone, but just to live at a monastery - in a disciplined & calm environment, where I could and will have to practice no matter what.
A 10 day Vipassana retreat is like a vacation.
Monastics work to maintain the monastery. They fund raise, they cook, they work on construction projects.
Monasteries are institutions of learning. They study, debate, recite texts, memorize texts and live a very demanding schedule, not to mention the vows involved with living a monastic lifestyle.
Going on retreat is like going on a cruise compared to really living in a monastic setting.
Anyways. I don't see anything terrifying in your description of a monastic life for me, but the opposite.
Thank you for your worry, tho. ^^
Living in a monastery is a big commitment thats all and personally I dont think that anyone who has only attended one retreat is prepared for it.
Good luck though.
I recommend Amaravati Monastery (Theravada Thai Forest Tradition) in the UK, and you can write to them with your enquiries at the address here:
http://www.amaravati.org/abmnew/index.php/retreat_centre/contact_us
Ajahn Amaro is taking over as the abbot now that Ajahn Sumedho is retiring.
with metta,
Dazzle
.
I second this.
Amaravati would be a good place for you to check out.
Its actually unlikely that anyone would have to learn Sanskrit or Pali unless they wanted to read the scriptures in their original languages. People dont actually speak them much anymore and just about everything has been translated into modern languages.
What MAKES it a "vacation" is the enthusiasm, the seriousness with which we see ourselves doing this. Just as the new dieter can turn away from hot fudge sundaes, recognizing that this is difficult to do but being committed to it ... but ends up some time down the road turning away from dieting altogether ... so too do many aspiring Buddhist. The quickest way to burn out is to jump in too quickly.
The best thing to do is to stay in your current situation and spend 5 years practicing Buddhism. Find a teacher to learn from, do the practice. It is well-agreed amongst teachers that everything you need to do your practice and to progress down the path is right where you are. There's even a book called "Start Where You Are". Your impatience with your current situation and your desire to be somewhere else are MOST excellent teachers for you.
I have never had any "10 day whatever" you ppl seem to be talking about, I leave to live a monk's life on Saturday and won't be back for sometime and I live in India. I would like to share my experience when I get back, and I don't think you need anything other than your own self to make this journey.
Just believe in yourself, never give up and never surrender.
Even though what I am trying to find now seems impossible, and it scares me to bits, instead of stopping me it motivates me, I feel this power inside of me and I know this is what I was born to do. I was born to change the world, how everything is becoming shit. Just give me some time, and if you can, believe, not in a god you can't see, not in a message you are reading on the internet, but in yourselves, cause that is how we can all open the kundalini that is lying dormant for so long and get our hands on that amazing power and evolve...together.
If you speak Russian, you could look into Ivolginski Datsan in the Buryat Republic (look it up on the internet). There might be more flexible visa requirements for Estonians going to Russia, than for North Americans and West Europeans. or...not. There's also a Buddhist monastery in St. Petersburg.
oops--but these aren't Theravadan, obviously; they're Vajrayana.
I recommend what the others have recommended, namely, Amaravati Monastery.
Amaravati Monastery is part of the Forest Sangha (Monasteries of Ajahn Chah). The Forest Sangha has monasteries in the UK, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, the USA, Australia, New Zealand, Thailand & elsewhere.
Living in the monastery will involve both meditation & work.
Contacting one monastery is a first step in finding the most suitable monastery for oneself.
http://www.forestsangha.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=section&layout=blog&id=10&Itemid=9
Kind regards
DD