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Do you want to become a monk/nun?
hermitwin
Veteran
Why? Why not?
0
Comments
I dont feel i could deal with the food and living style. Perhaps in time i will be able to though.
It happened as a result of meeting the abbot along the street, a friend with me recognizing him, and discovering that his English was excellent. We talked for quite a while. He even said he would find me a "sponsor".
Thai monks are often warned to be careful about who sponsors them because some of these women are control freaks
I stayed in a monastery once in Thailand and a monk's sponsor got so jealous with him about his liasons with other women, she bit his arm, even though all Thai women know they are not allowed to touch a monk
In Thailand this ordaining business is very much part of the culture and functions at very many levels, from the most base superstitions to dedicated enlightenment practise
There is often nothing "generous" or profound about such things
If Vinlyn is a Westerner and did ordain, he probably would have been the "token" farang monk and an object for abbots lay devotees to oggle at; just a curiosity item or "tourist attraction"
this widespread & intrinsic role of monasticism in Thailand is one reason why the Thai Sangha is strongly against the ordination of women because the male system is crazy enough and difficult to manage
I visited one rural temple, actually a somewhat historical one, a ways north of Bangkok that hasn't even had a monk in well over a year. None could be found. So the locals were totally renovating the temple, hoping that would help attract some monks to return.
since the vietnam war, and influx of farang in thailand, they have began to want to be us. whitening creams and bling bling. Me and my freind use to joke sometimes saying thais are magpies, you know, the specie of bird because they like the shiny things
I remember one summer meeting with a group of 3 monks whom I had met on the ferry in Bangkok, and they invited me to their temple in Thonburi so I could teach them more English. We actually met in one of the kutis. Quite spartan, although there was one of those very small electric refrigerators. But I had difficulty trying to determine why monks in the 20th century were still living this way. No wonder such a decline in the monkhood.
By the way TT...many temples in the most rural of villages are experiencing a shortage of monks. It's a nationwide problem.
monasteries where you get rich women sponsors who are contorl
freaks & monks who likes bling.
I think its a wonderful thing to try to live a simple
life with only basic necessities.
Why?
100 reasons, but for one I like meditation.
I'll be leaving to live at a monastery in Thailand exactly in 2 weeks. ^^
I think that an urban monastic life can be more busy (and thus distracting) than household life, at least the childless one.
But it may be worth a try.
But it's not really the busyness of my current environment, that would be something, I feel, is distracting me.
if you are making little progress where you are now, the monastery may not make much difference
if you are making some progress where you are now, the monastery may make much a difference
intensive periods of retreat are good if one has a developed practise
but many monks spend many years in monastaries struggling to develop samadhi and they then disrobe
nothing is guaranteed in the monastery
in fact, some folks go crazy in the solitude
all the best
I signed up for an initial six months and lasted about two. I came away dispirited ... what the hell was wrong with me that I couldn't be a 'good' Zen student, a 'good' Buddhist? But once returned to an 'ordinary' lifestyle, I kept up my meditation practice and bit by bit the discouragement I had felt relaxed its grip. Yes, I found something important about Buddhism, its suggestions and its encouragements. But I simply could not do it in some cookie-cutter way. Dreams were fine, but if I was planning to live on dreams, how useful could Buddhism possibly be? Dreamers are a dime a dozen. People willing to put things into practice ... well, that takes a kind of patience that cannot rely solely on dreams.
By going to the monastery, I tested my dreams. Looking back, I am glad I did. Finding out what you can't or won't do is every bit as important as finding out what you can or will do. Setting aside the dreams of this life can be painful and confusing because you are left standing on your own two feet, forced to assess and move forward without recourse or excuse. It's not easy, whatever choices anyone makes ... but, for my money, it works out better in the end.
I actually have my own experience on which I base my assumptions.
Including living in my current environment (with other people) vs living alone.
And a retreat of intensive practice.
I'm in no way expecting my progress to start automagically develop in the new environment. I'm just saying that the environment can be a very important factor in ones practice.
I genuinely trust your time in Thailand will be very valuable
Thailand is a wonderful place
My best wishes for you
May all beings be happy and find freedom of mind
I imagine tons of people who worked hard in curing diseases, building infrastructure (especially for the poor) and doing other works that helped society move forward in a positive way have a tremendous satisfaction in old age.
“Phra Farang: An English Monk in Thailand” by Phra Peter Pannapadipo
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0099484471?ie=UTF8&tag=thaistudentonlin&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0099484471
and there is a good interview with him in the link below
http://www.thaibuddhist.com/thai-buddhism/an-interview-with-phra-farang.html
I am going to try and read it when I have time.
With Metta
If I were to find it was my path, I would most likely go back to the Monastary with enough money to support myself and get ordained.
A word of advice, be patient, enjoy the journey
not just the destination.
Some people use it to earn a living & acquire power.
You must always be careful.
But with experience, its quite easy to separate
the real monks from those with ulterior motives.
Traditional Buddhist countries eg SEA & Sri Lanka
are poor countries, so many people become monks
for the wrong reasons.
I think becoming a monk is a way of renunciation to walk to path to enlightenment.
I have chosen something similar.. not becoming a monk but it's a form of renunciation.
I was an engineering and find that the working environment is totally not conducive for Dhamma practice and concentration (office politics, stress etc.)
I give up the prestige status of being a professional and open my own shop instead... now my practice improves and gain valuable insight. I'm happy with my decision...
I suppose Office politics is a good way to practice?