That’s it – how does one go about becoming a Buddhist monk?
First stop Coca-Cola , I’d say.
Wow, thanks guys! I knew I could count on the SDMB for the most obscure of questions! I wonder if I could become a monk, knowing I was too lazy to do my own GIS?
Can you do this?
What does a monk do during a typical day?
I go to the community’s first meeting of the day at five o’clock in the morning. I usually get up between four and four-thirty. We start the meeting by lighting candles and incense on the shrine, then bowing to the shrine three times. We then do about thirty minutes of chanting and then sit in meditation for about an hour. The chanting is in the Pali language which is a very ancient tongue not used these days for anything other than the Theravada Buddhist religion. Some of the chanting is devotional, reflecting on the beautiful qualities of the man that was the Buddha: kindness, compassion, wisdom, morality. Some of it is contemplative, reflecting on some of the things that the Buddha taught. The meditation is in silence. At the end of the meditation the senior monk rings a little bell and we bow to the shrine three times to finish the meeting. It is now six thirty. After the meeting I do some tidying up in the publications office where I work during the day. At seven-fifteen I go to the main hall and have a cup of porridge and drink some tea. Everyone is here and members of the community can make announcements about jobs that need doing and help that is required, as well as any other community business. Sometimes, after we have finished our drink, the Abbot gives a talk about the Buddhist teachings.
From about eight-thirty until ten-thirty I have free. I do lots of different things, like type this letter, or maybe do some laundry, or go for a walk, or sit and chat with a friend or just sit. At ten thirty the main bell is rung and we all gather for the meal. We just have one main meal and it should be finished before mid-day. I put on my robe, take my alms bowl and go to the hall. There are two rows of mats on the floor. I bow to the shrine and sit. All the food is offered to the monks and I can put what I need in my bowl. We then do some chanting which is the traditional way of saying thank you to the people who gave us the food. I wait until the senior monks have started eating and then I quietly eat my food. After the meal I wash my bowl and take it back to my room. It is now about twelve o’clock. Now, I may have a rest for a while.
http://www.buddhamind.info/leftside/sumaries/q-a/life-is.htm
Also there’s that whole thing about studying a few years about the religion and getting to know what you’re getting into.
Personally I think I would go bonkers the first week.
Hoops
March 22, 2007, 8:44pm
#7
I’d recommend Thank You And OK: Diary Of An American Zen Failure In Japan by David Chadwick.
It’s more travelogue than religious text, but it does deal with day to day life in the Japanese Zen monk communities. It’s a fun read, with occasional profundities.
Chadwick, lucky bastard, studied with Shunryu Suzuki.
Funny thing is, not only could I do these things, but I would enjoy doing them. I am not honestly thinking I will become a monk – heck, I am married with 2 kids my family would try to have me committed, I think. Who knows? I am thinking of looking into attending the local Buddhist temple. Perhaps I will end up giving it all up for the life of a monk, perhaps not…only time will tell…
Litoris:
Funny thing is, not only could I do these things, but I would enjoy doing them. I am not honestly thinking I will become a monk – heck, I am married with 2 kids my family would try to have me committed, I think. Who knows? I am thinking of looking into attending the local Buddhist temple. Perhaps I will end up giving it all up for the life of a monk, perhaps not…only time will tell…
Keep us informed! That sounds like a great adventure.