Dhamma Wheel Buddhist Forum

I started practicing within the soto zen tradition before I travelled to Wat Pah Nanachat to get ordained as an Anagarika in 2002. After a few months of training there I returned to germany.

Sadhu!

Greetings Michael and welcome to Dhamma Wheel!

Thank you Ben for your warm welcome

Welcome Michael!

Welcome to Dhamma Wheel!

Welcome!
Do you plan to stay a layperson after your time as an anagarika ?

Sokehi wrote:My name is Michael. Currently I live in germany.

I started practicing within the soto zen tradition, lived a couple of months at Zen Zentrum Eisenbuch before I travelled to Wat Pah Nanachat to get ordained as an Anagarika in 2002. After a few months of training there I returned to germany.

Sadhu!

hi Michael,
Welcome Aboard.
how did you find your time as a Anagarika? I was one at Amaravati for just over a year.

why such a glum name?

Willkommen, Michael!

Greetings Michael,

Welcome to Dhamma Wheel.



Metta,
Retro.

Welcome to Dhammawheel Michael!

Thank you very much everybody

@alobha: I'm unsure what you mean. Well I used to be an Anagarika back in 2002 and since then I am a layperson (but anagarikas are still laity anyways I guess?), but not a huge shake of a layperson I "disrobed" at Nanachat and stayed afterwards for a week or so, leaving the kuti, back to sleep above the kitchen as laymen usually do there.

@Cittasanto: well how did I find it? very cold, very hungry, very sore feet after pindabat, very happy, very afraid, very uplifted, very challenged... I guess you know what it is like within the frying pan of a monastery the coin there has multiple sides. But still I recollect my time there as one of the most important and inspiring times of all my life ... just being a pahkow for just 3 months or so though. and I thought something glum like sokehi is more honest than "superbodhisattva" or something like that

Sokehi wrote:
@Cittasanto: well how did I find it? very cold, very hungry, very sore feet after pindabat, very happy, very afraid, very uplifted, very challenged... I guess you know what it is like within the frying pan of a monastery the coin there has multiple sides. But still I recollect my time there as one of the most important and inspiring times of all my life ... just being a pahkow for just 3 months or so though. and I thought something glum like sokehi is more honest than "superbodhisattva" or something like that

it is not quite the same in the west, no pindabat, although it has its own unique difficulties.

In 2003 or so I stayed a couple of weeks at Aruna Rathanagiri (beautiful place with a wonderful abbot ). So I could get a taste of forest sangha life in the west.

How did you find it living in a dual community like Amaravati? At Zen Zentrum Eisenbuch I found it difficult, not necesarrilly sexually but social-emotionally for sure.

Just to make it clear: I'm definetely pro bhikkuni... but after my experiences I think it is better to live in different viharas. But I'd welcome your impressions for my reflection.

Sokehi wrote:In 2003 or so I stayed a couple of weeks at Aruna Rathanagiri (beautiful place with a wonderful abbot ). So I could get a taste of forest sangha life in the west.

How did you find it living in a dual community like Amaravati? At Zen Zentrum Eisenbuch I found it difficult, not necesarrilly sexually but social-emotionally for sure.

Just to make it clear: I'm definetely pro bhikkuni... but after my experiences I think it is better to live in different viharas. But I'd welcome your impressions for my reflection.

Harnham is a very nice place and I respect Ajahn Munindo very much.
Zen (if the japanese form) don't have the same protocals when it comes to the sexes so it isn't good to compare the two, although the social aspect was a big challange for me also.
I believe the two sides should be as independent as possible, but not completely separate but far enough away so tensions can easily be averted/avoided.

As mentioned before somewhere else on the Dhammawheel I'm happy to be able finally to leave this household here in august and take up Anagarika training at one of the english monasteries sometimes later

I won't be able after this to contribute any more to this board (or any other social media).

I'll hop in every now and then until august and would like to express my sincere thank you to the admins and the forummembers that contribute in a supportive and wholesome way to the needs and questions of others on this board. You all have been great online-kalyanamittas for me