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Wat Pah Nanachat - Communication

Posted: Tue Aug 10, 2010 1:13 am
by Wagner
Greetings,

I'm planning to ordain at Wat Pah Nanachat. However, I have a problem to solve, and help would be immensely welcome.
I do intend to pass a long time at the monastic life, but this separation will be very painful for my family. I live in Brazil, where Theravada, to the best of my knowledge, is very, very weak. I don't wish to abandon ordination at Wat Pah Nanachat.
That being said, there is one very important information that I lack: as a monk, will it be possible to comunicate with my family while at Wat Pah Nanachat? If I could send letters to them in every one or two months, at least in the beginning, it would be a great help. But I don't know if the lay community would support this nor if my family could somehow help to pay the costs, if they wanted to.

Thank you. :smile:

Re: Wat Pah Nanachat - Communication

Posted: Tue Aug 10, 2010 1:26 am
by jcsuperstar
probably so. i know of western forest monks in thailand (in the ajaan Mun lineage) who visit their parents in America from time to time (though it can be decades apart) and even monks form the ajahn Chah lineage who have email to send letters back home.

Re: Wat Pah Nanachat - Communication

Posted: Tue Aug 10, 2010 5:51 am
by appicchato
It's perfectly acceptible to maintain open lines of communication with one's family after ordination...if any temple prohibits it I (personally) would consider ordaining elswhere...WPN included...wishing you well...

Re: Wat Pah Nanachat - Communication

Posted: Wed Aug 11, 2010 8:56 am
by gavesako
In all the Western monasteries, one can keep in touch with one's family and go to visit them (in Europe it might be once a year or so) or have them visit the monastery (even better!). Most monks now use email, although in WPN and Thailand generally it is more restricted -- only phone and normal post would be allowed.

Re: Wat Pah Nanachat - Communication

Posted: Wed Aug 11, 2010 11:03 am
by Goedert
This topic is helping me also.

Planning to ordain in WPN in two years.

Sadhu!

Re: Wat Pah Nanachat - Communication

Posted: Wed Aug 11, 2010 5:38 pm
by Wagner
Thank you very much for your answers.

There are two things I'd like to ask:

(1) I am unfamiliar with the support that the lay community is offering to the monasteries. Supposing that while at WPN I wish to (being allowed to) send a letter or phone to my family once each month or two, could it be problematic to actually get to do that? Would it be different in a Western monastery?

(2) Venerable, by your post could I assume that visiting one's family while at a WPN or other Thai monastery probably wouldn't be possible?

Thank you again. :smile:

Re: Wat Pah Nanachat - Communication

Posted: Thu Aug 12, 2010 6:52 am
by gavesako
1) Once you are living in a monastery, all the funds that are offered are used for the benefit of the resident Sangha, so that would also cover the phone calls or letters.

2) When ordained in Thailand, usually they don't want you to leave for a few years, unless your parents are very ill or something like that. Junior monks under 5 rains (Vassa) are often only allowed to travel with a more senior monk. But in the West it is more relaxed, one can travel more freely.

Re: Wat Pah Nanachat - Communication

Posted: Sat Aug 14, 2010 4:50 pm
by Wagner
Thank you for the answer, Venerable Gavesako.

Re: Wat Pah Nanachat - Communication

Posted: Sat Aug 14, 2010 4:56 pm
by Cittasanto
If I remember correctly it is recommended that you get a prepaid international phone card as a gift from family, to use so that you can keep in touch, but isn't writing a letter more personal :)

Re: Wat Pah Nanachat - Communication

Posted: Wed Aug 25, 2010 5:17 am
by lawrence_barretti
I am from São Paulo Brazil. I love the theravada tradition as well.

Re: Wat Pah Nanachat - Communication

Posted: Mon Aug 30, 2010 7:43 am
by bodhitree
Hi Wagner
I'm from China,I plan to ordain at Wat Pah Nanachat too. I will go to Wat Pah Nanachat in next month,hope to see you in wpn:tongue: I have wrote a letter to Guset Monk,but have not get reply. My English is poor,I am worry about my oral communication in wpn.

with metta

Re: Wat Pah Nanachat - Communication

Posted: Wed Sep 08, 2010 5:43 pm
by Wagner
Thank you for your answer, Manapa.

Lawrence, I sent you an e-mail, if it hasn't arrived PM me.

Bodhitree, I don't plan to ordain so soon. Also, I still need to decide the monastery. If you think your english could be problematic, I can only advice a good dose of study! :)

Re: Wat Pah Nanachat - Communication

Posted: Wed Sep 08, 2010 11:10 pm
by Ben
I wish you all well with your noble endeavours!

Re: Wat Pah Nanachat - Communication

Posted: Mon Sep 13, 2010 3:41 am
by cakka1
As I understand the situation at Wat Pa Nanachat at the moment, postulants or pa khaou have some access to email, monastics can communicate by snail mail without restrictions. The monastery has a telephone and an email address in the event that a monk's family members need to get in touch with him in case of an emergency. With the permission of the abbot, monastics may phone family members for important matters.
Wat Pa Nanachat also has comfortable lodgings available for members of monks families who wish to visit them.
I remember years ago that Ajahn Jayasaro, a previous abbot, encouraging rather than discouraging Western monks from maintaining communications with their families. He said that wheras the problem for most Thai monks is that they tend to be too emotionally close to their families, the problem for Western monks tends to be the opposite.

I hope this helps. All the best for your monastic life!