Any monasteries accepting ordinations

[samadhi_steve]

Hello

I am from Canada and would like to go forth within the next year. I am wondering if anyone knows of any monastery that is accepting new ordinations?

Also being from Canada would I be able to ordain say in the states and be able to practice and live there for extended periods of time?

Metta!

[rowboat]

Have you contacted Birken Forest Monastery? It's in British Columbia, near Kamloops. On the left side of their homepage there's a link titled "Becoming a monastic". Clicking this link takes you to a page with several monasteries and some general information. http://birken.ca/

[lojong1]

Birken Forest Monastery has good reputation. The founding monks went through some hardships coming here ordained with nowhere to go.

Denman Island Hermitage BC? http://www.dharmafellowship.org/hermitage/
Been there, sweet spot.
Mostly--not entirely--tibetan teachings through the summer from various teachers. I heard they wanted another resident monastic, and even though the website says Kagyu, I'd guess a resident Theravadin monk would be welcomed. You could ask. Probably have to ordain elsewhere.

Living monkly in the US should be doable with clean record and confirmation letters.

[samadhi_steve]

Thank you I will check out Dharma Fellowship, although I would like to ordain in Theravada Tradition.

I have contacted Birken, they currently are not taking any new ordinations.

Metta

[lojong1]

I have contacted Birken, they currently are not taking any new ordinations.

Odd. Did they say why?

[samadhi_steve]

nope they just told me ajahn sona is not accepting new applicants for monastic training.

Must be due to support?
It's unfortunate there are only few places to ordain in the West and it seems most of them are not accepting new applicants

[pilgrim]

nope they just told me ajahn sona is not accepting new applicants for monastic training.

Must be due to support?
It's unfortunate there are only few places to ordain in the West and it seems most of them are not accepting new applicants

That would, to a large extent, defeat the purpose of having monasteries in the west, imho.

[yuttadhammo]

Hello

I am from Canada and would like to go forth within the next year. I am wondering if anyone knows of any monastery that is accepting new ordinations?

Also being from Canada would I be able to ordain say in the states and be able to practice and live there for extended periods of time?

Metta!

I'm a Canadian monk living in California. As long as you don't teach, you can come to ordain - if you don't have a visa I think technically we have six months, but no one has every stamped a date in my passport until I started teaching. Now I have a religious R-1 visa, and have to go to some pains to get it renewed.

I imagine the forest monasteries here are pretty full as well, though you can always try: Abhayagiri or Wat Metta. I'm living on my own now, but people have been contacting me about the possibility of coming here to ordain. Hopefully by the end of the year we'll have the beginnings of a new monastery here, and I'd imagine it is easier to ordain with my help than through one of the forest monasteries mentioned, as they seem to be rather strict in this regard and focused on quality rather than quantity - one might say to an extreme degree, judging by the small number of monks that do ordain. Looking at how easy it is for ordinary Thai people to ordain (or, say, in the Buddha's time), I would rather take a more middle road, and have never really had problems helping my students to ordain, as we generally treat them as very much like the other meditators - when you're meditating, keeping precepts is not difficult.

[Virgo]

Hello

I am from Canada and would like to go forth within the next year. I am wondering if anyone knows of any monastery that is accepting new ordinations?

Also being from Canada would I be able to ordain say in the states and be able to practice and live there for extended periods of time?

Metta!

I'm a Canadian monk living in California. As long as you don't teach, you can come to ordain - if you don't have a visa I think technically we have six months, but no one has every stamped a date in my passport until I started teaching. Now I have a religious R-1 visa, and have to go to some pains to get it renewed.

I imagine the forest monasteries here are pretty full as well, though you can always try: Abhayagiri or Wat Metta. I'm living on my own now, but people have been contacting me about the possibility of coming here to ordain. Hopefully by the end of the year we'll have the beginnings of a new monastery here, and I'd imagine it is easier to ordain with my help than through one of the forest monasteries mentioned, as they seem to be rather strict in this regard and focused on quality rather than quantity - one might say to an extreme degree, judging by the small number of monks that do ordain. Looking at how easy it is for ordinary Thai people to ordain (or, say, in the Buddha's time), I would rather take a more middle road, and have never really had problems helping my students to ordain, as we generally treat them as very much like the other meditators - when you're meditating, keeping precepts is not difficult.

Dear Bhante, it is excellent that you are trying to help people to ordain. But, with all due respect, are you not being a bit selective to? What if someone came to you and wanted to take the 32 body parts as their main meditation object, rather than a method developed based on the Mahasi system? What would you tell them? For the Buddha taught that meditation method too. The forst monks don't care what your meditation style is so long as you try to follow the Vinaya...

Kevin

[yuttadhammo]

Dear Bhante, it is excellent that you are trying to help people to ordain. But, with all due respect, are you not being a bit selective to? What if someone came to you and wanted to take the 32 body parts as their main meditation object, rather than a method developed based on the Mahasi system? What would you tell them? For the Buddha taught that meditation method too. The forst monks don't care what your meditation style is so long as you try to follow the Vinaya...

Kevin

That's a good point, I suppose, except that I'm not the Buddha and with my meagre portion of wisdom and parami, I wouldn't really know whether the 32 parts of the body were a suitable meditation subject for one of my students. I'm pretty sure the method I teach is suitable for just about anyone, considering how generic it is, and how highly recommended it is by the Buddha; on the other hand, I do recommend asubha, metta, marana, etc. for those who I think might benefit, but always as a side practice. I think you would be hard pressed to justify comparing asubha meditation with mindfulness of the five aggregates in terms of its benefit to the majority of meditators.

As for the "forst monks" (and by this I assume you mean a selected group of monks who follow the Dhammayut tradition in Northern Thailand, rather than forest monks in general), don't you think it is a little negligent of a teacher to take great care regarding one's students practice of the vinaya but not care what meditation practice they undertake?

And anyway, I don't see what your question has to do with the original query... if you have a problem with my selectivity in teaching a single style of meditation to my students, you're welcome to PM me

[Virgo]

Dear Bhante, it is excellent that you are trying to help people to ordain. But, with all due respect, are you not being a bit selective to? What if someone came to you and wanted to take the 32 body parts as their main meditation object, rather than a method developed based on the Mahasi system? What would you tell them? For the Buddha taught that meditation method too. The forst monks don't care what your meditation style is so long as you try to follow the Vinaya...

Kevin

That's a good point, I suppose, except that I'm not the Buddha and with my meagre portion of wisdom and parami, I wouldn't really know whether the 32 parts of the body were a suitable meditation subject for one of my students. I'm pretty sure the method I teach is suitable for just about anyone, considering how generic it is, and how highly recommended it is by the Buddha; on the other hand, I do recommend asubha, metta, marana, etc. for those who I think might benefit, but always as a side practice. I think you would be hard pressed to justify comparing asubha meditation with mindfulness of the five aggregates in terms of its benefit to the majority of meditators.

As for the "forst monks" (and by this I assume you mean a selected group of monks who follow the Dhammayut tradition in Northern Thailand, rather than forest monks in general), don't you think it is a little negligent of a teacher to take great care regarding one's students practice of the vinaya but not care what meditation practice they undertake?

And anyway, I don't see what your question has to do with the original query... if you have a problem with my selectivity in teaching a single style of meditation to my students, you're welcome to PM me

Dear Bhante,

I don't think those monks are negligent. There are forty subjects given in the texts. Anyone one chooses is good to pursue.

I don't have any problem with your selectivity. You may select whomever you choose. My point was that you sort of made the forest monks look highly selective about who they ordain in your post, yet if someone wanted to take as their main meditation practice one of the forty subjects given instead of your vipassana system, I don't think you would select them. My point is simply that that is a bit selective to. Do you agree or disagree?

All the best,

Kevin F

[yuttadhammo]

I don't have any problem with your selectivity. You may select whomever you choose. My point was that you sort of made the forest monks look highly selective about who they ordain in your post, yet if someone wanted to take as their main meditation practice one of the forty subjects given instead of your vipassana system, I don't think you would select them. My point is simply that that is a bit selective to. Do you agree or disagree?

All the best,

Kevin F

I apologize, I think I used the wrong word in my post... I merely meant to say that most of the places in that tradition that I've seen tend to acquire a limited membership, for whatever reason. As to my own selectivity in meditation techniques, that is a topic for a private conversation or another thread.

[Virgo]

I don't have any problem with your selectivity. You may select whomever you choose. My point was that you sort of made the forest monks look highly selective about who they ordain in your post, yet if someone wanted to take as their main meditation practice one of the forty subjects given instead of your vipassana system, I don't think you would select them. My point is simply that that is a bit selective to. Do you agree or disagree?

All the best,

Kevin F

I apologize, I think I used the wrong word in my post... I merely meant to say that most of the places in that tradition that I've seen tend to acquire a limited membership, for whatever reason. As to my own selectivity in meditation techniques, that is a topic for a private conversation or another thread.

No problem Bhante. Forgive me if I seemed 'confrontational'. I was just trying to express my thoughts about why we should ordain someone if we are a preceptor. I commend you what you are doing. If anyone has any questions, I trust they shall PM or email you.

Kevin