What's it like being a monk?

Discussion of ordination, the Vinaya and monastic life. How and where to ordain? Bhikkhuni ordination etc.
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kmath
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Re: What's it like being a monk?

Post by kmath »

Jayantha-NJ wrote: btw what is samvega ?
Sort of like: disgust with Samsara and a sense of spiritual urgency. It's a good quality for a Buddhist.
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Bhikkhu_Jayasara
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Re: What's it like being a monk?

Post by Bhikkhu_Jayasara »

Chi wrote:
Jayantha-NJ wrote:thank you both for your responses..

btw what is samvega ?


I do find teaching fun actually, so I suppose if I ordain whenever I'm allowed to teach that would be helpful, probably not for many years. Guess thats something to look forward to :).
Samvega: http://www.dhammawheel.com/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=1816

Be careful about wanting to be a teacher or dreaming about what it would be like to be a monastic teacher. Although good intentions may be present, most of these desires are subtly (or not so subtly) ego-driven. My first teacher said, "You'll be ready [to be a teacher] when you have no desire to be a teacher." It's beneficial to simply observe these thoughts as just phenomena arising and falling. In my limited observation, it's the ignorance attempting to trick you into thinking it's "you" who is thinking. Just as a reference, I used to tutor and teach many people from K-12, and I used to always think about teaching the Dhamma. These thoughts still arise from time to time, but I don't give them much power (I used to) now.

I also have a bit of an education background. I've always enjoyed being in front of a class, I also see where the ego comes in, which is why I accept I will probably not teach dhamma for quite a long time, even though I do have a desire to teach dhamma.. in that desire I see both the ego aspect and compassion aspect.. and it's hard to discern between the two for the person, let alone outsiders.

I googled samvega and found this discussion by Thanissaro http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/auth ... rming.html

I guess you can say yes, I have samvega, I've always felt a sort of underlying dissatisfaction with normal life in general, never felt a strong desire to enter into the whole family + work + retire + die thing. I've always been searching for something deeper that fit and when I found Theravada it clicked with my world view and what I felt.

I've also experienced loss enough to understand life more then most 35 year olds. I was caregiver to a wife who fought cancer for three years and died 8 years ago now(she was 25, I was 27). Her death certainly did not make me a buddhist, I had already been meditating and heading down the path, nor did I have any desire to ordain( I have had 3-4 girlfriends since my wifes death, but none in about 3 years.. haven't felt the need), not until the last 2-3 years, but it awoke something in me the amplified those underlying feelings that I guess have a name. I've never heard the term in my years of practice.


Im not sure what to expect with regards to being a monastic. Im not viewing it as a cure all or as something to escape life. I have the best job of my life, making the most money, am the best looking and most in shape ive ever been. I had weight loss surgery 3 years ago, max weight was 373. I have plenty of female attention. So life is pretty good by any normal persons expectations.. Why do i want to give it all up for a small chance at another way?

I feel at this point in my life i have to try, even if i find out the life is not for me, at least i could move on.
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Chi
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Re: What's it like being a monk?

Post by Chi »

Here is a quote by Ajahn Chah from here: http://www.ajahnchah.org/book/Flood_Sensuality1.php
When we are accepted into the Buddhist monkhood we live simply. And yet some of them disrobe to go to the front, where the bullets fly past them every day - they prefer it like that. They really want to go. Danger surrounds them on all sides and yet they're prepared to go. Why don't they see the danger? They're prepared to die by the gun but nobody wants to die developing virtue. Just seeing this is enough... it's because they're slaves, nothing else. See this much and you know what it's all about. People don't see the danger.
I think "to go to the front" means "to become a lay Dhamma teacher." Perhaps other people with more experience in this tradition or any monastic tradition can give their opinions on this passage.

His teachings are quite extraordinary. He makes us see things we couldn't otherwise see.
Do Good, Avoid Evil, Purify the Mind.
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kmath
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Re: What's it like being a monk?

Post by kmath »

Jayantha-NJ wrote: I've also experienced loss enough to understand life more then most 35 year olds. I was caregiver to a wife who fought cancer for three years and died 8 years ago now(she was 25, I was 27). Her death certainly did not make me a buddhist, I had already been meditating and heading down the path, nor did I have any desire to ordain( I have had 3-4 girlfriends since my wifes death, but none in about 3 years.. haven't felt the need), not until the last 2-3 years, but it awoke something in me the amplified those underlying feelings that I guess have a name.
Thanks for sharing :anjali:
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Mkoll
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Re: What's it like being a monk?

Post by Mkoll »

Jayantha-NJ wrote:I feel at this point in my life i have to try, even if i find out the life is not for me, at least i could move on.
I'd say go for it. The worst that can happen is you disrobe. And from hearsay I think that is not the end of the world if it's done voluntarily.

Good luck!

:anjali:
Namo tassa bhagavato arahato samma sambuddhassa
Namo tassa bhagavato arahato samma sambuddhassa
Namo tassa bhagavato arahato samma sambuddhassa
Dr. Dukkha
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Re: What's it like being a monk?

Post by Dr. Dukkha »

kmath wrote:
Mkoll wrote:Thanks for your input all. This is a nice thread.
kmath wrote:So a lot of the practice is just khante.
I tried looking this up to no avail. What does it mean?
As Chi said, I meant khanti. It's listed as the Sanskrit "kshanti" on Wikipedia and defined as follows:

"patience, forbearance and forgiveness... It is the practice of exercising patience toward behavior or situations that might not necessarily deserve it and is seen as a conscious choice to actively give patience as if a gift, rather than being in a state of oppression in which one feels obligated to act in such a way."

Perfect definition.
:thumbsup: This definition is really going to help me in my path to developing patience. I've never thought of it like that. And patience is honestly one of my greater hindrances.
"There are only two mistakes one can make along the road to truth; not going all the way, and not starting."
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