Ordaining in England. And my plan.

Discussion of ordination, the Vinaya and monastic life. How and where to ordain? Bhikkhuni ordination etc.
Post Reply
Lombardi4
Posts: 1551
Joined: Sat Jan 10, 2009 2:53 pm

Ordaining in England. And my plan.

Post by Lombardi4 »

Ultimately, I want to be a monk, for life.

However, (1) I don't have my mother's permission and (2) I don't have a penny to my name.

So, my plan is this. First of all I need money. To earn money, I need a job. The only job I can ever do is make websites. So my plan is to attend web design courses (which I've already paid for (well my mum paid, not me)), then become a web designer - for at least 5 and at most 15 years, earn lots of money, then give all that money to my mum, sort of as a bribe, so that she can allow me to be a monk, and then I can ordain.

I will be attending web design courses in England later this year. I also want to work as a web designer there. And also, if possible, I want to be a monk there.

I used to want to be a monk in Thailand, but there are certain issues with that, i.e. having to learn a new language from scratch, new culture, visas, etc.


My question is, how feasible is it to be a monk in the UK?
User avatar
fivebells
Posts: 416
Joined: Thu Mar 12, 2009 12:52 am

Re: Ordaining in England. And my plan.

Post by fivebells »

I didn't know you needed money to become a monk, unless you have debts to pay off first.
Lombardi4
Posts: 1551
Joined: Sat Jan 10, 2009 2:53 pm

Re: Ordaining in England. And my plan.

Post by Lombardi4 »

fivebells wrote:I didn't know you needed money to become a monk, unless you have debts to pay off first.
As far as I know, one has to pay for one's ordination procedure (correct me if I'm wrong). I have no debts.
User avatar
DNS
Site Admin
Posts: 17169
Joined: Tue Dec 30, 2008 4:15 am
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada, Estados Unidos de América
Contact:

Re: Ordaining in England. And my plan.

Post by DNS »

That is good that you are planning on doing it the correct way with permission. In actual practice I have heard that sometimes monks do ordain without the permission. I think there have been some threads here on that subject and at many places they don't ask for proof that you have permission and some others that don't even ask.

I think it depends upon the monastery; some charge for the ordination procedure and some don't. And some get sponsors to pay for the ordination from the community for those that can't afford it.

I guess it depends on how long you can wait. If you really want to ordain it might be better not to wait. As the saying goes, "life happens." You might get married, have kids, and then it would be very difficult to ordain, if not even impossible.
User avatar
TheNoBSBuddhist
Posts: 1614
Joined: Mon Apr 07, 2014 4:06 pm
Location: Loch Lomond, via the High AND Low road....

Re: Ordaining in England. And my plan.

Post by TheNoBSBuddhist »

Contact this monastery. it's wonderful. Ask them about the requirements.

http://www.amaravati.org/about_us/

:namaste:
:namaste:

You will not be punished FOR your 'emotions'; you will be punished BY your 'emotions'.



Image

Pay attention, simplify, and (Meditation instruction in a nutshell) "Mind - the Gap."
‘Absit invidia verbo’ - may ill-will be absent from the word. And mindful of that, if I don't respond, this may be why....
Lombardi4
Posts: 1551
Joined: Sat Jan 10, 2009 2:53 pm

Re: Ordaining in England. And my plan.

Post by Lombardi4 »

David N. Snyder wrote:That is good that you are planning on doing it the correct way with permission. In actual practice I have heard that sometimes monks do ordain without the permission. I think there have been some threads here on that subject and at many places they don't ask for proof that you have permission and some others that don't even ask.

I think it depends upon the monastery; some charge for the ordination procedure and some don't. And some get sponsors to pay for the ordination from the community for those that can't afford it.

I guess it depends on how long you can wait. If you really want to ordain it might be better not to wait. As the saying goes, "life happens." You might get married, have kids, and then it would be very difficult to ordain, if not even impossible.
Thanks David. My mum has already paid a huge amount of sum for the web design courses, so it wouldn't be a nice thing to ordain right now because of that. Also, I want to experience a working lay life in a country like the UK, at least for a few years. I want to do it the proper way, by having my mum's permission too. And whatever happens, I don't plan on having wife and kids anyway.
Lombardi4
Posts: 1551
Joined: Sat Jan 10, 2009 2:53 pm

Re: Ordaining in England. And my plan.

Post by Lombardi4 »

TheNoBSBuddhist wrote:Contact this monastery. it's wonderful. Ask them about the requirements.

http://www.amaravati.org/about_us/

:namaste:
Thanks.
Chi
Posts: 130
Joined: Tue Oct 18, 2011 11:18 pm
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Contact:

Re: Ordaining in England. And my plan.

Post by Chi »

I am happy you have a strong intention to be a monk.

Still, life does not happen the way we want it to most of the time. Five (fifteen?!) years is a long time. Everything changes. The mind is fickle. Your mother could die. You could die. We usually think we are preparing for something, some time better in the future, but really, there is no better moment than right now. This is the end. This is it.

Have you ever been on retreats? Long retreats? The lives of many monks, if they are dedicated, are like lifelong retreats (with periods of less intensive meditation, and more work and/or study). Are you sure you are prepared to relinquish all sensual pleasures, keep your eyes downcast most of the day, give up all your hopes and dreams of becoming somebody special, and let go of most, if not all of your hobbies? It sounds like there are still worldly aims in the mind that could hinder one's practice as a monk. Being a monk is not about becoming somebody great. It's about being an ordinary nobody and striving for liberation from craving.

Not having your mother's permission is a valid reason not to ordain. Not having a penny to your name is a rather poor excuse not to ordain. How much is the ordination ceremony?

It takes a mature person to be a monk. If you feel you are mature enough, great. Go for it. If romantic, idealistic thoughts of a monk's life are predominant in the mind, it might be better to practice in daily life and go on a few longer retreats to get a feel for a renunciate's life first.

All the best to you, friend.
Do Good, Avoid Evil, Purify the Mind.
Lombardi4
Posts: 1551
Joined: Sat Jan 10, 2009 2:53 pm

Re: Ordaining in England. And my plan.

Post by Lombardi4 »

Thank you Chi. You've given me lots of food for thought there! I think there's lots of truth in everything you've said. :smile:
User avatar
Cittasanto
Posts: 6646
Joined: Tue Dec 30, 2008 10:31 pm
Location: Ellan Vannin
Contact:

Re: Ordaining in England. And my plan.

Post by Cittasanto »

any of the forest Sangha monasteries do training, but there are others outside that one group, such as the forest hermitage which is still Ajahn Chah lineage and part of the WPP group just not FS. and others. while in the UK look around.
Blog, Suttas, Aj Chah, Facebook.

He who knows only his own side of the case knows little of that. His reasons may be good, and no one may have been able to refute them.
But if he is equally unable to refute the reasons on the opposite side, if he does not so much as know what they are, he has no ground for preferring either opinion …
...
He must be able to hear them from persons who actually believe them … he must know them in their most plausible and persuasive form.
John Stuart Mill
Post Reply