Couple of Questions

[wrbergman]

Good Morning and Blessings Everyone.

I have a couple of general questions. If you can direct me to a site that has most of the answers that would be great. Or if you have the time to answer them here. EVEN BETTER

1. I have seen on various sites that Theravada Monks (usually those that are considered temporary monks) are married and have families. What is the teaching of this. I further notice this usually happens with westerner's traveling out of their native country say to Thailand to accomplish this. Can a westerner accomplish this at a Theravada monastery in their own country? US?

2. Where I live (close to Moscow, ID) Are there any centers/Monasteries anyone can point me towards?


Thanks in advance for your help and info. Take care.



Wayne

[Sanghamitta]

In answer to your first question Wayne, Theravadin Buddhist Monks are never married whilst they are still monks. In fact they are required to be completely celebate. However being a Theravadin monk is not like being a Christian monk, its not for life, So sometimes people come out of the robe and some of them marry. Sometimes they continue to teach Dhamma.

[tiltbillings]

In answer to your first question Wayne, Theravadin Buddhist Monks are never married whilst they are still monks. In fact they are required to be completely celebate. However being a Theravadin monk is not like being a Christian monk, its not for life, So sometimes people come out of the robe and some of them marry. Sometimes they continue to teach Dhamma.

Actually, you can be married and be a monk in Thailand; however, that does not mean living with your wife and it does not mean doing the ins-and-outs while being a monk. "Rains" monks, those who do receive full ordination and live in a vihara for the rainy season then disrobe, are sometimes married.

[cooran]

Hello Tilt,

Could you provide a link that supports this? Do you mean they take the 8 or 10 precepts for a short period? I have never ever heard of this happening with married men in Thailand and would be very interested to see some literature on this.

metta
Chris

[retrofuturist]

Greetings Wayne,

Have you tried the World Buddhist Directory?

http://www.buddhanet.info/wbd/

Metta,
Retro.

[mikenz66]

Hi Chris,

Could you provide a link that supports this? Do you mean they take the 8 or 10 precepts for a short period? I have never ever heard of this happening with married men in Thailand and would be very interested to see some literature on this.

I assume it happens in Thailand because it certainly happens here at our local Wat. In fact, I recall one rather touching incident when a young Thai man ordained (for a week) then his wife (complete with baby) was the first to make an offering to him.

Usually it's a 10-precept thing, but three years ago when we opened our new hall, and had a large influx of monks to do the sima stuff, I understand a number of men (many of them New Zealanders married to Thai women) became 227 precept monks for a week.

I tended to think of this as a little dodgy, but one of my teachers (Thai trained American) actually encouraged me to try it sometime. His rather interesting suggestion was to ordain here, then fly into Thailand in robes and go to a forest place for a few weeks. He assures me that this would be a life-altering experience (I can imagine the challenge and pressure of maintaining equanimity wearing the robes in Thailand: I've been his "bag carrier" on alms round in Bangkok).

Metta
Mike

[jcsuperstar]

i'll probably be one of those temporary married monks, it brings merit to the family to have a son do this, and there are no sons in my wifes family. its perfectly normal (in thai culture) to ordain for a short time for reasons such as this. i'm just gonna look at it as a really long meditation retreat!

[tiltbillings]

Hello Tilt,

Could you provide a link that supports this? Do you mean they take the 8 or 10 precepts for a short period? I have never ever heard of this happening with married men in Thailand and would be very interested to see some literature on this.

metta
Chris

It is what I saw when I was there, and I am talking about full ordinatiuon, which some men will do as a way of making merit for whatever reason, often having not a thing to do with actual Dhamma practice. There was a high ranking police officer that had ordained at Wat Bawon, and had just left before I arrived there and he was the object of much discussion. He did this to get merit for his mother who was gravely ill. While he was there he also had a collection of Swedish porn because it was important that he have an erection every day in order to not loose the ability of getting a stiff stiffy. This long before Viagra.

On the other hand there are those who do "rains" ordinations because they truly want to practice the Dhamma as well as they can. I met one who was, indeed, a married man. Very devout and knowledgable. After the rainy season he disrobed and returned home.

[mikenz66]

Hi Tilt,
Thank you for the reminiscences.

On the other hand there are those who do "rains" ordinations because they truly want to practice the Dhamma as well as they can. I met one who was, indeed, a married man. Very devout and knowledgable. After the rainy season he disrobed and returned home.

Yes, that's the reason I'd consider it: If I was convinced I would learn things that I wouldn't learn by taking 8 precepts and wearing white.

Actually, the young Thai man I mentioned above told me that he learned a huge amount in just one week, and was sorry he was not able to spend more time at it (since he had to go back to work to support his family...).

Mike

[tiltbillings]

Hi Tilt,
Thank you for the reminiscences.

On the other hand there are those who do "rains" ordinations because they truly want to practice the Dhamma as well as they can. I met one who was, indeed, a married man. Very devout and knowledgable. After the rainy season he disrobed and returned home.

Yes, that's the reason I'd consider it: If I was convinced I would learn things that I wouldn't learn by taking 8 precepts and wearing white.

Actually, the young Thai man I mentioned above told me that he learned a huge amount in just one week, and was sorry he was not able to spend more time at it (since he had to go back to work to support his family...).

Mike

One of the interesting things to learn as a monk or novice in a Buddhist country is going among the houses for food. It is utterly facsinating and humbling and fills one with gratitude for those lay people who so warmly give the monastics life every morning.

[Ben]

Its also something that I was planning on doing at some stage. Perhaps when the kids are a lot older and with the assent of my wife.
metta

Ben

[Sanghamitta]

We live and learn, thanks all for correcting my obviously incomplete view.

[mikenz66]

Thanks again Tilt.

\
One of the interesting things to learn as a monk or novice in a Buddhist country is going among the houses for food. It is utterly facsinating and humbling and fills one with gratitude for those lay people who so warmly give the monastics life every morning.

Yes, that's the sort of thing I was thinking about. As I've said, I've been on alms round in Bangkok with my teacher to carry the offerings back to the Wat. And I've stopped in the middle of nowhere to make offerings to a couple of monks who obviously had walked a long way... And I've felt some of that humbling gratitude when lay people bring food to me in my kuti when on retreats.

So I have a vague idea of how it would feel, but of course the actual experience would probably be different from that...

Mike