Strong bent to Ordination

[zazang]

Dear all

I am 29 years old and single , living in India and doing economically fine.
My reason for the desire to become a monk is that I reject the concept of life/creation itself because it does not
make any sense. The materialistic world appears very shallow.

2 lines from Dhammapada have particularly left a profound effect on my thinking(I believe them to be very true) :-

There is no sorrow like seperation
There is no joy like freedom

I always had an inner calling to try Buddhism from a very long time , but last year I heard
some discourses on Buddhism and actually came to know what it is really and felt
as if it was totally made for people like me. Although I can get married and do well in a city life , but
I know that my heart really goes out to Buddhism and sooner or later I'll get its call again but
it may become too late with additional bondages of marriage/responsibilities. I really
do not want to waste any time.

I would be most grateful if you can share contacts/emails of people who can help me get ordained in Myanmar or Sri Lanka.
Thank you so much !

Bhavatu Sarve Mangal

[Ben]

Hi Zazang

Unfortunately, you just missed Blackbird who has just departed for Sri Lanka for ordination.
Bhikkhu Pesala might be a good contact for you for ordination contacts in Myanmar.
I'm sure some of our other ordained and non-ordained members will have some ideas for you.
All the best with your aspiration.
metta

Ben

[pilgrim]

For starters, you may wish to read thru the articles on this page.
http://www.parami.org/duta/goforth.htm
I commend you on your aspirations.

[Goofaholix]

You are best to go and practice at a few retreat centres or monasteries, then when you've found somewhere you like and want to stay long term broach the subject of ordination.

This guide has information of a lot of places you might find suitable http://www.retreat-infos.de/page106/page106.html

[zazang]

Ben , Pilgrim , Goofaholix - Thank you so much !

[Paññāsikhara]

Prepare to quit your job, and say goodbye to your family. Give away everything you own, except maybe a change of clothes for now, close your bank accounts and deal with any other such things. While you're doing this, find a good teacher or at least a good monastery, and arrange for a time to enter the community. Then do it.

All the best!

[zazang]

Thank you so much Pannasikhara !

[bodom]

Prepare to quit your job, and say goodbye to your family. Give away everything you own, except maybe a change of clothes for now, close your bank accounts and deal with any other such things. While you're doing this, find a good teacher or at least a good monastery, and arrange for a time to enter the community. Then do it.

All the best!

You play out these romantic ideas in your mind of ordaining and leaving the world behind to live a life gone forth, a life of freedom and peace and meditation. But then it comes time to say goodbye! Goodbye to everyone and everything you love. Dont know if I could if it really came down to it. Thanks for putting it into perspective Bhante. Upmost respect to you Zazang, Bhante and all those ordained or in the process. Best wishes!

[Sobeh]

Saying goodbye to friends and family is definitely a LOT harder than I had expected at even my most pessimistic, a few months ago. I can identify now with the part of the Buddha's life where he felt a sense that, on leaving his home, if he was to wake his wife and child up he knew he wouldn't be able to leave. That whole moment is charged in a way it never was before, now that I am doing something similar.

[hamishmarshal]

I do strongly believe in the religion. There is no any perticuler factor of the tending to the religion but from one of the incident of my life I do believe in the buddhaism and I inspire to fall towards that. It is really the secret of life which gives you the strong living methods in current influenced world and make the mind concentration towards the elements.

[Goedert]

Saying goodbye to friends and family is definitely a LOT harder than I had expected at even my most pessimistic, a few months ago. I can identify now with the part of the Buddha's life where he felt a sense that, on leaving his home, if he was to wake his wife and child up he knew he wouldn't be able to leave. That whole moment is charged in a way it never was before, now that I am doing something similar.

There is a story in life of Ven. Dhammavudho that he had a girlfriend before becoming a monk. He leaved her alone and went to the monkhood, in later time, he was informed that his ex-girlfriend was pretty angry with him.


I'm also in that situation, it is very hard. After I finish my business and academics, I'll go to ordination too.

[appicchato]

I get the feeling that the impression being presented here that 'saying goodbye to friends and family' means the end of all contact...while this may be the choice of some, is not a requisite...personally speaking, I have yet to meet one (monastic) that has...

[Sobeh]

It's a good point, although the problem doesn't arise only in the case of never seeing friends and family again, but also in starkly limiting contact with them from a time before when contact was much more frequent (and even so most of the conversations would likely be about kings and robbers and all that rest which is inappropriate to a monastic setting). A lot of variables are in play to limit and change the relationships in order to maximize the Dhamma environment, and while my vocation does not suffer it is still full of stress for my closest humans, and me.