What can I do to make amends? Just make a determination you won't do it again. Simple. Making amends is a Christian concept, which you don't need to do. I'll disagree here with James. Making amends (or remedying or repairing) is a way of re-establishing the trust you've broken with another person a...

JamesTheGiant wrote: ↑Wed Jan 20, 2021 9:00 pm Don't worry about backup plan. This is Mara trying to make you stay in the dusty worldly life! Trust in the dhamma.

Yes, part of practicing, especially as a monastic, is being ok with uncertainty. Embrace it and go forth

There's tons of things won't could do—but I'm not sure it really matters whether people want to support Buddhist monks or not. I also wouldn't lump Westerners into one broad category. The view you described isn't a Western view, it's a Protestant view (which, fair enough, is a predominant view in th...

In MN 17 , the Buddha makes the point that the place or mode of practice doesn't really matter—what matters is if you are making progress on the path. Some will find that the wandering life suits them best. Others will find a settled life is better. Or perhaps a mix. Some monks change monasteries ea...

I am interested in exploring the possibility of becoming a Theravada forest monastic, and I am trying to find bhikkhu monasteries that recognize and support the full ordination of bhikkhunis. At this point, I'm aware only of the monastic communities affiliated with Ajahn Brahm in Australia, Bhante ...

I don't know the OP's life story, and while it seems irrelevant to the post, I think a lot of people are bringing it up out of compassion. I fully encourage anyone's wish to ordain—even if it means leaving your family—but it should be done in the right way: Debts settled, divorces finalized, ownersh...

How can the dhamma be closed on the planet? Has this ever happened before? The Dhamma is open, but monasteries are closed. There's no rush, though. Do your best to practice now in whatever conditions you're in, then when things re-open you'll be ready to go. Have you tried 8 precepts before ? That ...

That sounds like solid advice I will do that. I’m ready to leave and begin this journey where can I go. I’m in Canada. In southern Ontario. Have wheels can drive. Have $$$ for flights. No criminal record. Passport. I ask about location/nationality because visa issues tend to complicate things. Plus...

Check out the Ordination and Monastic life section of the forum, there's a bunch of different posts. Also, where do you live? The general advice is to spend some time, weeks to months, at a monastery so you can see if it's a good fit.

Lots of layers here. Do you mean leaving their dwelling and going out to attend a rally for instance? Or addressing a congregation in the monastery? On Facebook? On online forums? When asked about the issue or spontaneously stating an opinion? It's a quite the onion. Generally speaking, I say monast...

It boggles my mind because if I were to die and be reborn again as human and experience suffering again, the suffering I experienced in my previous life seems to be rather gone as if I never experienced it before. This general amnesia seems to be part of the process. Then again, like Ceisiwr said, ...

Like Nicolas said, it's normal that you'll lose weight by changing your dietary habits. Just monitor it without worry too much just yet. And are you feeling hunger pangs as well? The Buddha never said to eat so little that you become skin and bones. He advised to eat so that you will stay healthy. I...

Is there a reliable way to contact this monk? I may be able to help.

That's the one! So it was the Vinaya. Thank you

I can't remember if this is a sutta or if it's from the Vinaya—or if I just heard a monk talk about it—but basically the story goes that a king killed a rival king and queen, but he didn't know they had a son. That son eventually grew up and, seeking revenge on the king, became close to him. He had ...