Dhamma Wheel Buddhist Forum

Chanh Dao wrote: ↑Wed Jul 08, 2020 2:55 pm You can look into the Pa Auk tradition in Myanmar

dharmacorps wrote: ↑Wed Jul 08, 2020 6:00 pm From what I have heard of other's in your situation, asia is probably the best place to look-- Thailand and Burma.......

Samuel Vega wrote: ↑Wed Jul 08, 2020 2:19 pm Hi, folks. Skip the first few paragraphs to get straight to the questions.

I suppose a little backstory is likely helpful or possibly interesting. I started meditating what I consider hard-core about 2.5 years ago, and the way it has been changing my life is so beautiful. Truly, everything that I thought I understood is being re-defined, and that leaves me questioning the main thrust of where/how my life has been directed up until now.

I’m almost 50, and I have what most people in the world would consider a very easy, privileged and peaceful life. More money than I need, an easy job, nice family and friends. The thing is, none of these things, separately or collectively, have ever brought me lasting happiness. I just have the growing feeling that I could squeeze the world as hard and as long as I wanted, and the juice of real happiness would never drip from it.

This, combined with what my spiritual practices are showing me, has led me more and more to wonder if I could just stop doing what I know won’t bring me true happiness, and start being totally dedicated to what I feel will bring it. I mean, I could possibly keep the laylife status quo, work another 15 years, and maybe awaken during that time, but I know that the chances are much better if I have the courage of my convictions, and remove myself from the life that acts to keep me enthralled with worldly and personal gain. It seems everything in my life, including not being married or having kids, is directing me toward monastic life and toward answering the deep questions of existence.
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Questions:

1) am I getting too old to become a monk? A couple people said that 60 was the cap for many monasteries, and that some cap it at 50, but I haven’t investigated it deeply.

2) I live in the USA right now, and I would be open to monasteries here or anywhere abroad. I know some monasteries stress meditation more than others, and those are the ones that I would consider the most. Having people around who are very familiar with the stages of breath meditation would be ideal. What are some monasteries that fit this description and also allow men in their early 50s?

Thank you if you read all of this, I didn’t really mean to write all that, just sort of came out. I thought I had more questions to ask, but that’s probably enough for right now. I’m also open to answering any questions. Thanks again

Ashin Cintita (aka Bhikkhu Cintita Dinsmore)
... born John Dinsmore in San Francisco,
... a PhD in linguistics at the University of California at San Diego, and an MS in computer science at Kansas University.
...a professor of Computer Science at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale.


... spent one and a half years at Tassajara Zen Monastery in California, ...ordained as a Zen priest in 2003 ...
... In 2009, at the invitation of Ashin Ariyadhamma, Ashin Cintita traveled to Myanmar and was ordained as a bhikkhu by Sitagu Sayadaw. He lived in Myanmar for thirteen months before returning to Austin.