Ask A Monk: How I Became a Buddhist Monk

[Middriver02]

Do you know any countrys where you can go and just live and become a monk of the temple?

[XxMANGLEDxxMELODYxX]

Thank you, I can see that you are a good man. I am still young and looking into Buddhism, not sure on which category of buddhism suits me best, but it seems that the general concepts of buddhism agree with my mind more so than christianity and other religions that I see around me. This video really helped me to start thinking.

[speedii69]

why dont you guys lift weights and work out?

[20gewoon07]

very clear story. It inspires me. Thank you.

[kusalaviro]

Wow, it was the Tao Te Ching that started me on my path to.

[Antisaint1000]

The only thing that keeps my mind at peace in this suffering world is surfing.

[saganemc2]

No, thinking u have some responsibility or right to procreate is selfish. We needmore thinkers and LESS children.

[bdbbdb2727]

i seem to have a problem understanding the rules about not having sex, i believe i could go my whole life without it. But i feel as though it would be selfish to not have children and not pass on children to the world.

[Missnoopuka]

สาธุ สาธุ สาธุ

[chrishasaclue]

I wish i can become a Buddhist monk......... i would be free of the harsh suffering society offers!

[PuffSmelly]

no waayy this guy explained my whole outloook im always thinking that we live to die and how hopeless i felt wow i love this guy

[LifeAprecious]

Thank you and may you find endless happiness as you continue follow Budda's foot steps.

[LifeAprecious]

Budda's vision of teaching people how to free from suffering as follow:

- realization of wrongful

- awaken

- accept of situation or circumstances

- willing to make changes for better ......

Most important is (use suffers to escape or to free from suffers) does it sound strange? But it is the only way out. Please relax your mind by give yourself one none stop week to meditate about one hour a night for seven days then.... You will find this is true. I did as this monk stated his experiences.

[SMHyde94]

I began with the Tao Te Ching in high school also :) Great philosophy.

[Ant29]

What happened after you became a monk?

[KevinDemar76]

It is a little bit pity that most Westerners does not know about Sri Lanka and the Theravada Buddhism that is embraced and taught in Sri Lanka.

In China, Tibet, Japan, Korea you find Mahayana, Zen etc etc which is Buddhism yet more close to worldly pleasures!

[eviltube1111]

@KevinDemar76 Things like Yoga are popular in the west, that and Christianity/Catholicism are very dominant.

[clay6789]

We think the same

[HHRevbuddhaneo]

To quote Mr Burns from 'The Simpsons', "Better keep the egg-head!"

[nocturnalserpent]

i honestly want to know how i can become a monk, i have been told several times that i need to pay a so called "donation: in order to ordain as a monk, but i really dont agree with this, i think that if you believe in the budda dhamma and sangha and you are tested by the high teacher of the temple this should be enough. otherwise i feel like its superficial its not real and not handed down to me from a very spiritual force.

[pk1314pk]

Your story's inspirational! Please tell us your second half of the story. Ill be unpatiently anticipating the sequel to your story. Hehe =]

[Sonny832]

Just wondering, what martial art did you teach and how far did you get into it?

[mutlipass]

Thank you!

[tiagofigueiro]

Ask a Monk: What do you think of Communism?

[leighleebabe]

Monk have technology?! wow. umm this is the only religion that makes sense to me

[danthadon87]

do monks beat the meat often? or is it against code

[AquariaSpirit]

@danthadon87 No. I believe it violates the "Right Livelihood" of the Eightfold Path.

[Bakmoon]

@danthadon87 It is against the monk's precepts, specifically rule number five in the patimokka, which forbids the intentional emmision of seamen. It's actually one of the more serious offences.

[uilium]

I trust what you say, what you teach... because certain things you teach where already with me. So I had corroboration from my own experience. Buddhism sort of corroborates itself anyway, perhaps

[iworkforme]

Interesting. You must have detached from all of the struggle along the way. I can't imagine it was easy having these debates with parents and friends.

[BeingNobody1956]

I was interested in becoming a monk, going to a small thai Wat for about 2 years and practicing Kwan um zen for about 15 years before that. I asked the thai monks at the Wat if they could ordain me there and so on they just said they could set it up for me to go to thailand and do it, but since there are many thai Wat in the US could you explain why non of them allow a westerner to train here but instead send everyone to thailand?

[Angel777782]

Today i just found the interesting info about buddhism here..I think you choose the right path in you life, ..becoming a monk had been my dream since i was twenties. .will keep learning more in this field.

[banefullexistance31]

i thought quite the same way as u did as a child though i never found anything like being a monk but i found the mc life quite satisfying i just find it fascinating how two people thinking in much of the same way found ourselves on two very opposite ends of the spectrum

[lexyzimus]

it's interesting that we had some kind of same background, i also studied the 道德经 as well as 论语 and some basic stuff of buddhism. yet i cannot make the step and get away from my "normal" life. somehow I feel too much would break together if i do sth. like you. My parents have payed a lot of money to give me a good education, i am in the fifth year of university, i have had a gf for a long time now. How could I suddenly say no to all that? I would like to sometimes though

[BaiserdeRenaissance]

@lexyzimus Unless you have decided to ordain as a monk and leave everything worldly behind you,there is no need to give up all that.Of course cutting down sensual pleasure will help. My advice is that you can at least take refuge in three jewels and keep the basic 5 precepts,occasionally the 8 precepts.Spend more time with yourself.Develop mindfulness and concentration in your action and speech.To avoid all evil, to cultivate good, and to purify one's mind – this is the teaching of the awakened

[squamish4244]

@lexyzimus IMO, you don't have to become a monk. For instance, in Japan most Zen priests are married and there have been many famous lay practitioners of Tibetan Buddhism. Society has also changed enormously since the Buddha's time and there are fewer obstacles to lay practitioners than ever before. Jack Kornfield's ''A Path with Heart'' is an excellent book about living ''in the world'' and carrying on an authentic practice and a good place to start. Hope that helps.

[wikigrinder]

Wow, we are much alike, except that I didn't drop out of school (though being fed up with it) and am imprisoned in a career. I would love to make the same step one day. :)

[ObstaclesOfDelusion]

@wikigrinder Great comment. Thanks. Best of luck as some may call it

[npplscorpion]

This video is tremendously helpful. Thank you so very much.

[stiltsen]

Thank you, You are an inspiration.

[marktheview]

what was that book sir? the ..... king?

[harehare]

@marktheview It might be the Tao Te Ching.

[funkmonkey06]

thank you for sharing :D

[yuttadhammo]

@Froubz You can watch my video on "Meditating on Drugs", just do a search for it.

[CCpathlesSS]

@Froubz His teachings tell us to do away with views and opinions, seeing it for what it is. "Those people" would be a compartmentalization, of beings who might have attachment and some delusion - as a similarity.

[mjakucinskas]

Ok, so I will be the first. I am practicing sitting to start. I have been watching thoughts daily arise and cease. This has been very effective and analytical. It is becoming obvious where most of my suffering , small or larger is coming from. The meditations have brought some great insights and your videos and responses have been wonderful.

Thank you! Greatly appreciated :-)

Looking forward to more videos and insight

[yuttadhammo]

@mjakucinskas thanks for the feedback, but I was hoping you would post a video showing your meditation as a video response to my 200th video (on my youtube channel now). Watch that video, you'll understand.

[juanmora19910209]

Wow, 1 out of 18. That is very interesting.

[PlumVillageDisciple]

Wonderful Scenery by the way. Raining there I can see :) Beautiful big tree behind you. Wonderful story, thank you for sharing!

[yuttadhammo]

Okay, let's make a deal: if my 200th video upload (now my channel video) gets video responses from 30 different people showing you practising prostration, walking, and sitting, I will tell the rest of the story :)

Thanks for the feedback everyone. I guess stories can be instructive as well.

[humaner]

@yuttadhammo actually doctrine is interesting its most interesting when we teach from the heart rather than from the mind.Truth turns the wheel.

[gerry2345]

That was very interesting.... I admire your courage and determination... It appears that you prepared froma very young age for the monastic lifestyle...so what was life like after you ordained as a monk, did you ever feel like giving it up...

[navazguitar]

Please do tell the rest of the story...

[Ravelmoore]

I would love to become a monk, but the part about no money and no sex is too much for me.

[TommyTurntables1]

@Ravelmoore Theirs always "Zen"?

[yuttadhammo]

@Ravelmoore if you want money and sex, what part of the monkhood, exactly, would you love?

[nicepandas]

@yuttadhammo the hard bed and not eating much part? Is the point to actually like it lol?

[squamish4244]

@yuttadhammo I think he would love the discipline and the opportunity to practice, but giving up certain basic desires can be too difficult for many people.

[humaner]

@Ravelmoore its too much for everyone, that is why when you learn to disassociate from the attachment of sex and money you will be free from all of the desires and therefore truly happy and free.When considering something is too much for you ..realize that is the wisdom challenge to make it "not too much "anymore.

[humaner]

@RavelmooreIt is better to conquer yourself than to win a thousand battles. Then the victory is yours. It cannot be taken from you, not by angels or by demons, heaven or hell."

 -- Siddhartha Buddha

[ObstaclesOfDelusion]

@Ravelmoore some become a priest---Joke I hope

[MrMariahoney]

Please continue your story. It's very interesting.

Also - can you share your thoughts on why so many people go through the ordination process then leave?

[TheApatheticGuy]

Oh please, Ajahn. Surely you won't leave us with a cliffhanger!?