MONASTIC TRAINTING

Joining The Monastic Community

We regularly receive enquiries from people interested in making a commitment to monastic life. The themes offered below could help in your contemplations.

General Emphasis: If you are wondering whether monastic training is for you, you would have already thought about what you will have to surrender. It is also worth thinking about what might happen in the space that opens up as a result of this renunciation.

Each monastery has a unique tone, determined by a variety of factors: location, size, how long the monastery has been established, and, significantly, the emphasis that the leader of the community puts on different aspects of training. One style of training might be suitable for one person, but not for another. Hence it is encouraged that you visit several monasteries and mindfully feel what you feel while you are there. Remember, our likings and dis-likings are not always wise. It would be more suitable to gauge whether you feel genuinely safe in any given residence. A sense of safety is essential when working with trust; and trust is essential to spiritual development.

At Aruna Ratanagiri reference is regularly made to finding a balance between formal practice and daily-life practice. We are a small community (never bigger than 12 resident sangha) of monks (bhikkhus), novices (samaneras) and postulants (anagarikas). Each week, and throughout the year, periods are set aside with a specific focus on the inner life, or what we call Formal Practice. Daily-life Practice is what happens the rest of the time. Neither aspect is more important than the other.

It is sometimes assumed that a commitment to spiritual life calls for dropping all concerns about the material world. Following the Buddha's teachings however, we aim to cultivate an all-round awareness which involves being concerned with all of our actions of body, speech and mind. Neglecting awareness of how our actions impact either inwardly on our hearts or outwardly on the world, leads to imbalance. Disharmony and disintegration of community might well be caused by a lack of sensitivity to how members relate to each other, not just a lack of skill in samadhi or ability to recite the suttas.

Solitude and Silence:

The daily routine at Aruna Ratanagiri is structured to give a lot of time for private, personal practice. Solitude is part of this life and we all need to learn to be comfortable alone. However, remember also that the Buddha spoke of spiritual companionship as 'the whole' of the holy-life. So a very important aspect of our training is seeking the balance between paying attention to how we affect each other in the ways we act and speak at the same time as being at ease on our own. Loneliness needs to be seen as the pain which is pointing the way to freedom, not as a sign that we are somehow failing.

Silence is also part of this practice. For many, a pause in conversation for more than a few seconds can be embarrassing. In the renunciant life silence can be an aspect of mindful communication. Extending the pauses for several days or weeks can be a tool for cultivating clarity. The choice to cultivate silence, as with solitude, should not be a reaction against something, but a support for inquiry: in this case into what motivates us to speak. If we never stop speaking, it is unlikely we will see the intentions that motivate us.

Celibacy

Relationships are challenging. What matters most is that we treat all beings – ourselves and others – with kindness and respect. Deciding to live alone, with others, i.e. in renunciate community, has been an option in societies possibly throughout all human history.

The monastic order as set up by the Buddha has remained essentially unchanged, for over 2,500 years. From the outside some see us as an anachronism; not suited to present day living. Certainly we have received plenty of advice as to how we should change. We are confident however, in our commitment to preserve the tried-and-tested traditional forms, while discerning the spirit that gave rise to them.
The spirit encoded in celibacy is intensity, and we train to hold this practice with a sensitive appreciation for the struggles involved. It is not about heroically conquering all our heedless habits, or vanquishing all impure thoughts. Rather, the energy which becomes available in this practice fuels the furnace of purification. It is a way of generating energy, not a moral statement. 

Inevitably, as we proceed, there will probably be times when we need our Dhamma friends to remind us that this practice only works when the other factors of kindness, integrity and patience are present.

A few basics

Age: Generally, making the transition becomes more difficult as one becomes older. Therefore, if you have a monastic aspiration, don’t wait too long. If you are already older, don't be put off; full ordination as a bhikkhu is only one way of living in a monastic community.

Gender: our communities offer training to both men and women. Amaravati Monastery accepts both male and female applicants. This monastery, Aruna Ratanagiri, and the six other monasteries in our family in Europe, generally offer training for men only.

Money: There is never any charge for staying at any of our monasteries, or for receiving teachings. Everyday guests are welcome to make a donation according to their wish and ability. For those who stay on and request monastic training, it is expected that during the time of postulancy (typically about one year) they will be able to cover their personal costs (dentist, medical, clothing, toiletries, travel etc.). After that, their needs are covered by donations offered to the monastery and managed by the monastery’s trustees. Further details can be provided upon request.

For detailed information about visiting the monastery please see visiting and staying.

Click here to listen to a recent talk given by Luang Por Munindo at an Anagarika Precept-taking ceremony.