Monk for 10 days? Seriously...

[simon43]

Please don't think I'm being flippant with the title of this thread.

I have lived and work in Thailand since 2002.

When I first came to live in Thaland, I followed the 'Thai Studies' post-grad degree at Chula, which gave me a better insight in many different aspects of Thai culture.

Over the years, I have fortunate to learn very good spoken Thai, as well as intermediate level written Thai.

My business is good (small hotels in Phuket) and my outward appearance to many is as a successful small businessman.

But in my private life, I am a rather humble person, preferring to help others through voluntary work (teaching poor kids in in Myanmar etc when I am able to spare the time from my business).

When good luck strikes me, I feel that I should repay my luck with humility.

At this stage in my life, (56 years old), I still enjoy working, and am unable to commit for a full month away from my business - I am being realistic here.

But I would like to take 7-10 days away from my business and family to stay in a temple as a monk, adhering to the precepts.

I prefer not to announce my intention to my friends/family - this is something that I prefer to do privately.

I'm not a hard-core Buddhist, and I'm not into yoga/meditation. I respect Buddhsm that has not been tainted (too much!) by the modern world and commercialism.

Are there any temples which accept foreigners for such a short period? Since I speak good Thai (and reasonable Issan/Lao), I prefer to stay in a 'non-commercial' temple, (if that is a polite way of describing some of the 'monk programmes' that Mr Google has highlighted to me.

My intention would be to live as a monk at some point during the month of October, when my hotel business is quieter during the monsoon season.

Any practical advice is appreciated.

[cornishcarlos]

I would think any temple would take you in for 10 days. If you speak Thai then go and ask the head monk, best way to find out.

[RichCor]

Does it have to be as a fully ordained monk, or can it be as a novice?

Novice is easy, 10 precepts, and most temples would prefer you begin there.

[konying]

Simon, 7-14 days is pretty normal. As a matter of fact family and temple would hold a big party for you.

Many Thai men do this for 7-14 days.

If you do not want to share this with family, i would suggest finding temple AWAY from the main areas, so it would be rather small and poor temple, but i believe those are more "real" than the commercial ones.

If you unsure, just pm me and i will find out the exact procedure, have had a number of staff and their family members do this

[simon43]

As a matter of fact family and temple would hold a big party for you.

This is definitely what I do not want...

Yes, I'm very much aware of the 2 weeks that Thai men spend in a temple.

Lol, I recall my Thai ex-wife spending 150,000 baht some years ago on a lavish party for her toyboy when he went to stay in the temple for a couple of weeks.

I don't need any of that - I have no close family now - this is something for me to do privately.

I appreciate if you can PM me with any useful information. Thanks.

[konying]

As a matter of fact family and temple would hold a big party for you.

This is definitely what I do not want...

Yes, I'm very much aware of the 2 weeks that Thai men spend in a temple.

Lol, I recall my Thai ex-wife spending 150,000 baht some years ago on a lavish party for her toyboy when he went to stay in the temple for a couple of weeks.

I don't need any of that - I have no close family now - this is something for me to do privately.

I appreciate if you can PM me with any useful information. Thanks.

Will get all the info tomorrow and let you know

[Brucenkhamen]

10 days is far too short to be a monk, youll spend all of your time learning how to wear your robes, handle your vbowl, etiqutee and chants and then it will be over and then it will take a month for your hair and eyebrows to grow back.

There are plenty of monasteries and retreat centre that cater for foreigners who want to do meditation retreats or just live in a monastery for a while, it would be a better use of your time.

[roodujardin]

Veluwan in Khon Kaen excepts people for any period. About 20 kms north of the city on the road to Udon Thani.

[mikiea]

I would think any temple would take you in for 10 days. If you speak Thai then go and ask the head monk, best way to find out.

you are asking for this as a humble person ? you wanna play monk for 14 days ? to what end may I ask ? for every desire there is a reason ...... the effect of helping the poor and those in need will show profit long after 14 days . fulfilling a fantasy is not what Buda had in mind for enlightened thinking . this is not a burn ... it is what you asked for .

[cornishcarlos]

I would think any temple would take you in for 10 days. If you speak Thai then go and ask the head monk, best way to find out.

you are asking for this as a humble person ? you wanna play monk for 14 days ? to what end may I ask ? for every desire there is a reason ...... the effect of helping the poor and those in need will show profit long after 14 days . fulfilling a fantasy is not what Buda had in mind for enlightened thinking . this is not a burn ... it is what you asked for .

Sorry, are you talking to me ?

I didn't ask the original question..

Personally I have no intention of being a monk for any time, but some people want to do it for various reasons.

It's not for me or you to question their motives.

[Briggsy]

http://men.mthai.com/infocus/32963.html

[mikiea]

There's no such thing as a non-commercial Wat in Thailand. They're all about fleecing the locals to decorate in gold. I have only contempt for such a so-called religion. Thailand shouldn't just disband its discredited police force but should do the same with the wats which handle huge sums with no book-keeping on a daily basis whilst all about their parishioners wonder where their next bowl of rice is coming from.

i know a nice thai lady who owns a small busy shop . every minute she can save she puts it towards twice monthly temple stays,(4days each) . she cleans ,cooks , laundry , grounds keeping , bathes older monks , all of this plus gives a healthy portion of her earnings . she has no life of her own , single ,no boyfriend , to busy with the monks , they encourage her to do this work for them because she was "chosen by Buda " . it is so sad , she is trying so hard to live a good life and the monks want her to be their maid . so goes Thailand brand of monkism .

[NickJ]

I see his point. He is viewing it like a retreat for himself. Introspection. Nothing wrong with that. I agree with MikeBell in a lot of what he says. Having lived here for 23 years now I have seen way to much of the ugly side of some monks. But........there not all bad..........and for 10 or 20 days just meditating and living simple can help put things into perspective.

[Chang_paarp]

Wat Pah Nanachat in Warin Champrat Ubon Ratchatani is an international monastery, mostly farangs. When I stayed there the Abbott was an Australian this may have changed, The language of the monastery is English. I stayed there for a short time while visiting my brother who lived there for a year, they might not ordain you within 10 days as they are (according to the local Thais) very strict about their practice. You can stay there and participate in the life including going on pindibar in the morning. If you decide to include a full moon in your stay, as I did your will enjoy the long day of prayer and meditation from 4am till past 10pm.

Here is a link for more information; http://www.watpahnanachat.org/index.php

[rockyysdt]

Hi Simon.

I am curious as to why you wish to become a Monk for this short period?

[roath]

Wat Pah Nanachat in Warin Champrat Ubon Ratchatani is an international monastery, mostly farangs. When I stayed there the Abbott was an Australian this may have changed, The language of the monastery is English. I stayed there for a short time while visiting my brother who lived there for a year, they might not ordain you within 10 days as they are (according to the local Thais) very strict about their practice. You can stay there and participate in the life including going on pindibar in the morning. If you decide to include a full moon in your stay, as I did your will enjoy the long day of prayer and meditation from 4am till past 10pm.

Here is a link for more information; http://www.watpahnanachat.org/index.php

They will not ordain foreigners for short periods. You can shave your head and wear white as an Anagarika: http://www.watpahnanachat.org/ordaining.php

This is obviously, not the same as a monk though, even a novice

[roath]

Hi Simon.

I am curious as to why you wish to become a Monk for this short period?

I would mention that from a Buddhist point of view, ordination as a monk provides great merit (boon บุญ in Thai). Full (bhikkhu) ordination as opposed to novice (samanera) ordination provides the greatest merit. Thus, even being a monk for a day provides you with great merit.

I would also say from a personal perspective also that becoming a monk for any period of time is a wonderful experience for someone who is a practicing Buddhist as it provides you with direct experience of the life as a monk. When I was ordained (also for a short period - visa issues in my case being the limitation at the time), I felt a connection to the Buddha himself through the lineage of monks being ordained from the Buddha all the way through to me, which is something that you can only appreciate through direct experience.

Looking at a picture of a place in a book is not the same experience as actually travelling to a place and experiencing it directly and that is the difference between doing a meditation retreat as a lay person and actually experiencing life as a monk.

In Sri Lanka, it is expected that monks should only ordain as a lifelong calling, but this is a cultural issue, not a religious one as the Buddha never made any statement about how long one should be obliged to ordain. He knew that the monk life was not for everyone and that even a short period as a monk can be significant. In the Tibetan tradition, they have a rule that you should not ordain more than 7 times, but this is a practical issue as they regard ordination as serious (but were also pragmatic about the fact that people often needed to dis-robe for periods of time in order to deal with family or worldly matters)

I have to say also that Thai people are more respectful of foreigners who have become monks as it shows a deep interest in their culture as well as religion. Learning Thai is similar in that respect.

I hope that this gives you some insight into the reason for becoming a monk even if only for a short time. .

[harrry]

There's no such thing as a non-commercial Wat in Thailand. They're all about fleecing the locals to decorate in gold. I have only contempt for such a so-called religion. Thailand shouldn't just disband its discredited police force but should do the same with the wats which handle huge sums with no book-keeping on a daily basis whilst all about their parishioners wonder where their next bowl of rice is coming from.

There are a few.

Many years ago I spent a couple of weeks at a Meditation Wat in Nakhon SriTHamarat. I noticed on the web they still seem the same with the exception they are asking a donation of 50 baht a day for food.

Of course most of them have got on the gold wagon. When I first came here most wats did not have a fence.

[roath]

I can recommend a temple in Chiang Mai province which is normally quite good about ordination for foreigners for short periods of time. They consider it a service for foreigners who want to learn more about Buddhism and experience life as a monk even for a short time. They also have a school attached so I am sure would be very happy to have you to help with some language teaching whilst you are there. As you mentioned, it is best to ordain after Buddhist Lent has finished for a number of reasons. You can PM me if interested. The Abbot speaks good English and I understand that there is a farang monk who runs the meditation centre attached to the centre.

Saying that, if you are in Phuket and speak good Thai, then it should not be too difficult to be able to ordain locally (again after Ook Phansa).

As a matter of fact family and temple would hold a big party for you.

This is definitely what I do not want...

Yes, I'm very much aware of the 2 weeks that Thai men spend in a temple.

Lol, I recall my Thai ex-wife spending 150,000 baht some years ago on a lavish party for her toyboy when he went to stay in the temple for a couple of weeks.

I don't need any of that - I have no close family now - this is something for me to do privately.

I appreciate if you can PM me with any useful information. Thanks.

[fang37]

roath

& the wat is?

[roath]

There's no such thing as a non-commercial Wat in Thailand. They're all about fleecing the locals to decorate in gold. I have only contempt for such a so-called religion. Thailand shouldn't just disband its discredited police force but should do the same with the wats which handle huge sums with no book-keeping on a daily basis whilst all about their parishioners wonder where their next bowl of rice is coming from.

There are a few.

Many years ago I spent a couple of weeks at a Meditation Wat in Nakhon SriTHamarat. I noticed on the web they still seem the same with the exception they are asking a donation of 50 baht a day for food.

Of course most of them have got on the gold wagon. When I first came here most wats did not have a fence.

Times are difficult for many temples these days. Meditation temples tend to be even more reliant on donations than your local Wat which carries out ceremonies for people (which usually provides the source of revenue). Ultimately, temples have to be built and maintained and the electric and water paid for, and just being temples, they don't get for free. I accept that many temples just sit on the money they are donated (and there is a big debate even within the Thai sangha about this) but life isn't so easy for the more serious temples. Equally, they won't go out on alms round for a large number of lay people so they will need to organise food and cooks. They are hardly going to get rich on 50 baht a day!! Thai society is also changing, and thefts from temples are not unheard of these days. Like Churches back home (which in theory should be open 24/7), they need locks the same as all of us which is a shame but anyway

[zlodnick]

Its easy to find a temple that will let you stay there, long or short term. Ive done it a few times, once at Wat Pa Nanachat, but I prefer smaller, out of the way Temples.

I never had the desire to ordain. As a layman your day will be almost the same as a monk"s. I dont see where you would benefit anymore by ordaining.

[lgking]

I would advise the 10 day Vipassana Meditation retreat by S. N. Goenka.

No robes, no shaved heads, about 70-80% Thai, the rest foreigners.

I have attended 3 different times, all good. Out in the countryside, they take your there by bus. They do not ask for money, but any donation you can spare at the end is appreciated.

[harrry]

There's no such thing as a non-commercial Wat in Thailand. They're all about fleecing the locals to decorate in gold. I have only contempt for such a so-called religion. Thailand shouldn't just disband its discredited police force but should do the same with the wats which handle huge sums with no book-keeping on a daily basis whilst all about their parishioners wonder where their next bowl of rice is coming from.

There are a few.

Many years ago I spent a couple of weeks at a Meditation Wat in Nakhon SriTHamarat. I noticed on the web they still seem the same with the exception they are asking a donation of 50 baht a day for food.

Of course most of them have got on the gold wagon. When I first came here most wats did not have a fence.

Times are difficult for many temples these days. Meditation temples tend to be even more reliant on donations than your local Wat which carries out ceremonies for people (which usually provides the source of revenue). Ultimately, temples have to be built and maintained and the electric and water paid for, and just being temples, they don't get for free. I accept that many temples just sit on the money they are donated (and there is a big debate even within the Thai sangha about this) but life isn't so easy for the more serious temples. Equally, they won't go out on alms round for a large number of lay people so they will need to organise food and cooks. They are hardly going to get rich on 50 baht a day!! Thai society is also changing, and thefts from temples are not unheard of these days. Like Churches back home (which in theory should be open 24/7), they need locks the same as all of us which is a shame but anyway

You read me wrong.

I do not object to the suggested 50 baht esecially as they seem to get the same as I did when I was there. However what do you mean by they won't go out of alms rounds..do not the monks wish to give the people an opportunity to gain merit.

I do object to the Monk For a Month type programs for many thousand baht that at least one Northern temple (supported by a TV member promoted strongly).

[napawan28]

If you can speak Thai, i suggest Wat Suan Mokkh - main monastery in Chaiya, Thailand.

http://www.bia.or.th/en/index.php/2013-10-23-08-11-05/2013-10-23-08-17-39

[Wasima]

There's no such thing as a non-commercial Wat in Thailand. They're all about fleecing the locals to decorate in gold. I have only contempt for such a so-called religion. Thailand shouldn't just disband its discredited police force but should do the same with the wats which handle huge sums with no book-keeping on a daily basis whilst all about their parishioners wonder where their next bowl of rice is coming from.

i know a nice thai lady who owns a small busy shop . every minute she can save she puts it towards twice monthly temple stays,(4days each) . she cleans ,cooks , laundry , grounds keeping , bathes older monks , all of this plus gives a healthy portion of her earnings . she has no life of her own , single ,no boyfriend , to busy with the monks , they encourage her to do this work for them because she was "chosen by Buda " . it is so sad , she is trying so hard to live a good life and the monks want her to be their maid . so goes Thailand brand of monkism .

What goes around, comes around. Her intention is good, so good will happen to her. And the same in reverse if the Monks are just using her. To each his own...

[mulder12345]

Wat Suan Mokkh asks for 2000 baht for the 10 day retreat. Concrete beds and wood pillows. Its not for the just curious crowd. Check out Wat Doi Suthep. There are a variety of lengths of time you can stay from 2 days to 21 or even 26, i've heard, but 10 days for sure. Its run on a donation basis. Google it. In my opinion, being a monk for 10 days is almost insulting to the real commitment it takes to be a monk. Look at whst it takes to participate in a meditation and you will get all the austerities you are looking for eccept the begging for food. You get fed twice a day but no food after noon.

[fang37]

There is a wat in Fang - see web.

Monthly stay - not cheap. Mainly farangs.Head honcho speaks fluent English & is well travelled.

[fang37]

There is a wat in Fang - see web.

Monthly stay - not cheap. Mainly farangs.Head honcho speaks fluent English & is well travelled.

[federico]

I would advise the 10 day Vipassana Meditation retreat by S. N. Goenka.

No robes, no shaved heads, about 70-80% Thai, the rest foreigners.

I have attended 3 different times, all good. Out in the countryside, they take your there by bus. They do not ask for money, but any donation you can spare at the end is appreciated.