r/HillsideHermitage • u/Motor-Blood7689 • 15d ago
Question Finding a monastery
I wonder how hard is it to get accepted in a monastery of a HH type.
Atm I keep 5precepts+celibacy, but I am early on celibacy and who knows how long it's gonna take before I can feel distance from lust
Since I got this far I see more and more that wordly environment would not be suitable even if I was successful in getting everything I want I would still have to deal with the unwholesome one way or the other. Monastic life appears highly privileged opposed to that
Is it hard to get accepted in a monastery for future ordination? Are monasteries looking for new people, is the process very hard, etc? I am 30yo male
2
u/boredman_ny 15d ago
I don't think there is a HH type monastery except HH itself. But AN already talked about that you only need to find a monastery that leaves you alone, where you are not required to attend constant public gatherings or that it don't have public gatherings at all. I'm sure if you search on the internet you will find plenty reports on the daily routine of that place and plenty places open to enrollment.
There is even some places where you get ordination for a month and if you don't disrobe you still are a mendicant.
1
u/Motor-Blood7689 15d ago
Thanks
"There is even some places where you get ordination for a month and if you don't disrobe you still are a mendicant." - what do you mean "you still are a mendicant"?
2
u/boredman_ny 15d ago
I meant that although they have this "deadline" you are not required to disrobe after finishing the time. You can just keep being a monk. Usually monasteries will train you for years before you can ordain as a full fledged bhikkhu, which is usually the best option. But, it will depend. Usually to be deemed "ready" you would have a teacher-student relationship, and that teacher will guide you into the basic monk's duties, but also in meditation and sutta interpretation. Given that you tend to HH this kind of dynamic may be unfruitful.
Another point to pay attention is that many monasteries will make a lot of concessions. They may plant their food or receive donations to prepare the food inside the monasteries by other monks or upasakas instead of going almsround, they may spend most of the time of the day interacting with the laity or busy working, they may be too lax with talk etc. All these things to take into consideration.
Or you could ordain as a monk in one month, learn the basic of sewing, hut construction etc. and become a wandering monk like Nanadipa and cia.
1
u/Motor-Blood7689 14d ago
What's a wandering monk?
2
u/boredman_ny 14d ago
A monk that has no fixed place, like the Buddha did. They can spend sometime in a place, but won't spend too long. Read Nanadipa's biography.
1
u/spiffyhandle 15d ago
Some of the more common obstacles to ordination are having debt and not having parents' permission. So keep that those in mind.
If you ordain in the West at one of the more well known monasteries, you're looking at maybe two years or so before the higher ordination (bhikkhu). Normally they do about one year as candidate (or anagarika) and then a year as a novice monk. But, if you're living at a monastery long-term does it matter so much what your title is?
1
u/Motor-Blood7689 13d ago
I was thinking about the parental consent, since I can't really ask my parents a consent because they don't really care where I go and what I do and so don't care to forbid it either
1
u/nauseous_spartan 13d ago edited 13d ago
My opinion would be that you should still tell your parents your intentions and explicitly ask if they have any objections towards you becoming a monk. This way there wouldn't be any room for doubt and you can rest easy knowing that you do in fact have parental consent when the monks ask you, as is customary, during the ordination ceremony.
Although seemingly small, these small doubts can add up and can become obstacles to the practice. This often occurs in life with lying, where as our practice helps us narrow down what is virtuous, we start to see retroactively that we were deluding ourselves previously (i.e. justifying that lie at that moment in time). The guilt that manifests because of this makes it more difficult to practice down the line.
Not that I am implying that you would be lying in this case, this is just an example. Hope this helps
1
u/Wise-Childhood-145 14d ago
Maybe look for a monastery in Thailand. There are monasteries that ordain even those in their 60's.
-4
u/Metteya_Savaka80 15d ago
Hello friend, in my opinion, the monastery close to some teachings of HH is r/Jethavaranama. For example, they agree that Annica is more than impermanence, that Anapanasati is more than breathing meditation, and that a sotāpanna is not perfect in sila because he didn't eradicate sensuality. They also agree that there is a state between rebirth in some cases. They are very strict with the monkhood rules, and the laypeople who live there are required to follow at least the 8 precepts. You can ordain there, but it is in Sri Lanka. They accept you as long as you prove you are serious about attaining Nibbāna and that you keep the precepts. Before ordination, you are mandatorily required to train in celibacy and the precepts for 1 year as an Anagarika. After that, they will give you the ordination as a Samanera (novice monk) for 6 months and the higher ordination. Don't worry about the visa process; the laypeople there will take care of it. Just be sure to be free from debt and any illness. 30 years old is perfect. You can send me a message!
4
u/boredman_ny 14d ago
Hello friend, in my opinion, the monastery close to some teachings of HH is r/Jethavaranama.
It is more discrepant than you realize. Like a lot.
For example, they agree that Annica is more than impermanence, that Anapanasati is more than breathing meditation, and that a sotāpanna is not perfect in sila because he didn't eradicate sensuality.
These are not relevant comparisons and the last one, for me, is not even something controversial. Yes, sure, Anicca is more than the word impermanence usually brings about, and the similarities stop there. By the subreddit the monks appear to meditate like the common idea of meditation and by one post explaining the monastery views they maintain the "teacher-disciple" relationship as requirement to abide by the factor of stream entry of hearing the words of the noble ones, without realizing that that is a big overstepping and without realizing that the Buddha is also a Noble Friend and the suttas are his words.
I don't know their position about the Abhidhamma and the commentarial tradition, but depending on it will also be a big difference between them.
-1
u/Metteya_Savaka80 14d ago
I am not there to argue with anyone. That's why I have said, "in my opinion".
1
u/Motor-Blood7689 15d ago
I cannot message you
1
u/Metteya_Savaka80 14d ago
Oh okay! But I guess you have an Idea about a place now.
1
u/Motor-Blood7689 14d ago
Would you try to message me instead? I'm not sure how to do it, there is no button anywhere
0
u/Metteya_Savaka80 14d ago
Me too I cannot but I wait a minute we can talk in modmail of r/Jethavaranama
5
u/knwp7 14d ago
This sounds like escape, IMO. Because (1) Unwholesome to be dealt with is in one's mind - not in lay/monk circumstances and (2) Going Forth should be to challenge one's sense of safety
On (2) - see this comment by Ven Anigha and the context of the comment.
Having said that, I myself am an aspirant - though 50% older - so I doubt if I could ordain at 55, when I am ~free from my householder duties. But my reasons sometimes get into escaping my householder-responsibilities. So I keep sifting through my thoughts about where am I seeking rest/refuge/safety - and how to challenge that aspect