The Monk Life: Much More Than Bald Heads and Fancy Robes
If you’ve ever discovered your self having a pipe dream at your workplace desk, thinking in case your real calling entails chanting at sunrise, gathering alms rather than paychecks, and the use of a gown as your go-to style item, then you’ve already walked one step at the specific route of monastic aspiration. Before you exchange Netflix binges for conscious respiratory or switch your at ease bed for a straw mat, this manual will solution the burning question: are you able to come to be a monk? Spoiler alert: yes, however it is now no longer as easy as heading in your nearest temple with a toothbrush and your replica of “Eat Pray Love.”
Who Actually Becomes a Monk?
Monasticism may appear reserved for folks that have been born understanding Sanskrit, in no way argue, and feature peacefully indifferent themselves from avocado toast. But fact says otherwise! Modern monastic communities, like the ones in Plum Village or Theravada temples in Singapore, welcome a stunning variety of folk. From the always harassed twenty-some thing soul-searcher to the marginally extra seasoned (and sometimes barely extra balding) individual, cappotential clergymen regularly hail from various backgrounds—enterprise college graduates, former pinnacle students, country wide servicemen, or even the atypical IT professional.
Take Phra Goh, Singapore’s youngest monk at his ordination, who after finishing country wide service, determined on gowns over everyday paychecks. What brought about his decision? Family turbulence, existential confusion, and a suspicion that fabric riches is probably barely much less pleasing than internal peace. Sound familiar?
What Are The Requirements? (And Can You Do Them While Laughing?)
Before dashing to shave your head, you’ll want to fulfill some simple requirements (which, unfortunately, do now no longer consist of an capacity to meditate for hours on pizza alone). Most monastic traditions ask that candidates:
- Be loose from romantic entanglements. For Plum Village, you could be unmarried or divorced—simply now no longer presently swept up withinside the throes of Netflix-fueled romance.
- Be in top bodily and intellectual health. (Those who doze off status up all through chanting may need to hit the health clubnasium and nap first.)
- Have no money owed or economic ties. No non-public financial institution accounts, no sneaky credit score card debt, and surely no mystery penchant for on-line shopping. Monastic lifestyles approach trusting the sangha (community) to offer for necessities—suppose clothes, food, shelter, and the occasional bottle of hand sanitizer.
If you’re among 17 and 35, the Five-Year Program may be perfect. Over 50? You may want to accept prolonged retreats or provide your expertise at the side. Hamlet age jokes aside, the novitiate is all approximately letting go—of possessions and ego (aleven though if you’re connected in your smartphone, say goodbye).
The Step-By-Step Adventure: From Curious Aspirant to Enlightened Novice
Inquiry Period: Monastic Bootcamp Lite
First, you begin via way of means of staying at a monastery—as a minimum 3 months recommended. It’s a chunk like a non secular Airbnb however with much less Wi-Fi and extra meditation. Here, you dip your feet into communal living, conscious practice, and the pleasure of shared chores. If you’re nevertheless feeling blissful (or as a minimum now no longer jogging away screaming), it’s time to write down the all-vital aspiration letter. Think of this as your Hogwarts application, however for enlightenment.
Aspirant Period: Swapping Worldly Possessions for an Aspirant Robe
Congratulations! You’re now an aspirant, and also you get a unique gown to show it. You’ll additionally shed maximum of your worldly goods—laptops, phones, probably even your loved one series of cat memes. With steerage from a mentor, you’ll examine simply how little you want to be glad and what sort of pleasure there’s in sweeping courtyards and washing dishes.
Novice Period: Welcome to the Big Leagues
After a yr of aspirant training, the sangha votes on whether or not you’re geared up to grow to be an legitimate amateur. Monastic lifestyles now receives real—with pillars of practice, study, work, and yes, play (even priests want downtime—as lengthy because it doesn’t contain karaoke). You’ll dive deep into conscious breathing, walking, and possibly find out that chanting is extra powerful at quieting the thoughts than a triple espresso. Novices proportion rooms with different priests or nuns, because of this that limitless possibilities for debating whose flip it’s far to ring the meditation bell.
Full Ordination: The Final Boss Level
After 3 years as a amateur, the sangha can also additionally approve your complete ordination. With more responsibilities, better precepts, and extra occasions to organize, you grow to be a bona fide builder of network and maker of happiness. If you’ve selected the Five-Year Program, that is in which you decide: stay with the monastic route or go back to put lifestyles (there’s even a rite for giving the gown back—attempt now no longer to trip).
Everyday Monk Mysteries: What’s It Really Like?
Picture this: 5am wake-ups, morning chanting, region cleaning, alms rounds (not anything like anticipating coffee, however with porridge). Meals quit at noon, afternoons are for private practice, evenings are for extra chanting, and bedtime… well, let’s simply say your Netflix queue won’t leave out you.
No extra private coins or Venmo zaps: temples control price range with donations used strictly for essentials. If your mom visits, she’ll possibly carry meals in preference to the contemporary iPhone. Personal property are rare, and something you do maintain should be justified as spiritually necessary (sorry, Mercedes fans).
Keeping in contact with own circle of relatives and pals is allowed—so no person desires to ship a seek celebration in case you vanish into monastic lifestyles. Some monasteries even provide 14-day visits after years’ amateur training, so that you can nevertheless attend awkward own circle of relatives reunions.
The Wobbly Line Between Success and Enlightenment
Perhaps the actual kicker isn’t whether or not you CAN grow to be a monk, however must you need to? Conventional achievement—KPIs, bonuses and LinkedIn profiles—frequently receives traded for an exploration of that means, kindness, and the existential question, “Why do I hold dropping my socks?” Phra Goh notes that cloth wealth may be unsatisfying, and appears to lessen greed and hatred, sell goodness, and perhaps solution the actual trick question: What is the that means of lifestyles?
Monastic groups insist which you want now no longer resign achievement entirely—simply redefine it. A a success monk is much less approximately the wide variety of Twitter fans and greater approximately cultivating joy, supporting others, and thinking why the mantra chief constantly receives the quality cushion.
How to Get Started (And Not Get Kicked Out)
If your coronary heart yearns for simplicity, community, and the candy sound of a meditation bell, begin the technique with:
- Visiting a monastery for an inquiry period
- Writing your aspiration letter
- Embarking as an aspirant, guided through mentors
- Undergoing amateur training
- Navigating complete ordination
Remember, you don’t must have all of it sorted, and you may take your time (even laypersons can strive long-time period stays). Take retreats, be part of meditation classes, and yes, exercise letting go—beginning together along with your mystery chocolate stash.
Final Thoughts: Should You Take the Plunge?
Monastic lifestyles isn’t for everyone. It’s same components profound and practical, presenting a threat to stay simply, serve a community, and perhaps locate the basis of freedom you’ve constantly suspected turned into buried someplace among your morning go back and forth and late-night time snack runs.
So are you able to grow to be a monk? Absolutely. Should you? Only in case your coronary heart says yes, your Netflix subscription has expired, and also you in reality accept as true with that happiness is probably located withinside the folds of a bit brown robe—and the laughter of a lifestyles lived mindfully.
May your journey, whether or not in gowns or pajamas, cause greater compassion, understanding, and lots much less clutter.
