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buddhism
January 2009 
From Inside the Monastery (Ask your Favorite Questions)
Posted on Jan 8th, 2009
by 
True Eloquence
True Eloquence
Photo (Mini-holinesses) courtesy of
Hello,
I have been planing now quite for sometime to do a series of documentary videos on Buddhist monks (both young and adults), expressing their motivations, backgrounds, plans, etc. I am curious that lay community (non-monastics) would have more interesting questions in their mind than we insiders do. I obviously started a few threads on monastics earlier here, but that's just from my own perspectives. So I am hoping that this time you can ask your own favorite questions here and I might include them in my interviews.
In my college, I have many monastic friends as well as students who come from different parts of the world like Korea, China, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, Sri Lankan, Bangladesh, India and Thailand. They uphold different traditions, mainly of Theravada, Mahayana and Vajrayana, with their own unique cultural characteristics, but at the same time practicing the basic tenets of Buddhism. I am sure the Buddha has taught One Dharma, but presented only in different context according to the listener's ability to grasp the meaning.
With this project done, we would be able to hear how each monastic has embarked upon and what ultimately have they gotten to contribute to the world peace.
I look forward to your questions and inputs.
Thanking you,
Assaji
My youtube videos:
Access: Public
Assaji, love - this is such a wonderful idea! Aren’t we all so lucky to know you! You are so precious. …I was writing a response and it got swallowed - so here I go again! Take 2!
Tigers Eye sent me a really lovely link for a video download which gave me some insight to the different traditions and their commonalities; the link doesnt seem to work for some reason - try copy pasting rather;
http://cgi.omroep.nl/cgi-bin/streams?/id/BOS/rest/2007/POW_00119100/bb.20070513.asf
http://cgi.omroep.nl/cgi-bin/streams?/id/BOS/rest/2007/POW_00119100/bb.20070513.asf
I’d love to hear if you enjoy it.
I like the way your awareness that the experience of a monastic will be different from a layperson - and what a monastic thinks may be of interest to a layperson may differ the lay person’s perspective.
Questions.. mmm…
There are so many actually!
I’ll post them as they come to mind…
1. to what degree do the teachings and practices of a monastic influence the spiritual growth and development (for want of better terminologies) of a monk growing up in a monastery. I’m sure it differs from individual to individual - so I guess my overall question is how reliable is this system in terms of the spiritual development of an individual.
2. I’d love to know the vows a monk takes. I’m not sure if they are secret though? I know they are many and would love to know each one!
3. To what degree is the learning experience scholarly and to what degree is it spiritual? or is this up to each monk? What I’m asking is do teachers teach mainly from texts, etc - or is there a lot of meditation and other exercise like this involved in the learning experience?
4. Do all monks want to become monks when they start out? Is it mainly a parents decision - do children naturally not question parents decisions.. many questions in this one!
5. are daily chores, etc seen as an intrinsic part of the spiritual journey?
6. Some monks use begging bowls - how prevalent is this? If it is still practiced what is the feeling/understanding/sense (I’m not referring to the thinking behind it - but the actual experience of the individual) - I’d imagine this too would vary from individual to individual
7. what is does a typical day consist of for a monastic - I guess this too varies, depending on many factors.
8. How many monks have teachers in the sense of a Guru? I would love to know something about such a relationship - especially in the context of a monastery where there are many students. And this gives rise to something I heard recently - when we have teachers we connect with - the likelihood is high that there was a connection in a previous life. Is this seen to be the case?
9. To what degree do you feel a monk is ‘just like everyone else’ and what do you feel the main differences and similarities are?
10. okay - I promised myself I’ll stop at 10! Do you feel monastic life is an ‘easier’ path in terms of creating spiritual awareness?
Mmm - please feel free not to answer everything! I think I’ve overloaded you! Having said that - I’ll be back with more questions for sure (being someone who’s pretty convinced I’ve either been a monk or an going to be one - in another life probably)
ooh I have to ask you this!
11. In Tibetan Buddhism some monks are identified at a young age as re-incarnations of great teachers (ie The Dalai Lama) - is this common amongst all the Buddhist traditions?
ooh yes - that marvelous debating I’ve watched on some videos - where the one monk states something and claps loudly leaning towards the person he’s challenging - is this a general practice/means of learning for a monk? Can you tell me more about it?
thank you love
Hi Assaji,
my question is:
Why are there so many more boy monks that girl monks (nuns)?
not only in the monasteries but also in great teachers?
aren’t there just as many girls born as boys?
Do girls not aspire to realization to the same degree as boys?
If we should treat all sentient beings equally,
then do boys and girls truly have the same opportunity to study dharma?
If not, why not and what can you do to change this?
PS young monk C needs a hug!
love
Great idea! I can’t wait to see what you produce.
It is so interesting to get an insight into others world.
I can’t put my all encompassing question into words, because I want to know the things that I don’t know, but I don’t know what to ask, because if I knew what I wanted to know, I would already know it.
So, questions made of words…
to try and get a little bit of an idea of the day to day life of a monk…
Do monks decide on what they do in the average day, or are they given with tasks, and what time to go to bed and things? If so who decides?
What do monks eat in general, and who decides, and who cooks it?
What tasks do you do?
How young are the youngest children that join, and then do Monks live in the monastery for the rest of their lives, or do they move on? So does everyone of all ages live together?
Do monks have their own bedrooms that you can decorate if and how you want?
How do monks see the outside world. I know this would differ for everyone. Do you feel separate?
What about possessions and materials and money. Do monks care much for such things? Lets say you wanted a computer, how would you buy one? Do you get an allowance, does the monastery earn money as a whole?
Dinners ready, gotta go! :)
Anna, Gien and Nat
WOW - so many exciting questions here - little have I questioned them myself.
I hope to get the first series done by April. How about that? In the mean time, keep those interesting questions coming.
Sukhi Hotu
Hi Assaji, wonderful idea and more power to you and your vision.
A question to ask others;
You have already contributed to world peace by being a monastic, how will you impart to others that peace is the way?
How do you think the dharma can be communicated in this modern world?
How can you explain that we are all one?
peace,
Samme
After I posted the comment above I saw that you have a post for me in my grapevine, thank you.
Yes at one time before I have this strong desire or urge to become a monk. It did not happen because I did not find the one teacher that resonated with me. Maybe monastic life is not for me although I still love the buddhadharma. I am a person who loves to read and immerse myself in different kinds of spiritualities and philosophies.
Maybe you are my teacher?
Samme, thank you for the interesting questions. I might consider those Qs.
ME huh! - wow I am glad you think so.
Well, I bet you will have a chance to be one in the future, may be sometime in the next fortunate life, since you have such strong motivations.
:D
HummingBird, can you please post that link from Tiger Eye again, cos it is not showing anything, unfortunately :D
Oh well I know what you are referring to, about that debating system in the Tibetan tradition. It is interesting. I will have a question on that too.
Nat, these are cute questions:
What do monks eat in general, and who decides, and who cooks it?
Do monks have their own bedrooms that you can decorate if and how you want?
Gien, those are some of the most debated questions in recent times. Even HH Dalai Lama has faced them, lol. Thanks for raising those exciting points.
Maybe a “want to be Monk” does not expect much and are justifiably in need of a tranquil base of a home and or in a transitory of an existing path way about themselves, as to establish a brought up home of existence and into a better pathway of/for themselves.
Their only ambition is to seek God in their righteous path of behavioral and masterial knowledge, through much study and devotion. This path is a different species of connection. Their soul purpose is, to love God and it’s extraordinary circumstances, there of. The true and rightful holdings that give this kindly measure, is a song and heartfelt inclusion that will be/is to and for, all humanity.
To Gien’s question: There is an American Buddhist nun…a Director of Gampo Abbey, Nova Scotia…the first Tibetan monastery in North America established for Westerners, and is a student of ‘Chogyam Trungpa’ (the renowned meditation master). Her name is “Pema Chodron”.
She wrote a book called, “Start where You Are”…a Guide to Compassionate Living, and is a most enjoyable read!
Thank you, True Eloquence, for bringing upon this blog of yours for so many of us to enjoy and that have questions pertaining to questions in doubt of:-)
To be this persona of a Monk, is of a highly educated class of breed and only the rich of mindful deserve-eds will uphold such a worthiness of this devotion.
Deep bows to such a class act is high on my list of many a folk out here as well. They give/offer much to a people in need and only the rich of mindful intentions can swavay up to this standard way of living.
It is truly a life time of devotion which I commend in all due respects.
“V” and love of the highest devotion be with you and may your many adventures be blessed with much humor on your journeys ahead.
“V” and Love,
Rita
I’ll email you the link, love.
Another question:
how empowered is the individual monk in the monastery?
For example - if a monk perceives changes are needed in the system, or if an individual is causing another unhappiness and a monk feels change is needed, etc - can a monk bring such change about?
As one who has considered taking vows for sometime, I am bound to have more than my fair share of questions!
I suppose my main question, although crudley worded, would be: is there anything about ‘the path’ you feel could have been better understood as a lay person? In other words, is there anything in the entire scope of the Dharma which you feel you could have understood quicker or to a different degree had you been outside of the monastic lifestyle?
Hope that makes sense!
Great idea. I look forward to hearing more of this project.
Rita, in the early days of the Sangha, the way Buddha ordains a particular individual is just by uttering a very simple phrase “Ehi Bhikkhu”, meaning “Come, oh monk”, without involving any complicated ritual or procedure like today. So I would imagine the same that the “want to be monk” does not expect much and purely rests on the person’s psychology. It is more of an urge for serenity and also simplicity that is ideal for brahmacariya (spiritual) life.
Thank you for being here.
Assaji, I am enjoying this sangha so much; that I have no questions that have not been asked.
Blessed is this space!
What does the ‘heart of reality’ taste like?
Tharlam and Meenakshi, thank you so much being here and supporting this project.
Rasa, thanks for the question. Well, I guess you have to taste “the heart of reality” yourself, just like if you want to taste what’s like “Tom Yam Gung”, you have to come to Thailand, or go to a Thai restaurant, and then taste it yourself, lol. We can tell you of this and that, but nothing would compare it when you’ve tasted it yourself. And finally and silently, you would nod your head in smiles :D