Ordination in Sri Lanka

[piano piano]

Andrew, you are mentioning a request for info on other meditation centers in Sri Lanka. I had not mentioned Lewella Bhavana yet, which actually could serve as your first base if you head to Kandy where the BPS (Buddhist Publ. Soc) is. It was first established under the management of Ven. Analayo who was a Samanera then, as a branch of Nilambe, which is the better place of the two. The way I got to know it was when it was in the hands of a group of dedicated lay-people, but since recently it is again managed by monks.

This description is how it was when I stayed there.
http://www.buddhistravel.com/index.php? ... 33,0,0,1,0
There is quite a good list of all the other places on this site, even though most of the info is quite dated, often not accurate anymore. But it gives you good info how to get to the places, and about the situation of some of them (noisy or not, good kutis, well supported etc).

The new center at Lewella has its own website, but I can't locate it at the moment. The one of its "mother house", Nilambe, is http://nilambe.net/

Nilambe is really the best place to be in all of Lanka. It's on top of a hill in an old tea-estate, accessible from Kandy. There are western lay-people there who stayed for decades. Although it is a lay-center, monastics often stay there too. It is a small paradise, but it can be cold sometimes.

And to address your request for recipies against mosquitos: In Lanka you are more endangered by leeches, esp when it rains. A citronella or lemon-grass aetheric/essential oil may help to some extent (but you can't pour thsat all over your feet all the time). These creatures are really fast, and can get you unexpectedly, when you find them between your toes or up on your legs.

There is a lot more to say on many topics, but I am short of time at the moment, as I am preparing to go to Thailand next week as kappiya of a monk-friend of mine. Someone else who promised to do the job dropped out ten days before the trip, and I am filling in at the last minute, so to speak. But I had planned to go to Thailand this winter anyhow.

[andrewhallas]

Once again thank you for the inspirational advice PianoPiano wise word from someone who
sounds as though they have a lot of experience in Sri Lanka and ordination procedure.

I wish you a wonderful trip in Thailand and hope this is an experience you gain much from

Once again thank you so very much for your valuable input into helping me have a general
idea of the Sri Lanka and her people.

Andrew

[Rob1980]

You dont need to learn Sinhalese as a monk in Sri Lanka. At Na Uyana you can quite easily get around not learning the language and it might, depending on your temperament, be detrimental knowing the language as it means you get to hear all the gossip. The sermons are sometimes given in English and Sinhalese. Most monks speak some english and a rare few may even speak better english than you.

I would strongly advise you to look at as many places as possible before ordaining, once you have decided on a place, stay there for at least 5 years. There are many monks who after just 1 month, 1 year, decide that there might be a better monastery somewhere else. And so off they go, 10 years later they are still searching(or have disrobed).

Look around in Thailand and also the monasteries in England, as well as Sri Lanka. Remember, if you are thinking of ordaining you need to be committed and so it is a good idea to know that you are at the best place for you.

There is a short video on Na Uyana if you are interested:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-sk9SGaZUk

I think that Na Uyana is the by far the best place for someone to learn how to be a monk and learn something about meditation. But remember that you are a foreigner, and you will never be able to fully integrate into the sinhalese culture no matter how long and how well you can speak the language. That is the advantage of being in a community in the west. However, if you have strong meditation, then Sri Lanka is a great place for solitude and practice and one can live out ones romantic ideals of monkhood very nicely. If ygou dont have very very good meditation I would advise caution before embarking on monasticism outside of the west. The support simply is not there(I am talking about emotional support rather than material support(which is in abundance)

Best of luck. I was in the same boat as you 5 years ago, I lived out in Sri Lanka for 5 years as a monk.

I have now returned to the west as a lay person for various reasons.

With metta