Ordination first steps

[Savitar]

It would likely be either that he's living alone and is unable to arrange a quorum of monks or (if he's a Thai) because he hasn't been issued with a preceptor's license. However, neither of these would be an impediment to his ordaining you as a sāmaṇera. If the monk in question is senior enough to give you nissaya, then he is senior enough to ordain you as a sāmaṇera. He wouldn't need to arrange a gathering of the sangha for this, for (unlike among the Tibetans) a Theravada sāmaṇera ordination doesn't need any witnesses. And if he's Thai he doesn't need a preceptor's license to ordain a sāmaṇera.

In your present state of doubt and confusion this might be an option worth considering if the monk will agree to it.

I do not have doubt. I was only confused on who to contact ect but not on whether or not I wanted to live this life. I was actually told recently that I would be a good candidate for ordination because I have a degree.

[Dhammanando]

I was actually told recently that I would be a good candidate for ordination because I have a degree.

Really? I think the fellow might have been pulling your leg. If he had told you that you would make a good candidate for President of the USA because you have two opposable thumbs, it would scarcely have been any more of a non sequitur.

[Savitar]

I was actually told recently that I would be a good candidate for ordination because I have a degree.

Really? I think the fellow might have been pulling your leg. If he had told you that you would make a good candidate for President of the USA because you have two opposable thumbs, it would scarcely have been any more of a non sequitur.

Thank you for your input. I am a little taken aback by the negative energy in the responses and I feel there is no need for insult. I only came on here for guidance on seeking ordination. I feel as though I will not find help here and am catching a lot of insulting remarks and insinuations. Thank you all for trying to help in your own ways, and I will see you when I'm ordained.

[Bakmoon]

I was actually told recently that I would be a good candidate for ordination because I have a degree.

Really? I think the fellow might have been pulling your leg. If he had told you that you would make a good candidate for President of the USA because you have two opposable thumbs, it would scarcely have been any more of a non sequitur.

That might depend on the affiliations of the person who told him that. There is one well known Thai group of Monks who are well known for wanting their Monks to have degrees.

[Dhammanando]

Thank you for your input.

You're welcome.

I am a little taken aback by the negative energy in the responses and I feel there is no need for insult.

I must have overlooked those posts. Personally I've rather enjoyed reading your contributions to this sub-forum. If nothing else, they brought back some amusing memories of the time when my stepdaughter in Iceland conceived a desire to graduate from school twelve years early in order to go and live on a farm and be a tractor driver. At the time the little girl had never stayed on a farm in her life, never driven a tractor or ridden on one, and perhaps never even seen tractors except on TV and in picture-books. She had lived most of her life in Karaganda, a sprawling Soviet industrial city in Kazakhstan. Tractors, tractor-driving and tractor-drivers had never featured in any way in her physical universe, yet had mysteriously managed to insinuate themselves into her mental universe. She had absolutely no way of knowing what driving tractors would be like, and yet had somehow convinced herself that this was where her destiny lay.

Now aside from the fact that my stepdaughter was a precocious 7-year-old when she conceived her tractor-driving ambition, while you claim to be 27, it occurs to me that there isn't a lot of difference between the bee that was then buzzing in her bonnet and the bee that is presently buzzing in yours.

Thank you all for trying to help in your own ways, and I will see you when I'm ordained.

Good luck.

[FutureBhikkhu]

That might depend on the affiliations of the person who told him that. There is one well known Thai group of Monks who are well known for wanting their Monks to have degrees.

Is this a forest monastery?

[Savitar]

Thank you for your input.

You're welcome.

I am a little taken aback by the negative energy in the responses and I feel there is no need for insult.

I must have overlooked those posts. Personally I've rather enjoyed reading your contributions to this sub-forum. If nothing else, they brought back some amusing memories of the time when my stepdaughter in Iceland conceived a desire to graduate from school twelve years early in order to go and live on a farm and be a tractor driver. At the time the little girl had never stayed on a farm in her life, never driven a tractor or ridden on one, and perhaps never even seen tractors except on TV and in picture-books. She had lived most of her life in Karaganda, a sprawling Soviet industrial city in Kazakhstan. Tractors, tractor-driving and tractor-drivers had never featured in any way in her physical universe, yet had mysteriously managed to insinuate themselves into her mental universe. She had absolutely no way of knowing what driving tractors would be like, and yet had somehow convinced herself that this was where her destiny lay.

Now aside from the fact that my stepdaughter was a precocious 7-year-old when she conceived her tractor-driving ambition, while you claim to be 27, it occurs to me that there isn't a lot of difference between the bee that was then buzzing in her bonnet and the bee that is presently buzzing in yours.

Thank you all for trying to help in your own ways, and I will see you when I'm ordained.

Good luck.

And your posts reminded me of what the forest abbot brought up in this article:

http://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opin ... orm-urgent" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Bakmoon]

That might depend on the affiliations of the person who told him that. There is one well known Thai group of Monks who are well known for wanting their Monks to have degrees.

Is this a forest monastery?

I'm talking about the Dhammakaya movement. I would not recommend ordaining with them personally, due to the corruption of the movement.

[FutureBhikkhu]

I'm talking about the Dhammakaya movement. I would not recommend ordaining with them personally, due to the corruption of the movement.

Thank you, my friend! I've seen the discussion about this monastery and wasn't familiar of it until recently.

I wish you all of the best on your journey, my friend Savitar _/\_