How much money do I need?

Discussion of ordination, the Vinaya and monastic life. How and where to ordain? Bhikkhuni ordination etc.
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Joe
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How much money do I need?

Post by Joe »

Hello,

I'm thinking about going to Thailand in the near future with the intention of diving headfirst into the Thai forest tradition. I'm serious about this commitment I.e. ordaining doesn't seem like a far fetched idea. Reading Ajahn Chah's books got me started on Bhuddhism four years ago so I hope it will be a monastery of this lineage. Maybe Wat Pah Nanachat.

How much money do I need to have in my back account? I expect there will be Visa's to pay for. Maybe some plane hopping to get out and in again. Do I need to prove to the Thai authorities that I'm financially solvent? off the top of my head I was thinking £3000 minimum, but really I don't know.

Any help is greatly appreciated.
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appicchato
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Re: How much money do I need?

Post by appicchato »

From my (long term Thai residing) perspective your figure should provide ample resources to scope out the situation...should you decide to dive in, all the best...
Joe
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Re: How much money do I need?

Post by Joe »

That's encouraging. Thank you appicchato.
Derek
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Re: How much money do I need?

Post by Derek »

Paying for health insurance might be another consideration, certainly while you're still just checking things out as a layman.
Joe
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Re: How much money do I need?

Post by Joe »

Seems like a good idea and might save some rolling eyes from family members. Thanks Derek.
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Sokehi
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Re: How much money do I need?

Post by Sokehi »

back in the days when I was an Anagrika at Wat Pah Nanachat I can share my few experiences.

Notice that this is out of experience from 11 years ago. So the exact amount of money for health ensurance, visa, flight I can't tell you.

But! If you have been accepted there to take the Anagarika precepts (and even before as a layman) normally if you are content what is being offered there you don't need much to sustain your living there. I bought a bottle of bleach to get rid of stains in my sabong, bought some AAA batteries for my flashlight and went to Ubon Ratchathani once to a seven eleven to buy some Dana for the community. That was about it. So if you figure out: flight costs, health insurance, hepathitis immunization, costs for the renewal of your visa (once you are a samanera the sangha takes care of, before that you have to travel at least once to a border to get a fresh visa since yours will run out, so figure out the costs for that and the travel to a border) you are good to go.
Get the wanting out of waiting

What does womanhood matter at all, when the mind is concentrated well, when knowledge flows on steadily as one sees correctly into Dhamma. One to whom it might occur, ‘I am a woman’ or ‘I am a man’ or ‘I’m anything at all’ is fit for Mara to address. – SN 5.2

If they take what's yours, tell yourself that you're making it a gift.
Otherwise there will be no end to the animosity. - Ajahn Fuang Jotiko

https://www.youtube.com/user/Repeataarrr
ricebowl
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Re: How much money do I need?

Post by ricebowl »

Joe wrote:Hello,

I'm thinking about going to Thailand in the near future with the intention of diving headfirst into the Thai forest tradition. I'm serious about this commitment I.e. ordaining doesn't seem like a far fetched idea. Reading Ajahn Chah's books got me started on Bhuddhism four years ago so I hope it will be a monastery of this lineage. Maybe Wat Pah Nanachat.

How much money do I need to have in my back account? I expect there will be Visa's to pay for. Maybe some plane hopping to get out and in again. Do I need to prove to the Thai authorities that I'm financially solvent? off the top of my head I was thinking £3000 minimum, but really I don't know.

Any help is greatly appreciated.
AN 10.54
PTS: A v 98
Samatha Sutta: With Regard to Tranquility
translated from the Pali by
Thanissaro Bhikkhu

"Even if a monk is not skilled in the ways of the minds of others,[1] he should train himself: 'I will be skilled in reading my own mind.'

"And how is a monk skilled in reading his own mind? Imagine a young woman — or man — fond of adornment, examining the image of her own face in a bright, clean mirror or bowl of clear water: If she saw any dirt or blemish there, she would try to remove it. If she saw no dirt or blemish there, she would be pleased, her resolves fulfilled: 'How fortunate I am! How clean I am!' In the same way, a monk's self-examination is very productive in terms of skillful qualities:[2] 'Am I one who achieves internal tranquility of awareness, or am I one who does not achieve internal tranquility of awareness? Am I one who achieves insight into phenomena through heightened discernment, or am I one who does not achieve insight into phenomena through heightened discernment?"

"If, on examination, he knows, 'I am one who achieves internal tranquility of awareness but not insight into phenomena through heightened discernment,' then his duty is to make an effort for the maintenance of internal tranquility of awareness and for insight into phenomena through heightened discernment. At a later time he will then be one who achieves both internal tranquility of awareness and insight into phenomena through heightened discernment.

"But if, on examination, the monk knows, 'I am one who achieves insight into phenomena through heightened discernment but not internal tranquility of awareness,' then his duty is to make an effort for the maintenance of insight into phenomena through heightened discernment and for internal tranquility of awareness. At a later time he will then be one who achieves both insight into phenomena through heightened discernment and internal tranquility of awareness.

"But if, on examination, the monk knows, 'I am one who achieves neither internal tranquility of awareness nor insight into phenomena through heightened discernment,' then he should put forth extra desire, effort, diligence, endeavor, relentlessness, mindfulness, & alertness for gaining those very same skillful qualities. Just as when a person whose turban or head was on fire would put forth extra desire, effort, diligence, endeavor, relentlessness, mindfulness, & alertness to put out the fire on his turban or head; in the same way, the monk should put forth extra desire, effort, diligence, endeavor, relentlessness, mindfulness, & alertness for gaining those very same skillful qualities.

"But if, on examination, the monk knows, 'I am one who achieves both internal tranquility of awareness and insight into phenomena through heightened discernment,' then his duty is to make an effort in maintaining those very same skillful qualities to a higher degree for the ending of the effluents.

"Monks, I speak of robes in two ways: to be partaken of and not to be partaken of. I also speak of alms food... lodgings... villages & towns... countrysides... individuals in two ways: to be partaken of and not to be partaken of.

"'Monks, I speak of robes in two ways: to be partaken of and not to be partaken of': Thus was it said. In reference to what was it said? Any robe of which one has come to know, 'When I partake of this robe, unskillful qualities increase and skillful qualities decrease,' that sort of robe is not to be partaken of. Any robe of which one has come to know, 'When I partake of this robe, unskillful qualities decrease and skillful qualities increase,' that sort of robe is to be partaken of. 'Monks, I speak of robes in two ways: to be partaken of and not to be partaken of': Thus was it said. And in reference to this was it said.

"'Monks, I also speak of alms food in two ways...' ...

"'Monks, I also speak of lodgings in two ways...' ...

"'Monks, I also speak of villages & towns in two ways...' ...

"'Monks, I also speak of countrysides in two ways...' ...

"'Monks, I also speak of individuals in two ways: to be partaken of and not to be partaken of':[3] Thus was it said. In reference to what was it said? Any individual of whom one has come to know, 'When I partake of this individual, unskillful qualities increase and skillful qualities decrease,' that sort of individual is not to be partaken of. Any individual of whom one has come to know, 'When I partake of this individual, unskillful qualities decrease and skillful qualities increase,' that sort of individual is to be partaken of. 'Monks, I also speak of individuals in two ways: to be partaken of and not to be partaken of': Thus was it said. And in reference to this was it said."

"Samatha Sutta: With Regard to Tranquility" (AN 10.54), translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu. Access to Insight, 21 April 2011, http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka ... .than.html . Retrieved on 20 September 2013.
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forestmat
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Re: How much money do I need?

Post by forestmat »

Joe, that sort of money should be plenty, more than enough even.

As others have said, you'll really only need to do a visa run out of the country once, and then the temple where you decide to stay should sort things out for you once ordained. Although I would say WPN has a long history of helping ordained Sangha with visa issues, whereas other temples may require you to organize it by yourself.

If you can write to WPN for a letter confirming you have been accepted to train there, it may also help in getting an 'O' visa which is good for a year (but which still means doing a border crossing and coming straight back in).

I was up at WPN the other day - there are around 12 monks there now for the rains retreat and about half a dozen in white while training.

You can buy everything up there in Warin Charab, Ubon, so no need to carry a heavy bag.

All good wishes and don't hesitate to shout if you have more questions.

Metta

Matt
Hartridge Buddhist Monastery, Devon, England
Joe
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Re: How much money do I need?

Post by Joe »

I'm glad that £3000 will definitely cover it. eek- it's when you start talking about specifics that you realise your intentions are serious.

Invaluable help. Thanks Sokehi, ricebowl and Matt.
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Sokehi
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Re: How much money do I need?

Post by Sokehi »

:anjali:

I wish you well and a lot of Aditthana Parami (which I was lacking)
Get the wanting out of waiting

What does womanhood matter at all, when the mind is concentrated well, when knowledge flows on steadily as one sees correctly into Dhamma. One to whom it might occur, ‘I am a woman’ or ‘I am a man’ or ‘I’m anything at all’ is fit for Mara to address. – SN 5.2

If they take what's yours, tell yourself that you're making it a gift.
Otherwise there will be no end to the animosity. - Ajahn Fuang Jotiko

https://www.youtube.com/user/Repeataarrr
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