I have a dilemma that I need help solving.

Dear Ven. Apicchatoappicchato wrote:Greetings,
Some good (for the most part) info from martinfrank here...even though it's not clear whether you want to 'live the monastic life' or ordain as a monk...either way be aware, generally, repeat, generally speaking the monastic communities of Southeast Asia are not particularly Caucasian friendly (tolerant at best)...Laos you can forget...Burma has restrictive and arduous (although not insurmountable) visa requirements...Cambodia's monastic support could (by some) be classified as lacking...Thailand has just introduced some extremely prohibitive visa regulations, monastics included (after forty years here I'm (relunctantly) about to vacate)...Sri Lanka, dubious...so, as I certainly wouldn't want to dissuade anyone from pursuing such an endeavor, and I'm sure there will be those who disagree, I feel a need to forewarn since I have been to all of these countries (both as a lay person and as a monk), and speak from personal experience...again, I'm confident that not all will agree with this assessment...it's just one person's personal observation over the past few years...all the best...
In a nutshell...for Caucasians in Asia the situation, any situation, be it lay or ordained, is always, always, tenuous at best...from day one to the last...we are not accepted, we are tolerated...and should any (even the slightest) situation head south, it's over...martinfrank wrote:Dear Ven...
If not indiscreet, Bhante, where will you go?appicchato wrote:after forty years here I'm (relunctantly) about to vacate
Dear Ven. Appicchatoappicchato wrote:martinfrank wrote:Dear Ven...
Jeez, re-reading this is a bit of a downer...don't mean to sound this way...was asked, I'm replying...this from a more or less self- proclaimed recluse, who's content with his own company, and his own practice...and while pushing seventy is finding it increasingly difficult to maintain that status while remaining in the robes...
Of course you will get accepted. It is totally normal in Thailand to say "I would like to ordain for two weeks" (or two months) and then stay only these two weeks in that temple... or stay two years. Thais are cool about temporary vs. long-term ordination. Some "international" or famous monasteries in Thailand are not cool about temporary ordinations.DavidMetta wrote:I do hope I can find a place where they will accept me. I will try my best to adapt to the thai culture. The last thing I want is to feel like an intruder. I checked out and contacted some of the recommendations above, they seem very promising. Thank you very much all. I still have a few more questions. How was your experience with the visa process and is it possible to get a visa for a year? I tend to see that many of the monasteries have a limited time that I may be there. I was hoping for a location I could stay for many months. Once again thank you all for your help.
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 18 guests