renamed::: help finding monastery???

Discussion of ordination, the Vinaya and monastic life. How and where to ordain? Bhikkhuni ordination etc.
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333
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Re: renamed::: help finding monastery???

Post by 333 »

:D good luck, futurebhikkhu!
To Avoid All Evil,
To Cultivate Only Good,
And To Purify One's Mind
This Is The Teaching Of All The Buddhas!
-Dhammapada 183
FutureBhikkhu
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Re: renamed::: help finding monastery???

Post by FutureBhikkhu »

333 wrote::D good luck, futurebhikkhu!
Many thanks - same to you my friend :P :anjali:
Keep on developing the causes of the Ultimate. Moreover, use your ingenuity to find novel ways to do acts of Goodness.
hermitwin
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Re: renamed::: help finding monastery???

Post by hermitwin »

just curious, what are the negative feedback re WPN?
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333
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Re: renamed::: help finding monastery???

Post by 333 »

I corresponded with a bhikkhu who stayed here for a little while, I will summarize what he said to me, as I don't have permission to quote him. :smile:

The road nearby is noisy, with lots of trucks. Loud music makes its way into the monastery, and on 3/7 nights on a particular week there was extremely loud music well past midnight. Farmers on all sides shoot shotguns regularly throughout the day. When this monk stayed there, there was 7 monks, 2 novices, 2 anagarikas, and 4 laymen. He described the feeling of gloom, emptiness. Apparently the abbot doesn't like to ordain many people, resulting in less monks and more work for the residing monks - something that caused many to leave. The monks are described as not being particularly happy, without enthusiasm. The anagarikas were described as very anxious, and tense.

This isn't the first description I have heard of the bad vibes at wpn, either. However, the abbot changes every 5 years and it may well be that with the next abbot comes a brighter day for wpn. :anjali:
To Avoid All Evil,
To Cultivate Only Good,
And To Purify One's Mind
This Is The Teaching Of All The Buddhas!
-Dhammapada 183
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Goofaholix
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Re: renamed::: help finding monastery???

Post by Goofaholix »

333 wrote:The road nearby is noisy, with lots of trucks. Loud music makes its way into the monastery, and on 3/7 nights on a particular week there was extremely loud music well past midnight. Farmers on all sides shoot shotguns regularly throughout the day.
This sounds like almost every monastery in Asia I've stayed in, actually WPN was one of the quietest.

So your rejection of WPN is based on heresay? I'd strongly suggest going to check it out yourself before rejecting it.
Pronouns (no self / not self)
“Peace is within oneself to be found in the same place as agitation and suffering. It is not found in a forest or on a hilltop, nor is it given by a teacher. Where you experience suffering, you can also find freedom from suffering. Trying to run away from suffering is actually to run toward it.”
― Ajahn Chah
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333
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Re: renamed::: help finding monastery???

Post by 333 »

I only answered hermitwins question.

I have heard descriptions from reliable sources, and I am only repeating this "here say" for the benefit of others. I haven't rejected wpn, if I reject the place I would say 'don't go'. I am only presenting a point of view that, in my opinion is reliable, and helpful.

It may be a biased opinion and totally dependent upon the observer without being a complete 100℅ perfectly accurate description of the monastery as a whole. Different people will have a different experience of the same place, which generates different opinions. Neither opinion can be said to be absolute truth. Therefore, I'm not rejecting wpn, I have only presented the opinions and experiences of the people I have spoken to. As I have never been, the information is to be taken with a grain of salt.

However, seeing as I have heard the negative opinions consistently from multiple sources, I believe there to be an underlying truth to it, and I think people deserve to be aware of the negative aspects of a momastery , especially in this community where many people aspire to become bhikkhus. Therefore I present the "here say" because I think it can be beneficial.

If someone is considering wpn for ordination while in a country outside Thailand, I would expect them to do thorough research into the positive feedback as well, as it certainly exists, and weigh the negatives with the positives. I am by no means a reliable source for understanding monastery conditions in Thailand, as I have never been. Therefore everything I say about it is to be taken with a grain of salt, evaluated intelligently, and weighed with other information/opinions. I only wish to help people on the same path I am.

I wish everybody well. :anjali:
To Avoid All Evil,
To Cultivate Only Good,
And To Purify One's Mind
This Is The Teaching Of All The Buddhas!
-Dhammapada 183
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Goofaholix
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Re: renamed::: help finding monastery???

Post by Goofaholix »

333 wrote:I only answered hermitwins question....

I wish everybody well. :anjali:
It was a simple enough piece of advice, the disclaimer wasn't necessary.
Pronouns (no self / not self)
“Peace is within oneself to be found in the same place as agitation and suffering. It is not found in a forest or on a hilltop, nor is it given by a teacher. Where you experience suffering, you can also find freedom from suffering. Trying to run away from suffering is actually to run toward it.”
― Ajahn Chah
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333
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Re: renamed::: help finding monastery???

Post by 333 »

Seeing as many people view this posting, perhaps the 'disclaimer' will be beneficial.

BTW, I find the tone of your comment insulting. If you intended on giving me advice without receiving a response then why did you include a question? Are you suggesting I take your "simple advice" in silence? I have no right to further explain myself? If you dislike 'me', or what you perceive as me by comments made on an internet forum, I would suggest skipping over my posts instead of being confrontational. Thank you. :twothumbsup:
To Avoid All Evil,
To Cultivate Only Good,
And To Purify One's Mind
This Is The Teaching Of All The Buddhas!
-Dhammapada 183
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Goofaholix
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Re: renamed::: help finding monastery???

Post by Goofaholix »

333 wrote:BTW, I find the tone of your comment insulting. If you intended on giving me advice without receiving a response then why did you include a question? Are you suggesting I take your "simple advice" in silence? I have no right to further explain myself? If you dislike 'me', or what you perceive as me by comments made on an internet forum, I would suggest skipping over my posts instead of being confrontational. Thank you. :twothumbsup:
A simple "Yes it's hearsay but no I haven't entirely rejected WPN" would have sufficed.

I don't think it's constructive to assume that anyone who's responses you find disagreeable probably doesn't like you, most people talk about the topic at hand objectively.
Pronouns (no self / not self)
“Peace is within oneself to be found in the same place as agitation and suffering. It is not found in a forest or on a hilltop, nor is it given by a teacher. Where you experience suffering, you can also find freedom from suffering. Trying to run away from suffering is actually to run toward it.”
― Ajahn Chah
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333
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Re: renamed::: help finding monastery???

Post by 333 »

OK. The topic at hand being this is a thread I created to find monasteries, which you have not contributed to at all, rather you come here to try to control the way I answer a comment. Please be of benefit to the OP, or others, when posting in this thread. Thank you.
:anjali: I wish you the best.
To Avoid All Evil,
To Cultivate Only Good,
And To Purify One's Mind
This Is The Teaching Of All The Buddhas!
-Dhammapada 183
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Rob1980
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Re: renamed::: help finding monastery???

Post by Rob1980 »

Best thing to do is to travel around and what the places are like yourself. Everyone has an opinion and I would not recommend just going to a monastery with the view to ordain there without looking at other places. Otherwise when things are not going well when you ordain at the monastery, you will start to fanastise about other monasteries that might be better. And then you will find yourself as a monk travelling from one monastery to another monastery trying to find the perfect place. Better to do it as layman and find the place that fits in with your aspiration and then stick to that place for at least 5 years or to be under an Upajjhaya for 5 years.

Good luck!

With metta

Rob :anjali:
Reviews of Meditation and Yoga retreats as well as Monasteries: https://www.reviewmyretreat.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;"
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samseva
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Re: renamed::: help finding monastery???

Post by samseva »

Rob1980 wrote:Best thing to do is to travel around and what the places are like yourself. Everyone has an opinion and I would not recommend just going to a monastery with the view to ordain there without looking at other places. Otherwise when things are not going well when you ordain at the monastery, you will start to fanastise about other monasteries that might be better. And then you will find yourself as a monk travelling from one monastery to another monastery trying to find the perfect place. Better to do it as layman and find the place that fits in with your aspiration and then stick to that place for at least 5 years or to be under an Upajjhaya for 5 years.
I hadn't really thought of it that way. This is very true. Thank you.
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333
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Re: renamed::: help finding monastery???

Post by 333 »

Indeed, thank you rob! :anjali:
To Avoid All Evil,
To Cultivate Only Good,
And To Purify One's Mind
This Is The Teaching Of All The Buddhas!
-Dhammapada 183
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Mkoll
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Re: renamed::: help finding monastery???

Post by Mkoll »

samseva wrote:
Rob1980 wrote:Best thing to do is to travel around and what the places are like yourself. Everyone has an opinion and I would not recommend just going to a monastery with the view to ordain there without looking at other places. Otherwise when things are not going well when you ordain at the monastery, you will start to fanastise about other monasteries that might be better. And then you will find yourself as a monk travelling from one monastery to another monastery trying to find the perfect place. Better to do it as layman and find the place that fits in with your aspiration and then stick to that place for at least 5 years or to be under an Upajjhaya for 5 years.
I hadn't really thought of it that way. This is very true. Thank you.
Good advice indeed!
Namo tassa bhagavato arahato samma sambuddhassa
Namo tassa bhagavato arahato samma sambuddhassa
Namo tassa bhagavato arahato samma sambuddhassa
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Re: renamed::: help finding monastery???

Post by Goofaholix »

Rob1980 wrote:Best thing to do is to travel around and what the places are like yourself. Everyone has an opinion and I would not recommend just going to a monastery with the view to ordain there without looking at other places. Otherwise when things are not going well when you ordain at the monastery, you will start to fanastise about other monasteries that might be better. And then you will find yourself as a monk travelling from one monastery to another monastery trying to find the perfect place. Better to do it as layman and find the place that fits in with your aspiration and then stick to that place for at least 5 years or to be under an Upajjhaya for 5 years.
This is good advice when considering any major life change or commitment. However in my experience after several months travelling around different monasteries looking for the right one to ordain in it's possible you'll end up returning home tired and disillusioned. Also after months of intensive meditation one can feel quite energised and the world out there doesn't seem so bad and one can feel more positive and capable of living a normal secular life.

So I think it might be better to choose a place and be willing to commit and surrender to the lifestyle and be willing to take the good with the bad, don't worry after 5 years one is free to go where you like and will have the opportunity to practice with other teachers and monasteries.

I think it's a matter of knowing ones mindset.
Pronouns (no self / not self)
“Peace is within oneself to be found in the same place as agitation and suffering. It is not found in a forest or on a hilltop, nor is it given by a teacher. Where you experience suffering, you can also find freedom from suffering. Trying to run away from suffering is actually to run toward it.”
― Ajahn Chah
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