renamed::: help finding monastery???

[333]

Asian Buddhism? Asia includes Myanmar , Thailand, sri Lanka, all of which are significantly different in their approach to practice. Secondly, the Buddha himself founded Buddhism in asia, which has survived 2500 years, while Buddhism has developed pretty much 50 years in the west.

How can one label the Buddhism of all of asia as far from the source, has this person traveled all of asia? Let alone those 3 countries? I wonder why posters act like experts to validate a negative opinion. Where I'm from, the goal to be a Buddhist monk is unheard of and I would be very much more inclined to encourage rather than discourage someone with such an aspiration. Negative opinions really aren't necessary. Facts are appreciated.

Just my opinion...now, let's be friends...egos and biased opinions are unbecoming of a dhamma website

[333]

For other people interested in Thailand for ordination - wat sanghathan Is on my list. The abbot speaks English and ordination is possible there, after a time as a lay person. It is a beautiful place.

I am, also, compiling a list of monasteries that English speakers can ordain in Asia. I will post all of them here when I have finished. I have about 5 now and I know there will be more that I find, so I will refrain from posting the list as it is, unfinished.

Best wishes to everyone.

[Dhammanando]

For other people interested in Thailand for ordination - wat sanghathan Is on my list. The abbot speaks English and ordination is possible there, after a time as a lay person. It is a beautiful place.

Have you ever stayed there? I haven't done so for over twenty years, but I remember it as not particularly pleasant. Firstly it's surrounded by marshy land and therefore extremely mosquito-ridden. Secondly, Ajahn Sanong is a very popular preacher and so the wat gets very noisy and busy on weekends and uposatha days.

[333]

Very helpful information venerable, thank you so much
No, I haven't stayed there, and its great to get someone's firsthand experience. I haven't the money to make multiple trips, so I am gathering as much information as I can before I make the journey; then I plan to visit the monasteries on my list, to find home.
Very kind of you to offer your experience, the negative aspects are very important to take into consideration.

Your experience is invaluable, venerable, many thanks.

[hermitwin]

I would recommend wat pah nanachat or ajahn pramote in chon buri. They have many english speaking monks there, or shd i say westerner monks.
Thailand is safe, the trouble is only in the far south, 3 provinces bordering malaysia.

http://www.watpahnanachat.org/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.dhamma.com/en/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

dhamma talk by ajahn pramote w english translation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SoTV9WZ5MgE" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Caodemarte]

Just a note that the climate in Sri Lanka tends to be quite nice. There are a lot of mosquitoes. English is pretty widespread, much more so than Thailand. Of course, the circumstances of the specific monastery should be the deciding factor.

[333]

Many thanks, friends.

Hermitwin, does ajahn pramote reside in wat suansantidham? Is this where you recommend? I only found this information http://www.dhamma.com/map/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; on it, as it seems they do not have a website. Further information would be very appreciated

Caodemarte, thank you for your clarification on sri Lanka. It is very helpful.

Wishing you both the best

[hermitwin]

Wat Suansantidham is located in Sriracha, Chonburi. Yes, it is about 100 km south east of Bangkok near the gulf of Thailand.

[333]

Thanks hermitwin

Here is a list of monasteries foreigners can ordain in Thailand:

Wat sanghathan meditation center - http://www.vimokkha.com/watsanghathaneng.2.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Wat Maha that
Wat bovornives vihara
Wat asokaram
Sunnataram forest monastery
Wat pah nanachat
Suan mokkh
Wat umong
(All of which, aside from sanghathan, can be researched here http://www.kammatthana.com/a_guide_to_b ... eries_.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; - site is fairly out of date however )
Wat sri boon ruang - http://www.templeretreatthailand.com/fr ... tions.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Wat boonyawad? (Waiting for an answer, if English speakers can ordain here) http://watboonyawad.blogspot.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; http://www.watboonyawad.com/new/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The monasteries I find most pleasing are : wat umong, sunnataram forest monastery, wat sri boon ruang, and wat asokaram. I have heard quite a bit of negative feedback about wpn, but it is by far the highest on the list by means of convenience.


I hope this is of help to as many people as possible - I wish everyone the very best.

[FutureBhikkhu]

Thanks hermitwin

Here is a list of monasteries foreigners can ordain in Thailand:

Wat sanghathan meditation center - http://www.vimokkha.com/watsanghathaneng.2.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Wat Maha that
Wat bovornives vihara
Wat asokaram
Sunnataram forest monastery
Wat pah nanachat
Suan mokkh
Wat umong
(All of which, aside from sanghathan, can be researched here http://www.kammatthana.com/a_guide_to_b ... eries_.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; - site is fairly out of date however )
Wat sri boon ruang - http://www.templeretreatthailand.com/gu ... nials.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Wat boonyawad? (Waiting for an answer, if English speakers can ordain here) http://watboonyawad.blogspot.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; http://www.watboonyawad.com/new/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The monasteries I find most pleasing are : wat umong, sunnataram forest monastery, wat sri boon ruang, and wat asokaram. I have heard quite a bit of negative feedback about wpn, but it is by far the highest on the list by means of convenience.

I am going to contact wat sri boon ruang and find out what it will take to ordain permanently there. I will update this with the conversation that follows. I will also continue to update this post if/when I find more monasteries foreigners can ordain.

I hope this is of help to as many people as possible - I wish everyone the very best.

[333]

good luck, futurebhikkhu!

[FutureBhikkhu]

good luck, futurebhikkhu!

Many thanks - same to you my friend

[hermitwin]

just curious, what are the negative feedback re WPN?

[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.

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.

[Goofaholix]

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.