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How to become a Buddhist Monk

DetonatedManiac — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 21:44:43 -0800

I want to become a Buddhist monk at some point in my life and live out my days in a authentic monastery, preferably in a traditionally Buddhist country. Please advise. I have studied Buddhism academically and know the essential premises common to all the Buddhist tradition from a lay person perspective. I know Buddhism teaches, in a nut shell, that we are all living in Samsara and destined to eternal rebirth in suffering and delusion. The origin of this suffering is attachment and craving, but through giving up our attachment and the 8 fold path we can attain liberation. I know there are roughly 3 basic branches Theravada (crudely "lesser vehicle"), Mahayana ("Great Vehicle", including zen), and Vajrayana (Tibetan etc).

The more I live and experience the more a path of renunciation and abandoning the home life seems the correct path (even if I may be too frail and inculcated in materialism to ultimately follow that path). The Buddhist Dharma appears from my (admittedly limited) understanding to be ultimately true and I want to deepen my understanding of that truth.

I know this will be a years / decades long journey simply to find the correct teacher, let alone be accepted, let alone travel to another country/learn another language and become a monk etc.

And I also know that more than likely this amorphous dream will remain just that. But even still I would like to have a plan in place that can move me closer to that ultimate goal in a reasonable way. Perhaps I will not abandon my life such as it is now, but perhaps I will and I want to be prepared so that I can make that jump. And even if I don't, perhaps I can find an authentic Buddhist Sangha here that can deepen my insights and perhaps put me on the path to liberation despite the material culture we are surrounded by.

HIVE MIND:

What I don't know is how to decide which tradition to join, and how to become a part of a legitimate lineage in the Buddhist Tradition. All of the so called Buddhist "temples" I have seen in the US (admittedly not that many due to a scarcity of options) seem at best watered down "New Agey" and at worst borderline cult of personality or profit motivated. Not the places where the essence of the Buddhist texts I have read is taught, practiced and nourished, at least not in a very effective way.

So I guess my immediate question is where can I find a Buddhist temple linked to a legitimate traditional lineage, preferably one that would be open to admitting a Mid 20's Anglo like myself and be within driving distance of Raleigh NC, but not be watered down and "Americanized"?

Barring that, where can I find a temple, even without any strong native cultural roots, near said location that will deepen my understanding Buddhism and not lead to new-agey tangents or dead ends, or worse, some sort of cult?

More broadly, which branch should I follow? I see aspects of all 3 that are appealing and seem like effective paths to enlightenment. Theravada is of course the oldest and most venerated, but the Mahayana idea of attaining the selfless bodhisattva ideal, enlightenment for all, seems a much nobler goal and less secluded. Finally, the esoteric teachings and metaphysics of Vajrayana fascinate me, and the expedited path to enlightenment is a plus; as well (as superficial a consideration as this is) I feel a strong pull to Nepal, the foot of the Himalayas (it is silly I know, but motivates me none the less).

I should note, I strongly believe that all three Buddhist traditions, properly practiced, are true teachings and effective paths to enlightenment. But I know the Buddha said "Follow that path that you will get the most out of" (or something to that effect), so that is what I am pondering over.

The real tie breaker is which tradition is likely to accept me, and also which one I can start building inroads to now in my "normal" American life. A final consideration is the political situation. Some of these countries, like Burma and Sri Lanka etc do not have the most stable and western friendly regimes.

But it is not a race or a competition, I lay those out merely as unfortunately practical considerations. I welcome and appreciate any other thoughts or considerations you might be able to add.

What does a jewel-spitting mongoose represent?

Mender — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 12:01:51 -0800

Tibetan art filter: what are these sculptures holding in their hands? I recently visited a museum of Tibetan art, where a guide gave me detailed descriptions of several Buddha and Bodhisattva sculptures. They sculptures were many-armed, and the guide explained that each arm represents an aspect of that particular Buddha or Bodhisattva. In each of the hands the figures were holding small objects—sometimes a jar or bowl, sometimes a plant or animal, often something I could not identify.

The guide mentioned a general name for these objects and seemed to indicate that books exist to catalogue the objects and their meanings, i.e. a bowl represents charity, a mongoose represents greed, etc.

Can anyone tell me if there is a general name for these objects and how I can find out more about what they represent? Sorry if I have screwed up any details—please let me know, as I am new to this kind of art.

Making a sand mandala for our wedding

desjardins — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 18:27:51 -0800

We want to incorporate some sort of sand design into our wedding as an alternative to a unity candle. This would be sort of like a Tibetan sand mandala but nowhere near as complex. How the heck do we go about this? We are not Tibetan Buddhists. This will not be a religious thing per se; we simply like the symbolism of intentionally and mindfully creating something together, mixing the colors of sand, and then sweeping it away to remind ourselves of the impermanence of life and that all we have is right now, this moment. There won't be any Buddhists at the wedding, Tibetan or otherwise, that might be offended at our co-opting of this ritual.

We are thinking of something that would be mostly completed ahead of time, since we're not going to spend hours doing it during the ceremony. We'd leave a part unfinished and complete it during the time you'd normally light a unity candle. We don't have a design in mind; I picked a butterfly theme for the wedding to symbolize transformation, so we might incorporate that. Other ideas are very welcome.

Where do we get colored sand? How are we going to transport the unfinished piece to the ceremony without destroying it? What should we sweep the finished piece into? Is this totally insane? This video is awesome but we're not that talented.

The Tibet Question

alona — Sun, 04 May 2008 12:51:30 -0800

Calling all protesters in general and all those who know about the China-Tibet situation! I need help learning about Tibet. [short conclusion at the bottom, so you can skip these few paragraphs]
I want to learn more about the China-Tibet situation and I've already checked out this. Unfortunately, I have a fairly short attention span, so if it's something that is too word-heavy I probably won't be able to force myself to read it. Although if it's light and still long that's okay because I'll be able to read a bit at a time.
The thing is, I'm pretty much against the Olympics in China this year because of the political situation - I guess one could almost compare it to the Berlin Olympics of '36 (not completely. but close enough). And I've been thinking about it a lot and I realize I don't know enough.
Now, if after taking a more educated look at the situation I find myself still against the Olympics I'd like to raise awareness and perhaps organize more people who'll boycott the Olympics - not in a large-scale, extreme sort of way, more like putting up flyers in my school and just convincing people not to watch the Olympics.
I go to a small Israeli school in a fairly upper-class suburb of Tel Aviv, so people here aren't too aware of what's going on outside their own world. Which means I need to be convincing and not too aggressive.

Conclusion:
I need:
1. Information about the China-Tibet struggle that is light to read,
2. Ways of organizing a small-scale boycott to raise people's awareness.

The straight dope on Tibet?

qxntpqbbbqxl — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 18:54:24 -0800

Looking for authors/forums/sources with scholarly discussion of the Tibet situation. Specifically, I'm hoping for point-by-point analysis of the claims made by both China and the Dalai Lama, and the rational weighing of argument against counter-argument by subject experts on both sides.

After spending many hours with Google, the only thing clear to me is that most media sources (Western and Chinese) have such heavy biases that taken together they present disjoint realities. The net effect is that I don't believe anybody anymore.

[and please refrain from chatfilter - I'm looking for expert sources, not opinions (unless you happen to be an expert)]

Trekking in Peru or Tibet?

Mr. Ugh — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 07:25:20 -0800

[Trekking Filter] So we're planning our Summer trip and we have to decide between two treks: Trekking to Lhamo Lhatso (Visionary Lake) in Tibet or Trekking in Peru (classic Machu Picchu, lodge to lodge.) Any advice on which to chose?

Alexandra David-Neel and Georges Bataille

arcadia — Sat, 03 Nov 2007 09:03:58 -0800

Did Alexandra David-Neel ever meet Georges Bataille? I'm researching connections between Tibetan Buddhism and Surrealism. If you can give me evidence that Alexandra David-Neel and Georges Bataille met one another, I will be forever grateful. If you can lead me to actual evidence, transcripts, whatever, I will explode with gratitude. Also interested in contact between David-Neel and any other Parisian avant-gardists, especially Surrealists.
Thanks!

Buddhism and Surrealism in Paris in the 1920s

arcadia — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 02:41:23 -0800

How do I found out about books, museums, exhibitions, and artifacts relating to Buddhism in Paris in the 1920s? I'm writing a dissertation that involves Buddhism and Surrealism. I am trying to find archives, libraries, books, museums, etc., that have information about the influence of Buddhism and Tibet in Paris between 1900 and 1945, most importantly during the peak of Surrealism, about 1924 to 1939. Who can I contact in Paris who might be able to help me? What public institutions would have archives that would show what exhibitions happened in these years and what artifacts were in them?

Useful Gift for Tibet/Nepal Photographer?

jbelkin — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 18:39:23 -0800

Photog friend going to Nepal/Tibet - what's a good gift? Some thin air-wind jacket with lots of pockets? Anything you can think of would be appreciated - especially if you have specific experience there - up to $200? Thanks. (she's with an experience group of friends but she's never been).

Reconsidering Plans in Asia

jne1813 — Wed, 28 Feb 2007 15:29:31 -0800

A friend of mine recently posted this question about doing research in Tibet . His university has decided that it would like to err on the side of caution - thus, they are restricting him from going to Tibet. So, he needs a new plan and potentially a new topic of research - probably still focusing on Sino-Globalization as it relates to Tibetans. His university suggested Yunnan Province as a possibility, but do you Mefites have any suggestions? (Budget is $3000 for 3 weeks)

Is Tibet safe for travellers (and their Tibetan friends)?

matkline — Mon, 26 Feb 2007 08:06:52 -0800

Is it safe to for a college student, who has never been to a "developing" country before to travel to Tibet to do an independent research project there? There is a program at my school which gives away $3,000 grants for independent research projects in Asia. I was assured that I could pick any place not on the U.S. State Department's advisory list. Because I took a class on Tibet last semester, I chose Tibet and a project on Sino-Globalization.

I had an interview with the director of Study Abroad in Asia. He seemed to think I was putting myself in danger ("foreigners have been arrested in Tibet"). He then said that I would be putting Tibetans at risk of being arrested themselves for talking to them. (He recounted a story of trying to talk to a Tibetan man near the Potala Palace, but having police scare the man away.)

What are your experiences? Do you know of any specific info on the web that answers this?

I think the concerns are my safety and the safety of Tibetans.

Have you read/heard of a story about an Irish man travelling in Tibet who gets buried according to Finnegan's Wake?

Kattullus — Mon, 20 Nov 2006 11:45:22 -0800

A story has come to me through the telephone game that is society that has piqued my interest. Does anyone have a source for the following story, which I presume is fictional: An Irish man dies while travelling in Tibet, and the only piece of literature they have about Ireland and Irish funeral customs is Finnegan's Wake.

Questions about South-Asia

einarorn — Mon, 10 Jul 2006 10:05:23 -0800

I'm planning a trip to India,Nepal,Bhutan,Tibet,Bangladesh & Myanmar I'm thinking about going away for 2 months mid-August to mid-October. A general plan would be to fly into India, then make my way up to Nepal. From there take the Friendship Highway up to Tibet and back. Then from Nepal through India into Bangladesh (and, if possible Bhutan) and then fly into Myanmar.

Now, there are a number of questions that spring to mind:

- Tibet: Do I need to get a visa (I'm Icelandic - we normally have the same visa requirements as Svandinavia and most of Northern Europe) before I go, or is it possible (or even better) to take care of things once I'm in Nepal?
- Bhutan: I know there are a couple of issues about travelling there, but I'm not sure what is fact and what is fiction nowadays. For example, I've heard that I need to do an expensive planned tour of the country, and can't travel independently. Does anyone know how things work there these days? Also, I'm told that the only way to get into Bhutan by land is via India. Is this possible, or do I have to fly into the country?
- What books would you recommend me to read about the area. I'm not just talking about travel guides, but also local literature & history books.
- Any other tips about the area are appreciated.

Annexation of East Turkestan and Tibet

scazza — Tue, 12 Apr 2005 08:19:45 -0800

I am looking for a book that explains the history of how the Western Chinese regions of Xinjiang and Tibet came to be viewed as part of China and the process of their annexation. Any Chinese history mefites out there? Websites would probably also be helpful, however I have found them to be general and not very rigorous.