Being a Monk
Being withdrawn from greed, hatred, and ill-will.
Buddha said it is easy to go in extremes.
People go on fast for days, weeks, months, some people give up homes and unfortunate things like that happen. It is easy to do this. It is easy to do this compared to the middle path. What is the middle path? To keep your mind balanced, to be in concentration and to be at ease. Your effort has to come from a base of strength and a base of 'knowing', mere sacrifice is not enough.
I remember many people exclaming, after coming out from Vipassana retreats, when they see someone in robes. Having had the taste of the real thing, they understand that becoming a monk may not lead you there, outer appearance, residence/kuti and even chanting may not help after a point. One needs real wisdom, wisdom that comes from a strong base of morality, concentration and wisdom. I was in outer Rishikesh, alone at that point, and I saw a young Hindu monk, bathing some distance from me in the Ganga. As he approached, I could see my mind was more free from lust and fear than his, who was the monk there?
Let me share a personal experience. I considered myself to be free from ideas of association with the other gender. Precisely as I was thinking thus, I saw birds mating, and I see my mind reacting. And the thoughts flashed through my mind...even if I go to the forest, oh dearie I cant escape Mara. (Mara is the lure)
It is very beneficial to have a wish to become a monk. But check yourself on these checkpoints:
What are you running from? You can not run from the world or from material things, as long as you breathe. Cant disrespect the need for these either. But you can turn from greed, ill-will and aversion, completely.
What if you find a true teacher? Be with the teacher, and learn with him. If you then give up the home and take to the forest for seclusion, and for study, and practice of meditation. Go ahead.
There is also suitability to become a monk. Are you in the right frame of mind. Do you feel positive and not dejected (from the world). Is the motive learning and humility and not some magical propaganda. And are you capable, healthy mind, able body, if you are young it helps. (say if u r below 25 you can expect results in this very life easily), also if you have the acumen, to grasp ideas easily,leading to Right View ...
For me, it has been difficult to practice in the world, I have gone on retreats. If I found an ideal monastry I will immediately be there. In fact, I tried. Being a woman is not easy. But I see I can practice being in this world, and come in touch with many many people, and spread dhamma. Its true I would have grown better in a more conducive environment. But many lay people have been able to make progress.
I have learnt something. Its about how dedicated you are, whether a monk in robes or no! Knowing the right concentration and being skillful in 37 factors of enlightenment
http://www.nic.fi/~laan/factors.htm
Metta
Being in the World and not of it!
Letter II
... I dont quite remember the age stuff. But also, its a convention. It is understood that for some people it took just minutes after they met the teacher to reach awakening. I heard of one monk who was around 90 years of age who took a few minutes during the time buddha* was teaching this technique himself. Age is mere convention. It is said to refer perhaps that you need an energised mind and body ... and after a point in meditation this energy becomes a factor. Factor in the sense that monks (anyone who practices, with morality, concentration and wisdom), can arouse energy even if the body is sick and so forth. Also people who have had some kind of experience and have been practicing a clean life take much less time to understand and practice, since they know what is material and that there is suffering in material pleasure, and there is release too. You will see what you call material as mere energy, but lets not go there right now.
Also, monks are able to witness mental phenomenon clearly. It is this awareness that helps one to come out of illusion (maya), and even as one resides in this world, one becomes not of it. This process starts with something very basic, like being aware of your posture, for physical phenomenon. Then as some teachers kindly suggest, being aware of the 'breath' which is kind of both mind and body-based phenomenon (you will discover in the course, nothing is to be believed, but lived). Then you start becoming aware of mind states, oh I feel ill-will, or jealousy, or fear, or displeasure, and then effectively, now my mind if free from ill-will, free from jealousy ...and so forth. Skillfully one observes any mind state that comes up with detachment, neither tagging it as good or bad. If anger comes up, you dont react to it, just observe it. Sometimes boredom comes and people start feeling sad, why they came to the course, why they are wasting time, it is important to understand even that as a mind-state, and to observe even that with detachment, neither good, nor bad. Mind keeps throwing u- GIGO. When one can observe skillfully without getting trapped by emotions, one can enter access concentration. Thats for now.
I wish to share another small thing. Sometimes you need refuge from the world to actually observe what is going on. When in college, I had recently come back from Vipassana and had no one to guide me in it. I sometimes wanted to practice longer. I remember sitting for six hours one day and getting up feeling light. I read years and years later that some monks in Burma can sit for three hours, even four six hours (some sit for 24). But I could see people exclaiming at even three hour sitting. So, yes, you sometimes need refuge and do these things. I practice regularly, and go out only when I have to. I dont watch tv at all, I think I cant find time for it. So being a monk is more of a personal decision. The world doesnt have to partake, no teacher has to rule, and no monastry has to be there, heart monastry.
Here is something that makes for a good read:
http://minddeep.blogspot.com/2010/10/monastery-within.html
Much lv
PoojaY
*Buddha: refers to a person who is fully enlightened. Avatar is a person who shines in some aspect of dhamma, say Harishchnadra for truth, or Nanak ...history is rife. Buddha is someone who has accomplished all aspects of truth to reach enlightenment, these people can actually teach the path, to reach practicing what Nanak and Kabir witnessed and described, Jesus was a true saint...religion can never frame these guys, nor can words describe their experiences, but yes, there is a path:
Noble Truths:
Thus is the Noble Truth of Suffering
Thus is the Noble Truth of the Accumulation of Suffering
Thus is the Noble Truth of the Elimination of Suffering
Thus is the Noble Truth of the Path that Leads Away from Suffering
Nanak
“As fragrance abides in the flower
As reflection is within the mirror,
So does your Lord abide within you,
Why search for him without?”
Many earlier Buddhas practiced near Bodh Gaya. This is a very old technique you are going to learn. We will talk about 'time' sometime.
