Becoming a Buddhist Monk: A Path to Enlightenment | Calm Mind

Becoming a Buddhist Monk: A Path to Enlightenment

    Becoming a Buddhist monk is a journey of self-discovery, discipline, and spiritual growth. It is not merely about donning the robes or shaving the head but about embracing a life of simplicity, mindfulness, and devotion to the teachings of Lord Buddha. This path is beautifully illustrated in the Ganaka Moggallana Sutta, which provides a systematic approach to becoming a perfect monk. In this article, we will explore the step-by-step process, the life of a novice monk, the path to becoming an Upasampada Bhikkhu, and the extraordinary lifestyle that defines Buddhist monastic life.

Who is a Buddhist Monk?

A Buddhist monk, or Bhikkhu, is an individual who has renounced worldly pleasures and dedicated their life to the practice of the Buddha's teachings. They seek liberation from suffering by cultivating wisdom, morality, and mental discipline. Monks live a life of simplicity, humility, and detachment, relying on the generosity of laypeople for sustenance. They serve as teachers, role models, and spiritual guides for the community while focusing on their spiritual development through meditation and the propagation of the Dhamma.

The Journey Begins: Becoming a Samanera (Novice Monk)

The first step towards becoming a Buddhist monk is to enter the monastic community as a Samanera or novice monk. This stage is open to males under the age of 20 and serves as a preparatory period for full ordination. A novice monk is required to shave his head, wear the traditional robes, and take refuge in the Triple Gem: the Buddha, the Dhamma (teachings), and the Sangha (community of monks).

Protecting the 10 Samanera Precepts

A Samanera must observe and protect the following 10 precepts:

1. Refrain from taking life – Practicing non-violence and compassion.
2. Refrain from stealing – Upholding honesty and respect for others' belongings.
3. Refrain from all sexual activity – Maintaining purity and self-discipline.
4. Refrain from false speech – Practicing truthfulness and integrity.
5. Refrain from intoxicants – Avoiding substances that cloud the mind.
6. Refrain from eating after noon – Following a disciplined eating schedule.
7. Refrain from dancing, singing, music, and entertainment – Fostering mindfulness.
8. Refrain from wearing garlands, perfumes, and cosmetics – Embracing simplicity.
9. Refrain from luxurious and high seats – Practicing humility and modesty.
10. Refrain from handling money – Relying on alms and donations for sustenance.

These precepts help a novice monk cultivate moral discipline and mindfulness, laying a strong foundation for spiritual growth.

The Path to Upasampada: Full Ordination as a Bhikkhu

After completing the Samanera stage and reaching the age of 20, a novice monk becomes eligible for Upasampada, the higher ordination to become a Bhikkhu. This marks a significant milestone in a monk's spiritual journey, signifying full membership in the monastic Sangha.

Requirements for Upasampada Ordination

To receive Upasampada, a candidate must:

• Be at least 20 years old.
• Be free from debts and obligations.
• Obtain parental consent.
• Have a clear understanding of the monastic rules and discipline.
• Be approved by at least ten senior monks during the ordination ceremony.

The ordination ceremony involves chanting the Upasampada Kammavaca, during which the candidate vows to observe the 227 rules of the Patimokkha, the code of monastic discipline. These rules guide a monk's conduct, interactions, and lifestyle.

A Beautiful and Hassle-Free Lifestyle

The life of a Buddhist monk is serene, simple, and free from worldly distractions. Monks live with minimal possessions, holding only three robes and a bowl. They follow a structured daily routine that includes meditation, chanting, studying the Dhamma, and going on alms rounds to collect food. This minimalist lifestyle allows monks to focus entirely on spiritual cultivation and self-purification.

No Job, Only a Noble Duty

A Buddhist monk does not engage in worldly professions or occupations. Their only duty is to propagate the Buddha's teachings, guide disciples on the path to enlightenment, and meditate for their spiritual perfection. By devoting themselves to these noble tasks, monks become living examples of the Dhamma, inspiring others to walk the path of righteousness.

The Rarest and Luckiest Life

Living as a Buddhist monk is considered one of the rarest and most fortunate human experiences. It is an opportunity to renounce suffering, achieve inner peace, and attain liberation from the cycle of birth and death (Samsara). The Ganaka Moggallana Sutta beautifully illustrates the systematic approach to monastic training, emphasizing discipline, mindfulness, and wisdom as the pillars of monkhood.

Read the Ganaka Moggallana Sutta for Deeper Understanding

The Ganaka Moggallana Sutta serves as an excellent guide for anyone interested in the monastic path. It outlines the step-by-step training process that leads to spiritual perfection, highlighting the importance of moral discipline, concentration, and insight.

• Middle Discourses 107

With Moggallāna the Accountant

    So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in the stilt longhouse of Migāra’s mother in the Eastern Monastery. Then the brahmin Moggallāna the Accountant went up to the Buddha, and exchanged greetings with him. When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he sat down to one side and said to the Buddha:

“Worthy Gotama, in this stilt longhouse we can see gradual progress down to the last step of the staircase. Among the brahmins we can see gradual progress in recitation. Among archers we can see gradual progress in archery. Among us accountants, who earn a living by accounting, we can see gradual progress in mathematics. For when we get an apprentice we first make them count: ‘One one, two twos, three threes, four fours, five fives, six sixes, seven sevens, eight eights, nine nines, ten tens. We even make them count up to a hundred. Is it possible to similarly describe a gradual training, gradual progress, and gradual practice in this teaching and training?”

“It is possible, brahmin. Suppose a deft horse trainer were to obtain a fine thoroughbred. First of all he’d make it get used to wearing the bit. In the same way, when the Realized One gets a person for training they first guide them like this: ‘Come, mendicant, be ethical and restrained in the monastic code, conducting yourself well and resorting for alms in suitable places. Seeing danger in the slightest fault, keep the rules you’ve undertaken.’

When they have ethical conduct, the Realized One guides them further: ‘Come, mendicant, guard your sense doors. When you see a sight with your eyes, don’t get caught up in the features and details. If the faculty of sight were left unrestrained, bad unskillful qualities of covetousness and displeasure would become overwhelming. For this reason, practice restraint, protect the faculty of sight, and achieve restraint over it. When you hear a sound with your ears … When you smell an odor with your nose … When you taste a flavor with your tongue … When you feel a touch with your body … When you know an idea with your mind, don’t get caught up in the features and details. If the faculty of mind were left unrestrained, bad unskillful qualities of covetousness and displeasure would become overwhelming. For this reason, practice restraint, protect the faculty of mind, and achieve its restraint.’

When they guard their sense doors, the Realized One guides them further: ‘Come, mendicant, eat in moderation. Reflect rationally on the food that you eat: ‘Not for fun, indulgence, adornment, or decoration, but only to sustain this body, to avoid harm, and to support spiritual practice. In this way, I shall put an end to old discomfort and not give rise to new discomfort, and I will have the means to keep going, blamelessness, and a comfortable abiding.’

When they eat in moderation, the Realized One guides them further: ‘Come, mendicant, be committed to wakefulness. Practice walking and sitting meditation by day, purifying your mind from obstacles. In the first watch of the night, continue to practice walking and sitting meditation. In the middle watch, lie down in the lion’s posture on the right side, placing one foot on top of the other  mindful and aware, and focused on the time of getting up. In the last watch, get up and continue to practice walking and sitting meditation, purifying your mind from obstacles.’

When they are committed to wakefulness, the Realized One guides them further: ‘Come, mendicant, have mindfulness and situational awareness. Act with situational awareness when going out and coming back; when looking ahead and aside; when bending and extending the limbs; when bearing the outer robe, bowl and robes; when eating, drinking, chewing, and tasting; when urinating and defecating; when walking, standing, sitting, sleeping, waking, speaking, and keeping silent.’

When they have mindfulness and situational awareness, the Realized One guides them further: ‘Come, mendicant, frequent a secluded lodging a wilderness, the root of a tree, a hill, a ravine, a mountain cave, a charnel ground, a forest, the open air, a heap of straw.’ And they do so.

After the meal, they return from alms round, sit down cross-legged, set their body straight, and establish mindfulness in their presence. Giving up covetousness for the world, they meditate with a heart rid of covetousness, cleansing the mind of covetousness. Giving up ill will and malevolence, they meditate with a mind rid of ill will, full of sympathy for all living beings, cleansing the mind of ill will. Giving up dullness and drowsiness, they meditate with a mind rid of dullness and drowsiness, perceiving light, mindful and aware, cleansing the mind of dullness and drowsiness. Giving up restlessness and remorse, they meditate without restlessness, their mind peaceful inside, cleansing the mind of restlessness and remorse. Giving up doubt, they meditate having gone beyond doubt, not undecided about skillful qualities, cleansing the mind of doubt.

They give up these five hindrances, corruptions of the heart that weaken wisdom. Then, quite secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unskillful qualities, they enter and remain in the first absorption, which has the rapture and bliss born of seclusion, while placing the mind and keeping it connected. As the placing of the mind and keeping it connected are stilled, they enter and remain in the second absorption, which has the rapture and bliss born of immersion, with internal clarity and mind at one, without placing the mind and keeping it connected. And with the fading away of rapture, they enter and remain in the third absorption, where they meditate with equanimity, mindful and aware, personally experiencing the bliss of which the noble ones declare, ‘Equanimous and mindful, one meditates in bliss.’ Giving up pleasure and pain, and ending former happiness and sadness, they enter and remain in the fourth absorption, without pleasure or pain, with pure equanimity and mindfulness.

That’s how I instruct the mendicants who are trainees who haven’t achieved their heart’s desire, but live aspiring to the supreme sanctuary from the yoke But for those mendicants who are perfected who have ended the defilements, completed the spiritual journey, done what had to be done, laid down the burden, achieved their own goal, utterly ended the fetter of continued existence, and are rightly freed through enlightenment these things lead to blissful meditation in this life, and to mindfulness and awareness.”

When he had spoken, Moggallāna the Accountant said to the Buddha, “When his disciples are instructed and advised like this by the worthy Gotama, do all of them achieve the ultimate goal, extinguishment, or do some of them fail?”

“Some succeed, while others fail.”

“What is the cause, worthy Gotama, what is the reason why, though extinguishment is present, the path leading to extinguishment is present, and the worthy Gotama is present to encourage them, still some succeed while others fail?”

“Well then, brahmin, I’ll ask you about this in return, and you can answer as you like. What do you think, brahmin? Are you skilled in the road to Rājagaha?” 

“Yes, I am.”

“What do you think, brahmin? Suppose a person was to come along who wanted to go to Rājagaha. He’d approach you and say: ‘Sir, I wish to go to Rājagaha. Please point out the road to Rājagaha.’ You’d say to them: ‘Here, worthy man, this road goes to Rājagaha. Go along it for an hour, and you’ll see a certain village. Go along an hour further, and you’ll see a certain town. Go along an hour further and you’ll see Rājagaha with its delightful parks, woods, meadows, and lotus ponds.’ Instructed like this by you, they might still take the wrong road, heading west. But a second person might come with the same question and receive the same instructions. Instructed by you, they might safely arrive at Rājagaha. What is the cause, brahmin, what is the reason why, though Rājagaha is present, the path leading to Rājagaha is present, and you are there to encourage them, one person takes the wrong path and heads west, while another arrives safely at Rājagaha?”

“What can I do about that, worthy Gotama? I am the one who shows the way.” 

“In the same way, though extinguishment is present, the path leading to extinguishment is present, and I am present to encourage them, still some of my disciples, instructed and advised like this, achieve the ultimate goal, extinguishment, while some of them fail. What can I do about that, brahmin? The Realized One is the one who shows the way.”

When he had spoken, Moggallāna the Accountant said to the Buddha, “Worthy Gotama, there are those faithless people who went forth from the lay life to homelessness not out of faith but to earn a livelihood. They’re devious, deceitful, and sneaky. They’re restless, insolent, fickle, scurrilous, and loose-tongued. They do not guard their sense doors or eat in moderation, and they are not committed to wakefulness. They don’t care about the ascetic life, and don’t keenly respect the training. They’re indulgent and slack, leaders in backsliding, neglecting seclusion, lazy, and lacking energy. They’re unmindful, lacking situational awareness and immersion, with straying minds, witless and idiotic. the worthy Gotama does not live together with these.

But there are those gentlemen who went forth from the lay life to homelessness out of faith. They’re not devious, deceitful, and sneaky. They’re not restless, insolent, fickle, scurrilous, and loose-tongued. They guard their sense doors and eat in moderation, and they are committed to wakefulness. They care about the ascetic life, and keenly respect the training. They’re not indulgent or slack, nor are they leaders in backsliding, neglecting seclusion. They’re energetic and determined. They’re mindful, with situational awareness, immersion, and unified minds; wise and clever. the worthy Gotama does live together with these.

Of all kinds of fragrant root, spikenard is said to be the best. Of all kinds of fragrant heartwood, red sandalwood is said to be the best. Of all kinds of fragrant flower, jasmine is said to be the best. In the same way, worthy Gotama’s advice is the best of contemporary teachings.

Excellent, worthy Gotama! Excellent! As if he were righting the overturned, or revealing the hidden, or pointing out the path to the lost, or lighting a lamp in the dark so people with clear eyes can see what’s there, worthy Gotama has made the Teaching clear in many ways. I go for refuge to the worthy Gotama, to the teaching, and to the mendicant Saṅgha. From this day forth, may the worthy Gotama remember me as a lay follower who has gone for refuge for life.”

Admiring Monkhood and Encouragement to Explore Buddha's Discourses

Buddhist monkhood is a life of unparalleled simplicity, peace, and spiritual fulfillment. It is an existence free from material desires, conflicts, and distractions, allowing one to fully dedicate themselves to the pursuit of wisdom and liberation. For those inspired by this noble path, reading the Buddha's discourses regularly is highly encouraged. These teachings provide profound insights into the nature of existence, suffering, and the path to enlightenment.

Conclusion

Becoming a perfect Buddhist monk is a journey of self-transformation, requiring discipline, humility, and unwavering commitment to the Dhamma. It begins with the decision to become a Samanera, observing the 10 precepts, and progresses to full ordination as an Upasampada Bhikkhu. Guided by the Ganaka Moggallana Sutta, a monk lives a life of simplicity, meditation, and the propagation of the Buddha's teachings. This rare and noble existence is truly the luckiest opportunity for spiritual awakening and liberation.

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FAQs

1. What is the first step to becoming a Buddhist monk?

   • The first step is to become a Samanera (novice monk) and observe the 10 Samanera precepts.

2. How old must one be for Upasampada ordination?

   • A candidate must be at least 20 years old for Upasampada ordination.

3. Why do Buddhist monks have only three robes and a bowl?

   • This symbolizes simplicity, detachment from materialism, and contentment with minimal possessions.

4. What is the primary duty of a Buddhist monk?

   • The primary duty is to propagate the Buddha's teachings and meditate for spiritual perfection.

5. Why is monkhood considered the luckiest life?

   • It offers a rare opportunity to pursue liberation from suffering and attain enlightenment.

Namo Buddhaya!