Question

[LunaLiuna]

Hello everyone.

I highly doubt anyone will be able to answer me here, but does anyone have any experience on pursuing a monastic life?

I'm surrounded by people who have no idea what I'm on about.

Thank you!

[ray52]

Are you considering that way of life ? it needs to be for the right reasons and not just to get away from problems you have now or you wont find the peace your looking for. If you are a religious person and your have a calling then go for it. Just be sure its what you really want.

[MRS STRESS ED]

Hello everyone.

I highly doubt anyone will be able to answer me here, but does anyone have any experience on pursuing a monastic life?

I'm surrounded by people who have no idea what I'm on about.

Thank you!

I have never thought of having that life style is that something you would like to do luna ,and why do people not understand you ,do you mean becoming a monk xx

[SarahH]

...a monk Luna? ...

[LunaLiuna]

I'm incredibly interested in Eastern thought, especially that of the Hindu's and Tibetan Buddhists. I have been for the past three years and although I know every other walk of life is necessary I feel completely shut off from it. I can't understand why many people find material wealth more important than it's opposite.

All I want to do is help people, I can find no use in wasting countless days of my life working in a failing system built on greed and violence.

Sorry if I sound a little... Passionate? I just want to make myself as good of a person I can too help and inspire other people with teachings I've found most beneficial to myself. The two faiths I mentioned embodie this which is why I want too devote my life to them.

Ray- Yes, I must admit when I started it was from a fairly casual ego feeding pursuit full of the obvious thought patterns. But that's since changed and it's honestly helped me.

Stress Ed- Yes it is how I would like to live. I suppose I live it already!

Sarah- Yes or what's known as a Swami in Hindi, Bhikku in Tibetan.

DeadMan- Indeed it is. A beautiful change

[ray52]

Well Luna if you decide to go this route and it sounds like you have found a life that would fulfil you, I wish you all the best and every happiness

[MRS STRESS ED]

Luna if you have found what you truly want im very pleased for you ,Ive got to admire you as it is a life time commitment wishing you well xx

[MyNameIsTerry]

I think you were right because you really need to speak to soomeone who lives this kind of life. It's a massive commitment as you will be forgoing a lot of the regular experiences we get from life to follow a different path.

I think it's great that you want to do this. I want to become more spiritual and disgard some of my less productive attributes, which I think will really move me on with my anxiety as well as for the other benefits.

Have you considered going on a retreat maybe? I remember seeing a Mindfulness retreat where you only donate after the 10 days are up, so no ridiculously high bootcamp fees. I recall that involved 10 whole days of living a Mindful life and involved aspects that I would see as monastic e.g. rising very early to perform exercises.

It might be a good way to assess whether it's what you want. Monastic life is going to be more spartan than how we live in regular society so you need to be fully aware of what it involves.

There are plenty of ways to be charitable and live your life without following materialistic trends if you don't want to go the whole hog though.

In terms of a flawed system built on greed and violence, it's been that way since we lived in caves...it's who we are. All we can do is the best we can, we can't change the world and it never will change, it only moves forward. We have to remember that our countries and ways of life have been built off the backs of others blood, much of which by normal everyday people who gave their lives for us to have a democracy. I think this is something that you can only do your best against and resolve within yourself or it will eat away at you, and no one wants that for you.