The Initiation of a
Buddhist Monk
Rockford Register Star
Jan 7, 2017 Channing Kari
Becoming a nun or a monk in
America is seen as an extreme. It's typically a lifelong commitment
that none except a rare few even consider (despite the all too
common "I seriously think I'll just become a nun" comments
routinely muttered by the exhausted players in the dating world).
When we think of the life of a religious servant, we usually
conjure up images of drab clothing and darkened hallways, prayers
and hymns muttered by the reclusive.
Buddhist monks, however,
are a visible part of the Thai community. I see them daily: walking
the sidewalks, barefoot; interacting with students; perched on the
backs of motorbikes. Easily distinguishable by their bald heads and
dark orange robes, they live within the temples that tourists so
often visit, from the mountainous beauty of Chiang Mai's Doi Suthep
to the smallest streetside temples of the southern islands. These
men are not allowed to a touch a woman in any way, nor are they
even allowed to accept anything directly from her hand; if I were
to pass a monk a bottle of water, I would have to first set it down
upon a table before he is allowed to pick it up. Direct eye contact
with a woman, while not strictly forbidden, is considered a rather
risqué interaction that should be treated with care.
At the age of 21, a great
majority of Thai boys dedicate three months of their lives to the
monkhood. Some, however, enter into the monkhood later in life, for
an equally brief amount of time or, perhaps, for the rest of their
lives. This December, I was invited to the initiation ceremony of a
man in his fifties who had decided to enter the monkhood in honor
of the late king Bhumibol Adulyadej.
He began the ceremony
adorned in a knee-length white robe, bookended by his elderly
mentor and his wife, whose skin he would soon not be able to touch.
Surrounded by a large group of family and friends, all carrying
various assortments of yellow and white flowers, the monk-to-be
began the traditional procession around the temple. Marching in
their own parade, the group orbits the wat, one woman at the front
singing out a joyous Thai hymn while the dozens of followers echo
her words back to her. Within a basket next to the honoree are
hundreds of candies, decorations, and coins that have been woven
into bows. Reaching in, he grasps a handful and tosses them over
the surrounding fence, where a mixture of enthusiastic children and
impoverished beggars tumble over each other to seize
them.
The parade over, about half
of the audience follows our honoree inside, where the entire
congregation of monks is waiting, seated in rows before the image
of the Buddha. For nearly an hour, the existing monks pray with
their new brother, pausing to fully explain the limitations of the
oath he is about to take. He must renounce all worldly goods, and
forego all relationships but the one he has with the spirit of
Buddha. Once accepted into the brotherhood, he is stripped of his
white robe and wrapped in his own orange drapery, changing from one
into the other right there in the temple while his audience chants
a prayer.
There is no limit to how
long he will stay here; it could be a month, it could be ten years.
Every morning, he will now take to the streets, where his daily
food will be given to him by the generous members of the community.
He will spend his days in prayer, meditating, or completing chores.
It is hard to speculate on anything more specific, as monks are, in
their vows, barred from speaking of their temple experiences with
anyone.
I admire the bravery of
these men and the depth of their faith; I applaud their ability to
let go of all of the worldly constructs that most of us hold onto
so tightly. As for this particular new monk, I hope that whatever
he is searching for within himself, he is able to find within those
temple walls.
Just like to provide some
general knowledge of Buddhism and also let the Buddhist community
here know what is going on around them on things that may in some
way or other affect Buddhism as a whole.