My Ordination Experiences (part 3)

When we joined the Dhammakaya Temple, I was very happy to learn that they also had ordination programs. My first time ordaining, I did it alone. Since it was during the school year, not many people are willing to ordain during that time. We were unaware that there were ordination training programs during the summer, but I had a wonderful and enlightening experience ordaining alone nonetheless.

I joined the Dhammadayada Program (the name Dhammakaya gives to the youth training programs. "Dhamma" is wisdom; "Dayad" is an inheritor; therefore Dhammadayadada means the inheritor of wisdom.)

The first thing everyone does is get registered. We fill out all the necessary paperwork like who they can contact in case of an emergency, the rules and regulations, health examination conducted by nurses and doctors and lastly a short interview with a monk. The monk will usually ask a number of questions like: What made you decide to ordain this year? Do you think you can wake up early? Are you willing to work on building good habits to better yourself? 

After registration is finished, we also have a bag check. The bag check is to help the trainees take out all unnecessary items and give them to the parents to take home. Usually things like cell phones, iPods, video games, or anything else that may disrupt the training and peaceful atmosphere.

The training itself is only two weeks long. One week as a layperson learning how to be a novice, then one week living as a novice. Although some of the kids will not be happy to be away from their technology, they end up appreciating their possessions more later and some learn the valuable lesson of what is a want compared to a need.

The first days we begin with teamwork exercises and getting to know each other. It is a wonderful first day because anyone that is new gains many new friends right from the beginning. We start by having fun and beginning a special project that our year will be responsible for. The project would be something beneficial to the temple, the followers or the kids. Some examples of projects we would do could be building a small stairway, planting trees, cleaning various parts of the temple, or sometimes installing or building a basketball court that the kids can enjoy during weekends. I have found that these kind of projects would truly create a good feeling of teamwork and friendship within the young men.

My Ordination Experiences (part 2)

Image from Yelp.com (Wat Padhammachart)

Before going to Dhammakaya, the temple I went to gave me a good basic foundation of Buddhism. Before going to the temple, my understanding of Buddhism was very little.

          (Understanding of Buddhism as a child before age 10)
                    1. Bow 3 times to Buddha
                    2. Bow 3 times to monks (people wearing orange)

Funny story in my childhood. Our family went to Thailand and it was during the monsoon season. It was raining very hard outside as we drove somewhere. I saw a monk out in the rain directing traffic so I bowed to him.

     Mom: Why are you bowing?
     Me: There is a monk outside
              (Mom looks out the car window and sees a police officer in a bright orange raincoat)
     Mom: That's not a monk.


From that first ordination, my basic Buddhism has increased to:

          1. Pay respect to the Triple Gems (Buddha, Dhamma, Sangha)
          2. Keep 5 precepts
                   -No killing
                   -No stealing
                   -No Sexual misconduct (adultery)
                   -No lying
                   -No drugs or alcohol
          3. Make more merit by giving, keeping precepts, and meditation.

From ordination, no matter what temple you join or go to, ordination has benefits to help you have some knowledge in how to live life more successfully and to have a guide in how to live your life morally and be loved by everyone you meet.

My Ordination Experiences (part 1)

Ordination is a word that means to become a monk, priest, clerical or religious figure. In Buddhist culture, all boys and men are encouraged to ordain as a novice or monk at least once in their lives. The analogy is that by ordaining as a monk, the merit or goodness you accumulate during your time as a monk will close the gates of hell and open the gates of heaven for your parents. It is considered the absolute greatest way to show your appreciation and respect to your parents who have sacrificed much to help raise you to become the person you are today. Being from a Buddhist family

My first time ordaining as a novice monk was when I was ten years old. My family hadn't heard of Dhammkaya temple yet. At the time we went to another temple near our home. I ordained alone during the school year. It was planned for only three days (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday) but I ended up extending it to the following weekend (from 3 days to 10 days). I never knew what monks did or what the life of a monk was like, but I knew one thing, I liked it. Something about the life of a monk just felt right to me. I realized at that young age that I wanted to become a monk someday.

Me at 10 years old

During that time as a novice, the schedule wasn't easy as many people think. Most people think monks just sit around and don't do anything. Not true at all. The schedule was roughly like this: wake up 4am, morning chanting meditation, have breakfast, clean the temple, have lunch, clean other parts of the temple, fix and maintenance of the temple (I was a small boy, I did whatever I could help with) and then evening chanting and meditation, then go to sleep. They spent a lot of time meditating. Some days I was asked to help teach the monks English. But you can only learn so much from a 10 year old.

Overall the monks were very kind and took care of me like a older brothers. They would point out what I should do and what I shouldn't and always taught in a kind way and helped me understand by using stories. My first experience ordaining was from a different temple and the year after that, my family found Dhammakaya Temple.

                                                           (To be continued...)