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Discover how to dedicate your life to monasticism
A monk is an individual who retreats from society to focus on spiritual service. Many religions feature monastic traditions, with Christianity and Buddhism being the most well-known. The journey to becoming a monk involves deep study, commitment, and years of preparation and transformation. If you’re considering a life in the monastery, continue reading as we guide you through the steps to becoming a Christian or Buddhist monk.
The Path to Monastic Life
No matter the religion, you must dedicate yourself to your faith and be prepared to renounce worldly pleasures. Visit a monastery to gain insight into monastic life and request to join as a novice. Continue to learn about the monastic lifestyle as you advance through the stages until you are fully ordained as a monk.
Process
How to Become a Buddhist Monk
Study the teachings of Buddhism. Before seeking a teacher to guide you in your desire to become a monk, it’s essential to deeply understand the Buddhist tradition, immerse yourself in its scriptures, and explore its philosophies. Begin your monkhood journey by committing yourself to learning about Buddhism.
- As you dedicate yourself to your faith, incorporate daily study and prayer multiple times a day. Aim to live your beliefs through every action and decision.
- While anyone can embrace Buddhism, the path to monkhood requires that you are male. In certain traditions, women may enter as Buddhist nuns.
Find a teacher. To join the monastic life, you’ll need a teacher to give you permission to be ordained. Finding the right teacher may take time, depending on your background and location, but it’s entirely possible. Seek out Buddhist temples nearby, or travel to regions where Buddhism thrives. Keep your heart open, and trust it will guide you to the right teacher.
- Consider reaching out to Buddhist teachers in your region through letters or emails, sharing your journey and your reasons for wanting to become a monk.
- You can also visit local Buddhist temples to see if they’re open to a face-to-face conversation with you.
- When you connect with a teacher, ask as many questions as possible to learn more about their practices and teachings. This will help you determine if it’s the right fit for your path.
Develop a meditation practice. Meditation is a key pillar of the Buddhist monastic tradition. For some Buddhist orders, meditation holds greater importance than even knowledge of Buddhist scriptures. Being able to show your dedication to meditation could be crucial to proving your readiness for monastic life.
Investigate various monasteries and their criteria. While there are universal guidelines for Buddhist monks, different monasteries may have their own specific requirements, such as age restrictions. Try living according to their rules before fully committing to see if this lifestyle suits you. Here are some common considerations:
- Celibacy: Most Buddhist monks embrace celibacy. Take some time to reflect on whether you can live without romantic or sexual relationships.
- Living away from family: Buddhist monks generally reside in temples, and some orders allow visits from family members only occasionally. However, writing letters and receiving visitors is often allowed.
- Community life: Monastic orders typically live in close-knit communities, sharing meals, living spaces, and possessions. You may want to experience communal living by seeking similar arrangements in your area first.
- Letting go of material possessions: Monks are often required to leave behind personal belongings, including items like cell phones, and enter the monastery with nothing.
- No financial obligations: Some monasteries require their members to forgo personal financial matters, such as bank accounts and credit cards, as they focus fully on the community. It’s important to check if your chosen monastery expects this commitment from you.
- Monasteries may also have age and health requirements. Typically, candidates must be younger than 50, though some temples may have stricter limits. Additionally, good physical and mental health is necessary, and certain health conditions may disqualify you.
Stay at a monastery. The specific requirements may vary by monastery, but typically, you will spend several weeks to a few months at a monastery. This period allows you to immerse yourself in monastic life, while the sangha (the monastic community) will evaluate if you are suited for their temple.
- If you plan to stay longer than a week or two, you will need approval from the monastery. Contact them beforehand to inquire about the necessary steps. You may be asked to submit a letter requesting an extended stay.
Become an aspirant. After your time at the monastery, you may request to be considered as an aspirant for ordination. If the sangha approves, you’ll be paired with a mentor who will guide you in your training.
- Some orders may require you to submit a letter to the sangha expressing your desire to become an aspirant. The letter should detail your background, experiences with Buddhism, and your intentions to join the monastic community.
- While awaiting approval, you will participate in monastic activities as a postulant, living according to the rules of the monastery.
Be ordained as a novice, or samanera. After your time as an aspirant, the community will decide if you’re ready for ordination as a novice, or samanera. The duration of novicehood may vary, but it is often around three years. During this time, you will continue your training without receiving full ordination, but you’ll be treated as a monk.
- Depending on the order, you may be required to shave your head when you are formally ordained as a novice.
Take your lifelong vows and become a bhikkhu. A bhikkhu is a fully-ordained Buddhist monk. After completing your time as a novice, you will take vows to dedicate your life to monastic service. This includes committing to celibacy and letting go of worldly possessions, if you haven’t already done so.
Serve in your temple for at least 5 years. Once ordained as a Buddhist monk, you will typically remain at your monastery for a minimum of five years. Being a monk means joining the sangha, a religious community dedicated to studying and practicing the teachings of Buddha, while also sharing those teachings with others. Over your five (or more) years, you will deepen your connection with the sangha and contribute to its growth and unity.
How to Become a Christian Monk
Determine whether God is calling you to a monastic life. The Catholic Church recognizes four primary vocations: single life, married life, priesthood, and religious life. Many monasteries encourage those considering monkhood to first explore other vocations before making a final decision. If you feel called to this path, research the various vocations and engage in daily prayer. Seek guidance from family, friends, and spiritual leaders to help understand God’s calling for you.
- Vocations are different roles within the Church that reflect God’s call and the needs of His people. Monkhood is part of the religious life, where individuals pursue a deep, personal relationship with Christ.
- The priesthood is for those seeking to understand and share God’s word, while married life is dedicated to holiness and commitment to a spouse.
- Single life is often a period of discernment before committing to another vocation.
- Monasteries recommend trying other vocations to ensure monkhood is truly the right fit. For instance, you might explore relationships and dating to determine if you’re drawn to married life, since monks commit to celibacy.
- If you’ve explored all four vocations and still feel uncertain, continue praying and seeking guidance from others, and perhaps consult with a Vocation Guide (similar to a spiritual director).
Visit a monastery. Research various monasteries and abbeys to find one that aligns with your interests and welcomes visitors. While monasteries share common rules, each one may have its own specific requirements for joining. Visiting a monastery will give you insight into their daily routine and the expectations placed on monks.
- Many monasteries are open to potential devotees, with some allowing short stays. Consider visiting multiple times to gain a full understanding of the monastic life.
- Some monasteries offer guest accommodations, where visitors agree to follow rules such as curfews and maintaining silence during certain hours.
- You might also consider participating in a monastic retreat, where you’ll experience the daily routine of the monastery first-hand.
- Keep in mind that some monasteries may have age restrictions for those looking to join. Be sure to confirm whether you meet the age requirements during your research and visits.
Commit to letting go of worldly experiences and possessions. After visiting a monastery, take time to seriously consider whether you are ready to make the personal sacrifices required for monastic life. While you don’t need to renounce everything before joining, it may be helpful to begin practicing detachment from worldly things. Here are some common monastic practices to consider:
- Committing to celibacy: Most monastic communities embrace celibacy, so it’s important to take a personal vow of celibacy to see if you’re prepared for this commitment. This will demonstrate the depth of your devotion when you approach a monastery.
- Communal living: Most monks live in close-knit communities, sharing everything from meals to personal quarters. You can test this lifestyle by joining a communal living arrangement in your area.
- Giving up personal possessions: Monks generally relinquish ownership of their belongings, often donating them to the Church. You can experience a similar life by donating some of your possessions and embracing a simpler lifestyle.
Apply for candidacy. When applying for candidacy, you are asking the monks at your chosen monastery to consider you as a potential monk. Typically, you will live with them for three months, following their rules and engaging in daily prayer, work, and study. This period is for discernment, and you won’t make any vows during this time.
- The specific application process may vary, so be sure to contact the monastery to find out how to apply.
- If you feel that monastic life isn’t for you, you are free to leave at any point during this period. Likewise, if the community determines you are not suited for this path, they may ask you to leave.
Embark on the journey as a novice. The novice stage marks the initial phase of monastic life. After completing your candidacy, you will formally express your desire to become a monk before the community and receive the monastic habit. This stage usually lasts around a year, during which you continue to delve into the vocation within the monastic community.
- The primary role of a novice is to deepen their understanding of the monastic calling while practicing humility and obedience. Depending on the monastery, you may learn directly from an Abbot, religious scholars, and/or the formation director.
- In some traditions, there may be multiple levels of novicehood to progress through.
- Novices have the option to leave at any time, or the community may decide to ask them to leave.
- While different monasteries may use varying names for these stages, such as postulates in some abbeys, the underlying structure and expectations remain similar, with the novitiate being the period that follows the initial entry.
Take temporary vows as a juniorate. After completing your novitiate, you will be invited to take temporary vows, typically for a duration of three years. As a juniorate, you will have more freedom compared to a novice, gaining a clearer understanding of the life of a fully professed monk. This stage also involves engaging in specific tasks, honing practical skills, and advancing in professional studies.
- The vows you take will vary by order, but they will certainly reflect a deep commitment to God, celibacy, and a renunciation of material wealth.
- In some traditions, this stage might be referred to as the postulate or by another name, depending on the specific monastic community.
Make your final commitment to the monastic life. After completing the juniorate, you will be invited to make a permanent commitment to the monastic community. This step culminates in your ordination as a Christian monk, where you will take your lifelong monastic vows. The exact ceremony may differ depending on the monastery, but you will likely pledge to dedicate yourself fully to the monastic way of life and the community.
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In contrast to popular belief, monks do not earn a personal income. In most Buddhist traditions, basic necessities like food and shelter are provided by the temple, and in some temples, monks may work outside in exchange for essential items. In certain Christian traditions, monks may receive a yearly allowance to cover their personal needs.
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Monastic traditions are found across several religions, including Christianity (Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant), Buddhism (Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana), Hinduism (Brahman, Shaivite, and Vaishnavite), Jainism, and Taoism. While Islam and Judaism do not have formal monastic systems, some followers may embrace monastic-like practices within their traditions.
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Consider researching local monasteries to find one that aligns with your spiritual needs and aspirations.
