Tag Archives: 227

After you’ve qualified and learned the basic rules to becoming a Buddhist monk, you then can be ordained. Ordination isn’t an easy task and can be as complicated and time consuming as preparing for a wedding. Your very first task should be …

Is it ok for a monk to wear shoes? Use a phone? Own an iPhone? Drive a car? Eat steak at Sizzler, use a computer, use Facebook, shake hands with a woman, use money, etc.?

I really tried to be a good monk by reading and following all the rules. But, it turned out many of the rules are really strange and the monks simply ignored/violated them. Let me explain . . .

In my previous posts I talked about the rules to follow before becoming a monk. After becoming a monk there are 227 more rules one must follow, called wenai, which is something like a highly expanded version of the 10 Commandments.

My new life as a monk was one of perpetual confusion. I would only manage to get by on a daily basis by observing and imitation. But one particular day of massive confusion stood out as the most memorable, of which I’d like to share.