Tag Archives: monk

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.

Before even becoming a monk there is a list of qualifications (อันตรายิกธรรม) you must first pass. You will be asked about each qualification along with additional questions about why you would like to be ordained. Below is the ordered list of 13 qualifications.

Have you ever wanted to know what being a Thai monk is like? To find out first hand, I had myself ordained as a Thai Buddhist monk. In the next few articles I’m going to write about what it’s like to be a monk, the early impressions, the difficult ordination ceremony, the 227 rules, the…

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In a class setting there are certain words and phrases that will always come up. It’s important students become familiar with these words and phrases so that they could continue their education in a Thai-language-only setting.

As we just celebrated Thai Mothers Day last weekend, it would only be appropriate to learn about ‘Mom’ in Thai.