Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Rose]

God damn, your life should be a movie. The only question now is... Matt Damon or Brad Pitt?

Jackie Chan

[MaximumZero]

John Cho (the new Sulu)

[KaelGotDwarves]

In another thread descent posted...
 

Okay, I guess what I'm asking is, if you wanted to join up again, would you have to do all the same things you did when you joined in the first place? Or would it be like "he was here before, give him the robe, make him all holy and stuff again, then shove him in the cell for some meditation. NEXT!"

What -did- you have to do to join, anyway?

Yes, I would have to go through the rituals again. There are 227 rules to cover as a monk. They run the gamut from 'no killing' to 'no eating food after lunch'. One thing to note is that being a monk does not automatically make one holy, rather that is something we must rise to.

To join I had to have an interview with the head Abbot of the monastery. I requested taking on the robes and duties of a monk while pledging to follow the rules of the vinaya. My head was shaved and I was given robes. I gave up all worldly possessions for my robes, a food bowl, and basic necessities. To enter as a monk, I had to memorise 7 pages of chanting in Pali,  the language of the original Buddha, for the ceremony.

I suppose in a later post I will cover monk duties.

If I would have anyone would play me in a movie, it would be Tony Jaa of ongbak fame. Or maybe Stephen Chow from kung fu hustle.

[MaximumZero]

In another thread descent posted...
 

Okay, I guess what I'm asking is, if you wanted to join up again, would you have to do all the same things you did when you joined in the first place? Or would it be like "he was here before, give him the robe, make him all holy and stuff again, then shove him in the cell for some meditation. NEXT!"

What -did- you have to do to join, anyway?

Yes, I would have to go through the rituals again. There are 227 rules to cover as a monk. They run the gamut from 'no killing' to 'no eating food after lunch'. One thing to note is that being a monk does not automatically make one holy, rather that is something we must rise to.

To join I had to have an interview with the head Abbot of the monastery. I requested taking on the robes and duties of a monk while pledging to follow the rules of the vinaya. My head was shaved and I was given robes. I gave up all worldly possessions for my robes, a food bowl, and basic necessities. To enter as a monk, I had to memorise 7 pages of chanting in Pali,  the language of the original Buddha, for the ceremony.

I suppose in a later post I will cover monk duties.

If I would have anyone would play me in a movie, it would be Tony Jaa of ongbak fame. Or maybe Stephen Chow from kung fu hustle.

Tony Jaa is a completely horrifyingly badass mofo. You come off as a kinder, more friendly badass mofo.

[KaelGotDwarves]

He did recently spend time as a monk in Thailand too, so maybe he's changed. 

[Descan]

When I said holy, I meant like... cleansed of the outside world sort of deal.

[MaximumZero]

He did recently spend time as a monk in Thailand too, so maybe he's changed. 

One can only hope that his thirst for face-flip-kicking has waned at least a little before he's unleashed on the public again.

[KaelGotDwarves]

 

When I said holy, I meant like... cleansed of the outside world sort of deal.

Part of the mental training involves abstaining from physical pleasures and causing pain, which is why Buddhism is often called the Middle Path. It is my understanding that monks are not cleansed of the outside world, indeed as a monk I had to comfort and work with the public, but rather the recognising that the outside world has no effect on our happiness and sense of self, rather those are concepts within our minds.

[MaximumZero]

That sounds...difficult. There must be many temptations to stray from the Middle Path.

[Hanslanda]

I'm always eager for drug stories, so I'll have to request you tell the one about shrooms and acid whenever you get a chance. Sounds good.

[KaelGotDwarves]

Well there are 2 major ones... The first time I tried shrooms and acid, and Firedrums, which was my weekend of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. Only in a forest full of hippie fire performers. They're both pretty amusing so I'll get to them soonish.

[RedKing]

I could see Stephen Chow. Kael has too much of a sense of humor to be a Tony Jaa.

re: your experience with the poor girl and her baby in Myanmar....I had the same kind of experience in Shanghai. Saw one too many industrial accident victims and just couldn't take it anymore. Gave 100 yuan to this poor bastard with no arms or legs, and it was like feeding a seagull. Almost immediately there was a horde of other street poor converging on me, begging in broken English. Hell, for all I know one of them stole the bill out of the guy's begging bowl after I turned and walked off. 

Really enjoying reading all this. I considered entering a monastery myself for a while right after college. There was definitely an appeal to blocking out all the distractions of the world, and having that "brotherhood-in-solitude" dynamic going on. And the idea of mundane daily tasks freeing your mind for a greater contemplation of the sacred.

[Starver]

...in a forest full of [definitely drugged up] hippie fire performers.

No, I can't see any problems arising from that particular scenario.  No sirreee.

[Hanslanda]

...in a forest full of [definitely drugged up] hippie fire performers.

No, I can't see any problems arising from that particular scenario.  No sirreee.

I've been at festivals like that. The problem arises not from the stoned/tripping hippies with fire, but from the drunk people and people on cocaine.

[MaximumZero]

I have yet to go to a festival like that. After I lose some weight, I'll think about it, so I can go shirtless again.