Content

• To step
• Method 1 of 3: Prepare for monastic life
• Method 2 of 3: Become a Christian monk
• Method 3 of 3: Become a Buddhist monk
• Tips

A monk is someone who withdraws from society to engage in religious service. Several major religions have monastic traditions; the best known are the Christian and Buddhist religions. To become a monk you must study, be committed and go through years of training and a transition process. Monastic life is a simple and dedicated life of service in which the devotee adopts a celibate lifestyle and renounces worldly possessions.

To step

Method 1 of 3: Prepare for monastic life

1. Dedicate yourself to religion. To be a monk means to dedicate yourself spiritually, physically and philosophically to your faith. Begin your quest by making a commitment today that you will devote yourself to your spiritual path. Study daily and pray several times a day. Try to personify your faith in every aspect of your life.
2. Conduct research on different monastic orders. While a monk's basic routine is the same in every order, there are also important differences to consider.
   • Monks in contemplative orders spend their time in the monastery praying, while monks in active orders leave the monastery to serve others. Some active orders send their monks to work far from the monastery.
   • In communal orders, monks spend time with their fellow monks; they pray and eat together. In solitary orders, monks are discouraged from interacting with each other and spend most of their day in their cells.
   • Monastic orders are generally established by important religious figures who are committed to preserving traditions and working towards the goals established by the founder.
3. Choose a celibate life. Regardless of religion or order, almost every monastic community imposes a celibate life. Begin your life as a monk with a personal vow of celibacy. This way you can check whether this is a realistic and practical goal for you. If you manage to live a celibate life, you also show how strong your convictions are when you contact a monastery to join.
4. Practice community life. Another aspect of most monastic orders is the close community life. This means sharing meals, rooms, and in some cases all worldly possessions. You can try this lifestyle by living together in a group. Look for a living unit in your neighborhood that you can join.
5. Let go of your worldly possessions. Along with community life, monks of all religious orders give up their material possessions. In some cases, monks give everything they own to the church. You can test this lifestyle and get a better idea of ​​the monk life by giving away some of your belongings and living a simpler life.

Method 2 of 3: Become a Christian monk

1. Visit a monastery. If you would like to become a monk, you must first visit a monastery. Monasteries are usually prepared for a visit by potential monks. Sometimes you can even stay for a few days. During your visit you will learn about the daily routine in the monastery and what is expected of a monk.
   • Some monasteries offer guest accommodations for outsiders who agree to follow certain rules, such as curfews and moments of silence.
   • You may consider participating in a retreat where you participate in the daily routine of the monastery.
2. Enter the novitiate. After you have visited a monastery and have decided that you would like to dedicate yourself to this life, you can let us know that you would like to become a novice and join the monastery. This practice, sometimes referred to as a "novitiate," is the first step in the process of becoming a Christian monk. As a novice you learn every part of being a monk. Meanwhile, the monks observe you to determine if your personality is suitable for monastic life.
   • Depending on the order, you are a novice during different phases.
   • This process can take up to a year, depending on the order.
3. Enter the postulate. After the period of novice, the postulate follows. In this phase you get more responsibility in the monastery. Expectations are therefore higher. This phase introduces you to this life on a deeper level and allows you to determine if this calling is the right one for you and to convince the other monks.
4. Take the temporary vows. In the postulate you are asked to take the "temporary vows" committing yourself to follow the lifestyle and beliefs of monastic life for as long as you stay in the monastery. These vows vary from order to order, but they almost always involve a deep commitment to God, celibacy and the rejection of material property.
5. Make your eternal vows for monastic life. After the postulate you may be invited to join the monastery permanently. You will then be ordained as a Christian monk and take eternal monastic vows.

Method 3 of 3: Become a Buddhist monk

1. Learn Buddhist doctrine. Before approaching a teacher to become a monk, you must be thoroughly familiar with the Buddhist tradition, have studied Buddhist doctrine, and be well versed in the Buddhist religion. Begin your quest to be a monk by devoting yourself to the study of Buddhism.
2. Find a teacher. This step is difficult if you don't know practicing Buddhists, but to become a monk you need a teacher who can give you permission to be ordained. Find out where there are Buddhist temples near you or travel to a part of the world where Buddhism is more prevalent. Keep your heart open so that it can lead you to the teacher you are looking for.
   • You can send letters or emails to Buddhist teachers in your area and start an exchange of letters.
3. Train you in meditation. An essential part of the Buddhist monastic tradition is profound and devoted meditation. Some Buddhist orders consider strong training in meditation to be more important than knowledge of Buddhist doctrine. The fact that you can demonstrate your own training in meditation can be crucial in showing that you deserve your place as a monk.
4. Spend time in a monastery. After you have taught yourself enough and found a teacher to deepen this teaching, you should find a monastery where you can spend time. If you fit here, you will be invited to take your lay vows of Buddhist devotion and intention. By staying in a Buddhist monastery you can find out whether this way of life suits you.
5. Make your lifelong vows. After you have spent some time in the monastic community, you may be invited to stay. You will be asked to take the lifelong vows of a Buddhist monk and you will be ordained. You will be asked to respect a celibate lifestyle and to give up your material possessions.
6. Stay for five years. When someone is initiated as a Buddhist monk, it is the tradition to stay in that same monastery for five years. Becoming a Buddhist monk means joining a religious community: the Sangha. The purpose of this community is to study and practice the Buddha's doctrine as well as to share it with others. As a Buddhist monk, you strengthen your ties of the Sangha for five years (or more) with that group.

Tips

• Religions with monastic traditions include Christianity (Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant), Buddhism (Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana), Hinduism (Brahmanism, Shaivism, and Vaishnavism), Jainism, and Taoism. Other religions such as Islam and Judaism do not have monastic traditions although some decide to follow traditions that are essentially monastic.
• Research local monasteries that best suit you and your needs.