Becoming a Buddhist Monk in Thailand
Most Young Thai Men Choose to be Ordained at Some Point in Life
Aug 29, 2009
Buddhism, Thailand’s national religion, runs like a gold thread through the nation’s cultural fabric. It is the constant in an ever-changing world, a bond that holds the people together and that makes the country so attractive to outsiders.
The Buddhist Monkhood in Thailand
Essential to Buddhism is the monkhood, and the young men with close cropped hair seen working as waiters or guides will almost certainly have just returned from a period with the monks, anything from 3 months to 3 years. Some, of course, chose to remain a monk for life.
To become a Buddhist monk one has to make a complete break with all normal life, to leave family and workmates behind, to leave the life of pleasure in food and sex, cars and sport, and all things that attain to the, so-called, good life.
Before Ordination into Thai Monkhood
Before the day of ordination, the prospective monk visits all family members to ask their forgiveness for past misdeeds, in order to sever the bonds of human relationships. On the eve of the ordination, usually at home, a ceremony is held in which he has his eyebrows and head ritually shaved. The first few locks are cut off by his parents, grandparents and other family members according to rank.
This ritual shaving is a form of denial of sexuality and vanity (Thais are inordinately fond of their hair and all ages use dyes to keep the black and glossy look).
After the Shaving of the Head and Eyebrows
Now comes the donning of the white robes and the Tham Kwan Nak ceremony. This is conducted by an expert in these affairs and for approximately two hours or so he will recite verses recounting the sufferings endured by the parents in raising their child. After this comes the feasting, the young man’s last indulgence before he renounces the world of the flesh and embraces the austere life of a monk.
Novice Monk is Carried to the Temple
The novice monk is then carried to the temple on the shoulders of his friends where they progress around the temple three times, scattering coins in a symbolic gesture of renouncing material possessions. Sometimes, the temple monks are invited to the home of the would-be monk where a dais can be set up to enable them to perform the ceremony of admittance to the monkhood. This happens often in villages where everyone likes to participate, especially in the blessing with the crystal water done by the monks.
The young man’s father leads his son into the temple where, in front of the assembled monks, he presents his son with a saffron robe. Having prostrated himself before the monks and paid his respects, the candidate now vows to observe the 10 basic vows of the novice monk – the fundamental precepts that all Buddhists should follow. Once accepted he is helped into the saffron robes.
All ordination ceremonies are conducted in much the same fashion with one or two variations depending on area and the money available for the ceremonies. In the northern areas, around Mae Hong Son, the Shan people have mass ordinations held over two or three days accompanied by spectacular ceremonies.
But however it is held, ordination is one of the most important events in the life of Thai men, marking as it does the transition from youth to adulthood. This period is dedicated to Buddha and during this time, nothing is allowed to interfere with the gaining of merit. Afterwards, when he returns to the real world, he can take up his life as before but in accordance with the teachings of the Lord Buddha.
Further Reading - Spirit Houses of Thailand
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