I want to go to the Monastery | How can I do that?

Many people have asked us what to do to go to the monastery: ‘Can I stay for a period in the Monastery?’ ‘I want to be a monk, how can I do it?’, ‘Where can I be ordained?’, ‘How can I help?’. So we decided to make a short summary to clarify these and other issues.

The monastery in Portugal is located in Fonte Boa dos Nabos, near Ericeira, in a space that serves as a residence for the monks, where they exercise their monastic practices and where anyone can participate in meditations or spend a season, not only practicing meditation within the context of Buddhist teaching, but also helping in the routine of the community. There may also be periods of withdrawal.

For a stay at the Monastery it is necessary to send in advance an email with the dates you want, thus booking your place.

Within this tradition there are numerous monasteries in Thailand (over two hundred), Europe and elsewhere in the world (see list at www.forestsangha.org). In addition to the Monastery in Portugal, the two most easily accessible monasteries for the Portuguese and with greater availability to receive guests are Amaravati e Cittaviveka.

For those who want to ordain as a monk, the first step will be to visit one of these places, where there are no stay costs. After becoming familiar with the routine and the monastic experience, you can then make a more conscious decision regarding a possible ordination. Although this is a very numerous monastic order, it is only relatively recently (about forty years ago) that the order of nuns has been re-established, so for the time being only two monasteries have female monastic communities. Cittaviveka e Amaravati, Both in England.

Thus, after spending a period in one of these monasteries, it is then possible to request ordination. The first step will be that of an aspirant named Anagarika (literally meaning 'homeless'), one who abandons his most mundane obligations to devote himself to spiritual practice, in which the individual follows the ways of others. eight precepts It participates in almost all monastic practices, along with the rest of the community. At this stage it is still possible to have some material goods, such as money. This period is usually two years for women and one year for men, although in the East it can range from six weeks to six months or even not exist. For them, however, another “intermediate” period of one year follows, the period of the novitiate in which the individual is called Samanera (small Samana – renouncer), acquiring the precept of not handling money. The final ordination follows (Bhikkhu for men and Siladara for women). In the West, there are not many monks with the authority to make ordinations, so the ordination ceremony will have to take place in a place where senior monks reside or in monasteries, to which they timely move.

This is not a decision that is taken lightly. There is a whole internal and external resolution process that should be taken into account. Outside this is reflected in relation to work, relationships, family, belongings, etc. Inside this will interfere with habits and values, security and emotions. When the individual is ordained, he/she should be aware of his/her independence in practice; i.e. you must have ‘legs to walk on’. You will always have the support of all the other monastics, especially the more experienced ones, for any uncertainty that arises as to spiritual practice or the way, but it is the person himself who will have to have the clarity of mind to make decisions, and follow instructions consciously.

This is a path of renunciation and freedom that must be trodden by the one whose heart longs for liberation.