Key Points A monk may only ask for his needs if he receives pavāraṇā (invitation). Clear invitations—especially phrases like “any time” or “ever”—create ongoing permission. Invitations are not binding; they simply allow the monk to ask. Renewing the invitation often helps the monk feel comfortable and avoids misunderstandings. Introduction In the Theravāda Vinaya tradition for monks who do not use money, many lay supporters are not familiar with how invitations work1. Several Vinaya rules prevent a monk from asking for his needs unless he is given pavāraṇā (invitation).

Introduction Quite a few people believe that there is a special purification process that happens during the Pātimokkha recitation meeting done on the full and new moon days. They believe there’s some magical purification going on. While it is true that after the meeting the monks are considered pure, there is nothing magical. Why the Mystery? During the Pātimokkha, the recitation of the 227 rules, lay people are often kept out of the uposatha hall (or sīmā). That naturally leads to speculation. The hall is special and sacred, not because of magic, but because of legal Vinaya reasons. Think of it like a courthouse: you can’t just hold a trial under a tree or at someone’s home. Monks must carry out official acts like ordinations and the Pātimokkha in a formally designated sīmā. They must sit inside the marked area and be within an arm’s length from each other.

Monks Using Uber and Gift Cards: Allowable as a Kappiya Arrangement Summary Are Theravāda monks allowed to use Uber, PickMe, or gift cards? Yes, but only with a proper invitation from a donor or kappiya, in accordance with Vinaya rules. While these services offer convenience, they can reduce meaningful connections with supporters — an important aspect of monastic life. Read on to learn more. The Allowability of Ride-Hailing Services In modern times, ride-hailing apps like Uber or Sri Lanka’s PickMe or Grab in Myanamr and Thailand offer a convenient way to arrange transportation. Although monks are not allowed to use money directly, these services can still be used in accordance with vinaya rules if properly arranged through a kappiya or donor.

Recently, I made a video explaining the common question I get asked in the West. “Do you believe in a creator?” It is a loaded question usually asked by devoted Christians. They are expecting me to say no, but I tell them “Yes”. The real answer is that kamma is the creator. I quote from the stock phrase below: “Kammassakomhi, kammadāyādo, kammayoni, “It is actions that I own, it is actions that I am heir to, it is actions that I am born from,

Palm leaf photo link wellcomecollection:1 Today I finished memorizing the Bhikkhunī Pātimokkha in Pāḷi (the 311 Theravāda nun’s rules). While I did not recite the whole lot in a single session, I did memorize in chunks until the total was completely memorized at one time or another. That means, I would recite a chunk of rules in front of a teacher by memory and then work on a separate adjacent succeeding chunk for memory. After finishing the new chunk, I would recite those new rules by memory in front of a teacher and then move forward to another adjacent succeeding chunk. While this is not the best or ideal method, the chunks were quite large at times.

When it comes to shaving heads, Theravāda Buddhist Monks might be the authority on this issue. It is second nature for monks to shave but perhaps unknown to the rest of the world. In this article, we will discuss the motivation, Buddhist culture and methods for shaving the head and how it is done. Simplicity Inspires But Also Saves Money: For those of you in the layperson world (man or woman) who aspire to become monks but cannot plunge into a monastery just yet, you might want to try cutting your hair very short before shaving it. The first and foremost advice is don’t pay anyone to shave or buzz your head. If you are getting your haircut so short that a buzz cut would not be much different, an electric trimmer would cost the same or less than a single visit. In the late 90’s I used to do that myself or had another person do it. It is really easy to do. First try it with the attachments, and as your Buddhist Renunciation grows, you can try to get rid of the attachments.1 It is difficult to find the real reason why monks shave their heads, but as you can see for yourself, it is a step towards simplicity in life and one’s looks. Below is a picture of a buzz cutter. In my lay person days, I used a $20 corded device. It is good to see that they still sell for the same price. It should be noted that scissors are not allowed for monks. It has been judged by some, that electric razors are indeed modern scissors because they are two blades rubbing against each other.

Although Buddhist lay people might be interested in having a monk perform their marriage ceremony, it is not allowed and doing so is classed as a heavy rule (Saṅghādisesa). Such heavy rules have penalties and require the monk to lose his full status for a minimum of 6 nights1 and additional probation time if concealing the offense occurs. Image was created by AI DALL-E by OpenAI. All participants do not exist in real life.

Multi purpose hall at IIT After 3 years in Myanmar, I have moved to The International Institute of Theravāda. What is this place and why did I come here and what is mission? What is IIT? The International Institute of Theravāda (IIT) is a comprehensive training institute aimed at facilitating spiritual and academic development of Buddhist monks, based on Theravada teachings. It is inclusive and accommodative, irrespective of sects (Nikaya) and other differences within the Theravada Buddhist clergy. The IIT would disseminate the teachings of the Buddha as per the ancient Theravada texts, to Buddhist practitioners across the globe.

Pa Auk Monastery in 2014, Photo by Klaus The Pātimokkha is a set of 227 rules for the bhikkhus belonging to the Theravāda sect which is based on the Pāḷi language texts. The 227 rules are grouped into seven classes with the first two, Pārājikā and Saṅghādisesā considered as “heavy”. The first heavy group is also considered irrecoverable while the second requires official transactions to restore the full bhikkhu status to the offender. The seven classes are listed below:

A Money tree in Laos cc-by-attrib-sa https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Buddhist_money_tree_with_toilet_paper.webp Are Buddhist monks allowed to use money? The short answer is that monks are definitely not allowed to even touch money for all traditions; Theravāda, Mahayāna, and Tibetan. However, it is very common for monks to not only accept money from lay people without shame, but they even encourage lay people to offer the money. Nevertheless, it is still a rule and there are heavy consequences if this becomes a lifetime habit and a wrong mode of livelihood. In the Theravāda, you are likely to find less than 2% of monks who follow such rules. While 2% seems like very little there might be over 5,000 monks who follow such rules world wide.1

Sattigumba and Pupphaka Asevanā ca bālānaṃ, paṇḍitānañca sevanā; Pūjā ca pūjaneyyānaṃ etaṃ maṅgalamuttamaṃ. Avoid the Fools and Associate with the wise. Give respect to the respectable. This is the highest blessing. Maṅgala Sutta This small quote is from the first verse spoken by the Buddha when he was asked, “What is the highest blessing?” There are thirty-eight blessings listed and you can find them here. However, the first verse is the most important and we will only discuss the fools and the wise.

Originally Published: April 21, 20241 Summary: Yes, it is possible, but it is difficult to recommended because it can be very dangerous for saṅgha. Some monasteries will prohibit ordinations of openly gay men. Why? The short answer is that the monastic environment is specifically designed to be segregated for celibacy. Segregation of genders breaks when homosexuals are ordained and mix with other monks. This is true especially at large monasteries where there is less supervision.

Sayadaw holding one of his finished brooms Natural fiber brooms are quite common in Theravadan countries such as Myanmar, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, and Laos. Since the plants that are used to make brooms grow in our monastery, one of our very senior monks takes pleasure in making brooms when he needs to stretch his legs after a long meditation. It is strange, but since our main job is to meditate, working can be a leisure activity!

Yesterday, I recited the 227 rules of the Pātimokkha for 110 bhikkhus at Pa-Auk Meditation Center in Pyin Oo Lwin. When a monk recites the Pātimokkha, traditionally he does so by memory and not by reading. My recitation was not the best quality, but it was not so bad considering I only started when I was 47, and I have only done this 5 times now. However, the recitations get better and better each time I do it and I hope improvement continues until perfection.

Copyright notice.. picture by Kim Traynor cc-by-sa Note: This post is not for everyone. Those who claim to be bhikkhunis and supporters of the movement, and monks and nuns in general will find this interesting. Did you know that bhikkhunis (nuns) are not allowed to sleep alone or travel alone and if they do, they are sentenced to 2 weeks of rehabilitation and lose their full status as bhikkhunis during this period? In my last article Are Theravāda Bhikkhuni Ordinations Valid?, we discussed whether or not the bhikkhuni ordinations are valid. In this article, we will assume that today’s bhikkhuni ordinations are valid and then explore the heavy rules and consequences that are at stake. You will learn that bhikkhunis who claim to be serious about the rules are likely to be already breaking some of the heavy rules of the bhikkhuni vinaya.

Very few people from the West know about what the monks use for their bath towels and their bathing soap. Monks use items that are much different than those found in the West, although commonly known in Myanmar and other Buddhist countries. Furthermore, the monks use these items because of the monk rules associated with them in addition to the abundance and low cost. Monks at Pa-Auk usually use small hand towels instead of normal “wrap-around” sized towels.

Recently, I got a nice message from a monk friend telling me he was taking vassa (3 month Rainy Season Retreat) on July 23rd (the Full Moon Day) and wishing me a happy vassa before he goes offline for three months. However, we at Pa-Auk are taking the vassa today on July 24 (the day after the Full Moon Day). The calendars often say it starts on the Full Moon Day, but we don’t do that at Pa-Auk. So who is correct? Rainy Season from the back of the sima hall

Did the Buddha do intermittent fasting? The answer is: Yes. When I first became a monk, people were shocked about how I gave up eating after Solar Noon and I have not eaten dinner in over 20 years. Sometimes I switch to one meal per day, but I often find a light breakfast, mostly liquid foods or rice soup, with a full lunch works best for me. These days, many people are using intermittent fasting as a form of weight loss and when I describe my Buddhist monk diet, they give a nod and say “Intermittent Fasting… It’s Healthy.” I guess I’m always one step ahead of mainstream society!

Pabbajja Ordination in Pa Auk (8th April 2014) The short answer is: If you are looking for vinaya (places that don’t touch money), and you believe in the commentaries and Abhidhamma and want to meditate, you have two choices, Pa-Auk and Na-Uyana. If you don’t believe in the commentaries and Abhidhamma, you are best off at a Thai Forest Monastery like Ajahn Chah (Mahanikaya) or Ajahn Maha Boowa (Dhammayut) monasteries. There are other places that I might recommend too. I will mention them later.

Recently, I had a chance to go to a Lao Monastery in Elgin, Chicago, IL, USA for 12 days. I usually avoid American Theravada Temples like the plague because most of these places have monks who use money and much of the monk life is centered around collecting money. This is a typical standard not only in America but in most countries. This monastery however, is different. In 2015, the committee decided to stop being a useless, unwholesome temple that teaches wrong dhammavinaya (teaching and training — on wrong ways to give donation and wrong ways to make merit, and obviously wrong kamma and results). If that is not bad enough, they used to sell alcohol for fundraisers too (!). Unfortunately, I know of three other Lao monasteries in America that sell alcohol. The committee knew this path was in the opposite direction of The Buddhist Path and decided to change. They offered the resident monks to join them with a two year transition period and although the monks agreed such changes were wholesome, when it came down to the wire, they never changed and drove themselves across town in their own cars to another local Lao temple in 2017.

All-focus Things have recently changed Things have recently changed in my life. I have now moved to Lihue. Things were going well at the place where I was at before in Kilauea. The owner was happy with what I was doing for the community and I was happy and fulfilled with what I was doing for the community as well. Unfortunately, the owner’s son came for a visit. In short, he said, “I want to visit a monk. I don’t want to live with a monk.” He pays the remainder of the bills from what the renters do not cover and what he says goes. Although we did several thousand dollars of work on his land to pay things forward, that was long forgotten and I was out. I stayed there for 4½ months and it was nice while it lasted. We are still friends and I was there a few days ago for a visit.

Below is a chart comparing special allowances by tradition which is useful for making a decision on where to ordain. If you need an explanation, read further. Dhammayut Wat Pah Pong Wat Khao Sanamachai (Hua Hin) Pa-Auk Cigarettes Allowed No Smoking No Smoking No Smoking Betel Nut Allowed No Betel Chewing allowed No Betel Chewing allowed No Betel Chewing allowed Cheese 7 Day (medicine) Cheese 7 Day (medicine) Cheese allowed before Noon Cheese allowed before Noon Dark Chocolate 7 Day Dark Chocolate 7 Day Chocolate allowed before Noon Chocolate allowed before Noon Bottled Juice 7 Day Bottled Juice 7 Day Fresh Juice Evening Fresh Juice Evening Soy Milk lifetime medicine Soy Milk lifetime medicine Soy Milk before Noon Soy Milk before Noon Tea/Coffeemix Allowed 7 days Tea/Coffeemix Allowed 7 days Tea/Coffeemix before Noon Tea/Coffeemix before Noon Requires shaving of Eyebrows Requires shaving of Eyebrows Most do not, optional Not allowed Tan robes Tan Robes Any allowable color Burgundy required Checks accepted (not money) Checks accepted (not money) Checks not allowed (money) Checks not allowed (money) Co-Signing Checks allowed Co-Signing Checks allowed in some places Signing checks not allowed Signing checks not allowed Exclusion of non-Dhammayut monks from Pātimokkha Exclusion of non–Wat Pa Pong monks (Thailand) All Vinaya-compliant monks welcome All monks are welcome Rejects Commentaries Rejects Commentaries (if scholarly) Accepts Commentaries Accepts Commentaries Rejects Abhidhamma Rejects Abhidhamma (in most cases) Accepts Abhidhamma Accepts Abhidhamma Believes Buddha Lives in Nibbāna (Ajahn Mun’s Biography) Some defend Ajahn Mun’s biography, others blame the author Buddha does not live in Nibbāna Buddha does not live in Nibbāna There are some allowances and differences among traditions. I have included four traditions to the best of my knowledge about certain “allowances” that are allowed in some places and not allowed in other places. Who is right? I believe that the two monasteries on the right (especially Wat Khao Sanamachai) are correct, while other monks will believe that the monasteries on the left are correct. You can read it and decide. Na-Uyana Monastery in Sri Lanka is not included but is similar to Pa-Auk. I explain a few differences for Na-Uyana within the explanation text.

Monk bowls are black because they are fired with sesame oil 5 times to protect it from rusting. There are two types of bowls allowed; Iron and Clay. Iron bowls need to be fired 5 times and clay bowls only need firing twice. Obviously, the clay bowls do not need to be black in color but are rare to find because they are fragile and very very heavy. Iron bowls are black from the baked-on sesame oil. The oil is also treated or burnt beforehand too.

Sewing pattern from BMC 1 (creative-commons, Thanissaro Bhikkhu) Robe Information Few people realize that the Theravāda monk’s robes are actually a piece of rectangular cloth with no sleeves.1 If you see a Theravāda monk wearing his robes in different styles, then rest assured it is due to the art of “tying the robes” or “rolling the robes” — what I call “robe origami.”

Aloha! It has been a little over a month since I have been on the island of Kauai. Things have been going well although my situation is still the same. I am still in a tent at Anini, but I have a new tent in Anini with a better view of the pristine Kauai shore! Things are dryer than the record rains we had last month.. and I guess if it were wetter than before a new record would be set. I have made somewhat of a schedule and I try to update my schedule on my phone calendar which synchronizes to the webpage calendar over here (in case you are interested).

Muslim Imam giving dana. The short answer is, “Yes.” Of course we should be nice to Muslims, Christians, Atheist, animals, snakes and all beings. Sabbe Satta means all beings. In this long winded article, I speak about how the Muslims will win a majority in Myanmar and how Buddhism is already falling down in quality and quantity. Any “evil” actions like parochial schools, or large families were actually practiced in Myanmar by Buddhists only 20 or 30 years ago. They have continued with this practice, while Buddhism has slacked off.

Vegetarianism and Theravāda Buddhism I have been asked to write a little something on vegetarianism and Theravāda Buddhism. I am qualified to be quite objective, and to see both sides of the issue because I was a vegetarian for a total of ten years as a lay person and I had vegetarian eyes. That meant that when I looked at meat, cooked or not, I saw a dead animal in front of me. Now that I am a monk, I am no longer a vegetarian although I have lived at vegetarian monasteries for many years, so I know both sides of the coin.

Inspire Means To Leave Facebook Much of what I write about is related to stories that happen to me that would charge me up and make me feel inspired. I would then write down what happened and share it with others. Often my stories are related to vinaya – the monks’ rules and living without money. These days it is special for a monk to live without money and I can inspire people simply by following the rules. However, it really should not be that way. I’m not really that special nor inspiring, but the times have changed, and simply being one who does not touch money seems to inspire people because it is rare.

When Ven. Devananda and I traveled to Kauai in 2015, we did not have a Kappiya (helper) to buy us food or even pay for our luggage. One can live without helpers, but it does take some pre-planning. We had a ticket from Yangon to Honolulu that was dirt cheap at only $854 for a round trip fare. However, it came with 12 hour and 6 hour layovers in China. I think the whole trip was over 40 hours. All meals would be provided on the plane that were within our eating times. We did OK with that, but there was a problem when we would transfer to Kauai via a domestic flight. These days, luggage is not included in the airfare and Hawaiian Airlines did not allow one to prebook luggage and pay for it in advance except during the last 24 hours. My brother was arranging everything for us and he was on vacation during the same time that we were travelling. Have you ever heard of Murphy’s Law?

I Finally Did It! This Rainy Season (Vassa) I was able to learn the Pātimokkha (227 Rules) by heart. It is the first round and it takes me a long time to do it, and there are mistakes. Never the less, it is considered “learned” and “memorized” at this stage. I will hopefully recite the Pātimokkha for the full moon November 3rd if all goes well. I need to get my 2+ hours of recitation down to at least 1:15 minutes. Most people do the recitation in 45 minutes or less. Some can do it in 25 minutes! It is also very common for experienced chanters to make mistakes and or need prompting for certain rules but not as much as I need right now. It is a mother-load of text. I will recite the whole text daily and rework the sections I am slow and rusty on until it gets smoother and faster.

When should you give to Saṅgha? When should you give to individual monks? This is a question that is not addressed very often and it can cause lots of trouble for monks knowingly and unknowingly. Quite often, many monks blindly prompt donors to recite a line of pāḷi before they offer anything to them. “Bhikkhu Saṅghassa demi.” There are some variations, but that is the generic formula. It means, “I give to the community of monks.” This is done to give the donor more merit. He makes more merit when he gives to a community instead of one single monk. Even though the monk may prompt such a phrase to the donor, he is likely to be unaware of the procedures to properly handle a community donation.

Why are most monasteries not allowable for vinaya monks? Today, I was Skyping my parents which is something we do once or twice a month now. I feel it is good for them to “see” me as a monk, rather than having them talk to me and visualizing their son from 1999. That was when I left home and things changed for me. We had a nice discussion. We spoke about possibilities for a visit, but I told them that finding a place was difficult, because the monks all use money and whatever they buy with that money becomes unallowable. I used an analogy for what some Jewish people call Kosher. Some very strict Jewish people will throw away plates and silverware if both meat and dairy had touched it. My parents were not like that, but some of the older generations of my family (I have heard) were like that.

To receive this by email, sign up at https://americanmonk.org/subscribe/ Last year, this picture (without the writing) went viral. The viral post seems to makes its rounds from time to time and every so often, someone tells me they saw my picture. It started when I was in Bagan for an 8 day trip with my friend Ashin Pannyagavesaka. We did a slow and thorough excursion and walked a good chunk of Bagan when rides were not provided. We were happy. I liked to roam about and my Bhante friend liked to take pictures.. often many candid pictures were taken of me too. We hit just about every major and medium sized pagoda. As we would enter each pagoda, a routine would settle in. I would walk in the compound and the vendors would try to get me to buy something. I learned the phrase, “Paisan ma khainboo” which means “I don’t deal with money (because it is bad).” I would say that and the vendors would respectfully stop their sales pitches to me, often with hands in prayer position (anjali). Going ahead of my friend, and into the pagodas, my friend would be asked many questions about me by the vendors. “Who is he, what country, how many years as a monk?”

Alms Inspiration is like a bright star that shines among the dim. In Monastic life, there are few monasteries or monks that really inspire people. Following the vinaya (or rules) inspires people. It is tried and tested. This was an old picture when I was in a vinaya monastery that follows all of the rules including the “basic ten rules” that a 7 year old beginner monk is supposed to follow. “Varanasi” is the name of the monastery which is a learning monastery that was started by an Ethnic Nepalese Myanmar community. If I do not return to Hawaii in June, I might consider going there to continue my studies after I my planned 6 to 8 week mediation retreat during April and May. The conditions of the monastery are secondary to being inspired by monks who follow the rules.

Here is a comparison of 5, 8 and 10 precepts. The Buddhist who follows five precepts is known as a regular lay Buddhist. The person who follows 8 precepts is known as a serious Buddhist yogi. The person who follows the 10 precepts is known as a novice monk. A bhikkhu follows 227 rules. It is important to know these classes to know which rules are more important to follow. It also can explain, what class of rules a monk is following. It is a unique way of looking at Monastic Morality. It is also important for lay people who take 8 precepts to really take real 8 precepts. If a lay person takes 8 precepts but knows they will not follow them, they are lying and not only breaking one of the first precepts and generating bad kamma, but they are practicing rights and rituals, something that is in the opposite direction as Enlightenment and what The Buddha preached.

[![fetus](/images/fetus.webp" >}}](/images/2016/12/fetus.webp" >}} What do Theravada Buddhists believe in terms of abortion? Much of what has been written are liberal beliefs and overturning what is written down in the texts. They claim “Modern Buddhism” as a section heading, but there is no such thing as “Modern Buddhism” since there is no such thing as “Modern Kamma.” The rules of kamma do not change over time, and abortion has been around since the time of the Buddha. My job is not to make decisions or advice for others, but to give a “pure” classical Buddhist explanation on abortion.

Sima of Varanasi Monastery. A Brief Visit to Varanasi Monastery, Mingaladon I had a few more days before I was allowed to arrive at ITBM University (I am there now). Very close by is one of my favorite monasteries in the Yangon District. Actually, there are very few choices for monks who follow the monk’s rules (Vinaya) if you want to live with like minded vinaya monks. Even though Pa-Auk is a vinaya monastery, there is not the same consistency of monks who have vinaya in their hearts. Local monks often come for meditation retreats and often “temporarily” follow the rules “while they are there”, storing their unallowable items with their friends, family or even the bus station across the street from Pa-Auk. In this way, they can experience the life of not using money, but it is often not in their hearts when they arrive. In a positive way, Pa-Auk is often a transitional place where monks can taste the freedom of life without money, and then make the full commitment later on. There are of course many monks who follow vinaya at Pa-Auk and who have vinaya in their hearts, and that might make up the majority. Many people come to Pa-Auk for this reason. However, the attraction at Pa-Auk is Meditation and monks often come there for that reason. Pa-Auk is always on my list of places that follow vinaya and support vinaya monks. It too is a truly unique and wonderful place!