Zen Buddhist Monasteries

[Huz]

I was thinking of becoming a resident at a buddhist monastery for a year after i finish university.

Anyone got any got recommendations of one that are legitimate? I live in the uk so preferably one there but outside the uk 

would be fine also 

Edited April 30, 2016 by Huz88

[Zane]

That is a great aspiration for after college! I've never met a person who wants to become a monastery resident. Here are some ideas of how you can get started. I'm curious but why do you want to become a monastery resident? I think that's a highly unconventional idea for post-college but I love unconventional lifestyles. At some point in my life I would love to spend time at a meditation retreat or a writer's residency program for a few months or a year. 

1. http://stillmind.org/uk-meditation-retreats-top-10/

2. https://zmm.mro.org/retreats/

3. http://www.travelandleisure.com/slideshows/top-meditation-retreats

[Huz]

@ZaneI want to get deeper into my spiritual practices. At the moment I have exams so only about an hour to an hour and a half on mediation/enquiry a day. If I get a job in environmentalism/renewable energy (what I want to do after) I won't have the time to do deepen my practice. Also, I am not sure if even that is what I am truly supposed to be doing because my ego has been affecting my life drastically. I think it would be the truest way to find my purpose. I have loved animals since i was a kid but the got teased out of me as a kid. I want to get in touch with the child inside me. I am fascinated by the nature of discovering who I truly am and feel it to be a wise and strategic move on my part 

Thanks for helping me out!!

Edited April 30, 2016 by Huz88

[Zane]

35 minutes ago, Huz88 said:

@ZaneI want to get deeper into my spiritual practices. At the moment I have exams so only about an hour to an hour and a half on mediation/enquiry a day. If I get a job in environmentalism/renewable energy (what I want to do after) I won't have the time to do deepen my practice. Also, I am not sure if even that is what I am truly supposed to be doing because my ego has been affecting my life drastically. I think it would be the truest way to find my purpose. I have loved animals since i was a kid but the got teased out of me as a kid. I want to get in touch with the child inside me. I am fascinated by the nature of discovering who I truly am and feel it to be a wise and strategic move on my part 

Thanks for helping me out!!

My pleasure to help you out! I'm glad that you're discovering who you are and how you're re-connecting with your inner child. 

[Huz]

@Sri McDonald Trump Maharaj whats the one you are going to in Switzerland called? you know any others the are legitimate in Europe?

 

[Huz]

ahh ok are you ever skeptical about paying for monastries?

[Emerald]

5 hours ago, Huz88 said:

@ZaneI want to get deeper into my spiritual practices. At the moment I have exams so only about an hour to an hour and a half on mediation/enquiry a day. If I get a job in environmentalism/renewable energy (what I want to do after) I won't have the time to do deepen my practice. Also, I am not sure if even that is what I am truly supposed to be doing because my ego has been affecting my life drastically. I think it would be the truest way to find my purpose. I have loved animals since i was a kid but the got teased out of me as a kid. I want to get in touch with the child inside me. I am fascinated by the nature of discovering who I truly am and feel it to be a wise and strategic move on my part 

Thanks for helping me out!!

That sounds like an amazing idea! If I didn't have a family to attend to, that's exactly the type of thing I'd be doing. I'd be constantly going to retreats, at the very least. 

I don't know of any actual monasteries, but here is a link to a place that has long-term Vipassana meditation retreats in various areas. It's completely free with room and board, if memory serves. 

https://www.dhamma.org/en/locations/directory

[Huz]

@Emerald Wilkins Bring your family with you haha!

Thank you! This seems like its quite popular over here. Will probably go to the one in august, over my birthday!

Does anyone know which type of Buddhism is the most direct on its teachings of spirituality and enlightenment. In my opinion its Zen but are there another that you guys think which would be ok? Theres a lot of airy-fairy schools.

Edited April 30, 2016 by Huz88

[Emerald]

1 hour ago, Huz88 said:

@Emerald Wilkins Bring your family with you haha!

Thank you! This seems like its quite popular over here. Will probably go to the one in august, over my birthday!

Does anyone know which type of Buddhism is the most direct on its teachings of spirituality and enlightenment. In my opinion its Zen but are there another that you guys think which would be ok? Theres a lot of airy-fairy schools.

My one year old son might have a knack for mediation... who knows.  It sounds like a great idea to try one out to see how it suits you. I'm not too familiar with particular schools of Buddhism. I know that Zen Buddhism has a lot of structure and traditions built in to it. So, there might be some degree of belief in dogma woven into the culture surrounding it. But it seems, from my very limited perspective on it, that many Zen Buddhist monks are quite open and non-dogmatic. 

[Huz]

@Emerald Wilkins  aww cute, he is blessed to be born into a family with mother like you  

I guess people like Shinzen-Young practiced Zen (and other forms) so should be interesting. Did Peter Ralston do too?

[Emerald]

14 minutes ago, Huz88 said:

@Emerald Wilkins  aww cute, he is blessed to be born into a family with mother like you  

I guess people like Shinzen-Young practiced Zen (and other forms) so should be interesting. Did Peter Ralston do too?

Thank you!  Shinzen definitely practices Zen. I think Ralston did too, if memory serves. He is a martial arts expert, and I recall him writing that he spent some time at a Zen Buddhist Monastery which helped him improve his awareness of what his opponent might do next. I'm pretty sure it was Zen Buddhism, but it could have been another school. 

[SkyPanther]

Just some thoughts on the different sects of Buddhism. 

Theravada Buddhism is what is considered the "root" of Buddhism, as it is only using the original Pali Canon. It is also called "the Smaller Vehicle"; 

Mahayana,  "Greater Vehicle", uses the Pali Canon, plus additions from other enlightened beings after the Buddha (The arhats), this branch has sub-sects like Tibetan, and Zen.

Tibetan has more rituals and is more akin to Catholicism in Christianity.

Zen is more strict and less ritualistic, but is influenced by Japanese Culture.

If you are looking for the "pure" teachings of the Buddha that is Theravada and is only based on the Pali Canon.

It has less focus on the supernatural, and is more concerned with self-transcendence than Tibaten, which is more focused on compassion and being reborn as a Buddha in another lifetime.

Zen is mostly about Meditation and sudden/spontaneous realization, as opposed to the gradual insight/tranquility/meditation practice of Theravada.

Personally I prefer Theravada but all three may interest others.  

[Sri McDonald Trump Maharaj]

14 hours ago, Huz88 said:

ahh ok are you ever skeptical about paying for monastries?

Yeah of course. Paying a lot of money to become a monk seems kinda lucrative but what I have found is that it's mostly asian Zen monestaries that are free.

But remember that paying a little money for getting a place to meditate almost 2000 hours in a year is REALLY FUCKING CHEAP. Money can buy happiness if you use it right!

[Huz]

Just now, Sri McDonald Trump Maharaj said:

Yeah of course. Paying a lot of money to become a monk seems kinda lucrative but what I have found is that it's mostly asian Zen monestaries that are free.

But remember that paying a little money for getting a place to meditate almost 2000 hours in a year is REALLY FUCKING CHEAP. Money can buy happiness if you use it right!

Haha your are right. Here in the west, culture is dependent on economy and everything is generally expensive. I guess they need to sustain themselves here. Thanks for the idea by the way, wouldn't have thought about becoming a resident after uni, but when you said it, it made so much sense to me  

Just did the visualisations on Leos new video of guided inquiry, had a little cry, and made me realise how my mind wasn't as open as it should be. If you watched it it was based on a Hindu philosophy so might go to a Hindu monastery. I think Hindusim's core has been very washed over and it will hard to find "pure teachings". I want to find some good ones which aren't expensive because my money is limited. Maybe I should move to India.

[Huz]

3 hours ago, SkyPanther said:

Just some thoughts on the different sects of Buddhism. 

Theravada Buddhism is what is considered the "root" of Buddhism, as it is only using the original Pali Canon. It is also called "the Smaller Vehicle"; 

Mahayana,  "Greater Vehicle", uses the Pali Canon, plus additions from other enlightened beings after the Buddha (The arhats), this branch has sub-sects like Tibetan, and Zen.

Tibetan has more rituals and is more akin to Catholicism in Christianity.

Zen is more strict and less ritualistic, but is influenced by Japanese Culture.

If you are looking for the "pure" teachings of the Buddha that is Theravada and is only based on the Pali Canon.

It has less focus on the supernatural, and is more concerned with self-transcendence than Tibaten, which is more focused on compassion and being reborn as a Buddha in another lifetime.

Zen is mostly about Meditation and sudden/spontaneous realization, as opposed to the gradual insight/tranquility/meditation practice of Theravada.

Personally I prefer Theravada but all three may interest others.  

Thanks, will do some research into the various teachings. I am keen on Mahayana and Zen. Do you know off any residencies?

[SkyPanther]

On 5/1/2016 at 2:55 AM, Huz88 said:

Thanks, will do some research into the various teachings. I am keen on Mahayana and Zen. Do you know off any residencies?

There is a good write up here on the different schools:

http://www.alanpeto.com/buddhism/understanding-mahayana-theravada/

Unfortunately, because I have only really been following the Theravada school, I do not know of any Zen Monasteries in the US.  I know of a few Theravada Monasteries (and have visited one in San Diego), but you should be able to find some Zen Monasteries in your area;  most come up on Google search and will have information about retreats, etc... 

[mikeyy]

@Emerald Wilkins DO you know if you can be under 18 and go to a vipissana retreat?

[Emerald]

15 hours ago, mikeyy said:

@Emerald Wilkins DO you know if you can be under 18 and go to a vipissana retreat?

I'm pretty sure you can get parental permission for the S. Goenka one. It's been a while since I looked at it though. And given the fact that I'm an adult, that information didn't stand out to me or stick in my brain very well. So, I would check it out. Here is the link:

https://www.dhamma.org/en/locations/directory

[mikeyy]

Thanks @Emerald Wilkins

[Sri McDonald Trump Maharaj]

Rochester Zen Center in New York. It's one of the oldest Zen centers in the US. It's a combination of Soto and RInzai Zen.