Becoming a Buddhist monk

[Tad]

Even though monasteries may not provide perfect teachings, it seems to me that the environment with very few distractions would be very helpful in making progress. In addition, some monasteries give monks a lot of time for personal practice, which can be wisely used. I've also read that there are monasteries that stick purely to the Nikayas and do not like Abhidhamma. 

So do you think ordaining as a Buddhist monk would be a good path? What advantages/disadvantages do you see?

[Jhanananda]

In my experience it really doesn't matter what religion you are speaking of, while the monastic life might be very conducive to spiritual progress, or dept in meditation; nonetheless, whomever runs the monastery is eventually going to realize that one of his accolites actually gained some depth in meditation, and if so you will find yourself booted out. So my recommendation is to take up the hermit's life.

[Tad]

Thank you, Jhanananda. Appreciate your insight as always. I felt like being torn for a while cause all I want to do is practice. So I had thoughts about monk's life. However, the fact that you mentioned and my family responsibilities make me stick to lay life. I am finally starting to accept where I am in life and just go from there. I think I have to eat my karmic fruit instead of trying to run away from it. On the bright side, I should be able to retire early and then will have plenty of time for 100% dedication to practice.

[Jhanananda]

Tad, if you have responsibilities, such as children, or parents, then the best is to maintain a daily meditation practice which seeks depth every time one meditates and work toward early retirement, as you are doing.  In Asia it is common practice for the parents to retire and hand over the responsibilities to their children as soon as they are capable of doing so. Typically dad and mom retire at about 50, and their children take over the financial responsibilities at mid-20s to 30s.  Grandma often takes care of the grandchildren while her kids work to support the extended family.

Otherwise, taking up the mendicant life seems better, when there is no monastic tradition that values and supports rigorous, self-aware contemplatives as we see today.

This is why I have lived as a mendicant for 18 years while working toward building a monastic community out of the supporters of the Great Western Vehicle.