Ohakune retreat for Buddhist monks

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 4, Issue 39, 17 March 1987, Page 8

Ohakune retreat for Buddhist monks

Buddhist monks with shaved heads and saffron robes are not a common sight in Ohakune and few people saw the monks who stayed in the town on a week-long meditation retreat recently. The four monks were invited to New Zealand by the Buddhist communities of Auckland and the Wellington Theravada Buddhist Association and chose Ohakune as a town being central to both cities. One of the visiting monk: was the Venerable Sumedhc Bikkhu ('Bikkhu' means Buddhist monk), an abbot of a monastery in England. Ar American, by birth, the Venerable Sumedho Bikkhu was ordained as a monk in Thailand, in 1966 and lived there for 10 years before settling in England. He has been to New Zealand several times and recently helped establish a Buddhist monastery in Stokes Valley.

Monks practice the ways of Buddha which originated in India and is a very old monastic order dating back 2530 years. To become a monk, you must be prepared to give up all your wordly possessions — monks have no material wealth, they have no need, but instead work on enriching their mind and spirit. Monks are 'postulants', or novices for a time before they are fully ordained. It is up to the individual to decide when he is ready to receive the full ordination, usually two years, and until that time he may have property and money. That is given up when he enters the monastery as a monk. Novice monks wear a robe of white, representing purity while a fully ordained monk wears a robe of a natural orange/brown saffron colour to signify someone who is living a holy, celibate life. The shaved head is an outward sign of renunciation as is the lack of eyebrows and other facial hair. Everything about the monks is humble and unassuming. They may not wear anyform of jewellery, makeup or anything that will enhance beauty or physical attractiveness — even their robes are sewn in patches. They dress this way so as not to arouse emotions such as envy or desire in others. A monk's entire life is devoted to finding the 'ultimate truth'. The teachings of Buddha are merely a guide for them to follow. Buddhists try to follow the 'Four Noble Truths'that advise letting go of conditions where suffering (dissatisfaction) exists. They fol-

low the 'Eightfold Noble Path' which involves trying to develop: Tight' thought, such as encouraging generosity, gratitude, kindness etc. and not dwelling on 'wrong' thoughts such as hate, greed, etc; 'right' speech, which is harmonious and appropriate, steering away from idle chatter, false speech and harsh language; 'right' action, such as trying not to harm any living thing, not taking anything not offered you, not being promiscuous and not taking drugs or alcohol which are disharmonious to mind and body; 'right' livelihood, which is earning your living honestly without exploiting others and helping your fellow man: 'right' effort, which is the determination to do the right thing; 'right' mindfulness, the investigation of situations and remembering they will pass away; right concentration, the practice of meditation. The teachings are directed at looking at the world and awakening the mind.

The Venerable Sumedho Bikkhu said: "The essence of the teaching is insight and seeing the true nature of things, which is >inexpressible." Meditation is the practice of stilling the mind that Buddhists use to find inner peace and tranquility. The half-lotus position taught in yoga is the best position adopted while meditating as it enables you to sit for several hours without pain. However it is not important if your posture is incorrect — what is important is what you do with your mind. Monks depend on 'laypeople' — people who live outside the monastery but try to follow the teachings of Buddha. They are responsible for the monks' welfare and visit the monastery whenever they can. Laypeople support the monks materially, bringing them food and also provide a link with the outside world Contd. on page 13

Ohakune retreat for Buddhist monks contd.

Contd. from page 5 so that the monks do not become out of touch. In the Western countries novice monks must be 20 years old before they can take the high ordination but in countries such as Thailand it is not uncommon to see monks of 7 or 8 years of age. To become a monk does not require making life-time

vows that bind the person to the monastery for the rest of his life — entering the monastery is a matter of choice. It is common practice in Thailand for men to have temporary ordination while in other countries the disrobing rate is not so high. Monks may be forced to leave the monastery at some point due to family crisis or otherwise, but they are free to go back at any time. The monks maintain that it is the

best way to live and they have found no better. Life in the monastery is very simple and lacking comforts that may distract the monks from their purpose. The Venerable Sumedho Bikkhu said: "After a while, the things we used to find exciting and interesting in our life don't seem interesting any more. Instead there is tremendous peace and joy."