A monk is a person who has made the decision to devote his entire life to God. He abandons his normal life to live in a monastery or temple, where he spends his time praying, meditating, and serving others. Monks can be found in a variety of religious traditions, including Catholicism and Buddhism; becoming a monk in either requires years of dedication and study. Both, however, begin with a desire to devote their lives to their religion.
A man must be of sound mind and body to become a Catholic monk. He must be a practicing Roman Catholic who has received the Sacrament of Confirmation, an adolescent ceremony that makes a person an official member of the Catholic Church. A man must be debt-free and free of responsibilities before embarking on the path to becoming a monk. He must have led a good, moral life for a number of years and, ideally, be an active member of his church community.
To become a Catholic monk, the first step is to visit a monastery, preferably several times. These visits should assist the man in determining whether or not this is a life he can live happily. The next step is to contact the Novice Master, who is in charge of overseeing new monks’ training.
A postulancy period, which can last up to six months, is usually followed a trial period. The Novice Master and the monk-in-training use this time to determine whether becoming a monk is the right path for the man. The man will then enter the novicate stage, where he will spend a year learning how to become a monk. The community can vote for him to take temporary vows and wear his first robe after a year. Without any official action being taken, the man can choose to leave or be asked to leave at any time during the trial phase.
The man will spend a minimum of three years continuing his education to become a monk after being voted in as an official monk in training. The monks will vote again at the end of this period to determine whether or not he should become a monk. If he is accepted, he will be able to take his vows and join the community as an official member. To become a monk, a man must take three vows: obedience, stability, and life conversion, which entails agreeing to give up his previous life in order to fully enter the monastery.
The path to becoming a Tibetan, or Buddhist, monk is similar to the Catholic monk’s path. The first step is to research and understand Buddhist teachings. The next step is to find a spiritual guide, someone who can advise and support the novice monk. The next step is to live in a monastic community for a while and get a taste of monastic life.
A man enters several years of training and education after deciding that becoming a Tibetan monk is the right path for him. He is expected to live his life in accordance with Buddhist teachings during this time. After completing his initial training, the man will take part in a ceremony to become a novice monk, which will be led an experienced monk. The novice can become an ordained Buddhist monk, or bhikkhu, after more training.
The term monk usually refers to a man who has chosen this path, whereas nuns refers to a woman who has chosen this path, though the two positions are not identical. However, a woman can become a monk in some circumstances. While the Catholic Church forbids women from becoming monks, some Christian denominations do. Female Buddhist monks exist as well.