Re: Seeking Monastic Ordination in the Sangha

To Jeff,

Two monasteries in the Theravada tradition where one can ordain in the US are:

1) The Bhavana Society in West Virginia, the abbot being Bhante Gunaratana.
http://www.bhavanasociety.org

I know an man, 60 years, and an woman, 55 years, who have recently become novice monastics here.

2) Wat Metta in California, the abbot being Ajahn Geoff, or Thanissaro Bhikkhu. This is the Thai Forest Tradition.
http://www.mettaforest.org


I am happy that the Dhamma has brought you so much benefit. It is encouraging to me because I am only a beginner, but I hope to stick with it so that it bears fruit.

By the way, how long does it take to attain to jhana? Or perhaps a better question would be, I can I go about attaining jhana in the quickest way possible? I fear that if I cannot find that blameless pleasure then it is more likely that I will be tempted to indulge in blameable pleasures.

With Metta,
Ben

----- Original Message -----
From: macdocaz1@...
To: undisclosed-recipients:
Sent: Monday, March 01, 2004 10:13 AM
Subject: [Pali] Seeking Monastic Ordination in the Sangha


Hello, my name is Jeff Brooks. I live in the USA and I have been a lay
follower of the Buddha for 30 years. In the duration of these three decades I have
practiced meditation (Satipatthana) at least twice a day, as well as studied
dhamma and reflected upon it almost daily, and I have endeavored to keep the 5
lifetime precepts.

I have observed the 8 precepts for 4 years now, and I now sit three times a
day for at least an hour each time. I dedicate every waking moment to the
benefit of all beings through teaching meditation (samadhi), wisdom (panna) and
ethics (sila).

As a consequence of the decades of my practice regimen I have given rise to a
pleasant abiding in the here and now (jhana/dhyana). My meditations are
exceedingly pleasant, and I do not lose awareness when the body sleeps. Through
my practice the hindrances have been subdued, so I am not compelled to pursue
obsessive and compulsive behaviors that are driven by greed, ignorance,
delusion, doubt, grasping and aversion that are the manifestation of narcissism, thus
I lead an ethical life, and am thus a good role model.

I am now 50 years old. My last child is now grown and about to leave home,
as he is fully independent. I am no longer married. My parents and my
children have given their permission for me to seek ordination, therefore I would
like to ordain and spend the remainder of this lifetime as a monastic follower of
the Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha, teaching and counseling students in what I
have come to embody, which is meditation (samadhi), wisdom (panna) and ethics
(sila).

Please tell me if you are able to offer such a one as myself an ordination
program, or you know of one.

Kindest regards,

Jeff Brooks



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