The monastic

Some religions have no distinct monastic class at all, such as Islam, Confucianism, Caodaism... All followers are the same and live ordinary lives with their families, among whom a few are chosen to take on extra responsibility for rites and offerings and for looking after the temple. Other religions have organised a system of distinct monastics who leave their families and live together harmoniously within a framework, devoting their whole lives to following the ideals of the faith, such as Buddhism and Christianity...

In a religion that has an organised system of monastics, the monastics' role is quite important in maintaining the religious organisation, teaching doctrine and setting a good example for the faithful. And in return, monastics always receive the faithful's warm affection and support.

Here we do not address those who become monastics out of a wish to enjoy the faithful's respect and support. We speak only of what karmic conditions have led a person to become a monastic.

It is obvious that the monastic life makes practice more convenient for the monastic than a lay life does. A monastic lives almost entirely on the support of the faithful and is not concerned with making a living, and so has quite a lot of time for the Way. With such convenient conditions, the monastic lives strictly keeping the precepts, studying the scriptures and practising spiritually, to become a shining example in life, a support for the faithful. The lay believer feels respect for such a monastic and so does not begrudge helping and making offerings to him.

The role of the monastic is almost exalted to excess, to the point of becoming sacred and holy. Believers who are easily convinced bow their heads and obey without question. Sceptical believers examine each monastic's worth. And atheists attack to the utmost.

Some monastics, through merit from a previous life, are present in a country where believers have wholehearted faith and reverence, and such a monastic lives a full and comfortable monastic life from start to finish.

Some, because in a previous life they made difficulties for practitioners, receive in this life the karmic result of being a monastic in a country where the government and the native people have an aversion to religion, so that the life of practice is not comfortable.

But to become a monastic, a person must in the past have known how to respect monastics. Only by respecting and helping practitioners do we sow the karmic cause of becoming a monastic in the future. Some people who understand the Way and understand meditation also want to take up the position of a monastic, but have not sown enough causes to be a monastic for the long term, so in the end, even if they are ordained, they still meet obstacles and return to the form of a lay practitioner. Their merit for being a monastic is too little to last through the rest of their life.

Whether a person remains a monastic for long or only briefly depends on how much merit for being a monastic they sowed in a previous life. Some people have good virtue, but the merit for being a monastic they sowed in a previous life was too thin and so is not enough to last their whole life in this one. Conversely, some people have flawed virtue but sowed a great deal of merit for being a monastic in a previous life, and so still remain at ease as monastics to the end of this life.

In the "Theragatha" there is the story of the Venerable Sumangala, who returned to lay life seven times before realising Arahantship. The cause was found to be that in a distant previous life he had encouraged a venerable to return to lay life when that brother was despondent. Thus, giving the supporting condition that encourages others to take up the monastic life is also a way of sowing merit for being a monastic, and conversely, obstructing and opposing others' ordination causes us to lose merit for being a monastic.

However, this cannot be looked at one-sidedly. We must be mature in encouraging a person to take up monastic life when we see that person has the ability to become a true, exemplary monastic, strong enough to bring honour to the Dharma. If so, our merit is very great. As for those who cannot be true monastics, let us encourage them to practise as lay practitioners to prepare further. Do not entice them into the position of a monastic rashly and in haste, only for them to become destroyers of the Way, causing everyone to lose faith, so that the merit of the one who enticed them is also seriously reduced.

Let it be so that in the Dharma it is better to have few monastics who are true and noble than many who are mixed and slovenly.

When a person has taken up the position of a monastic, he naturally receives the respect and support of the faithful. He is enjoying the merit he sowed in the past. If he does not continue to make merit, the old merit will run out. Either that merit runs out too early and he must return to lay life in this very life, or it runs out later and he must return as a lay practitioner in the next life and work hard to repay the benefits he enjoyed in the previous life.

But the monastic's way of making merit differs from that of a lay person. A monastic does not need to work in the economy to earn money for alms and offerings, since that belongs to the sphere of lay practitioners. A monastic needs to live with fine conduct, to master the doctrine, to attain deep realisation of the mind and, finally, to proclaim the teachings to everyone. It is precisely the preaching of the teachings that is the monastic's important merit. It transforms people's minds to become holy and moral. Its benefit is even greater than almsgiving and offerings of wealth. With a sum of money, people can live for a while and then it is gone. But once the seed of morality has been sown in their minds, it will keep sprouting from life to life. With that morality they will do many good deeds and happiness will fill their lives. Moreover, the teachings also guide them toward liberation and enlightenment. This is the source of absolute, everlasting happiness and peace. The merit of a teacher who spreads the doctrine of liberation is immeasurable and boundless, and no pen or ink could count it all.