Monasteries

[Tenet Nosce]

how old are you?

when I was around 19-21 I felt the strongest urge to move to Thailand and become a buddhist monk for life. Never followed through on it, of course.

the alternative to the allure of the monastic life is finding ways to create more free time in your ordinary life. For eg, if you are able, to drop down to 4 or 3 days of paid work if you are able to survive on that reduced income.

the extra time that opens up for use in meditation or reflection or reading or contemplation is like the highest gold; and an asset that even the rich and wealthy are poor in.

I'm 26. A couple months ago, I retired from work, sold everything, and moved to Costa Rica, to spend more time working on myself. It has helped me grow in leaps and bounds. However, I still feel that I would be better off in a monastic situation. I'm really looking for someone, a teacher, who can see me better than I can see myself, to help guide me in the right direction. Although, I feel I'm doing great on my own, I also feel that me telling myself that I'm doing fine on my own, is just my ego telling me that it's trying to stay around that much longer. I'm ready to commit fully, I don't really see a greater purpose to spend my time on.

Hi Matt!

Of course- only you know what is best for you. But if you are only two months into your new life, maybe it would be good to give it a little while more. Otherwise, you might end up joining a monastery and then changing your mind in two months again!

A question- Are you seeking more solitude? Or more social interaction? Or neither?