BECOMING A MONK IN THAILAND FOR 24 HOURS

[Music] [Music] Buddhism is the fourth largest religion in the world with over half the billion followers so growing up in the West none of us knew much about it so when we arrived in Thailand a few months ago we wanted to gather a deeper understanding the culture and new country were about to explore which is why the first conversation out of the plane was this we've been in time for about two hours I mentioned how we want to try and like to interact with monks or do something with my students I call it you want to be a monk okay or does that imply it like to shave everything coming your eyebrows I'm not gonna do that I already did Japan it's a tradition here in Thailand where teenage boys they won't become a monk basically because it's a way to respect their parents how they raise them that's Kevin during our stay in Thailand he helped us plan our party for 24 hours took us to the best places in Bangkok and helped us organize a surprise honeymoon retreat for a couple Kevin's the man with the connections and two weeks up to this conversation we were in Chiang Mai in the north of Thailand when out of the blue he called us the monkeys talking about is one of the most respected and well-known monks in all of Thailand he's a lecturer who's written dozens of bestseller books about life and Buddhism helped refugees all over the world successfully spread his message of love to millions of people online and closely works with the Pope the Dalai Lama so when we woke up we truly had absolutely no clue or about to experience 30 in the morning we are an hour into our drive we have no idea what's happening once we get there if you don't know where we're sleeping tonight you don't know what we're doing once we get there and realized I forgot my phone so here's all we know that there's some kind of festival or celebration going on or something we haven't been told what it is right now I'm exhausted nobody understands us what we're trying to do this is a fine line between insulting being like self-aware you don't want to ask a month to like sleep in their monastery that's what we're trying to do you know like we want to experience what they experience it's very hard to pitch that without being like a ignorant mental dilemma right now how do we do this oh yeah I can and I grew up not having it should be a big part of my life so it's mainly out of curiosity and education and to the making these stereotypes or any misconceptions of words like one there loosing in ecstasy so don't stop while everything is fairly so far been like ultimate level of discomfort I want to do this thing that takes a lifetime to accomplish like becoming a monk in like a day well we well today you use this word we you're not the one shaving your head and eyebrows buddy [Music] [Music] some black 21 paper paper time recently [Music] you know so much cheese ice cream just banana try I gotta try this delicious secret what's so amazing to see you here how did you come here because this program they are not inviting so many people just only the copyboy which is why it's crazy we just expected to be in the background but then he keeps saying I can't come and like what's in front of us is very uncomfortable but it's amazing it's just so new so he's been so nice about like making us feel so welcome tonight will be a special program for you shave his head first and then put the robot yeah because the Buddha would like to learn about letting go of attachments so we don't want to add aside our hair every morning letting go go along what one week to be auspicious for you he is going to be the first person to cut your hair [Music] Wow expecting the news this morning yeah I was expecting us to show up and then just leave like an hour later you know five different people are cutting my hair the awakened mind man you understand the law of nature that is the real teachings of the Buddha everything is impermanent you got a lot of work to do I mean this remove so much hair when you was a baby your parent will do this for you that's why when we become a novice we would think about the parents and we wish them to be happy on this ordination Wow everything is just coming up parents are not Buddhist it'll take them some time for them to understand what do you think of this this is amazing for me this is the first visiting in Thailand and you think about - I think if you're gonna learn about Buddhism there's no better way some may call it the craziest way because nobody would do this [Music] [Music] God man eyebrows are really important we didn't want disrespectful laughing just such a shock seeing my little brother look so different but yet no way you want to make fun or Buddhism or anything it's just because of him looking this totally totally different [Music] the processing was happening a lie I'm just like pathways the craziest thing I've done before it is the good thing in July that was great it's very good thing in your lounge is not obvious to family tonight you have to separate you a bit roof money going together and he's going alone man I gonna sleep over here and today is gonna go sleep with the other month's new friends strangers are just friends you haven't met yet are these dangerous a little bit dangerous yes I thank you [Music] [Music] y'all know is yeah newcomer how is your tie name Tom Tom this is the Tom T or am tom tu m um um okay [Music] just walking meditation for about an hour it's been tied she relaxation and we're gonna go eat breakfast since I can't eat afternoon enjoy your meal today so the novices have to sit and eat outside the monk city is the inside yeah you go master okay I just had lunch at the master just been crazy and the whole point behind this meal was to try to eat mindfully and to really focus on the food that you're eating but any thought or the future of the past get away from your mind just focus on the food that's in your mouth is that's very very special certainly and really in which with in Karnataka my from our larger pipe and oysters give me the process DVDs in you will become college I still have that dollar in every day every time everywhere you can practice mindfulness and the last time wearing the mutt Grove so it's time to go back to being a lay person by his side if you would like to come back here anytime all right about to head out it's been a whirlwind of things happening we came here not expecting anything to happen and next thing I know we're being like welcomed on stage I'm getting my head shaved and then being sung to by hundreds of students everyone's are so kind so joyous that I feel like I learned so much about the sort of culture and how they really appreciate the moment and that's what it's all about especially in Western culture we tend to you know what's the next thing like school to achieve but here it's all about fully being in the present I don't even care of them and have no eyebrows no hair for a month at least because one of those things that you let go and you realize it's not really part of who you are and forces you to be really happy with yourself and what your personality is so I look forward to being stared at in Europe [Music]

Channel: Yes Theory

Views: 1,277,277

Rating: 4.9197783 out of 5

Keywords: buddhism, thailand, chiang rai, yes theory, yes theory thailand, monk, buddhist monk, yes theory monk, buddhism thailand, buddhism china, Phra Maha Vudhijaya Vajiramedhi, Cherntawan International Meditation Center, thai buddhism, buddha, becoming a monk, buddhist meditation, meditation, mindfulness, chiang mai, buddhist monastery, thailand tourism, dalai lama, dalai lama meditation, pope francis, anxiety meditation, transcendental meditation, meditation retreat

Id: U-YGQF2vqS8

Length: 14min 55sec (895 seconds)

Published: Sun Aug 26 2018