Samanera Day 2010

Every year at THE BUDDHAPADIPA TEMPLE we hold a retreat for teenage boys who want to become Samanera (novice monks). This year the temple has a busy programme, so there are 9 days for them to learn Buddhist way of life and practise meditation. It is very important for teenagers to learn a way of life and concentration, so we mark this in the temple calendar as Samanera Day. We give these young people the opportunity to learn and practice the Buddha Dhamma (the Buddha’s teachings).

Novices, learn and practise for a short period of time. Therefore, they need teachers to guide them to concentrate on their duties, learning a way of life and putting into practice what they study. What they learn, in fact, and practice is something very necessary to life. These things are called the ‘Four necessities’ and include: the clothes they wear; the food they eat; their accommodation and physical and mental care. So as a novice, they are only allowed to wear an orange robe (no more brand names!); they are permitted only two meals a day (breakfast and lunch, no more dinner). They are trained to be contented with what they have and who they are. With right understanding, they can be happy with less material things and realize that their life doesn’t depend on materialism, but is based on right understanding.

In the end, they are trained to be kind, generous, to take responsibility, to be truthful to themselves and others and to live a life mindfully, carefully, patiently and wise. It is a good training, isn’t it? In reality, we all have to live and associate with others in our daily life, so it is a good training to be kind, generous, take responsibility for ourselves and others as much as we can, truthful to ourselves and to others and also to live a mindful, careful, patient and wise life. So I would say that it is good training for young boys who have to face the reality of the real world. A life-journey with right understanding brings about great happiness in life.