Samanera Day 2008

Samanera Day 2008

Every year at THE BUDDHAPADIPA TEMPLE we hold a 15 day retreat for teenage boys who want to become Samanera (novice monks). 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).

On the ordination day, everybody - the parents and relatives, their brothers and sisters and the young people themselves - gather at the temple. At about 9.30, there is the hair- shaving ceremony where parents and relatives take clippings of the ordainees' hair before the monks then take over and shave of the rest of the boys’ hair. After that, the monks perform chanting and give blessings to the ordainees. Then the people offer lunch to the monks and to the ordainees.

The act of cutting a lock of hair symbolizes “renunciation”. When Prince Gotama Siddhattha (who later became the Buddha) left his kingdom to become an ascetic, he had his long locks cut off in renunciation of all his worldly possessions. Therefore, the act of cutting off one’s hair in Buddhism means to cut off all attachment or clinging to the world. This has huge importance - for any kind of attachment, be it a little or a lot, still gives rise to suffering.

For novices, it means that for a short period of time they must cut off from the outside world and 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 and to be mindful. It is a good training, isn’t it? In fact, we all have to live and associate with others in our daily life, so it is a good thing to be kind, generous and truthful to ourselves and to others: also to take responsibility for ourselves and others as much as we can. 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.