An American on becoming a monk in Burma

Ven. Subhuti (American Buddhist Monk); Sayalay Aloka, Dhr. Seven (ed.), Wisdom Quarterly

Exactly 20 years ago today (Feb. 7, 2001), I followed through with my decision to ordain as a Buddhist monk with lifelong intentions.

Although I am only 14 Rains Retreats (vassa) old because of a re-ordination ceremony, today day means more to me than my own birthday. This day was also the day I got my name!

My precious U.S. passport

Today, I not only have the monk name Venerable Subhūti, I also have an actual legal passport name of Bhante Bhikkhu Subhuti as well. They accompany other essential IDs, too.

I remember when I came to Pa-Auk Forest Monastery (paaukforestmonastery.org) still dressed in white probationer (anagārika) robes I had gotten at Ajahn Chah's International Forest Monastery (Wat Pah Nanachat) in Northeast Thailand when Burma was still an embargo state.

Going: Travelogs on Becoming a Buddhist Monk

There were about 120 monks total at Pa-Auk and just a handful of meditating foreigners. Today, (without a pandemic) that number has grown in Mawlamyine to a rolling average of 600 monks in addition to the monks at 60 or so branch monasteries.

After I changed my tourist visa to a residential visa and getting my parents’ permission to ordain, I was ready. Sayadaw then asked me when. I replied, “On the full-moon day!” I ordained on Feb. 7, 2001.

A monastic ordination is a two-step process. The first is to become a novice (samanera) then later that day become a full monk (bhikkhu). Because it was so busy, the first ordination was arranged at 4:00 am in the alms giving hall. (The dining hall did not yet exist).

I was ordained along with a Singaporean temporary monk, who would remain a novice then disrobe shortly thereafter. Later that day, I would take on the remaining step of full ordination as a bhikkhu right before the recitation of the monastic rules in the main meditation/ordination hall.

It was all like a long-awaited dream come true. Here is an excerpt from my book Going For Broke that describes how I got my name: More