Any examples of the benefit of Monastary Life

StewartGriffin

Often wondered what a Monk attains after so many years of study. What does he/she achieve that is of value?

I know there are many child monks, most probably drop out, but for those who go on, and on, and on - is it just an institution for them?

Personally, I find that the greatest clarity of a mindful moment comes as a flash early in meditation, then the bull**** slowly seeps back in.

If we sat a layperson with 2 weeks of meditation study beside a monk with 40 years experience side by side, could we pick the veteran from the novice? How?

Asiaprod

Interesting questions, I'll try to partly answer them.

Often wondered what a Monk attains after so many years of study. What does he/she achieve that is of value?

It would be impossible to answer that questions in depth so I will just skim the surface for you. A Buddhist monk, as do many lay believers of Buddhism, believe that true happiness comes from a sense of inner peace and contentment, which in turn must be achieved through the cultivation of altruism, of love and compassion ,and the elimination of ignorance, selfishness and greed. And ultimately, the attainment of enlightenment. That is of value to the monk, and to those that follow the Buddhist path. A monk choses to live his life somewhat removed from the influences of everyday life and spend his years on the path to achieving this goal. The life of a monk is structured in such a way as to provide him with the means and opportunity to achieve this goal through meditation, instruction and study. That does not mean he is removed from everyday life, Quite the opposite since Buddhism is not a selfish practice. It is practiced for oneself, and for others. The monk chooses to surround himself with an environment that he feels is conducive to supporting his quest

I know there are many child monks, most probably drop out, but for those who go on, and on, and on - is it just an institution for them?

Who can tell, its different for each monk. As in the old days in Ireland when one son would join the priest hood of the Catholic Church, so too does that tradition exist in Buddhism. But in Buddhism they start very young. So in effect, for some of these young monks they know no other life and the life of a monk become the norm for them. I surpose you could call that being institutionalized. But for others the path of Buddhism will become a personal quest and will have a real meaning in their life. In places like Thailand, for example, it is quite common for young men to take 3 or 4 years out and join a temple. They then return to the real life, hopefully having learned something useful. And again, some will enjoy the life of a monk and stay.

Personally, I find that the greatest clarity of a mindful moment comes as a flash early in meditation, then the bull**** slowly seeps back in.

Maybe if one were to continue meditating through the bull**** even greater mindful moments could be encountered. Like anything, the longer you practise the better you become at it. The quality of meditation improves with time and effort.

If we sat a layperson with 2 weeks of meditation study beside a monk with 40 years’ experience side by side, could we pick the veteran from the novice? How?

If I sat someone that had been studying guitar for two week with a guitarist who had been playing for 40 years do you think we could tell the difference. Maybe not on the surface, but I think the difference would be instantly apparent when they both began to play.
How do I think we would we see the difference, in the long term practitioner and the novice, in my own experiences I perceived an outward difference in the long term practitioner's demeanor and the sense of tranquility he projected. And when he spoke I perceived a difference in his understanding and compassion, and I heard the wisdom in his words. But I have been a Buddhist for 30 years so I am probably biased
I think if one was sensitive enough they would be the most strikingly apparent differences one would perceive.