A day in
the life of a monk |
| I go for the communities first meeting of the
day at five o’clock in the morning. This means I usually get up between four and four
thirty. Even after several years as a monk I still find this difficult but I always enjoy
the meeting when I get there. The meeting is started by one of the senior monks lighting
candles and incense on the shrine. We then all bow to the shrine three times and do about
thirty minutes of chanting, then sit in meditation for about an hour. The chanting is in the Pali language. Some of it is devotional, reflecting on the beautiful qualities of the man that was the Buddha: like kindness, compassion, wisdom and morality. Some of it is contemplative, reflecting on some of the things that the Buddha taught. The meditation is in silence. I sit on a cushion, on the floor, close my eyes and try to be aware of all that I am experiencing. I try to know what is the state of my mind, my consciousness. This is quite difficult because the mind is such a slippery thing and it is difficult for it to be still. To know my mind is to begin to know what is this thing called me. You could try this – sit still with your eyes closed and watch your breath coming in and out of your body. You could make it easier by counting each in-breath. Count one to ten and then start again at one. How long is it before you lose count? Where does your mind wander off to? At the end of the meditation the senior monk rings a little bell and we bow to the shrine three times again to finish the meeting. It is now six thirty. After the meeting I do some tidying up in the publications office where I work during the day. Several people use the office so sometimes it gets a bit messy. Are you a messy person? I like lots of pictures and things all around me as they give me good ideas for my work – I guess I am a bit messy. At seven fifteen everybody meets in the main hall and we have some gruel and a cup of tea. This is a time when we work out what is happening during the day. We make announcements about things that everyone should know – this is when I ask who has borrowed my stapler (and can I have it back). Sometimes, after we have finished this, the abbot gives a talk about the Buddhist teachings. From about eight thirty until ten thirty I have no formal duties. I do lots of different things, like type this letter, or maybe do some laundry, or go for a walk, or sit and chat with a friend, or just sit. At ten thirty the big bell is rung and we all gather for the meal. We only have one main meal and it should be finished before mid-day. I put on my robe, take my alms bowl and go to the hall. There are two rows of mats on the floor. I put down a cloth on my mat and bow to the shrine and then sit and wait. When all the food has been offered to the monks I can put what I need into my bowl. We then do some chanting which is the traditional way of saying thank you to the people who gave us the food. I look at the food for a while and think of all the people involved in this meal – those who grew the food; brought it here; prepared it; cooked it; offered it – I wait until the senior monks have started eating and then I quietly eat my food. After the meal I carefully wash my bowl and take it back to my room. It is now about twelve o’clock. I usually have a cup of tea and maybe just have a rest for a while. At about one thirty I usually do some publication work. Print this letter, type out some information leaflets, scan and edit some pictures. I spend quite a bit of time on the computer. I often take a break and just go for a bit of a walk and look at the trees and the sky and listen to the wind and the bird song. At five fifteen I try and leave the work for the day and go and have a cuppa with my fellow monastics, these are my friends. Sometimes it’s difficult to stop work. Do you get absorbed in doing things that you enjoy? I work at what I like, so I enjoy my work, so my work is not work but play. After evening tea I might go for a walk or read in my room. At seven fifteen the big bell is rung and I put on my robes and go to the main hall for the last meeting of the day. We do some chanting for about half an hour and then meditate for about an hour. Sometimes, after we have finished this, the abbot gives a talk about the Buddhist teachings. It is now about nine o’clock. I go back to my room, maybe read, write a letter, sit and look out the window, sit and look in the window (of my mind), or just go to SLEEP. |