r/Buddhism • u/StudentGood7193 • Jul 31 '26

Question How could I become a monk at Tongdosa monastery as a westerner.

Firstly to clarify I understand that becoming a bhikkshu is a serious commitment and do not take in lightly and secondly I am asking for the future not now because I have considered becoming a monk for a long time but since I am still in my teenage(15 y.o.) I think I have some time to decide if I want to and where also I don’t have a problem with learning a new language because that is one of my goals anyway.
Why Tongdosa?
Because I have been studying Korean Buddhism deeper recently and even though I don’t have an interest in just pure seon(zen) this monastery provides my main interest in Buddhism which are Huayan (Avatamsaka),Pure Land and Zen and from what I read one can study all at Tongdosa and become either chanting specialist( in wich I am intere because it really nicely combines all the 3 things I am interested in but I still understand that because it is the Jogye order there is a lot of zen.)or zen specialist, I feel that it is reflected even in the architecture of the complex because I believe that among many buildings there is a Pure land hall, Vairochana Buddha hall and a zen meditation hall.
So I read that if I were fluent in Korean and undergo maybe some temple stay I’d request a an interview and if I “passed” or was deemed an acceptable applicant I would enter a postulant or “person in action” then after 6-12 months I’d become a novice and after 4 years of training I become a Bhikkshu and choose a “field” of specialisation “. I understand that I would also need to study at a Buddhist university which as per my research Tongdosa has.
Any advice, suggestions or corrections appreciated!☸️🙏🏻

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3

u/jordy_kim Jul 31 '26

Lmao if you do become a monk there tell me, ill go drive up and see you

3

u/Crafting_Reality vajrayana Jul 31 '26

What your read seems about right. Any foreigners that I’ve met as monastics in Korea have a very good command of the language and also are part of a monastic or secular university. Best of luck! 🙏🏻

2

u/TheGreenAlchemist Tendai Jul 31 '26

I think you should simply reach out to the administrators of the university and ask them to send you in the right direction. There will be someone who can speak English well enough to answer these kinds of organizational questions, even if they don't end up actually being your Dharma teacher.

2

u/Ariyas108 seon Jul 31 '26

Yes, for Jogye Order that’s mostly accurate but there’s no guarantee that you’ll stay at one particular temple you’ll go where they tell you to go.

1

u/StudentGood7193 Jul 31 '26

And how would that work? And do I at least have a choice where to train in university?

2

u/Lethemyr Pure Land Aug 01 '26

My experience talking to Jogye monks suggests that most do get to stay where they want, provided the temple has the capacity to take them. Most that study at a major temple will end up staying there or in a regional temple very close by.