Temple accepts 200 applicants to live as monks
By Li Qian |
July 6, 2013, Saturday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
A BUDDHIST temple in Zhejiang Province has been swamped with applications from people who want to experience life like a monk.
Ci'en Temple in Tiantai County accepted 200 applicants after originally only planning to accept 20 people. Even after accepting 10 times more applicants than planned, the temple had to turn down 300 others.
Participants can choose to stay at the temple from three months to two years.
They are required to follow the temple's schedule and rules and stay away from nightlife. They will be taught Buddhist classics by senior monks.
The 200 participants range from seven to 60 years of age and do not need to cut their hair or pay for accommodation.
The temple advertised the offer on its website starting in May, but it didn't attract much attention until someone posted the information on the microblogging site weibo.com several days ago.
Due to the overwhelming response, the temple decided to accept more applicants.
Its popularity suggests people today are seeking more meaning in their lives, Abbot Zhidu said in a statement published on the temple's website yesterday.
Zhidu said living like a monk will not cure all of a person's problems, but it is a chance to learn the essence of life and then live a positive life.
He said some applicants are seriously considering becoming monks and want first-hand experience in order to make a final decision. After all, monks live an ascetic life and it is not easy, Zhidu said.
Nonetheless, he admitted most applicants are simply curious about the life of monks and want to try something new.
The abbot said he never expected the program, which started in 2006, to have such an impact, and said its current success is a "sheer accident."
Ci'en Temple in Tiantai County accepted 200 applicants after originally only planning to accept 20 people. Even after accepting 10 times more applicants than planned, the temple had to turn down 300 others.
Participants can choose to stay at the temple from three months to two years.
They are required to follow the temple's schedule and rules and stay away from nightlife. They will be taught Buddhist classics by senior monks.
The 200 participants range from seven to 60 years of age and do not need to cut their hair or pay for accommodation.
The temple advertised the offer on its website starting in May, but it didn't attract much attention until someone posted the information on the microblogging site weibo.com several days ago.
Due to the overwhelming response, the temple decided to accept more applicants.
Its popularity suggests people today are seeking more meaning in their lives, Abbot Zhidu said in a statement published on the temple's website yesterday.
Zhidu said living like a monk will not cure all of a person's problems, but it is a chance to learn the essence of life and then live a positive life.
He said some applicants are seriously considering becoming monks and want first-hand experience in order to make a final decision. After all, monks live an ascetic life and it is not easy, Zhidu said.
Nonetheless, he admitted most applicants are simply curious about the life of monks and want to try something new.
The abbot said he never expected the program, which started in 2006, to have such an impact, and said its current success is a "sheer accident."
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