Master Hsin Tao presentation:
We all have to value the wealth of good deeds during the past seven days. We have seen how dedicated are our senior monks organizing and guiding us seriously to take on the role of a monk. Non-ordained beings can be what they want to be but to be a monk, one has to learn everything that a monk should know. This requires considerably more discipline.
Therefore in these seven purification days we should not relax our study. Our minds are focus during prostration and chanting, we must ensure that we do not allow our mind to wander. Our former bad habits fill our life with desire, greed and ignorance. We have the opportunity of living a simple life, eliminating desire, greed and ignorance which have in the past caused us great suffering. We learn how to live an enrich and harmonious life through purification and give us a meaningful and valuable life.
The life of an ordained monk is very precious. Being ordained sets us free in so many ways. Although seven days is a short period of time, this temporary ordination gives us a memorable insight before we attain full enlightenment.
The four “decorums” of an ordained monk are walk, stand, sit and sleep. Walk with elegance, stand like the fir, sit with poise and sleep in the “bow” position. These have to be learned slowly and gradually. In the same way we learn self awareness by concentration and we learn to take our vows with a clear mind free from external influences. All our thoughts are guided by the precepts of the right path.
Why do we attend temporary ordination? So that in every incarnation of our life we have planted the seeds of good karma until we attain enlightenment.
The route to Nirvana is through meditation in order to reach one’s ultimate Buddhahood. This is the basic goal of everyone who takes the oath of ordination.
