In Northern Thailand, in Chiang Mai, the Wat Chedi Luang temple is an impressive sight. The construction started in the 14th century and took over a century to finish, affected by earthquakes and instability. The even cooler thing is that they also have a Monk Chat program, where visitors can pick a slot and have a conversation with one of the monks. The one we spoke to was a young novice (about 19), living and studying at the temple, only allowed to visit his family once in a few months.
Everyone knows Buddhist monks pray a lot, meditate regularly, eat light and dress humbly. But I was curious to find out more about his reasons to become a monk, his experience in preparing for it and, I must admit, I was even expecting him to share a bit of an enlightenment story.
1. Education is important For him, as a novice, taking classes outside of the temple was part of his daily schedule. Among others, the novices focus on pedagogy and English, which is also one of the reasons while temples have this Monk Chat programs. It goes both ways: visitors get to learn about Buddhism and the life of a monk and monks get to learn more things about the world and practice English in the process.
2. For some, becoming a monk is the only way to a decent life
The young man we were speaking with came from a poor family, from a small village bordering Laos. He admitted that entering the temple was his only chance to get an education, as his family would not have been able to support him in school otherwise. I guess I was expecting a more spiritual answer to the question "why did you choose to become a monk?", but sometimes the answer is that simple.
3. Monks are curious
They didn't just have an agenda to share, nor did they try to convert anyone. They seem genuinely interested in you as a conversation partner. Where you come from, what countries you have visited, what is your home country like. And they really listen, they don't just ask. They want to know what the outside world is like, especially since most of them have not been outside of Thailand at all. The talk was enjoyable.
4. They have regular interests, too
As a novice, his habits were probably less strict than for monks, but the young man we spoke with admitted to enjoy watching football (the European kind) sometimes and one of his dreams was to travel to Italy one day and watch a live game on a stadium. I hope his dream comes true. Also, most of the monks had smartphones or tablets, but they use them responsibly.
5. Women are not allowed to be alone with, touch or offer anything directly to a monk
Which is why, when receiving gifts or donations from women, the offering must be wrapped in a piece of cloth first, as an intermediary. Most monks will carry with them a piece of cloth specifically for that purpose, as they often receive food from people. When we started our chat, I was not alone with the novice and I made sure I was fully covered: long fisherman pants and a scarf over my t-shirt, to cover my shoulders.
All in all it was a great experience, much lighter and more human than I was expecting, there were jokes and laughter. If he ever did feel a calling to become a monk, he preferred to keep it to himself. And I respect that.