Destination: Monastery

I have some pretty cool news.

For the entire month of July, I will be living as a Buddhist monk in rural China. I will live, meditate, eat, and train with the monks with only a robe and bowl to my name. On top of it all, the temple that has decided to house the host program is none other than the Southern Shaolin Temple. That's right, the one famous for Kung-Fu monks. I am pretty flipping excited. Here is a photo of the temple gate.

While completing the program I will be behind the "great firewall of China", making it impossible for me to update this blog or any social media for that matter. However! I will be keeping a personal travel log the entire time. You can expect those entries to be posted in August, so stay tuned for all the adventures, insights, and coolness to come.

But how did this all come about? Can you join me? Well, keep reading to find out.

This pilgrimage is all possible because of the Wooden Fish Program. Its purpose is to expose people to Buddhist monastery life so that it may enhance the rest of their actions in the world. In other words, monasteries teach amazing skills for coping with a chaotic world. These monks want to share those skills with people who DON'T want to become isolated monks, but instead want to go out into the world and do some good. I personally think that is a great idea.

I found out about this program from a friend who, after 5 years of attending, is now a staff member. We chatted off and on for a few years about the program and I was interested the entire time. Eventually, a toxic job reached a breaking point and I quit so I could return to working for Universities. The psychological issues from the job continued, however, and I knew it was time to dip down. A few months of saving up payed time off passed and suddenly, I found myself accepted into the 2019 program.

Here is what a typical day will look like while attending:

5:30 AM                  Wake-up Call

6:00 - 6:50 AM       Tai-chi

7:00 - 8:00 AM       Breakfast

8:00 - 11:00 AM      Classes: Buddhist Doctrine and Thought

11:30 - 12:30 PM    Lunch and Walking Meditation

12:30 - 2:00 PM      Break

2:00 - 3:00 PM       Meditation

3:00 - 5:30 PM       Workshop/ Cultural Classes/ Community Service

6:00 - 6:30 PM       Medicine Meal (Dinner)

7:30 - 9:00 PM       Dharma Talk/ Group Discussion

9:00 - 9:30 PM       Evening Service (Vespers)

10:00 PM                 Lights Out

Looks like heaven to me!

If you are interested in doing something like this, check out the link above for more information. If you get in, the entire month is scholarship funded! All you have to pay for is your plane ticket, incidentals and a small deposit for your robes.

I am so thankful for this opportunity and very excited to share what I learn with all of you!

See you in August!

- Gabriel