The Faith and Opportunity to Ordain | Ajahn Anan | 18 Jul 2026

[00:00:01][music] >> So, that two of you two candidates have this intent to come ordain in the dispensation of the Buddha.

[00:00:20]So, we know that the Buddha is the one with the highest virtues.

[00:00:26]Great compassion, great wisdom, great purity.

[00:00:31]And so, we respect the Buddha. We respect the Buddha as the highest.

[00:00:36]And the Buddha taught the Dhamma.

[00:00:38]Taught the practice of generosity, virtue, and meditation.

[00:00:42]The practice of virtue, collectedness, and wisdom.

[00:00:46]And taught all these points of practice all the way to the point of becoming free from all suffering.

[00:00:53]So, these are the teachings of the Buddha.

[00:00:56]The one who studies the Dhamma, these teachings, is able to know the Dhamma, to become the Sangha, the noble Sangha.

[00:01:06]The Sangha is those who practice well, practice correctly.

[00:01:11]So, we have this opportunity, we have faith to bring our bodies, our speech, our mind to come ordain. And this is an opportunity that's not easy to come by.

[00:01:23]For our life to have passed by this much already to reach the age where we can ordain.

[00:01:30]Many people die before they reach this point. Many individuals die in the womb, or die as a young child.

[00:01:40]And many people have some disability.

[00:01:43]So, for you, you're complete with the 32 parts of the body. You have the age that is ready to ordain.

[00:01:52]So, you have merit and goodness.

[00:01:55]So, coming to this point, one studies the Dhamma, studies the meditation object, the kammatthana, the place of our work, studies these five parts of the body, hair of the head, hair of the body, nails, teeth, and skin.

[00:02:12]So, these are our body parts that you have already, but you haven't yet studied them to learn the truth of them, the truth of hair of the head, hair of the body, nails, teeth, and skin.

[00:02:25]We see that these five parts, all the parts of the body are not are not beautiful.

[00:02:31]So, we contemplate them part by part.

[00:02:35]Hair of the head, hair of the body, nails, teeth, and skin.

[00:02:38]And we reflect, well, how are they not beautiful?

[00:02:42]So, for instance, our hair, if the hair falls into a glass of water or a pot of food or a plate of food, then it's unclean right away.

[00:02:54]Or the teeth, if we don't clean our teeth, then they become unappealing, unattractive.

[00:03:01]But the mind doesn't yet see this clearly.

[00:03:06]So, we have to contemplate.

[00:03:09]We see that when the food is chewed, mixes with saliva, and it's considered unclean right there.

[00:03:16]So, we practice to know this well.

[00:03:19]We see that there is bacteria in the mouth.

[00:03:22]If left alone, then they can rot the teeth and become smelly if we don't clean it.

[00:03:28]Becomes undesirable.

[00:03:31]Or we look at the cloth that we put onto the body.

[00:03:34]We might think that the cloth is beautiful. Or we have these robes.

[00:03:39]If we don't wash these cloth these clothes or these robes, then they become not clean right there.

[00:03:48]And that unclean or uncleanliness comes right from this body.

[00:03:53]So, you see that the body is a heap of that which is unclean.

[00:03:57]So, we bring these topics to mind to contemplate, to bring the mind to samadhi, to peace.

[00:04:05]We see that one who comes to ordain practices to free their mind from these mind states, from sensuality.

[00:04:13]It's like a piece of wood that's been in the water. We take it out of the water onto dry land and let it dry out.

[00:04:20]So, contemplate with wisdom in order to reduce the defilements in the mind.

[00:04:27]This is like drying the wood bit by bit.

[00:04:31]So, this is living the holy life.

[00:04:34]So, now is the time to study the five meditation objects.

[00:04:39]Hair of the head, hair of the body, nails, teeth, and skin.

[00:04:43]Or in Pali in backwards and forwards order. So, kesa, loma, nakha, danta, tacho.

[00:04:50]Tacho, danta, nakha, loma, kesa.

[00:04:54]So, now is the time for the ordination candidates to put on their robes.

[00:05:00]After which they'll undertake the 10 precepts to do their novice ordination.

[00:05:09]So, I'm planning on ask that I explain a bit of what will come next.

[00:05:15]Also, just to explain what was chanted just now in Pali.

[00:05:20]So, the candidates said that they offer their respects and venerable sir to please grant forgiveness for all my shortcomings.

[00:05:30]Whatever goodness has been accumulated by me, may I offer it to you.

[00:05:34]And may I partake in the accumulated goodness of the venerable sir.

[00:05:38]And they said out of compassion, venerable sir, permit me to receive the going forth.

[00:05:44]And grant me the going forth, venerable sir, for a second time, a third time, grant me the going forth.

[00:05:51]And after that, they chanted to cross over all dukkha in order to realize nibbana, taking these robes, please, venerable sir, out of compassion, grant me the going forth.

[00:06:03]And after giving the robes to Luang Por Nan, they chanted to cross over all dukkha in order to realize nibbana, having taken those robes, please, venerable sir, out of compassion, grant me the going forth.

[00:06:17]After that was the a discourse and instructions from the preceptor, Luang Por Nan, which included the kesa loma nakha danta tacho, the five body parts.

[00:06:31]And so now they're putting on their robes, after which they will chant Please allow me to offer my respects, venerable sir. Please grant forgiveness for all my shortcomings.

[00:06:43]Whatever goodness has been accumulated by me, may I offer it to you, and may I partake in the accumulated goodness of the venerable sir.

[00:06:51]Out of compassion, venerable sir, give me the three refuges and precepts.

[00:06:56]So after that, they will take the three refuges and precepts that we're uh familiar with.

[00:07:06]So we likely know the eight precepts.

[00:07:08]So the novices undertake to also not uh touch money, touch gold or silver.

[00:07:21]And after they do the 10 precepts, they receive their bowl, the alms bowl, and bring it to their preceptor, to Luang Por Nan.

[00:07:32]And then they chant Please allow me to offer my respects, venerable sir. Please grant forgiveness for all my shortcomings.

[00:07:40]Whatever goodness has been accumulated by me, may I offer it to you, and may I partake in the accumulated goodness of the venerable sir.

[00:07:48]Out of compassion, venerable sir, grant me dependence. They ask for this three times.

[00:07:56]And then after that, they say uh from now on, the elder is my burden, and I I am the elder's burden.

[00:08:04]So, this is the part of the ceremony called asking for dependence.

[00:08:09]Comes after the uh taking of the precepts.

[00:08:18]Then after that, the upper robe uh or outer robe, upper robe, lower robe, and arms bowl are pointed out by the preceptor.

[00:08:32]Then the candidates go to stand at the end of the long carpet.

[00:08:36]They're asked if they have uh leprosy, ulceration, ringworm, consumption, epilepsy, if they're a human being, a male, a free man, uh without debt, exempt from government service, if they have permission of a mother and father, if they're fully 20 years old, if they have complete set of robes and arms bowl, then they're asked what is their name [snorts] and what is the preceptor's name.

[00:09:09]So, they have to answer these questions correctly, or else they're not allowed to ordain.

[00:09:16]Or they have to uh you know, qualify in those ways.

[00:09:23]Then after that, they chant from the Sangha, venerable sir, we ask for higher ordination.

[00:09:29]May the Sangha raise us up out of compassion.

[00:09:32]They chant that three times.

[00:09:35]Then they're asked those same questions I just mentioned. They're asked that again in the midst of the Sangha here.

[00:09:49]And then the chanting Ajahns uh chant a further chant.

[00:09:55]And lastly, the preceptor explains the duties of a bhikkhu.

[00:10:03]Uh which include eight points.

[00:10:08]Then after that, the blessing is chanted.

[00:10:12]So, the three of you novices come to ask dependence, ask for Nissaya from the Upajjhaya, the preceptor.

[00:10:22]And this word preceptor, Upajjhaya, means one who watches us with mindfulness and wisdom.

[00:10:29]So, what are what are our supportive conditions like?

[00:10:33]So, contemplating already seeing that you three novices are appropriate to receive ordination from the Sangha.

[00:10:42]So, therefore, what we just spoke uh Patirupang meaning uh appropriate and Upanikang meaning uh suitable. It is suitable.

[00:10:55]And so, it's suitable for you to ordain, to receive ordination from the Sangha.

[00:11:01]And so, we have the faith, we strive to become inspiring of faith.

[00:11:08]We've asked for dependence from the preceptor. So, this is according to the Vinaya.

[00:11:14]And so, then we come to ordain, ask for dependence.

[00:11:18]And the preceptor accepts you. And therefore, you change your names from your previous name to Pali name.

[00:11:26]And so, when the chanting Ajahns ask your name, then you respond with your Pali name.

[00:11:32]So, for Lucas, that is Choti Panyo.

[00:11:36]One with um bright wisdom.

[00:11:38]So, that's what you respond when the they ask your preceptor's name, you say Akinchano.

[00:11:45]Which is uh Luang Por Nan's Pali name.

[00:11:48]Second monk, Dhamma Viriyo. Third monk, Titha Chitto.

[00:11:54]So, uh that those will be the names you respond with when the preceptor asks.

[00:12:01]So, now I'll say the four requisites.

[00:12:05]So, the So, the preceptor just pointed out the bowl, outer robe, upper robe, lower robe, which the candidates need to have.

[00:12:16]Now, they're going to stand at the end of the cloth and then the two uh chanting Ajahns will go to interrogate them with the previously previously mentioned list of questions.

[00:12:29]They have to answer no to certain questions and answer yes to certain questions to qualify to ordain as a bhikkhu.

[00:12:40]So, Luang Por Nan is just explaining that. So, having passed the uh questions, then that's like the rehearsal for them to then come in the midst of the Sangha and then answer the questions again.

[00:12:55]So, like previously explained, they will chant that uh May the Sangha or from the Sangha we ask for higher ordination. May the Sangha raise us up out of compassion.

[00:13:08]So, that's what they're about to chant and then they will come to answer those questions again in the midst of the Sangha. So, once again, that was like a rehearsal for answering these same questions in the midst of the Sangha.

[00:13:24]So, now the three candidates will come in front of the Sangha to ask for the higher ordination.

[00:13:32]So, the three novices have asked for higher ordination from the Sangha.

[00:13:38]So, now they come in the midst of the Sangha and then it's a we inspect the Sangha to see if the Sangha is seated appropriately within the Hattabatta, a short distance from one another.

[00:13:51]And the Upajjhaya, the preceptor, sees that the Sangha is ready to accept the candidates for higher ordination.

[00:14:01]So, Luang Por Nun is just explaining that what was just chanted was the chanting on chance, uh chanting three times that the candidates are accepted by the Sangha for higher ordination.

[00:14:18]So, now that the ordination is complete, now is the time to listen to what's called the Anusat.

[00:14:27]Anusasa. So, having ordained already, there is eight points of practice that one should undertake for their entire life as a Bhikkhu. Four things which should be done for one's whole life and four things which must never be done, one is forbidden from doing.

[00:14:45]So, of the things that should be done, firstly, it's going arms round uh for one's livelihood to wear discarded cloth, to live at the foot of a tree, use fermented urine as medicine, and the four things which must not be done are sexual activity, stealing, killing, and lying about superior human states that one does not have like full enlightenment or psychic powers and so on. If one is trying to get people to have faith in oneself and so on and one says these things but one doesn't actually have them then that's what they call a parajika meaning a case of defeat meaning one is no longer bhikkhu so one must never do these four things and now the preceptor will chant further and it said it's been comp where I've been chanted in Pali and completion the four things which should be done the four things which should not be done.

[00:16:01]So now the monks will give their blessing.

[00:16:04]>> blessing blessing blessing