Phra Peter Pannapadipo

"Although I'm usually happy as a novice, I'm not going to become a monk", April 11, 2015

This review is from: Little Angels: The Real Life Stories of Thai Novice Monks (Kindle Edition)
This was a fascinating read, written by a British convert to the life of a Buddhist monk. Here he explains something which travellers to Thailand may have noticed and puzzled over - namely the huge numbers of monks including a large percentage of teenagers.
We learn that monasticism is not seen as a lifetime commitment: on the contrary, many take the robe for a short while to 'gain merit' for deceased relatives or as an expected rite of passage. For many children on the other hand, most particularly those from a desperately poor background, spending their formative years in a monastery is their only opportunity to get a secondary education and better themselves.
The author tells the life-stories of some of his novices; from beatings, abuse and dire poverty to amphetamines and alcohol, they have chosen to escape to the safety of Buddhism. While some find it difficult to live the life and admit to being naughty and missing the outside life - and are quite open on their plans to 'disrobe' once they graduate - there is a definite sense of their appreciation of the moral tenets that will make them better people.
Extremely readable and informative.… (mais)