Three Generations of Monkhood

Three Generations of Monkhood

 (Three photos as above - Grandpa, middle - my father, and below - my twin brother, three generations of monkhood.)

(The above photo from my grandmother's old album.)

Novitiation is of vital importance in a Buddhist family. My grandpa, U Khin Maung Latt who was born in 1915, was novitaited at the age of 8 in 1923. Grandma, Khin Myo Chit showed me the photo of grandpa’s novitiation, proudly said that how important the Buddhist way in a Buddhist family.

Grandma showed me the next photo of her nine-year-old son (my father) who was going to receive the heritage the Buddha had given to his own son to thousand five hundred years ago. My grandparents were giving their son up into the holy order of the Yellow Robe.

No man’s life is considered fulfilled unless he is novitiated as my grandma always mentioned in her writing, my twin brother was novitiated when he came to 9 years old at the Sunlun Meditation Monastery under the guidance of Sunlun Sayadaw U Vinaya. His head was shaved and wore yellow robe carried his black alms bowl and kept Sabbath.

During their monkhood, a week or 2 weeks, spent their days in meditation and the study of the Buddhist scriptures.