Choosing monastic life can sound simple from the outside. It isn’t. How to become a monk usually means years of practice, testing, and daily life under clear rules. This guide is for people in Canada (and elsewhere) who are seriously considering real monastic life, not a weekend trend.
This is about real monastic life, not games or fictional monk roles. It covers the usual steps toward ordination, common requirements, what daily life feels like, and how major traditions differ. It also includes practical notes for Canada.
Rules vary by community, so this is general guidance. Confirm details with official monasteries before making plans.
Quick answer: the usual path from interest to ordination
Quick Answer Box (most traditions):
- Choose a tradition that you can honestly follow.
- Contact one community and ask about entry.
- Visit for services, meals, and daily schedule.
- Do a trial period (retreat, live-in, or guest stay).
- Enter an early stage (postulant, novice, trainee, etc.).
- Complete training and ongoing evaluation.
- Take vows or ordain (if the community approves).
The exact steps vary by tradition and monastery.
How to become a monk (step-by-step framework that works in most traditions)
This framework stays neutral on purpose. Think of it like learning a trade: interest comes first, then apprenticeship, then full responsibility.
Be clear about your reason
What to do: Write a short, honest statement of why monastic life attracts you. Keep it to one page.
Why it matters: Communities look for stable motives, not impulse or escape.
Practical tip: Use plain words, for example, “I want a life of prayer, service, and discipline.”
Choose a tradition and community
What to do: Pick one tradition to explore first, then identify one monastery or monastic house.
Why it matters: “Mixing and matching” practices often creates confusion and conflict.
Practical tip: Choose a place you can visit more than once.
Make first contact (email or call)
What to do: Ask about guest stays, entry stages, timelines, and requirements.
Why it matters: Many monasteries have a set process and limited space.
Practical tip: Keep the first message short and respectful.
Visit and do a trial stay
What to do: Attend services or meditation periods, eat with the community, follow the schedule, and help with chores.
Why it matters: A monastery isn’t a concept; it’s a daily routine with real people.
Practical tip: Go ready to observe more than you speak.
Apply for a formal entry stage (postulant, novice, etc.)
What to do: Submit the forms or letters requested by the community.
Why it matters: This is where the community starts a real discernment process.
Practical tip: Disclose major obligations early (debt, dependents, health limits).
Training period and evaluation
What to do: Live the rule, receive instruction, and accept feedback.
Why it matters: Communities test consistency over time, not intensity for a week.
Practical tip: Treat corrections like coaching, not personal attacks.
Vows or ordination (if approved)
What to do: If the community agrees, you may take vows or receive ordination.
Why it matters: This is a public commitment, not a private goal.
Practical tip: Ask what happens if you need to leave later, and how that’s handled.
For examples of how one monastery describes its own entry process, see Abbaye de Saint-Benoît-du-Lac’s “Becoming a Monk” page.
Requirements and eligibility: what most monasteries will ask about
Most communities screen carefully because monastic life can be demanding, and because trust matters. Public debates about accountability also shape how some places approach oversight, as seen in cases highlighted in coverage of misconduct in Thailand’s monkhood.
Common areas monasteries may ask about include:
- Age range: Some accept younger adults, others prefer older candidates. Many set minimums and maximums, and they vary.
- Physical health: A steady schedule, early mornings, and work periods can be hard with unmanaged illness. Some communities can’t support complex care needs.
- Mental readiness: Monastic life can surface stress, grief, and old habits. Many communities want signs of stability and good judgment. This isn’t medical advice, but honest self-knowledge helps.
- Background checks: Some communities conduct them, especially when the monastery hosts guests or vulnerable people.
- Debt and finances: Many require clearing personal debt first. Some allow small savings, while others limit personal accounts.
- Dependents and family duties: Monastic life usually doesn’t fit active caregiving obligations.
- Marriage history and divorce: Some accept divorced or widowed candidates, but they still expect obligations to be settled.
- Willingness to follow rules: Expect boundaries around celibacy, simplicity, obedience, schedule, and personal control.
Also, paths differ for women. Many traditions have nuns or sisters who live in their own communities, follow their own rules, and have their own timelines.
What monastic life is really like day to day (before you commit)
Monastic life is often steady, structured, and repetitive. That can be a relief or feel like sandpaper.
A general sample day (not tied to one tradition) might look like this:
- Early wake-up, followed by prayer or meditation
- Simple breakfast, then work period (kitchen, cleaning, grounds, maintenance, office)
- Midday service or practice period
- Study or spiritual reading
- Afternoon work period and chores
- Evening practice, then silence and sleep
Schedules vary widely. Some places have more silence. Others have more public service. Phone and internet access may be limited, and some communities restrict access to news and entertainment.
Two lists help keep expectations realistic.
What’s hard:
- Sleep pressure from early mornings
- Rules that feel strict at first
- Boredom when the mind wants constant input
- Loss of control, including shared decisions and fixed schedules
- Being corrected in front of others
What’s meaningful:
- Service that feels practical and direct
- Clarity from fewer choices each day
- Routine that supports long-term practice
- Less pressure to buy, post, or compete
- Community with shared purpose
A helpful test is simple: can the same schedule still feel worth doing after three ordinary weeks?
Choose your path without mixing traditions (four clear overviews)
Different traditions can share outward similarities, but they don’t train the same way. The fastest way to waste time is to blend rules from different paths.
Buddhist monk path (overview)
Photo by Mehmet Turgut Kirkgoz
This path may suit people who want strong daily practice, clear discipline, and a life shaped by precepts. Some communities emphasize study, others emphasize meditation and strict monastic rules.
High-level steps:
- Guest visit or retreat stays
- A training period as a resident (titles vary)
- Novice stage (in traditions that use it)
- Ongoing training in community rule (often Vinaya-based)
- Full ordination (depends on lineage and monastery)
Timeline: months to years, depending on the community.
What to expect:
- Simple living, structured days, and regular instruction
Practices vary by tradition and monastery. In some cases, limited local options mean Canadians may train outside Canada, but entry still starts with a local community when possible.
Catholic or Christian monk path (overview)
This may fit people drawn to community prayer, stability, and a shared rule of life. Monastic life differs from parish life because the focus stays on the monastery’s rhythm.
High-level steps:
- Inquiry and conversations with a vocational director
- Guest visits
- Postulancy
- Novitiate
- Temporary vows, then solemn vows (in many orders)
Timeline: often several years, depending on the order.
What to expect:
- Daily prayer (often Liturgy of the Hours) and shared work
For a clear example of how one community explains discernment, see Westminster Abbey’s vocations guidance. Practices vary by tradition and monastery.
Orthodox monk path (overview)
This may suit people who want long liturgical services, fasting seasons, and strong obedience under an elder or abbot. Testing tends to be careful and gradual.
High-level steps:
- Guest stays and regular participation
- Novice period (often called obedience)
- Longer testing with increasing responsibilities
- Tonsure stages (simple wording: becoming formally clothed as a monk)
Timeline: years, and sometimes longer.
What to expect:
- Strong focus on worship, fasting, and obedience
A community example from the Orthodox world is St. Anthony Monastery’s overview on becoming a monk. Practices vary by tradition and monastery.
Hindu monastic path (overview)
This path may suit people seeking an ashram-centered life guided by a teacher, with discipline built around service and study. The teacher-student relationship is central in many settings.
High-level steps:
- Time at an ashram as a resident or long-term participant
- Regular seva (service), practice, and study
- Gradual commitments, with guidance from the teacher
- Possible initiation into monastic life (often called sannyasa in some traditions)
Timeline: months to many years, depending on the teacher and tradition.
What to expect:
- Simple living, service, and close guidance
Practices vary by tradition and monastery, and initiation is never guaranteed.
How to become a monk in Canada (what to expect)
In Canada, the first step is to sort real communities from vague online claims. Start with searches that match your tradition, for example: “Theravada monastery Canada ordination,” “Benedictine abbey vocations Canada,” “Orthodox monastery Canada novice,” or “ashram Canada long term resident.”
Official directories can help. For Catholic discernment in Canada, diocesan and vocation resources often explain terms and expectations, including pages such as the Religious Life FAQs.
A first contact email should usually include:
- A short introduction (name, age, city in Canada)
- Faith background and current practice
- What you’re asking for (guest stay, retreat, entry process)
- Availability for a visit
- High-level notes on health and obligations
First-visit norms are similar in many places: modest clothing, a quiet voice, no photos unless allowed, following the schedule, and helping with chores.
Safety matters. Verify the official website, physical address, and recognized lineage or diocese. Avoid groups that pressure you into making fast decisions or demand large “ordination fees.” Public concern about discipline and oversight, including cases where police urged action in crackdowns on monks behaving badly, is a reminder to choose communities with clear rules and transparent leadership. Requirements still vary by community.
Common mistakes that waste time or create problems
- Rushing to ordain without repeated visits
- Romanticizing life and ignoring boredom and rules
- Choosing a group for aesthetics or social media
- Hiding debt or family obligations
- Expecting special treatment because of education or career
- Arguing about rules instead of learning them
- Ignoring mental health needs that require steady care
- Using monastic life to escape legal or family responsibilities
- Not learning basic teachings before applying
- Sending copy-paste emails to many places
- Showing up without permission
- Treating a monastery like a tourist stop
FAQs people ask before they contact a monastery
Can anyone become a monk?
Not always. Many communities require a certain age range, adequate health, and the ability to live celibately and follow rules. Women often have separate paths as nuns or sisters, depending on tradition and location.
How long does it take to become a monk?
Retreats can last days or weeks. Formal entry often takes months to years. Permanent vows or full ordination can take years in many traditions, depending on the community.
Do monks get paid?
Usually, no salary is paid. The community typically provides basic needs through shared resources and donations. Rules on personal money and expenses vary, so it’s best to ask directly.
Can you become a monk if you have debt?
Many monasteries require debt to be paid off first. Debt can create legal ties and ongoing stress, which conflicts with simple living. A practical next step is building a payoff plan before applying.
Can you become a monk if you were married?
It depends. Some communities accept divorced or widowed candidates if there are no dependents and obligations are settled. Honest disclosure early helps the community advise the right path.
Can women become monks?
Many traditions have nuns or sisters, and some have ordained female monastics depending on lineage and country. Searching for women’s monastic communities in Canada can save time and confusion.
What is the difference between a monk and a priest?
A monk is formed for community life, vows, prayer, and work. A priest usually serves a wider public role through sacraments or pastoral care. There can be overlap, since some monks are also ordained clergy.
Can I become a monk for a month? (retreat vs ordination)
A month-long stay is often possible as a retreat or guest residency, if the monastery offers it. Ordination or formal entry is different and involves approval, training, and long-term commitment. A retreat is a good first test.
What should I do before contacting a monastery?
Build a simple daily practice, learn the basics of the tradition, and reduce big obligations. It also helps to talk with family, plan time off work, and prepare respectful questions.
Is it okay to visit a monastery if I’m not religious?
Often, yes, if the visit is respectful. Modest clothing, silence in shared spaces, and asking before photos usually go a long way. Being honest about your purpose matters more than using the right words.
How to become a monk if there’s no monastery nearby?
Start by contacting the closest legitimate community, even if it’s far, and ask about retreats or extended stays. Many places want repeated visits before entry, so planning and patience matter.
Conclusion
The clearest way to think about how to become a monk is to treat it as a long discernment, not a quick switch.
- Steps: choose one tradition, contact a community, visit, then enter training stages if invited
- Requirements: expect screening around health, finances, dependents, and willingness to live by rules
- Daily life: early mornings, shared work, limited distractions, and steady practice
Choose one tradition and contact one community. Confirm details with official monasteries, since rules vary by community.
