Stepping into the saffron robes of Theravāda monastics is like embarking on a journey that’s both ancient and alive today. A few key stages shape this transition:

• Expressing Intent
An aspirant signals genuine dedication—often after years of observing monastic life at a local vihāra. In Thailand, for instance, many young people take temporary ordination during Songkran, testing the water before a lifelong commitment.

• Novitiate (Śrāmaṇera/Śrāmaṇerī) Ordination
- Minimum age: usually ten (for minor ordination) or twenty for full sāmaṇera.
- Parental or guardian consent, especially for minors, is required.
- Requires a senior monk (upajjhāya) and at least four other monks present.
- Accepting the Ten Precepts: abstaining from killing, stealing, sexual activity, false speech, intoxicants, and other worldly comforts.
- Shaving head and beard, donning three simple robes, and receiving an alms bowl symbolize letting go of lay identities.

• Training as a Novice
Over weeks or months, the novice practices morning and evening chants, learns Pāli recitations, and studies monastic rules (Vinaya). Retreats or forest hermitages—like those popularized by Ajahn Chah—offer hands-on insight into meditation and discipline.

• Higher Ordination (Upasampadā)
- Minimum age: twenty.
- A formal gathering of at least five fully ordained monks plus the preceptor.
- Prolonged ceremony involving public recitations of Vinaya rules, affirming one’s readiness for the full 227 (for monks) or 311 (for nuns, where allowed) rules.
- Adoption of stricter routines: alms round (pindapata), communal meals before noon, and regulated interaction with laypeople.

Across Myanmar’s forest monasteries and Sri Lanka’s hilltop temples, this time-honored process still resonates. Recent ordination festivals in Colombo drew hundreds, showing that, even in a fast-paced world, the quest for renunciation and insight remains as vibrant as ever.