During the first year of residency, the applicant is called an anagarika, “homeless one”, shaves his head, dresses in white and keeps the eight precepts, follows the routine of the monastery, and serves the monastic community by doing those tasks ordained monks are no longer permitted to do: such as cooking, driving, handling money, and digging earth. At the completion of the first year, if he wishes to continue with the training, the applicant is required to make a formal request for acceptance as a novice.

As a novice he then wears the brown robes similar to the monks and keeps the ten precepts. After about one year serving the community as a novice, the candidate may request ordination as a monk.

At this stage he would have to be prepared to relinquish his material wealth and train in the Monastic Code of a monk. While we welcome overseas trainees, we ask that they be responsible for all their travel and visa expenses, and must arrive with a return air ticket and travel health insurance.