11th European Ordination Program participant

My name is Gino. I came from the Netherlands to Belgium to be ordained as a monk, and to offer a blessing to my family - especially to my mother. As a son, this is a way to give back to the one who carried me and brought me into the world.

To become a monk, the first step is to cut your hair. It frees you from the need to look a certain way or to feel attached to appearance. In that freedom, every monk begins to look the same.

Ordination day is a big day. You leave behind the life of a lay person and step fully into the monkhood. Here you learn more deeply about Buddhism, directly from the monks themselves. Through meditation, I have found greater peace. Feelings arise and then simply pass, they flow over you instead of holding you stuck in one place.

Watch the full video on YouTube