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Buddhism is a religion over 2,000 years old. It offers a method of
overcoming the suffering that is inherent in being. Buddhist monks are
those who take it upon themselves to live a life entirely devoted to
this goal.

It doesn’t take a whole lot to become a monk. You will need to have a
basic understanding of Buddhism (which, if you intend to ordain, you
will likely have). Otherwise, a sincere intent to practice the Buddhist
teachings is all you need.

Part 1

Learning About Buddhism

1
Familiarize yourself with Buddhist teachings. Begin
your path to becoming a monk by understanding the basics about Buddhism.
Check out books from the library, do research on line, and if possible,
take classes from an instructor who has been ordained as a monk. The
Buddha doesn’t force anyone to believe, but asks disciples to prove the
tenants true based on their own investigation of the religion. Here are
the fundamentals you should know:
- Study the Eightfold Path, which is the way to the end of all
  suffering. The path consists of the right understanding, right speech,
  right intention, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration,
  right action and right livelihood.
- Learn the four noble truths, which contain the essence of Buddhism. A
  simple version of the four noble truths is that suffering exists, it
  arises from attachment to wants, the condition stops when the attachment
  to desire stops and freedom from suffering is possible through the
  Eightfold Path.^[1]
2
Join a temple, or sangha, that practices Buddhism.
The Buddhist religion is worldwide and temples exist in almost every
country. Practicing Buddhism as a layperson will give you valuable
insight into what it’s like to be part of a Buddhist community, which is
central to becoming a monk. You’ll want to become a regular part of the
community for months, or even years, before you take the next step to
become a monk.^[2]
- Check your phone book or look online for a Buddhist center near you.
- Be an active participant of the temple. Some sanghas offer
  introductory courses where you can learn more about Buddhism. Others
  schedule retreats to help you grow in your faith.
- Not all Buddhist communities are alike. Like other types of
  religious institutions, some are more traditional, while others have
  changed with modern times. Find a community that fits with your views
  and is appealing to you.
- It may also be helpful to visit Buddhist temples in other cities or
  even other countries to get a well-rounded view of the Buddhist
  community.
3
Find a spiritual guide or mentor. Learning from a
mentor is a very important first step in becoming a monk. One-on-one
instruction allows you to delve deeper into Buddhist teachings and gain a
more complete understanding of what will be expected of you as a monk.
Begin working with someone who can teach you everything you need to
know.^[3]
- To find a mentor, ask people in your Buddhist community for recommendations.
- Often, a temple will invite Buddhist leaders to come and speak to
  the group, and this gives you a chance to make contact with potential
  mentors.

Part 2

Preparing for Monastic Life

1
Spend time meditating. Becoming a Buddhist monk
requires daily meditation and a conscious effort to change how the mind
works. When you live in an abbey, much of your day will be spent in
meditation. This takes practice.
- Buddhism incorporates different kinds of meditation, including
  meditation that focuses on breathing, meditation that focuses on
  transformation and meditation on the Lamrim. Mediation can also include
  certain postures.
- Start with five minutes of meditation two times a day. When you
  become comfortable with five minutes, increase your meditation time by a
  few minutes every day until you can meditate for 15 minutes two times a
  day. Some monks meditate for hours at a time.
2

Prepare to support yourself for two to three years.
Becoming a Buddhist monk requires you to follow the Vinaya, a code of
conduct, which stipulates that Buddhist monks and nuns do not work a
normal everyday job to support themselves. In some cases the abbey you
join will provide for your basic necessities, but in other cases you’ll
need to have enough saved to support yourself.
3

Prepare to give up your worldly possessions. Monks
live as mendicants, meaning they possess only what is required for a
very simple quality of life, nothing more. You’ll be provided with
clothing, sundries, and other items you need to stay comfortable from
day to day. However, electronic devices, expensive clothes or shoes, and
anything that could be considered a luxury item is not allowed. Monks
are not allowed to possess items that could inspire emotions like greed,
envy or possessiveness.^[4]
4
Realize that your Buddhist community will become your new family.
Once you join a monastery, your life will be devoted to your Buddhist
community. Your days will be spent in service of others, and your focus
will be on those who need your help. You will have little contact with
your family, and will be encouraged to think of your Buddhist community
as your new family.
- Before pursuing ordination, you may want to discuss this with your family and let them know what is to come.
- Some monasteries don’t accept candidates who are married or have
  other strong relationship ties. Single people are more able to devote
  themselves to the teachings of Buddhism, since they don’t have outside
  forces pulling their attention away.
5

Be ready to take a vow of chastity. Monks do not
engage in sexual behavior of any kind. In some cases male and female
monks (or nuns) are not allowed to communicate with one another about
matters that aren’t related to everyday business. It is wise to practice
chastity before becoming ordained so that you can find out whether
you’re suited to a chaste life. The idea is that the energy you’d
normally put into sex is directed to matters greater than the self.^[5]
6
Decide what kind of commitment you want to make. In
some traditions, ordination is meant to be a lifelong commitment.
However, there are other traditions in which it’s perfectly fine to
pursue ordination for a limited number of months or years. In Tibet, for
example, many men complete two or three-month ordinations to develop
their spiritual identities before eventually getting married or pursuing
careers.
- Make sure the monastery you’re interested in joining offers the level of commitment you want.
- If you’re not sure, it’s possible to do a two or three-month ordination, then pursue a longer-term ordination later.

Part 3

Becoming Ordained as a Monk

1

Start training at an abbey. If you’re convinced that
you want to become a monk, you’ll be ordained at a specific abbey. It
will be necessary to meet the requirements outlined by the abbey in
order to be ordained there. In some cases an offer to become ordained
must be extended by an elder who has decided you’re a good candidate to
become a monk.
2
Participate in an ordination ceremony. The ceremony
will mark your decision to become a Buddhist, and can only be performed
by an ordained monk. During this ceremony, the monk will transmit to you
the three Jewels and the five Precepts. You will also receive your
Buddhist name.
- If you’re following Shin Buddhism, you’ll have an affirmation
  ceremony, rather than an ordination ceremony. The affirmation ceremony
  serves the same purpose as ordination.
3

Follow the instructions of your teacher. If you
partook in an ordination ceremony, your teacher will usually be the
ordained monk who led the ceremony. You will receive instructions
specific to the monastery you are joining.
4

Take the Bodhisattva Vows. A Bodhisattva is a person
who devotes his or her life to the Buddhist way. The vows focus on doing
compassionate deeds, striving to benefit every human being and seeking
enlightenment. The vows serve as a way for you to embody your highest
aspirations. They commit you to a life of selfless service, and you will
recite them on a regular basis.

The Facebook-owned WhatsApp Messenger
is undoubtedly the most popular messaging app on the planet. The
company has been bringing new updates every now and then, to make sure
that it remains at the top of the hill. However, not everyone seems to
be happy with WhatsApp. Firstly, WhatsApp now shares user data with Facebook,
which hasn’t gone down too well with users. Then there’s the fact that
everyone uses WhatsApp these days, so we won’t blame you if you feel
it’s a little too annoying. So, if you are someone who wants to move on
to a more personal or secure messaging app, here is a list of the 10 best WhatsApp alternative apps you can use in 2020.

Best WhatsApp Alternative Apps You Can Use in 2020

1. Telegram Messenger

Telegram Messenger has been known as the best WhatsApp competitor
for a while now and nothing’s changed. The open-source messaging app is
still the best WhatsApp alternative out there. Along with the usual
messaging features that both WhatsApp and Telegram pack, the latter
brings other features like super groups of up to 100,000 people, public
channels, usernames, ability to share files of up to 1.5 GB, pass code
lock, self-destructing messages and end-to-end encryption in secret chat among other things. Then, there are Telegram Bots,
which really enhance the experience. The bots not only bring you
important info on the go but there are several game bots that let you play games inside the messaging app.

Other than that, unlike WhatsApp, Telegram can be used on multiple platforms at once,
so you can start texting on your phone and then continue it on your PC.
I also love the voice call feature here which works quite well. That
said, Telegram lacks video calling feature. But it makes up for it by
bringing really unique features that are not found on WhatsApp. So, if
you don’t care about video calls, you cannot go wrong by choosing
Telegram Messenger as your messaging app.

Availability: Android, iOS, Windows Phone, Windows, macOS, Linux, Web (Free)

2. Wire

If
you are looking for a fresh new messaging app, you should give
Wire a shot. The app has gained a lot of accolades among users, due to
its beautiful interface and unique features. The app
does have a gorgeous interface and in a world where most messaging apps
kind of look the same, it’s a pleasant surprise. It might be fairly new
but it’s already very feature rich. The open-source app brings
end-to-end encryption while also letting you to use it on multiple
devices at once.

Wire
also brings a number of unique features like group video calls (up to
10 people), timed aka self-destructing messages, ability to delete
messages from recipient devices,
link previews and more. If you ask me, Wire maybe fairly new
but it’s definitely one of the best WhatsApp alternatives out there.

Availability: iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, Linux, Web (Free)

3. Signal Private Messenger

Open Source Systems, the company that powers the end-to-end
encryption technology in WhatsApp Messenger and Facebook Messenger,
offers its very own messaging app dubbed Signal Private Messenger. As
you’d expect, Signal brings a number of security benefits when compared to WhatsApp. Unlike WhatsApp, the open-source Signal app offers self-destructing messages, screen security
(prevents anyone from taking screenshots), and more. Plus, Signal
brings encryption to its backups, calls and every other data in the app.
Even the files that you send using Signal are protected.

It’s a great app for anyone who wants to securely converse with
other users. That’s why, Signal is quite popular with journalists.
Signal Private Messenger is for people who are looking for a simple and
secure messaging app and if you are looking for something like that, it
is the best WhatsApp alternative for you.

Availability: Android, iOS (Free)

4. Bridgefy

One of the main problems with online messaging apps like WhatsApp is
that they rely on an internet connection to work. And if you are out
camping in the woods even the normal text messaging apps will not work. That’s where offline messaging apps come into play. These apps don’t require a mobile network or internet connection to work. Rather, they create a peer-to-peer Bluetooth mesh network
or Wifi Direct-based network on your phone and allow you to send
messages to your nearby friends. If you are looking for such an app then
you should use Bridgefy. Bridgefy offers three main types of messaging
service; Person-to-Person mode, Broadcast mode, and Mesh mode.

You
can send messages to a friend, broadcast them to entire group, and even
use users as nodes to send messages to long distances.
It is quite helpful during music festivals, sports events, natural
disasters, and other such situations where you won’t be getting reliable
mobile service. In fact, Bridgefy and other such apps have become a
bastion for protesters around the world as it allows them to evade
internet censorship imposed by their governments. The app is free to
download and use, and the best offline WhatsApp alternative in my
opinion. You should check it out.

Install: Android (free), iOS (free)

5. Kik

Kik is a great messaging app for users who don’t want to use their
number to operate a messaging application. While chat services like
WhatsApp require users to use their number, I know many users who are
not comfortable with sharing their personal numbers to these platforms.
For those users, Kik is a great service as it only requires you to use your email ID.
Once you sign up for the service using your email ID, Kik will create a
unique user name for you which you can share with other Kik users to
chat.

The
best part about using Kik is that you are not losing out any messaging
features. You still get access to all the important features including
text messages, emojis, stickers, Gifs, photo sharing, video sharing,
and group chats among other things. Another unique feature of Kik is
that it supports bots which is something that you do not get on
WhatsApp. Using bots you can play quizzes, get fashion tips, latest
news, and more. That said, the main USP of Kik remains its
non-requirement of a phone number and if that’s something you want,
definitely check it out.

Availability: Android, iOS (Free)

6. Snapchat

While Snapchat technically is not just a messaging app rather a
social media app, I use it more and more as a messaging application
thanks to some unique features that no other messaging application can
offer. For example, I can send messages which can self-destruct after a set period of time.
It also notifies me when someone takes a screenshot of my chats with
them. Finally, it offers the best face mask collection of all the apps
that I have ever used which makes this app fun to use.

Other
messaging features are also here such as the ability to
create group chats, voice calls, group voice calls, gifs, and more. I
also love Snapchat because it is one of the most innovative chat
services on the market.
The features that users on WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger normally
enjoy are generally copied from Snapchat. So, if you want to access
these cool features and be the first to receive the latest chat
features, Snpachat is the app to use.

Availability: Android, iOS (Free)

7. Skype

Skype
is without a doubt one of the best business chat applications
of the market. With the power of Microsoft behind it, Skype has left all
the other business chat applications in the dust. However, that
progress has worked against Skype when it comes to personal chats as the
business moniker that it has earned keeps normal users away. However,
let me tell you that Skype is one of the best chatting applications on
the market especially if you make a lot of video and voice calls.

I especially find Skype useful when I am using it to make overseas
calls as the sound and video quality on Skype is far better than its
competition. I also love Skype for its group video call functionality.
While most other apps don’t support group video calls, the ones who do
often lag when you add more than three to four people. If you are
someone who makes a ton of video calls with their friends and family, I
can certainly recommend Skype over WhatsApp or any such chat
application.

Availability: Android, iOS, macOS, Windows, Web (Free)

8. Keybase

Keybase is an open-source secure chat application which is great for
users who want to communicate securely. Since this is an open-source
app, there’s no private company which is looking at all your data.
Anyways the data is end-to-end encrypted so at no point in time, the message is exposed to nefarious actors. The
app doesn’t even allow you to take the screenshot of the chats. The
messaging app works more like Slack than WhatsApp, however, it’s not
aimed at businesses, rather it is mainly targeting users who are
concerned with their online privacy.

My favorite feature of Keybase is that you don’t need anyone’s number or email ID to connect with them.
This allows you to remain in contact with users with whom you don’t
want to share your personal information with. Finally, this is one of
the few messaging apps which offer a native application for Linux
operating system. If you value your privacy, you should definitely check
it out.

Availability: Android, iOS, macOS, Linux, and Windows (Free)

9. Viber

Viber
is another popular messaging and VoIP app that really stands
toe-to-toe with WhatsApp when it comes to features. Firstly, the
app offers end-to-end encryption in calls, messages and the shared
media. Moreover, the messages saved in multiple devices are also
encrypted, which brings us to the fact that the messaging apps packs in
multi-device support, which WhatsApp lacks. Like WhatsApp, Viber lets
you make video and voice calls but the app goes one step ahead with its
Viber Out feature, which lets you make international calls to non-Viber
users at nominal rates.

Talking
about the messaging features, Viber includes support for stickers, file
sharing, last seen, voice & video messages, public accounts,
backup to Google Drive and more. There is also a sticker store
and Viber games, which are basically games you can play inside Viber. If
you consider everything, you’d notice that Viber is an app that is very
similar to WhatsApp. It packs in most of the features from WhatsApp and
then some more.

Availability: Android, iOS, Windows Phone, Windows (Free, with rates for Viber Out)

10. Threema

Threema is a “seriously secure” messaging app, which should interest
you if you are concerned about your security on WhatsApp. The app encrypts all the data,
including messages, shared files, and even status updates. While it
lacks WhatsApp features like voice & video calling, its security
features are certainly impressive. Along with end-to-end encryption in
the app, the app also does not collect metadata and offers various encrypted backup options.
Threema is open-source and has a very transparent privacy policy, so
your security is in safe hands while you are using the app.

It packs in the usual messaging features, along with a web client
that works similar to WhatsApp Web but includes a few unique touches
like the ability to create a poll in groups, password or fingerprint-protect chats,
anonymous chatting (no number required), and the ability to
agree/disagree to a message. Threema is a paid app but if security is
important to you and you want a simple messaging app, it is worth the
money.

Availability: Android, iOS, Web ($2.99)

Bonus: LINE

Another
WhatsApp alternative you can use is LINE, which is a highly
popular cross-platform messaging app that packs in a ton of features.
Like WhatsApp, the app features end-to-end encryption, support for voice
and video calls & messages and more. It also brings quite a few
unique features when compared to WhatsApp like LINE Out (lets you make
international calls to non-LINE users), sticker store, a cool Keep
feature (lets you save your favorite messages, photos etc.), and
more. It also features a timeline in the app, where you can see any
status updates and photo changes from your friends.

Other
useful features of LINE include passcode lock, filter messages,
themes, LINE Pay for payments, and more. There’s no doubt that LINE is a
very capable and feature-rich messaging app, however, it does feel a
little bloated. So, fans of WhatsApp’s simplicity might not like LINE
much but if you aren’t bothered by that, you should give LINE a shot.

Availability: Android, iOS, iPad, Windows Phone, Windows, macOS, Chrome, Firefox (Free)

Best WhatsApp Alternative Apps to Use

There are a ton of other messaging apps that are pretty decent, like imo, Facebook Messenger, Hike
etc. However, if you are looking for an app to replace WhatsApp, the
aforementioned apps are the best ones you can use. While none of these
apps will match the user base that WhatsApp boasts of, they are more
than good enough to replace it as far as features are concerned. So, try
out these WhatsApp alternative apps and let us know your favorite
instant messaging app in the comments section below.

https://whatsapp.en.softonic.com/android/alternatives

Top Apps like WhatsApp for Android

WhatsAppFree

Seamlessly sync WhatsApp chats to any PC

WhatsApp is one of the most popular chat and instant messaging applications available today. The service allows users to save data
by messaging over a computers internet connection. Typically, people
use this app on mobile devices, but with the new Windows version, you
can finally access chats straight from your desktop messenger.

Part 1 Learning About Buddhism

Part 2 Preparing for Monastic Life

Part 3 Becoming Ordained as a Monk

Best WhatsApp Alternative Apps You Can Use in 2020

1. Telegram Messenger

2. Wire

3. Signal Private Messenger

4. Bridgefy

5. Kik

6. Snapchat

7. Skype

8. Keybase

9. Viber

10. Threema

Bonus: LINE

Best WhatsApp Alternative Apps to Use

Top Apps like WhatsApp for Android

WhatsAppFree

Seamlessly sync WhatsApp chats to any PC

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Part 1

Learning About Buddhism

Part 2

Preparing for Monastic Life

Part 3

Becoming Ordained as a Monk