Pulling the Plug

Warmest wishes to all of you!

I will be away from the Internet for the month of April, so there will be no articles during that time. I'll also be away for the entire Rains Retreat (Pāli: vassa), July 28 - October 24.

(My parents have a way to contact the monastery, if an emergency arises.)

You probably aren't expecting a regular stream of articles. Since ordaining last October, I've been writing less and going online much less.

During the last Rains Retreat, I tried to write one article per week. There was so much beauty unfolding at the monastery, and I wanted to share it with you. I enjoyed describing monastic life to friends and family (and anyone else who was curious).

Now, my actual job is to explore the beauty inside of my own heart. There's a lot one could say about that process, but speaking about it now would be more distracting than illuminating.

Certain experiences lay right at the edge of language. Poets and philosophers will obsess about how to capture those liminal states in words. Meditators direct energy towards actually cultivating those subtle and wholesome experiences.

Catch a butterfly? Better just to marvel at its beauty...

As a junior monk, I'm very much a student right now. My job is to learn as much as possible: from books and teachers, but mostly from experience. In a few years, I might have some real insights to share.

In the meantime, it's better to stay silent or speak much less.

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During the month of April, I invite you to join me in voluntarily ditching technology.

I understand that most careers require checking email every day, and a few require being constantly attentive to your screen. I understand that you rely on tech to stay in touch with loved ones, to track your health, and to soothe your heart with videos of sleepy kittens.

That said, everyone has a way to take it back a notch. For the month of April, could you carve out portions of the day where you don't look at your phone? Instead of one hour before bed, could you manage two? Could you leave the phone off all night until 8 or 9 AM? Could you stop watching TV in the evening and revive the old pastimes: reading books, playing board games, making music, and diving into conversation with the people you love? Whatever constitutes a gentle step back from technology, I encourage you to do it!

Maybe there are certain platforms you could leave aside altogether, just for April. Maybe YouTube distracts you more than it helps you. Perhaps news consumption causes you to feel hopeless, rather than informed.

Of course, I live in the middle of a remote forest. I have no paid job, just a spiritual vocation. I can decide for myself what level of tech usage is optimal and stick to that.

Many of the bhikkhus here ordained before smartphones were invented, and they've never had one. For example, our abbot manages all the business of the monastery without owning a phone or laptop or having consistent access to either.

I'm sure that it would be convenient for the abbot to have a device on hand, ready to make a call or fire off that email. But then people could call him. People could email him, with the expectation that he should respond. The spaciousness of his days would become constricted by all of the outside demands upon his time.

Do you see? If you withdraw, then you have more time for the things that really matter to you. People stop expecting immediate responses. Your inbox and your mind become quieter.

Convenience comes with a hefty price tag; more connectivity means more potential for distraction.

I remember that pre-2008 quietude of mind, and I'm beginning to dwell there again. Sometimes, it even feels like the expansive summer afternoons of the 1990s, or the many days I've spent on silent retreat.

If quietude speaks to you, then please accept this invitation to reduce your tech usage in April (or any other month). Whatever you decide, I'll be sending best wishes from a very quiet monastery.

May you forever be well! ✨

With Mettā,

Bhikkhu G (พระจี)