All the classes begin at one o'clock in the afternoon until sunset. The monastic education concentrates on the study of religious scriptures to cover the three Canons of Buddhist literature; Vinaya disciplinary rules and regulations, Suttanta discourses, and Abhidhamma philosophy doctrines.
A common average monk must study the Pariyatti Scriptures, or practise the Insight Patipatti meditation, in order that he may gradually develope and advance his Pativedha realization of the Perfect Truth.
During the three-month Lent of rainy season, all monks have to remain within the monastery and they are not supposed to travel anywhere. Only at the end of the Buddhist Lent which usually falls in October, they are permitted to visit other monasteries, make pilgrimages, attend meetings and conventions, deliver sermons in other villages and towns. They can even transfer from one abode to another, because the Buddhist monk does not take a vow of stability to be attached to a particular monastery forever. After the Lenten period he may leave for any monastery of his choice, to pursue further study of the scriptures, or to learn in practice more about the Insight meditation, or even for general knowledge and new experience of monastic life in other places.
There are some monastic institutions which concentrate upon the intensive study of lessons preparing monks to appear in the religious examinations. These religious examinations in Burma are held by the Government, or by the local bodies of monastic education, or by some associations established for this ecclesiastical purpose. In such cases, an ordinance of the Lord Buddha dispenses the scholar monks from rounding for alms from house to house in the villages. There are pious families who proffer to these student monks their sustenance at their monastic abode. The founder of the monastery or the religious association, who nominates the incumbent, regularly undertakes the support of the monk. The food which is the best of its kind, is regularly brought every morning by the children of the supporters. In case of joint support the children or the workers of the leading families in turn bring the essential eatables to the monastery. An ornamental tiffin receptacle is used, with a tall finial to the cover. These food supplies are received by the stewards, scholars, and the novices who arrange and set the luncheon table for the monks who must finish their meal before noon. Sometimes the stewards, and novices have to prepare rice gruel and other meals at the monastery from raw supplies. But the monks are not invoked in such affairs. The monastic butlers and stewards are usually attached to the monasteries by the wealthy supporters for the preparation of food and other necessary services. The purpose of this special arrangement is to allow the monks to get ample time in the study or in the practice of meditation.
The senior monk or the Abbot of the monastery has little interaction with the village. Occasionally, however, on Sabbath days and on special festival days he leads the devotees in recitation of the discourses, or administering the precepts. On special occasions such as weddings, funerals and some other notable events, he chants the Eleven Holy Discourses of Protection (Paritta). He presides over 'the Initiation ceremony of novices and higher ordination ceremony of monks. Sometimes he accepts the special meals served by his devotees during the Lenten season either in the monastery or in the village houses. He preaches sermons at appropriate occasions, and gives advice and admonitions to his devotees when they come to the monastery for spiritual help.
The teaching staff in the Monastic Education institution is usually recruited and organized from the learned members of the Samgha and the Abbot acts as the President or Rector of the academy.
Often the Rector or the Abbot is busy with domestic affairs and he assigns an old deacon or a novice to take care of the school boys teaching them the alphabets and basic arithmetic. The youngsters usually learn the basic principles of the Buddhist Teachings by rote and recite the lessons all in unison chanting loudly enough in chorus to let the Abbot hear from his place so that he can correct on the spot at once whenever they commit a mistake They all have to write their lessons on the slates or on the wooden boards blackened by soot and rice-glue with talcum pencils. And the young teachers check them every day to see if the handwriting is neat and tidy, or if the spelling is all correct.
A young tutor monk is appointed by the Abbot to instruct the novices and newly ordained monks in the study of canonical literature and language prescribed for the elementary scholars in the monastic educational programme. Such junior courses of instruction are taught both in Pali as well as in the vernacular language. Most of the lessons are learnt by heart and the student must be able to recite fluently when the instructor requests him to do so in the class.
The elderly lecturer monks are specialists in their specific subject field and they deliver their lectures at their residential quarters. They may be Professors of Pali Grammar, or Professors of Vinaya Disciplinary Rules, or Professors of Abhidhamma Philosophy and other suttantas. So the advanced students approach those lecturers for their higher academic studies. Among such advanced students arc monks, nuns, a few laymen and old novices who have already passed the religious examinations set and sponsored periodically by the Government, or by the Local Board of Monastic Education.
There are however some scholar monks who do not care for sitting any examination, and they learn the scriptures of the religion for the religion's sakes only. They also attend all these lectures delivered by the experts at various monasteries. There is no tuition fees, no admission fees, no registration fees, and no charge whatsoever. The academy is free and open to all interested scholars.
The lecturers conclude their classes For the day Just before sunset, to allow the students to stroll for a while to the pagoda for evening service, or to clean the sanctuary.
Then comes evening worship similar to that in the morning. Sometimes there are evening classes for the Advanced Abhidhamma studies usually discussed in the darkness which conclude at nine o'clock late at night. While the elder monks perform their meditation and the youngsters tell the rosary-beads, the scholars recite their daily lessons before they retire to bed. All are so tired and exhausted after such a long day that there is no need for any one to tell them to be quiet after ten o'clock.
The young steward boys and scholars are happy to go to bed late at night because they have already filled up their hungry stomachs with the remnants and leftovers that they have saved from the lunch boxes. And they never regret having to get up early the next morning at dawn to sip the hot rice gruel welcoming them to the routine work and labour of another busy day.
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