Monastic vow

The monastic path is not an easy path. The vows which monks and nuns take are called the "Personal Liberation" vows which are a commitment taken by the purely-renounced mind to abstain from harming others. Taking these vows involves promising to abandon certain

activities and to uphold pure moral discipline. Vows taken during ordination are kept for one's whole life. If a changes one's mind after a few years it is not sufficient to just stop being a monk or nun, it is necessary to formally give back the vows to another

monastic who is holding his or her vows purely. If a monastic breaks his or her root vows it causes a very negative karma which is

extremely difficult to purify in this life. Thus, a person considering ordination should be aware that it is a serious commitment which lasts one's whole life. It is inappropriate to take monastic ordination wishing "just to try it for a few years"