Majority of the Bhutanese who have joined monastic institutions do it on their own will. They are not forced by anyone to do so.
This and other important information about those who have joined the monastic body have been unveiled by a study titled “Human Flourishing in the Monastic Communities,” conducted by the Centre for Bhutan & GNH Studies, which was released earlier this month.
According to the study, majority (76.4%) of those joining monastic institutions do so out of personal interest, “demonstrating a deep individual connection to their religious calling.” Parental influence plays a role for 11.9% of respondents, while 4.5% are driven by socioeconomic challenges, highlighting how external factors such as poor economic backgrounds impact decisions to join monastic life.
“This enduring tradition underscores the continued importance of monastic education in Bhutan’s spiritual and cultural landscape, offering not only religious and vocational training but also a transformative journey of personal growth,” the report underscores.
Meanwhile, an overwhelming majority of nuns (84.2%) join the monastic body out of personal interest, making them the most self-driven group in comparison to monks and gomchens. Similarly, about three-fourths of monks (76.2%) also joined due to personal desire. However, the proportion is slightly lower among gomchens, with only 68.8% citing personal interest as their reason for entry.
Parental or guardian influence plays a more prominent role among monks (12.7%) and gomchens (12.5%), while only 4.4% of nuns attribute their decision to parental influence. Economic factors, though present, are cited by fewer than 10% across all three groups, indicating that financial considerations are not a primary motivator for entering monastic life. This trend highlights a strong personal connection to religious life, particularly among nuns.
The report says that although the differences are small, a slightly higher proportion of participants from Eastern Bhutan report that it was their own interest to join the monastic body, followed closely by participants from Central Bhutan. “This regional variation, though minor, suggests that personal motivation plays a stronger role in these areas compared to other regions of Bhutan. 11 to 13% of the participants from each region say that it was their parents or guardians who made them join their monastic community. 5.9% of the respondents from the West say it was due to economic reasons; the same is reported by 4.2% and 2.9% of the respondents from Central and Eastern parts of the country, respectively.”
Reasons for joining a monastic body also varies based on the level of school education. Individuals with higher educational qualifications are more likely to join the monastic community out of their own interest, rather than relying on the decision of their parents or guardians. This trend suggests that formal education empowers individuals to make more independent choices regarding their religious paths.
According to the report, age also influences the decision to pursue a religious life. A higher proportion of youths aged 15 to 24 report joining the monastic body out of their own interest. “As individuals age beyond this group, the proportion citing personal interest declines, suggesting that decisions to enter monastic life become more varied among older cohorts. Notably, the highest percentage of respondents attributing their entry to parental decision-making is found in the 45 years and older age group, followed closely by those under 15 years.”
Meanwhile, the report states that while the quantitative findings indicate that most individuals choose to become monks, nuns, or gomchens primarily due to personal interest, the qualitative results highlight a broader spectrum of motivations. “Factors such as poor health, peer influence, parental decisions, and family challenges play significant roles in this choice. Among these, coming from a financially disadvantaged background emerges as one of the most prevalent reasons for entering monastic life.”
The findings also show that enrollment rates peak at the age of 12 and 13, when they are in their early adolescence. 4% of the respondents joined the monastic community at the age of six or earlier, while 6.7% of the participants joined only at the age of 21 years or later. More than one-fourth of them (27%) enrolled before the age of 11.
A maximum proportion of monks interviewed for the study joined the monastery at the age of 12 (12.9%) and 13 (11.8%), while the peak was beyond the age of 20 for nuns (15.8%) and gomchens (16.1%). About 11% of the nuns also joined at the age of 19. Likewise, 14.3% of gomchens joined at the age of 13. “It appears that it is more common to become a nun or gomchens at later ages as compared to becoming a monk,” the report says.
Meanwhile, in the Western regions, enrollment in monastic education peaks at age 13 (13.1%), while in both the Central and Eastern regions, the peak occurs at age 12 (12.2% and 11%, respectively). “Although the differences in modal age of initiation are minimal, the Eastern region shows a trend of earlier entry into monastic education, particularly noticeable for individuals up to age 11. Conversely, from ages 13 to 19, the Western region exhibits a higher proportion of enrollments, indicating a significant increase in adolescent participation in monastic education during this period.”
According to the study, human flourishing is an increasingly recognized concept globally, with various methods to measure it. “This report presents an analysis of human flourishing within the monastic communities of Bhutan, which include thousands of monks, nuns, and gomchens. The study employs three primary approaches: the Gross National Happiness (GNH) Index, the Flourishing Scale (FS), and Subjective Wellbeing (SWB). A representative sample of 1,612 individuals, consisting of 83.3% monks, 9.8% nuns, and 7% gomchens residing in monastic institutions across the country, was interviewed for this study.”
The study also revealed a GNH index of 0.856, an average FS of 7.17, a life satisfaction score of 7.23, and a happiness score of 7.6, all measured on a 0–10 scale (except for GNH, which ranges from 0 to 1). “These high scores across the board suggest that members of Bhutan’s monastic communities experience happy, flourishing lives. Furthermore, comparisons with the 2022 GNH survey results indicate that this group is outperforming the general population in several aspects of life,” the report states.
By Staff Reporter
