Child Monk

Shwenandaw Monastery, Mandalay

Children in Southeast Asia can join monasteries for varying lengths of time, during which they receive basic education as well as religious instruction. Actual monastic vows are not taken by the children. It is typical for every male in Southeast Asia to enter a monastery for a while, either as a child or as an adult, but relatively few go on to become full-time monks.

There are also a few Buddhist nuns, although monasticism is not nearly as well-accepted for females as it is for males.