A foreign monk at Chan Myay Yeiktha

A senior Burmese monk shaves the hair of Rupert Arrowsmith

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In 2013, CNN went to Burma as part of their "On The Road" series, and ended up at Chan Myay Yeiktha Monastery in Yangon. While here, they met Rupert Arrowsmith, who was ordaining as a monk.

In this CNN excerpt, he describes briefly his time in robes. Here is a passage from the article:

"I slept on a pillowless wooden board, and my morning began at 3.30 a.m. with an icy bucket shower and the scrape of a razor over chin and head. I then meditated with the other monks for two hours before a breakfast of rice and dal -- a stew of pulses such as lentils and beans -- at dawn. After that, it was back to the mediation hall until 10.30 a.m. when the second and final meal of the day was served."

For other excerpts of foreigners who have ordained in Burma, one may see this account in Ingyinbin, or this one at Shwekyin Monastery in Mandalay. There are also the Yogi Bear chronicles, written by an Australian nun.

The ordination completed: in Buddhist robes.