While the forest monks are carrying on the age-old tradition of meditation and
reinvigorating it for the laity, the village/town monks are devoted to the traditional
vocation of “learning”, studying the Dhamma and Pali at the wats’ schools preparing
themselves for the naktham and prayok (ecclesiastical) examination in three levels of
Dhamma studies-Third, Second, and First Grades; and seven levels of Pali studies-Third
through Ninth Grades. Completion of both courses takes from seven to ten years. The two
wat institutes in Bangkok, now known as Mahamakuta Rajawidyalaya and
Mahachulalongkorn Rajawidhyalaya, were raised to the status of Universities in 1945 and
1947, respectively. In addition to basic Dhamma and Pali instruction, they are now
offering a Bachelor of Arts and a Master degree in Buddhist Studies and other secular
subjects. Many of the monks who passed the naktham and prayok examination and/or
were graduated from the two universities used to disrobe and take up secular jobs, usually
going into teaching, ecclesiastical administrations, and civil service. Yet those who
remain are repositories of Dhamma and have made significant contributions to Buddhist
scholarship.