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How a monastic interacts with others

How a monastic interacts with others

A talk given during Sravasti Abbey’s annual Exploring Monastic Life program in 2013.

  • Remaining mindful of the body, speech and mind
  • Paying attention to body language and sensations: how we respond
  • Providing Dharma advice to lay persons, but not interfering

http://www.youtu.be/rm7K-bf1ogE

Just as a bee feeding on flowers
Does not spoil their color or fragrance,
But just extracts their flavor.
So a bhiksu(ni) entering an inhabited place
Does not interfere with others’ affairs
Or notice what they do or do not do,
But is mindful of her own behavior
Whether correct or incorrect.

That is the vinaya of Tathagata Krakucchanda, the unattached one, the fully enlightened one.

Venerable Thubten Chodron

Venerable Chodron emphasizes the practical application of Buddha’s teachings in our daily lives and is especially skilled at explaining them in ways easily understood and practiced by Westerners. She is well known for her warm, humorous, and lucid teachings. She was ordained as a Buddhist nun in 1977 by Kyabje Ling Rinpoche in Dharamsala, India, and in 1986 she received bhikshuni (full) ordination in Taiwan. Read her full bio.