Lay People Supporting Monastics in the West

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The Buddhist community includes monastics and lay people. Both are necessary for the preservation of Buddhism. However, monastics choose a life of vowed simplicity, a life directly related to the preservation and dissemination of the Dharma to benefit others. They are the core of that lifestyle that all Buddhist practitioners are committed to. In the articles here, Venerable Chodron shares with us the joys and difficulties of being a nun and the special challenges of being a Western Buddhist nun. As His Holiness the Dalai Lama notes, all Buddhist nuns have a unique role to play in the evolution of Buddhism where the universal principle of the equality of all human beings takes precedence. If you've ever wondered what it would be like to be a monastic, you'll find these articles intriguing and stimulating.

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Lay People Supporting Monastics in the West
by Kathleen Herron
Shakyamuni Tibetan Buddhist Center, Portland, Oregon, USA
2 November 2009

A talk by long-time practitioner Kathleen Herron about Sravasti Abbey, sponsored by Shakyamuni Tibetan Buddhist Center, Portland, Oregon.

Understanding this talk will be greatly enhanced by first viewing a 12.5 min video: http://www.sravastiabbey.org/video/Sravasti_Abbey_Videos.html

Audio [54 minutes] : Download mp3 file

Kathleen shares her Dharma adventures as a lay resident supporting the monastic community at Sravasti Abbey for the past 2 years.

Why we need and support monastics, who hold and disseminate the roots of the traditional teachings
Differences between living at the Abbey as a monastic or as a lay person
What an Abbey lay resident does to support Monastic training in the west
Opportunities to visit and give service to the Abbey for lay supporters

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