Motivation in a monastic environment
Venerable Thubten Chodron 
Exploring Monastic Life 2010 
Aug 11, 2010 A talk given during Sravasti Abbey's annual Exploring Monastic Life program in 2010.
- Importance of establishing daily motivation to maintain the correct mindset when living a monastic life
- Structure of the monastic living environment founded on the four noble truths and the three higher trainings
- Celibacy and romantic relationships
- Alcohol and abuse of prescription medication
- Elimination of distractions
- Dealing with authority and rules
- Seeing the kindness of others
- Relating to sentient beings meaningfully in the age of technology
- Questions and answers
- Why isn’t EML a silent retreat?
- Practicing as a lay person versus monastics
- Staying in touch with the political and social environment
- Being overwhelmed by others’ suffering and impossibility to do everything
- Bringing practice back to lay life
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.
