Exploring Monastic Life
Venerable Thubten Damcho 
Mar 12, 2023 
3 weeks
In Person
Exploring Monastic Life is a study and community experience
with Ven. Thubten Chodron and the Sravasti Abbey Community
June 29, 3:00 pm to July 19, 12:00 pm Pacific Time
Exploring Monastic Life is for qualified lay people exploring the possibility of ordination, and for monks and nuns that have been ordained for five years or less.
Bhikshuni Thubten Chodron teaches from over 40 years of experience as a monastic. In addition to receiving daily teachings, you will be able to interact with members of Abbey’s resident monastic community.
Applicants must have taken refuge in the Three Jewels at least one year ago and must not be in a long-term relationship. Priority will be given to applicants under 50 years old.
Exploring Monastic Life is offered in-person only. Read the Exploring Monastic Life program page for more info.
Registration opens April 3. Check the Sravasti Abbey website for registration info.
Venerable Thubten Damcho
Ven. Damcho (Ruby Xuequn Pan) met the Dharma through the Buddhist Students’ Group at Princeton University. After graduating in 2006, she returned to Singapore and took refuge at Kong Meng San Phor Kark See (KMSPKS) Monastery in 2007, where she served as a Sunday School teacher. Struck by the aspiration to ordain, she attended a novitiate retreat in the Theravada tradition in 2007, and attended an 8-Precepts retreat in Bodhgaya and a Nyung Ne retreat in Kathmandu in 2008. Inspired after meeting Ven. Chodron in Singapore in 2008 and attending the one-month course at Kopan Monastery in 2009, Ven. Damcho visited Sravasti Abbey for 2 weeks in 2010. She was shocked to discover that monastics did not live in blissful retreat, but worked extremely hard! Confused about her aspirations, she took refuge in her job in the Singapore civil service, where she served as a high school English teacher and a public policy analyst. Offering service as Ven. Chodron’s attendant in Indonesia in 2012 was a wake-up call. After attending the Exploring Monastic Life Program, Ven. Damcho quickly moved to the Abbey to train as an Anagarika in December 2012. She ordained on October 2, 2013 and is the Abbey’s current video manager. Ven. Damcho also manages Ven. Chodron’s schedule and website, helps with editing and publicity for Venerable’s books, and supports the care of the forest and vegetable garden.