Explore Monastic Life
Teachings from the annual Exploring Monastic Life program at Sravasti Abbey.
Exploring Monastic Life Program
Venerable Thubten Chodron leads an intensive three-week training program in late July to August every year at Sravasti Abbey. It’s for people thinking about becoming a Buddhist monk or nun, and for newly ordained monastics. Learn more about the Exploring Monastic Life program here.
Subcategories
Exploring Monastic Life 2005
The Buddha's life story, the history of the sangha, and the value of monastic precepts and community life.
VIEW CATEGORYExploring Monastic Life 2006
The history of the sangha and the precepts, different Buddhist traditions, and the benefits of ordination.
VIEW CATEGORYExploring Monastic Life 2007
The purpose of monastic precepts and how to keep them in modern times, and the six harmonies of a sangha community.
VIEW CATEGORYExploring Monastic Life 2008
Why and how monastics keep precepts, cultivate contentment and concentration, and benefit society.
VIEW CATEGORYExploring Monastic Life 2009
Sutras on how monastic life fosters ethical discipline, concentration, harmony, and trust.
VIEW CATEGORYExploring Monastic Life 2010
The Buddha's life, what changes after monastic ordination, and monastic community life.
VIEW CATEGORYExploring Monastic Life 2011
The Buddha’s life, his advice to laypeople, and how to work with the afflictions.
VIEW CATEGORYExploring Monastic Life 2013
Changes that occur after monastic ordination and commentary on the seven Vinayas of the past buddhas.
VIEW CATEGORYExploring Monastic Life 2014
The foundation of monastic life, the qualities of a monastic mind, and how to relate to the world as a monastic.
VIEW CATEGORYExploring Monastic Life 2015
History of the Dharma and the Vinaya, and commentary on chapter 4 of Buddhism: One Teacher, Many Traditions.
VIEW CATEGORYExploring Monastic Life 2016
The purposes and benefits of monastic precepts, the conditions for ordination, and commentary on the Ratthapala Sutta.
VIEW CATEGORYExploring Monastic Life 2017
Commentary on the Dharmaguptaka Vinaya novice ordination ceremony.
VIEW CATEGORYExploring Monastic Life 2018
History of monastic lineages and how precepts benefit the individual, monastic community, and society.
VIEW CATEGORYExploring Monastic Life 2019
A detailed commentary on the Dharmaguptaka Vinaya sramaneri and shiksamana ordination rites.
VIEW CATEGORYExploring Monastic Life 2021
How monastic precepts and living in community help to tame the mind, and how to live a happy monastic life.
VIEW CATEGORYRelated Books
All Posts in Explore Monastic Life
Monasticism in the West
A question and answer session about Buddhist monasticism in the West.
View PostSustaining our monastic life
How a long-term bodhicitta motivation is essential to sustaining ordained life and the importance of…
View PostThe value of a sangha community
The meaning of sangha and the benefits of living in a monastic community.
View PostLiving a happy monastic life
The key factors that lead to having a happy mind as a monastic and living…
View PostMonastic precepts and community life
How monastic precepts and community life are set up to help work with our afflictions…
View PostThe five precepts
How the five precepts guide how we live and relate to each other for the…
View PostOrdination is a wonderous deed
How to benefit others according to our capacity, and commentary to the advice following the…
View PostEthical conduct
Exploring the meaning of ethics and morality, its benefits, and how to cultivate and protect…
View PostAdvice from the preceptor
Commentary to further advice from the preceptor, including the final instruction from the preceptor.
View PostQualities of a monastic
The five virtues a monastic should possess, and commentary to the ten numerical lists.
View Post