Monastic Life
A treasury of information about the joys and challenges of life as a Buddhist monastic.
All Posts in Monastic Life
Venerable Thubten Chodron The banner of the Dharma
A teaching from the ordination ceremony text, focusing on advice from the acharya about practicing…
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Family life
The teaching from the ordination ceremony text continues, focusing on advice concerning how monastic relate…
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Venerable Thubten Jigme Working with expectations
False expectations we may approach ordination with, and the importance of practicing self-compassion to overcome…
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Going forth
A teaching from the Buddhist ordination ceremony text, focusing on the attitude to have when…
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The importance of motivation for ordaining
The importance of motivation when ordaining, and how to work with our expectations of monastic…
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What the Buddha faced in his life
What the Buddha faced in his life, and how the monastic community was established.
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Geshe Chopa Tenzin Lhadron From goatherd to geshe
Geshe Chopa Tenzin Lhadron describes her journey from rural Ladakh with minimal opportunities for education,…
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Venerable Thubten Jampa The benefits of living in a monastic community
Venerable Jampa reflects on the benefits to be gained by living in a community of…
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Buddhist practice in the West
Interview on topics such as the role of monastics, compassion and the world, a simple…
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Questions and answers with monastics
A discussion on various topics of daily life in the community, applicants for ordination, the…
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The six harmonies of the sangha: Part 2
The six ways of keeping harmony in the monastic community that help the community as…
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The six harmonies of the sangha: Part 1
The six ways of keeping harmony in the monastic community that help the community as…
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