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 Family life
The teaching from the ordination ceremony text continues, focusing on advice concerning how monastic relate…
View Post
Venerable Thubten Jigme Working with expectations
False expectations we may approach ordination with, and the importance of practicing self-compassion to overcome…
View Post
Going forth
A teaching from the Buddhist ordination ceremony text, focusing on the attitude to have when…
View Post
The importance of motivation for ordaining
The importance of motivation when ordaining, and how to work with our expectations of monastic…
View Post
What the Buddha faced in his life
What the Buddha faced in his life, and how the monastic community was established.
View Post
Geshe Chopa Tenzin Lhadron From goatherd to geshe
Geshe Chopa Tenzin Lhadron describes her journey from rural Ladakh with minimal opportunities for education,…
View Post
Bhikshuni 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…
View Post
Buddhist practice in the West
Interview on topics such as the role of monastics, compassion and the world, a simple…
View Post
Questions and answers with monastics
A discussion on various topics of daily life in the community, applicants for ordination, the…
View Post
The six harmonies of the sangha: Part 2
The six ways of keeping harmony in the monastic community that help the community as…
View Post
The six harmonies of the sangha: Part 1
The six ways of keeping harmony in the monastic community that help the community as…
View Post
The ten benefits of monastic precepts
The ten reasons the Buddha gave for establishing the precepts cover benefiting the the individual…
View Post