Monastic Life

A treasury of information about the joys and challenges of life as a Buddhist monastic.

All Posts in Monastic Life

Exploring Monastic Life 2015

A monastic community

How community life is integral to monastic training. The value of monastic community and how…

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Exploring Monastic Life 2015

The importance of daily practice

How to reason with the afflicted mind and deal with "freak-outs" in our practice. Similarities…

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Exploring Monastic Life 2015

Reducing attachment, cultivating confidence

An example of how to meditate to loosen our craving for others' approval. The right…

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Exploring Monastic Life 2015

Letting go of identities

Becoming aware of the identities we cling to and how they hinder our spiritual practice.

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Exploring Monastic Life 2015

Taking precepts

Working with our attachment to approval by counteracting self-centered thoughts, and the various types of…

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Exploring Monastic Life 2015

Ethical conduct on the path

Where ethical conduct fits into the Buddhist path, and the benefits of practicing ethical conduct.

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Exploring Monastic Life 2015

The evolution of the Dharma and the vinaya

The Buddha's milieu, and how the sangha and Buddhism spread after the Buddha's parinibbana.

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Exploring Monastic Life 2015

The Buddha’s life and teaching

On the purpose of bowing, recitations and offering the mandala before teachings. The Buddha's life…

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Exploring Monastic Life 2015

The purpose of the EML program

An introduction to the course and the challenges that we all have to look forward…

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Abbey monastics performing varsa ceremony.
Monastic Rites

Varṣa skandhaka

The varṣa skandhaka deals with the annual rains retreat for monastics and the rules to…

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Preview of newspaper article featuring Ven. Damcho.
A Nun's Life

The call of monasticism

An interview with Venerable Thubten Damcho by "The Straits Times" on how she came to…

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A Nun's Life

Cultivating compassion

How Venerable Thubten Chodron came to choose the Buddhist path, and the reasons for cultivating…

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