Monastic Life

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

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A group of young novice Buddhist nuns in prayer.
Theravada Tradition

The revival of bhikkhunī ordination in the Theravāda...

Legal and moral issues involved in the revival of the Theravāda Bhikkhunī Sangha.

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Group of participants from the 2007 Exploring Monastic Life retreat at the Abbey.
Exploring Monastic Life 2007

Refuge and precepts ceremony

Teachings on taking the five lay precepts with or without celibacy and the eight precepts…

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Mass ordination of novices.
Exploring Monastic Life 2007

The monastic preceptor

Enter monastic life with a sincere motivation. Cultivate it again and again so it increases…

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A group photo of novices.
Exploring Monastic Life 2007

The hindrances to ordaining

Ordination provides a direction for spiritual yearning, something very pure inside of us.

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Young novice studying.
Exploring Monastic Life 2007

Reasons for monastic precepts

The more we keep the precepts, the better we get along with other people, because…

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An elderly monk receiving alms, other young monks lining at the back.
Exploring Monastic Life 2007

The six harmonies (continued)

Living in community with mindfulness: a long-term vision to prepare the monastery for future generations…

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Five precepts in Japanese written on a board.
Exploring Monastic Life 2007

The precepts in modern culture

Keeping precepts in our present-day culture and relating to others in a healthy way.

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Words written on a board:To speak no ill, to do no harm, to practise restraint according to the fundamental precepts, to be moderate in eating, to live in seclusion, to devote oneself to higher consciousness, this is the Teaching of the Buddhas
Exploring Monastic Life 2007

The purpose of monastic precepts

Precepts serve to guide monastics in a positive direction, making the mind peaceful by abandoning…

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Photo of Abbey Sangha and guest sangha.
Exploring Monastic Life 2007

The six harmonies

The temporary goal of a monastic is to create a community that facilitates practice, so…

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Ven. Thubten Tsultrim makes offerings to her preceptor Ven. Chodron after the ordination
Exploring Monastic Life 2007

The “Ratnapala Sutta”

Buddha's disciple foremost in faith who, with pure motivation, looked with wisdom at cyclic existence…

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