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 2021

Monasticism in the West

A question and answer session about Buddhist monasticism in the West.

View Post
Exploring Monastic Life 2021

Taming the mind

The importance of taming our minds in relation to others we live with.

View Post
Exploring Monastic Life 2021

Sustaining our monastic life

How a long-term bodhicitta motivation is essential to sustaining ordained life and the importance of…

View Post
Exploring Monastic Life 2021

Living a happy monastic life

The key factors that lead to having a happy mind as a monastic and living…

View Post
Exploring Monastic Life 2021

Monastic precepts and community life

How monastic precepts and community life are set up to help work with our afflictions…

View Post
Exploring Monastic Life 2021

The five precepts

How the five precepts guide how we live and relate to each other for the…

View Post
Nuns performing the bimonthly confession of precepts at Sravasti Abbey.
Monastic Rites

Posadha at Sravasti Abbey

An explanation of the ritual known as posadha, during which monastics purify and restore their…

View Post
Monastic Life

The value of monastic life and communities in the 21...

In modern Western society, monastics support their communities in part by acting as the conscience…

View Post
Full Ordination for Nuns

Researching the bhikshuni lineage

Can the bhikshuni ordination be traced back to the time of the Buddha? Bhikshuni Sangye…

View Post
Venerable Pende standing next to Venerable Chodron, holding her robes and smiling.
Becoming a Monastic

Seniority in the sangha

Reflection on the monastic hierarchy helps a "baby" nun to grow in her Dharma practice.

View Post