Monastic Buddhism
The form of Buddhism practiced by celibate renunciates.
Courtesy of Steve Evans, CC BY 2.0
Table of Contents
- Articles (10)
- Audio/Video (13)
- Booklets (8)
- Canonical Works (43)
- Essays (18)
- Excerpts (1)
- Monographs (2)
- Subtopics (1)
Articles (10)
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Six challenges (opportunities) faced by monasticism in the modern world.
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My loved ones had slowly adjusted to my new direction in life, yet were still stunned that I carried out the final step, leaving everything behind—as this implied that the world has nothing to offer, ever. It made a big impact upon them.
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All monastics, but Bhikkhunis especially, feel a tension between practicing restraint for their own development and practicing in ways that others expect. This article discusses the role of power and tradition within one such context.
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An interview with the first Theravada Bhikkhunis to hold a Pātimokkha recitation in North America, they describe the ceremony itself and its significance.
Audio/Video (13)
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Until one has a taste of samādhi, one doesn’t know the value of the Dhamma and the teaching. Until a bhikkhu experiences samādhi, he fails to see the value of the Buddha’s teaching. He may read about it in books, but paper and ink are not very tasty food!
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Thubten Chodron tells us about her journey from hippie to nun, her concern about the dharma being stripped from its Buddhist world view, and the challenges of being a Western monastic.
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Some nuns in California share their experience of monastic life.
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The “Five Kinds of Monks” and what it takes for the sāsana to thrive.
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Ajahn Sujato describes how the Buddhist monastic community functions and how its organizing principles and structure show us how to apply the Dhamma in practical situations.
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Most people aren’t interested in seriously practicing Buddhism because most people don’t appreciate renunciation, contentment, seclusion, effort, mindfulness, and wisdom.
Booklets (8)
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A clear and thorough introduction to the monastic rules, especially as practiced in the contemporary Theravada Tradition.
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A translation of a sutra preserved in Chinese, which tells the story of the Buddha’s final instructions to the Sangha.
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Canonical Works (43)
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five people similar to warriors are found among the monks
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⭐ Recommended
Let them enjoy the filthy, lazy pleasure of possessions, honor, and popularity.
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⭐ Recommended
Is it possible, venerable sir, to point out any fruit of recluseship that is visible here and now?
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The Venerable Aniruddha tells the monks about his practice of austerity.
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The Buddha gives a rough sketch of the entire path, and encourages us to remain skeptical until the very end.
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this is the nature of a person accomplished in view. Though they might manage a diverse spectrum of duties for their spiritual companions, they still feel a keen regard for the training in higher ethics, higher mind, and higher wisdom.
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The Buddha said to them: “Mendicants, what’s with that dreadful racket? You’d think it was fishermen hauling in a catch!”
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Then, not receiving his parents’ permission to go forth, the clansman Raṭṭhapāla lay down there on the bare floor, saying: “Right here I shall either die or receive the going forth.”
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The Buddha promises his half-brother Nanda five hundred celestial nymphs if he stays in the holy life. The gambit works, demonstrating the transformative potential of the monastic life.
Essays (18)
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these delightful mountain solitudes,
Are like the family estate to the supreme guide’s heirs,
And, as the best of protectors himself has said,
To rely on solitude is indeed the pinnacle of joys! -
whatever the various reactions to a Buddhist monk people might have, fear is highly unlikely to count amongst them. People see a Buddhist monk and they know that he is not dangerous
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Six changes in the modern world that monasticism will have to adapt to, and that present new opportunities.
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Why ordain when you can practice meditation as a lay person?
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Here I have set down for those who wish to follow the bodhisattva path,
Thirty-seven practices to be adopted by all the buddhas’ heirs -
Ultimately, Buddhism isn’t about “becoming” anything. A former Tibetan monk points out one of the amazing things about the Buddhist (as opposed to some other) monastic traditions: it’s always possible to disrobe.
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🥇 Best Of The Library
Reverend Sirs, I would like the reverend bhikkhus and bhikkhunis—as well as the laymen and laywomen—to listen to these passages frequently and to ponder on them.
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To understand the vinaya correctly, we have to understand it in its historical context and as the product of a (continuing) historical process.
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A short essay on what constitutes wrong livelihood for a monastic.
Excerpts (1)
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As Buddhism came (comes) West, its followers have often been accused of following a “fad” or, worse, a cult. In this fascinating chapter, Ken Wilber provides a theoretical framework for distinguishing (or at least describing) the difference between “good” and “bad” forms of religious authority.