Very young men or boys joining the sangha without adequate preparation is resulting in real problems
monasticism
Monasticism: Celibacy and Companionship are not only compatible, but crucial
In the face of scandals involving sexual misconduct, it is not celibacy that needs reform, but rather monastic contact and communication with the opposite gender
Eye on Southeast Asia: Monastic Gotami, Womanhood, and the Sangha’s Inspirational Power
Burmese monastic Gotami’s personal example recaptures and renews a sense of the holy inspiration the Buddhist sangha has traditionally radiated
Eye on Southeast Asia: An Italian Gotami – A Young Woman’s Success and Struggle in Myanmar’s Female Monasticism
Italian-born Gotami’s ordination as a junior female monastic in the Burmese tradition sets her on a unique path toward institutional reform and revitalisation
A New Monograph on Female Agency and Insight
“Laughter, Creativity, and Perseverance: Female Agency in Buddhism and Hinduism” is a groundbreaking work that unpacks how women in Buddhist and Hindu cultures claim spiritual authority
Changing Minds: Uniting Monasticism with Education
“In the early 90s, former monastics were quite rare in my region. Society did not perceive ex-monastics in a good way. They were seen as failures that could not fulfil their commitment. These days it’s accepted. You don’t need to be a monastic to help the Dharma.” In telling me this, Choje Lama has highlighted […]
Let It Rain
I heard the crack of thunder as it whipped across the sky and prepared myself for the downpour to come. I was sitting cross-legged in a tiny wooden kuti that was nestled among the tall trees and rugged rocks on land that was part of a remote forest monastery in Northern Thailand. As I sat […]
How to Dry Feet
“Don’t pat the feet! We need them to be dry!” Those were the stern words that the abbot of a forest monastery said to me as I was drying his feet and the feet of monks who had just cleansed them with water before entering the meditation hall. Drying the feet of monastics was the […]
Buddhist Monastics in Palliative Care: A Milestone Program from Dr. Sneha Rooh
As Buddhist leaders explore inroads into pastoral care and palliative treatment, Bylakuppey-based Dr. Sneha Rooh has developed a program of palliative care that is tailor-made for monastics to train in. This is a monastic-driven, fundamentally pastoral initiative that Buddhists in traditional regions like the Tibetan plateau, the Himalayan regions, and India have long needed. Titled […]
A Conversation with Choje Lama Wangchuk Topden on Spiritual Leadership and the COVID-19 Era
Kathmandu has a special place in Choje Lama Wangchuk Topden’s heart. He was born there on 20 November, 1983 and the Nepalese capital has had its fair share of international exposure since the devastating earthquake in April 2015. “There is an interesting contrast between the recovery effort for the earthquake, and the present disaster that […]