Daily Archives: January 2, 2015

Isn’t it better to work to make society a better place than to leave it in order to become a monk or nun?

Isn’t it better to work to make society a better place than to leave it in order to become a monk or nun? The monastic order is linked to society at large by a complex web of relationships. It might better be considered as one special part of society rather than a body outside of it altogether. Becoming a monastic does not entail cutting off all ties with the world, but of adopting a new relationship to it. Monastics uphold the integrity of the Buddha’s teachings, preventing them from becoming diluted or distorted. They put the teachings into practice and […]

Can buddhist women become monastics?

Can women become monastics? Yes, women can lead a monastic life, dedicating their lives to the study and practice of the Buddhist teachings, but not in quite the same way as the nuns of earlier generations. Unfortunately, the original nuns order, the Bhikkhuni Sangha, became extinct more than a thousand years ago. The prevailing (although not unanimous) view in Theravada Buddhist countries is that reviving the bhikkhuni order is not possible, as the requirements for bhikkhuni ordination laid down by the Buddha can no longer be fulfilled. Theravada being a tradition that defines itself by its conservative attitude to the […]