I would like to become a buddhist nun

Post Reply New Topic

I don't find the differences between Hinayana, Mahayana and Vajrayana that interesting. They all have the same basis and that is far more important as far as I'm concerned. I thinkt the existence of all these different schools contradicts the buddhist opinion that there is no separateness.

I know that one is supposed to make a choice between these different versions of buddhism but I see no harm in combining them all. Why not? You can learn from all of them and they are all valuable.

Sure, you can learn from them all, but you can't join all their monasteries.

I used to think about doing that. I used to live a lot more like a nun than I do now, so it didn't seem totally unrealistic. However, even though my current lifestyle is very much not like a nun, I think I could still give everything up apart from sexual love.

I can only see myself doing Zen, not that I'm saying you should. I used to do zazen at a Soto Zen dojo and it's the only 'spiritual' community I felt was right for me. Before that I used to be a Quaker and that wasn't quite right. I also went for a few classes with the Triratna group (formerly the FWBO) and I didn't like them. I haven't tried Tibetan Buddhism because after experiencing zazen, I thought that was the path I would take if I was ever to concentrate more on Buddhism.

At the moment, I'm not observant (not even meditating) but whatever I discovered by doing zazen is still there with me, somewhere.

I have just taken the first hurdle. I talked to my mother about my plans of becoming a buddhist nun and she seemed to accept it,, espcecially because it is going to take a couple of years before I will make my first attempt to realize it. She was neither angry nor surprised. Sometimes it feels like I am made for a monastic lifestyle. It really suits me. Ofcourse I will have to work on some major personal issues like a nasty temper and my tendancy for cynical and negative thinking but all in due course. Than there is the possibility that I may never become a buddhist nun because of the fact that I might not get accepted by a monastery but I'm okay with thatas well. If I can't become a nun I am going to travel for a while when my mother and grandmother are not around anymore allthought I am a little ambivalent about it all because I hope they will live for as long as possible.

Hi. Please forgive my late response (3 years) as I've only just found this thread. I am wondering if you have travelled and become a nun in this time?

I took Buddhist ani (nun) ordination in Namdroling Tibetan Buddhist Monastery, Karnataka State, South India, in 2001 from the late HH Penor Rinpoche. I managed to live in the monastery for only 9 months and then needed to travel for visa reasons. I ended up 16 months living in India with her wonderful people. The last 3-4 months I rented a retreat cottage in a Sherpa village up in Nth East India near Kalimpong before returning to the West.

Since leaving India I have struggled with health and almost died from a serious medical misadventure which forced me to temporarily disrobe for 6 years because my lower back couldn't carry the weight of my heavy robes. It is only in the past few years that I've managed to redesign my robes so they are lighter, yet more suited to the unpredictable colder climate here. My redesigned robes are based on several years of research, trial and error as I tried to interpret the rules given in the Pali Sutta's of the original design of a wayfearer's robes.

I was only diagnosed with ASD 4 years ago, so am still getting to grips with it in my own way. I live in relative isolation thanks to the kindness of a friend. If I could I would have stayed in Namdroling, but have to accept visa and my current health limitations and make the most of it here. The ASD makes communication difficult so I prefer to keep to myself and do solitary practice which is ok. There are no monasterys or nunnerys in Australia or here for my lineage of Tibetan Buddhism and I see all forms of Buddhism as essentially no different so occasionally, health permitting I will randomly appear at different Buddhist functions.

It isn't easy being a western nun with ASD, as my inner urge is to live in Namdroling in a culture I seem to understand and can almost blend into. Being alone in the West is hard, but I've noticed with time that the people have become more understanding and accepting of the robes. I don't like standing out in the crowd but that's part of my practice to live with that here. I wear the robes and the vows only as a personal mental refuge and physical protection against the elements as Buddha advised. I live off charity to meet my daily needs. As an ordinary human I often don't get things right and am more frail these days, but keep reminding myself thats ok as it's just temporary reality and I am just the six elements with nothing to cling to as a solid unchanging me or mine. I see this as the essential meaning of the Dharma which brings occassional liberation from my world of mental and physical suffering. Love, joy and compassion grow naturally from the the equanimity which arises during each small glimpse of the six elements when uncontaminated by self clinging.

Wishing you well on your journey, much love ani