About Buddhist Nuns and Monks

by Bhikshuni Losang Drimay

[This is a handout that I give out to groups sometimes. I thought it might be interesting for a wider audience as well.]

I was ordained as a Buddhist nun (shramanerika, getsulma) in 1991, after 7 years of formal practice in this Buddhist tradition. I took full ordination (bhikshuni, gelongma) in 1994.

I grew up in California and Washington State. My parents are from Berkeley where they went to high school together. My parents are very supportive of my lifestyle and, although they now live in Washington State, we see each other a few times a year.

There are very few Westerners who are ordained as Buddhist monks or nuns at this point in time. Many of us know each other and get together for conferences and teachings. Buddhist monks and nuns of Asian origin are more numerous, but they are still scarce.

We cut our hair and wear the robes because that is the uniform for monks and nuns. The Buddha cut his hair when he left home to become a religious seeker, so we do the same. It also eliminates a lot of vanity and time-consumption associated with hairstyling. The patchwork shawl was designed by the Buddha’s request and has stayed the same throughout the centuries in all the various traditions.

You can receive ordination vows when your spiritual master thinks you are ready. There is no definite minimum course of study required beforehand, although you should be well-versed in the Buddhist teachings and aware of what you are getting into. Our organization, Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition (FPMT), requires 5 years from the time of taking “Refuge” (formally becoming a Buddhist) before becoming a monk or nun. There are various rules that monks and nuns must follow, but the main principle is abandoning the affairs of a householder’s lifestyle in order to commit one’s whole life to religious practice and study.

I became a nun in order to do something meaningful with my life. By wearing the robes, people know what I am and if they are interested in Buddhism they can talk to me. It makes it clear to people what I am doing with my life.

Most Buddhists are not monks or nuns (just like Catholics). Most Buddhists just wear regular clothes and have regular jobs.

Land of Medicine Buddha (LMB), where I live, is not a monastery; it is a sort of Buddhist conference center conducting classes and retreats.

There are currently (2011) four ordained people living at LMB: one English monk, one Tibetan monk, one Singaporean nun, and one American nun (myself). From time to time we also have visiting teachers who might be monks or nuns. 

Some Terms

Monk – man who has taken monastic vows, which includes, among other things, celibacy.

Nun – woman who has taken monastic vows, which includes, among other things, celibacy.

Householder/Layperson – someone who might be a Buddhist, but who has not taken monastic vows.

Venerable (Ven.) – English-language form of address for any Buddhist monk or nun.

Lama – Tibetan word for “Guru”, meaning spiritual master.

Rinpoché – Tibetan word meaning “precious one,” a respectful form of address for: reincarnated lamas, abbots, your own main lama.

Tulku – Tibetan word meaning “emanation,” a term for spiritual masters who come back life after life in order to guide others.

Geshé – Literally “Virtuous Friend”; a title somewhat like a Doctor of Divinity, earned after approximately 20 years of higher study in a monastic university.

Useful Links

The website for the sangha of the FPMT: International Mahayana Institute

The page on the IMI website about ordination

Exploring Monastic Life - an annual retreat at Sravasti Abbey, Washington State