Benefits of Ordination

"To actualize the fundamental paths, you need a great deal of study and meditation. For that you need much time and conducive circumstances. The most important thing is for your mind not to be distracted. The more negative karma you create, the more barriers you erect to your own realisations. That makes it much longer and more difficult for you to experience even samsaric happiness, let alone the bliss of liberation from samsara.

Therefore, the more you live in pure ordination, the less negative karma you create. By renouncing life as a householder and living as Sangha, not only do you create less negative karma, but you also cut down a lot on external work and other activities. This leaves you much more time for meditation and study; you have fewer distractions. Thus, there are many advantages to being ordained: more time to study and meditate, more time to develop your mind. One of the most important meditations that you need to accomplish in order to really develop the path to enlightenment in your mind is mental quiescence. To realise shamatha, you need much discipline, protection, and morality; you have to eliminate many distractions. Even for an hour’s good meditation you need to cut distractions, apply discipline, and renounce attachment. If you follow attachment, you can’t meditate for even a minute. If your mind is occupied by desire objects such as boyfriends or girlfriends, you can’t meditate for even a second. So, on the basis of that simple example, you can understand how living in ordination as Sangha makes it much easier to practice.

Morality is a passport to success, a guarantee for an upper rebirth. It’s like a university degree that guarantees respect and a good job. The immediate, urgent thing is to stop rebirth in the lower realms: not only does morality guarantee you that, but it is also the basis, or foundation, for liberation and enlightenment. Therefore, it is extremely necessary to establish the right environment for practice

It is the responsibility of each monk or nun to make a plan to protect him –or herself by living in the right environment. That is the purpose of monasteries and nunneries; that’s why there are vinaya rules. They help protect the mind. By protecting, guarding your mind, you free yourself from all problems, obstacles, and suffering, ultimately liberating yourself from the oceans of suffering of each samsaric realm. You fulfill all your aspirations for happiness and bring much happiness to all sentient beings as well."

- Lama Zopa Rinpoche

From “The Benefits of Being Ordained” - Lama Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Advice for Monks and Nuns (International Mahayana Institute, 1998)

"The guidelines our precepts provide have great meaning when we devote ourselves to practice rather than having only an intellectual or casual interest in Buddhism. As monastics, our simplified lifestyle enables us to be content with little and gives us the time to develop our practice in a deep and committed way. We will become more mindful and restrain ourselves from getting caught up or going astray by following our endless wants and desires. We will develop greater awareness of ourselves and others; we will have a method to deal with our problems and will no longer be obligated to react strongly to things for which we have aversion. Rather than acting on impulse, mindfulness of our precepts will help us to check first before engaging in an action. We will develop greater tolerance, will not get emotionally entangled in unhealthy relationships, and will be of greater assistance to others. People become calmer, healthier, and more content by living in the conducive circumstances that precepts create. By living according to the precepts, we will become an ethical and trustworthy person and thus become stronger and more confident."

- Bhikshuni Thubten Chodron and Bhikshuni Tenzin Kacho:

From “The Benefits and Motivation for Monastic Ordination” in Preparing for Ordination: Reflections for Westerners Considering Ordination in the Tibetan Buddhist Tradition,” ed. Bhikshuni Thubten Chodron